Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
Critical Theory MA
Key information
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Duration:
One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
This critical theory master’s will equip you with a solid understanding of foundational critical theory texts and teach you how to engage with the contemporary discourse that informs current debates about race, class, gender, climate change, and beyond. It’s a multidisciplinary course that empowers you to follow your own interest, thanks to a wide range of optional modules across the humanities and social sciences. You’ll graduate with knowledge of the intellectual history of critical theory and the tendencies emerging from continental philosophy and with the skills to apply these theoretical discourses to different objects and fields.
Key benefits
- Focus on continental philosophy and the history, study, and applications of critical methodologies across the humanities
- Diversify your study with a variety of multidisciplinary optional modules
- Learn from a range of active researchers who are publishing in their fields of specialism
- Produce your own piece of research with a dissertation
- Enjoy all the benefits of learning in London.
This MA in critical theory offers a blend of English and Philosophy study that will develop your critical thinking skills and allow you to apply theoretical discourses across different objects and fields. Thanks to a focus on diverse perspectives, this master’s prepares you to critically engage with contemporary social, cultural, and political issues. It will also hone your research and writing abilities, furnishing you with transferable skills desirable for further academic study or careers in journalism, publishing, or cultural analysis. You’ll begin your Critical Theory MA by gaining in-depth knowledge and understanding of the landmark critical texts from this field. You’ll study continental philosophy, Marxist political thought, psychoanalytic theory, structuralist literary analysis, and more. During small-group seminars, you’ll get to discuss the key ideas and concepts of a series of short but dense, provocative, paradigm-shifting texts. You’ll finish the first required module equipped with the tools and frameworks to understand, interpret, and apply discourses in critical theory. You will be able to deconstruct and critically analyse thinking on topics like technology, theories of gender and sexuality, postcolonial theory, and beyond while also considering the humanities’ epistemological and methodological directions in recent decades. The second semester of your Critical Theory MA will begin with the next required module, which explores contemporary debates in critical theory. You’ll split the teaching time in half to delve into two significant themes, such as biopower or subjectivity and desire, and practice applying theory in discourse. The rest of the teaching time is split across six optional modules. You’ll create your own critical theory syllabus by choosing from a multidisciplinary collection, allowing you to learn from active researchers publishing across a broad range of disciplines. This means you could pick up modules that touch on philosophy, English literature, modern languages, geography, theology, philosophy, digital humanities, culture, and beyond. This gives you the chance to complement your studies by exploring topics such as the role of myth in modern literature concerned with the legacy of slavery or how non-linear and decolonial mapping of the Global South can trace interconnections between coloniality and the multiple experiences of modernity. You could consider how cultural memories are produced, disseminated, and secured, and the political contours of its transmission, or explore French thought and writing in the 20th Century through the object, the image, and the gesture. Your master’s in Critical Theory will conclude in the production of a dissertation that will both prepare you for future academic research and allow you to focus your studies. It allows you to delve deeper into an area of particular interest and produce your own research and analysis on a topic that links a required module to one of your optional ones.
Base campus
Strand Campus
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
Bachelor’s degree with 2:1 honours in a humanities discipline. We may consider other qualifications if you can demonstrate relevant experience.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
NOTE: The programme is run by the Department of French, but does not require any knowledge of French.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
C
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal.
A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
We aim to process all applications within four to six weeks although this may take longer in February and March, and over holiday periods.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions: Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted. |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
| Writing Sample | Yes | You will also need to submit a sample of your written work in the form of an academic essay (or a section of a dissertation), consisting of 2000-4000 words. |
| Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
Teaching methods - what to expect
If you are a full-time student, we will provide six hours of teaching each week through lectures and seminars, and we will expect you to undertake 34 hours of independent study.
If you are a part-time student, we will provide two to four hours of teaching through lectures and seminars each week, and we will expect you to undertake between 16 and 18 hours of independent study.
