English Language/English Literature

English language and English literature together form a pairing that covers both the mechanics and the creative power of one of the world's most widely used languages. English language study examines the structure, history, and variation of English, asking how grammar works, how meaning is created, how language changes over time, and what our linguistic choices reveal about identity, culture, and social relationships. English literature brings close reading and critical interpretation to the full range of literary forms, from medieval poetry through to contemporary fiction, asking how texts reflect and shape the societies that produce them.

At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme allows you to combine both disciplines, developing analytical skills that operate across linguistic and literary analysis. You will explore how the English language has evolved from its earliest forms to the present day and consider what this tells us about culture, society, and ourselves. Literary study will expose you to a broad range of periods and traditions, training the kind of careful, critical engagement with language that underpins both disciplines.

The degree includes a year abroad component, offering the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and experience how English functions in a different academic and cultural context. Studying part-time allows you to balance your degree with other commitments while progressing through a rigorous academic programme.

Graduates of joint English language and literature degrees bring a distinctive combination of skills to the job market, including precise written communication, the ability to analyse complex texts, and an understanding of language as a system and a social practice. These skills are valued in publishing, journalism, education, broadcasting, copywriting, and the civil service. The degree also provides excellent preparation for postgraduate study in linguistics, literary criticism, teaching English as a foreign language, or creative writing.