English

English literature is among the oldest and most versatile of university disciplines, concerned not merely with reading novels and poems but with the rigorous study of how language, narrative, and form create meaning, reflect historical conditions, and shape the way we understand the world and ourselves. An English degree trains you to read closely and critically, to construct sustained and persuasive arguments, and to engage with ideas across periods and cultures from medieval texts to contemporary fiction, from canonical figures to writers only recently recovered into literary history.

At Durham University, this four-year full-time degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution overseas and to encounter English literature within a different intellectual and cultural context. Durham is one of the leading departments for English in the country, and you will be taught by academics whose research spans literary history, theory, and creative writing. The university's award-winning library and outstanding literary collections, along with its active calendar of literary events, provide a rich environment for your studies.

You will engage with poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction from a range of periods and traditions, developing the close reading and interpretive skills that the discipline demands. You will also engage with critical theory, literary history, and the methods of textual scholarship.

The analytical and communicative capacities an English degree builds are among the most broadly applicable of any degree. The ability to read carefully, to argue coherently, to write with clarity and precision, and to handle complex and ambiguous information are valued by employers across a wide range of sectors.

Graduates go on to work in publishing, journalism, the media, education, law, public relations, marketing, the civil service, arts administration, and many other fields. Those who pursue further study often continue to postgraduate work in literature, creative writing, cultural studies, or teaching.