English Literature

Literature has always been one of humanity's most powerful ways of exploring what it means to be alive, to be in relationship with others, and to inhabit a particular moment in history. The academic study of English literature asks you to engage with texts not only for the pleasure they offer but for what they reveal about language, culture, power, and the imagination. It is a discipline that rewards close attention, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to question received interpretations.

At the University of Chichester, you will explore your passion for literature, discover new literary worlds, and engage in critical debate as you analyse texts from a variety of contexts, time periods, and authors. The programme develops your capacity for careful reading, sustained argument, and precise written expression, the core skills of literary study. You will encounter a wide range of genres, periods, and critical approaches, building a broad literary knowledge alongside the analytical and rhetorical competencies that the discipline develops.

The programme is studied part-time.

Graduates of English literature degrees pursue careers in education, publishing, journalism, public relations, marketing, the civil service, arts administration, and the law, as well as in a wide range of other roles where excellent written communication and critical thinking are central. The discipline is among those that most consistently produce graduates who are articulate, persuasive, and comfortable working with complexity and ambiguity. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in literary studies, creative writing, cultural history, or education, building on the close reading and critical analysis skills developed during the degree.