A Lady Literate in Arts (LLA) qualification was offered by the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

in Scotland for more than a decade before women were allowed to graduate in the same way as men, and it became popular as a kind of external degree for women who had studied through correspondence, or by attendance at non-university classes. Although awarded as a

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...

, in terms of academic standard, it was equivalent to the

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

. Until 1892 women were not admitted to Scottish universities, and the LLA was the nearest qualification to a degree which was open to women in the country, although the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

offered certificates recognising achievement in classes organised by the Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women, and in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Queen Margaret College was offering a university-equivalent education and awards. To obtain an LLA candidates had to pass examinations at a university-approved centre, which might be in Scotland or outwith the country. Formally established as the Lady Literate in Arts - LLA - by 1877, even after 1892, the course continued to be popular with women who wanted to study for an arts degree without needing to attend one particular institution for three or four years. Thousands of women received an LLA before it was discontinued in the 1930s. William Angus Knight (1836–1916), Professor of

Moral Philosophy Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied et ...

at St Andrews between 1876 and 1903, was a supporter of

female education Female education is a catch-all term for a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...

and the main force behind the university's introduction of the LLA diploma.

Notable literate ladies

Violetta Thurstan LLA in-her-Russian-Red-Cross-uniform during WW1

The educationalist and headteacher

Isabel Cleghorn Isabel Cleghorn LLA (14 March 1852 – 4 December 1922) was a British educationist and suffragist. She was the headteacher at Heeley which is now part of Sheffield and she was the first woman President of the National Union of Teachers in 19 ...

, Helen Bannerman, the children's writer, Sarah Bannister, educationist and local politician and suffragette Margaret Nevinson all had LLAs, as did the wartime nursing heroine Violetta Thurstan.

References

*Susan Sellers, ''Mischievous to the Public Interest: The Lady Literate in Arts Diploma and the Admission of Women to the University of St Andrews'' in ''Launch-Site for English Studies'' (1997) ed. Robert Crawford *R.N. Smart, ''Literate Ladies: a Fifty-Year Experiment'' in ''St Andrews University Alumnus Chronicle'' (1967)

External links

Lady Literate in Arts
{{Academic degrees Higher education in Scotland * * University of St Andrews Distance education institutions based in the United Kingdom Women in Scotland 1930s disestablishments in Scotland 20th-century establishments in Scotland Liberal arts education