English

English as a university subject is far more than the reading of novels. It encompasses the history of the language, literary criticism, poetry, drama, creative writing, and the study of how texts shape and are shaped by the cultures that produce them. At its heart, the discipline asks you to read attentively and think independently, to understand how meaning is made in language, and to communicate complex ideas with precision and persuasion.

These habits of mind have lasting value across an enormous range of careers and contexts.

This three-year, full-time programme is designed to bring literary study into genuine engagement with the contemporary world, giving you analytical, creative, and professional skills alongside an informed understanding of writing in English throughout history and across the globe. You will have the option of a placement year and a year abroad, which together offer valuable opportunities to apply your skills in professional settings and to encounter different literary and intellectual traditions. The combination of academic rigour and real-world exposure makes the programme unusually flexible in what it prepares you to do after graduation.

English graduates move into an exceptionally wide range of careers. Publishing, journalism, broadcasting, education, and the arts are natural destinations, as are advertising, public relations, policy, law, and the civil service. The skills in critical reading, clear writing, and persuasive argument that the degree develops are precisely those that employers across many sectors value, particularly at a time when the ability to communicate with intelligence and nuance is increasingly rare.

Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in literature, creative writing, linguistics, or education.