Course Overview

Our English Literature degree provides a thorough grounding in a wide range of authors, genres, historical periods, literary movements, techniques and critical approaches. We use cutting-edge approaches to literary study, and allow you to specialise in genres and periods that particularly appeal to you.

In your first and second year courses include an Introduction to English Literature and Theory and Practice of Criticism. You can also select from a range of optional modules. In your final year you'll choose the materials, issues and themes you'd like to explore in greater depth by writing a Dissertation on a topic that particularly appeals to you.

The English Department administrative and academic staff are always friendly and happy to help

Career opportunities

Many of our students go on to careers traditionally associated with English Literature and Creative
Writing,  such as publishing, journalism, writing, television and the media, teaching and librarianship.
The transferable skills you gain on this degree - communication, self-expression, research and critical understanding - open up a wide range of business and public sector roles in areas such as marketing, advertising, law, social work and professional services.

A sizeable proportion of our graduates take up employment overseas. Other graduates go onto further study, not only in English and Creative Writing, but also in Journalism, Publishing, Law, Public Relations and Business.

Recent graduates have gone on to work or train as speech therapists, teachers of English in the UK and overseas, computer programmers and consultants, videogame storywriters, bankers, chartered accountants, personnel managers and social workers.