Education and English Literature

Education and English literature is a combination that places learning and language at its centre, exploring both how people come to know things and how literature gives shape and meaning to human experience. Education as an academic subject examines the personal, social, cultural, and political forces that shape learning, from the developmental psychology of the individual learner to the systems and policies that organise schooling at national and international levels. English literature develops close reading, critical thinking, and an understanding of how writing in English has reflected and shaped culture across centuries and continents.

This three-year, full-time programme at Liverpool Hope includes a placement year and a year abroad, both of which give you the opportunity to engage with education and literary culture in different contexts and to develop professionally alongside your academic formation. The placement year connects your study to the realities of educational settings, while the year abroad broadens your perspective on how education operates in different societies and gives you the chance to encounter literatures and literary traditions from beyond the UK. The combination of two intellectually serious disciplines with practical and international experience makes for a well-rounded degree.

Graduates move into careers in teaching, educational support, community learning, and arts education, as well as into the broader areas that both English and education degrees support, including publishing, journalism, writing, communications, and policy. Those who wish to teach in schools will typically need to complete a further professional qualification, such as the PGCE, after graduation. The degree also provides a strong foundation for postgraduate study in education, English, or related areas, and for careers in educational research, curriculum development, and educational leadership.