For your dissertation we will organise a workshop and provide you with an additional four hours of supervision.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus. We are located right in the heart of London, offering you easy access to the wealth of cultural opportunities available in one of the world’s most vibrant cities, as well as its multiple world-class libraries. You will also have access to our own extensive collections and resources.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and a dissertation. Forms of assessment may typically include essays, class presentations and a research methodology exercise. Coursework contributes approximately 67% and the dissertation approximately 33% to your final mark.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Required modules
Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. You are required to take:
Main Currents in Critical Theory (15 credits)
Dissertation (60 credits)
Optional modules
In addition, you are required to take 90 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:
Continental Philosophy I (15 credits)
Writing the Body in Literature and Culture (15 credits)
On Speed: Accelerating Culture Since the 19th Century
Illness Narrative as Life Writing
'The Other Side of Reason’: Madness/Philosophy/Literature
Theorising Contemporary Violence (15 credits)
A language module from King’s Language Centre (15 credits) subject to approval
If you are a part-time student, you will take Foundational Texts in Critical Theory (15 credits) and Main Currents in Critical Theory (15 credits), along with 30 credits of optional modules from the list above in your first year. In your second year you will take your dissertation module and a further 60 credits of optional modules.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
Graduates of this Critical Theory MA go on to careers in teaching, journalism, the media, arts and other related bodies. Some choose to pursue further research in humanities subjects.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
International:
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions
Deposit
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
- If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
- If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
King’s Bridge Scholarship
King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- books if you choose to buy your own copies
- clothing for optional course related events and competitions
- library fees and fines
- personal photocopies
- printing course handouts
- society membership fees
- stationery
- travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
- graduation costs
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
This MA in critical theory offers a blend of English and Philosophy study that will develop your critical thinking skills and allow you to apply theoretical discourses across different objects and fields. Thanks to a focus on diverse perspectives, this master’s prepares you to critically engage with contemporary social, cultural, and political issues. It will also hone your research and writing abilities, furnishing you with transferable skills desirable for further academic study or careers in journalism, publishing, or cultural analysis. You’ll begin your Critical Theory MA by gaining in-depth knowledge and understanding of the landmark critical texts from this field. You’ll study continental philosophy, Marxist political thought, psychoanalytic theory, structuralist literary analysis, and more. During small-group seminars, you’ll get to discuss the key ideas and concepts of a series of short but dense, provocative, paradigm-shifting texts. You’ll finish the first required module equipped with the tools and frameworks to understand, interpret, and apply discourses in critical theory. You will be able to deconstruct and critically analyse thinking on topics like technology, theories of gender and sexuality, postcolonial theory, and beyond while also considering the humanities’ epistemological and methodological directions in recent decades. The second semester of your Critical Theory MA will begin with the next required module, which explores contemporary debates in critical theory. You’ll split the teaching time in half to delve into two significant themes, such as biopower or subjectivity and desire, and practice applying theory in discourse. The rest of the teaching time is split across six optional modules. You’ll create your own critical theory syllabus by choosing from a multidisciplinary collection, allowing you to learn from active researchers publishing across a broad range of disciplines. This means you could pick up modules that touch on philosophy, English literature, modern languages, geography, theology, philosophy, digital humanities, culture, and beyond. This gives you the chance to complement your studies by exploring topics such as the role of myth in modern literature concerned with the legacy of slavery or how non-linear and decolonial mapping of the Global South can trace interconnections between coloniality and the multiple experiences of modernity. You could consider how cultural memories are produced, disseminated, and secured, and the political contours of its transmission, or explore French thought and writing in the 20th Century through the object, the image, and the gesture. Your master’s in Critical Theory will conclude in the production of a dissertation that will both prepare you for future academic research and allow you to focus your studies. It allows you to delve deeper into an area of particular interest and produce your own research and analysis on a topic that links a required module to one of your optional ones.
Base campus
Strand Campus
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
Bachelor’s degree with 2:1 honours in a humanities discipline. We may consider other qualifications if you can demonstrate relevant experience.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
NOTE: The programme is run by the Department of French, but does not require any knowledge of French.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
C
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal.
A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
We aim to process all applications within four to six weeks although this may take longer in February and March, and over holiday periods.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions: Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted. |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
| Writing Sample | Yes | You will also need to submit a sample of your written work in the form of an academic essay (or a section of a dissertation), consisting of 2000-4000 words. |
| Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
Teaching methods - what to expect
If you are a full-time student, we will provide six hours of teaching each week through lectures and seminars, and we will expect you to undertake 34 hours of independent study.
If you are a part-time student, we will provide two to four hours of teaching through lectures and seminars each week, and we will expect you to undertake between 16 and 18 hours of independent study.
For your dissertation we will organise a workshop and provide you with an additional four hours of supervision.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus. We are located right in the heart of London, offering you easy access to the wealth of cultural opportunities available in one of the world’s most vibrant cities, as well as its multiple world-class libraries. You will also have access to our own extensive collections and resources.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and a dissertation. Forms of assessment may typically include essays, class presentations and a research methodology exercise. Coursework contributes approximately 67% and the dissertation approximately 33% to your final mark.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Required modules
Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. You are required to take:
Main Currents in Critical Theory (15 credits)
Dissertation (60 credits)
Optional modules
In addition, you are required to take 90 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:
Continental Philosophy I (15 credits)
Writing the Body in Literature and Culture (15 credits)
On Speed: Accelerating Culture Since the 19th Century
Illness Narrative as Life Writing
'The Other Side of Reason’: Madness/Philosophy/Literature
Theorising Contemporary Violence (15 credits)
A language module from King’s Language Centre (15 credits) subject to approval
If you are a part-time student, you will take Foundational Texts in Critical Theory (15 credits) and Main Currents in Critical Theory (15 credits), along with 30 credits of optional modules from the list above in your first year. In your second year you will take your dissertation module and a further 60 credits of optional modules.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
Graduates of this Critical Theory MA go on to careers in teaching, journalism, the media, arts and other related bodies. Some choose to pursue further research in humanities subjects.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
International:
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions
Deposit
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
- If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
- If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
King’s Bridge Scholarship
King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- books if you choose to buy your own copies
- clothing for optional course related events and competitions
- library fees and fines
- personal photocopies
- printing course handouts
- society membership fees
- stationery
- travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
- graduation costs
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
Application closing date guidance
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process.
The final application deadlines for this programme are:
· Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
· Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
If the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications. Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.
Key information
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Duration:
One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
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