English Literature with a Year Abroad

English Literature is one of the most diverse and challenging disciplines we offer.

Studying our four year BA with a Year Abroad cultivates sensitivity towards language and seeks to answer some provocative questions. It also opens up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.

You will have the chance to explore over a thousand years of literature, from Beowulf to the present day. Our course covers national and global literature stretching from Renaissance literature, Gothic and genre fiction and 19th century literature through to modernity and contemporary fiction. Other exciting topics include gender and culture and creative and professional writing.

You will have the chance to spend a semester studying in the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore, further improving your career prospects.

Why English Literature at Swansea?
English at Swansea is ranked:

• 11th in UK for Research Impact (REF2021)

• Top 20 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)

• Top 101-150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)

Our academic staff are internationally recognised for their research. You will learn from experienced, established writers whose work has been widely published, broadcast and performed.
You will also have the option of a semester in the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore.

Your English Literature Experience
You can choose from a fascinating range of English Literature and creative writing topics to tailor your degree to your interests.

We offer varied and flexible course content, so you can shape your course to your own interests, whether in Gothic and genre fiction, gender and culture, Renaissance literature, national and global literatures, modernity and contemporary writing, 19th century literature, or creative and professional writing.

Wales has a rich lyric tradition and Swansea is the birthplace of Dylan Thomas. You could also be involved with projects with the Dylan Thomas Centre and the National Theatre Wales.

You will also have a personal tutor for any pastoral and academic support you may need, and the lively English Student Society at Swansea organises a range of literary, social and cultural events.
Please visit our course page for more information:
https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/english-literature-creative-writing/ba-english-literature/

Typically your first year will include a mixture of compulsory and optional modules, with examples of modules from recent years including:
• Monsters, Theories, Transformations
• English Essentials
• The Stage Play World

Your second year will typically comprise entirely optional modules from a large range of subject areas. Examples of optional modules in recent years have included:
• Contentious Shakespeare
• Revolution of the Word: Modernism
• Introduction to Writing Poetry
• Welsh Gothic / Gothic Wales
• Other Tongues: Multilingualism in English Language Literature
Your third year will be your Year Abroad experience, spent studying in a partner institution
Your final year will include an optional independent dissertation project.
For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:

• Presentations
• Group Work
• Original Writing

Throughout your undergraduate English Literature degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing. For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/english-literature-creative-writing/ba-english-literature/ or get in touch with us at study@swansea.ac.uk