English Literature/Scottish Literature

English literature and Scottish literature is a combination that places the study of writing in English in a specifically national and comparative context. Scottish literature has its own distinctive traditions, from the medieval makars and Robert Burns to the modern Scottish renaissance associated with Hugh MacDiarmid, and from the Gothic fiction of James Hogg to the contemporary novels of Alasdair Gray and Ali Smith. Studying it alongside the broader tradition of English literature allows you to see how national literary cultures develop in relation to and in tension with one another, and to develop a more nuanced understanding of what the category of British literature actually means.

At the University of Glasgow this programme is studied part-time, and it includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to engage with literary studies in an international academic environment while managing other commitments alongside your studies. Glasgow's English literature and Scottish literature departments have deep expertise across a wide range of periods and approaches, including American, Irish and postcolonial literatures, critical theory, creative writing, and the relationship between literature and other arts, media and science. The part-time structure suits students who are working, caring for others or otherwise managing significant commitments, and Glasgow's curriculum reflects a genuine intellectual breadth that rewards curiosity across literary traditions.

Graduates of literature programmes enter a wide range of careers. Teaching at secondary and tertiary level, publishing, journalism, arts administration, the civil service, heritage and library work, creative industries, broadcasting and communications are all well-established destinations. The combination of close reading skills, cultural knowledge and the ability to research and write clearly is valued across many professional contexts.

Postgraduate study in English literature, Scottish literature, creative writing or related humanities fields is a natural next step for those who wish to pursue research or specialist roles.