Methodological Foundations
Mandatory research seminars, scientific writing in English (*Writing a Research Paper*), and preparation of the Master’s Thesis (12 ECTS).
View common courses → Official Master’s Degree · USAL · UVa
Master in Advanced English Studies: Languages and Cultures in Contact
Official Master’s program offered by the Universidad de Salamanca and the Universidad de Valladolid in English studies, accredited under the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
Official credits 60 ECTS 1 full academic year
Mode & campuses On-Campus Salamanca (Term 1) · Valladolid (Term 2)
Language requirement C1 Level Certified English proficiency
Excellence & quality N.º 1 in English Studies · El Mundo Ranking
Academic rigor, humanistic tradition and advanced research
The Master in Advanced English Studies: Languages and Cultures in Contact (MAES) is an official joint postgraduate degree holding positive accreditation from ACSUCYL. It provides the preparatory coursework for the doctoral program awarded with the Distinction towards Excellence by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
The University of Salamanca (founded in 1218, the cradle of English and North American literary studies in Spain) and the University of Valladolid (founded in 1241) unite the academic heritage and research excellence of their departments to deliver an advanced humanistic curriculum designed for both doctoral academic careers and higher language education.
Official Overview
Master in Advanced English Studies
An official joint postgraduate degree by the University of Salamanca and the University of Valladolid, combining historical tradition, scholarly rigor, and global outreach.
- THE MASTER IN ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES: LANGUAGES AND CULTURES IN CONTACT is an official Master’s program offered by the Universidad de Salamanca and the Universidad de Valladolid in English studies.
- The Master’s program is an accredited program which meets the high standards of excellence of the European System of Higher Education (EEES). It constitutes the pre-requisite coursework for the PhD program that has been distinguished by the Spanish Ministry of Education for its Quality of Excellence.
- The University of Salamanca (1218) is Spain’s oldest university and the fourth oldest in Europe.
- In the Humanities, both the University of Salamanca and the University of Valladolid hold an indisputable international prestige in areas of research and teaching innovation. These institutions are linked to the creation of the first grammar and to famous historical figures such as Cervantes, Lope de Vega Fray Luis de León, San Juan de la Cruz, Torres Villarroel, and Miguel de Unamuno, among many others.
- In the sixteenth century both universities, along with the University of Alcalá, were named the three most important universities in the Kingdom
- The University of Salamanca was among the first in Spain to create an English department and to introduce American Literature studies in this country. Both universities have been distinguished with the “Campus of Excellence” award
- According to the ranking in El Mundo, the English Department of the University of Salamanca has consistently maintained the number one place in all its national listings (consult El Mundo report).
- The University of Salamanca has the second highest international student community in the country.
- The University of Salamanca and Valladolid are famous for their diverse international student population and offer a number of educational exchange programs for foreign students.
- The University of Salamanca boasts the ninth highest enrollment of Erasmus students and half of its postgraduate students are international. The University of Valladolid is the top European university in international teaching placements within the Erasmus-Sócrates program and sends out the most teachers in all of Europe.
- Both Salamanca and Valladolid are charming university towns with a rich cultural heritage. During the seventeenth century Valladolid was the capital of the Spanish Empire and since them has carried an important historical legacy
- The Master in “Advanced English Studies” is aimed towards both highly motivated Spanish and international students with a professional drive allowing them to excel in a rigorous academic environment. Dare to be the best!
Curriculum Structure
Specialized academic itineraries
The 60 ECTS curriculum allows students to customize their academic profile through two specialization itineraries and a common methodological core.
Applied English Linguistics
Second language acquisition and teaching, discourse semantics, cross-cultural pragmatics, contrastive grammar, dialectology and corpus linguistics.
Explore linguistics track →Literary and Cultural Studies
American poetry and poetics, postmodern aesthetics, theatre on the margins, transcanadian literatures, space and migration, and the age of Shakespeare and Cervantes.
Explore literature track → Accreditation and Quality
Official standings and national rankings
Official Notice
News El Mundo
Master in Advanced English Studies (University of Salamanca and University of Valladolid) ranks Number 1 in Spain in the area of English Studies and one of the first five best Master's in the Humanities.
Download official report in PDF → Academic Community
Testimonials from former students
Graduates from past cohorts reflect on their academic experience and their progression into international doctoral research and higher education.
"The Master’s program was a great preparation for the challenging and yet fascinating research environment of English studies. The quality of teachers was impressive, with renowned specialists in linguistics, literature and culture offering a complete landscape of the discipline." — **Dan Iulian Toader** (Rumanía), *Investigador doctoral*
"Our Master Program is one of the best well-designed Master programs in the current academic world. By encompassing both Literature and Linguistics it opens itself up to all language researchers. The program makes it possible for young scholars to achieve academic excellence through working with a well trained and experienced teaching staff across both Salamanca and Valladolid." — **Oscar Ndikubwayo** (Ruanda), *Investigador y docente universitario*
"Not only did it give me the opportunity to enjoy different teaching techniques at two prestigious universities, it also allowed me to obtain the knowledge necessary to pursue my subsequent academic and professional career." — **Patricia San José Rico** (España), *Doctora en Filología Inglesa y Docente*