English Literature

Explore how literature has shaped the world – and been shaped by it – while developing vital skills for career success.

An English Literature degree will help you rediscover the world through the eyes of others. The texts you read will transport you to mythical landscapes, Gothic castles, Victorian slums and cities of the future. They'll give you new insights into social and political upheavals, humanity’s relationship with our environment, and all the ways in which literature and language have shaped our world.

Our course will enable you to gain an appreciation of key periods, genres and writers, and to value multiple perspectives, but also allow you scope to follow your own passions and enthusiasms. You'll enhance your critical thinking skills and receive guidance and encouragement as you develop your own critical voice.

Boost your employability: take a placement year, learn a language, and solve real-world live brief challenges for local employers

Our English courses ranked 12th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025, and 7th in the UK for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide 2023

Explore your passion for literature through talks and events organised by our Cambridge Writing Centre and develop your creativity through our strong links with the National Centre for Writing

Expand your network and knowledge base at events with writers, publishers and other professionals

Explore the rich local culture with extra-curricular trips to places like the British Library and the Barbican Theatre

Get expert support from experienced lecturers and additional individual guidance with your writing from our Royal Literary Fund Fellows

Careers

This course will help you gain vital skills particularly valued by employers.

These include narrative communication, empathy and perspective taking, problem solving and the art of persuasion, critical analysis, creativity and imagination, and digital skills.

Every year, core modules include employability sessions as well as live briefs; these give you the opportunity to collaborate on authentic workplace tasks with industry professionals from publishing companies, museums and other creative industries.

The transferable skills you’ll develop include research and communication, perfect for careers such as journalism and teaching. The course’s emphasis on critical thinking and independent learning will also transfer to professions including (but not limited to) business, law, consultancy, administration, librarianship, publishing and arts management.

Or you might choose to stay at ARU and study a Master’s degree, like our MA English Literature or MA Creative Writing. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship to get 20% off your fees.

Our students have recently worked on projects with the Scott Polar Museum, Granta Publishers, the Clarke Award for Science Fiction and the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Teaching

In Year 1 you’ll explore periods of literary history from Old English to contemporary writing and discover different approaches to critical analysis. You’ll also find out about the influence of myths, Bible narratives and fairy tales on English literature, learn about the history of the novel from ancient times to the present day, and explore in depth how to analyse the language of literary texts.

In Year 2 you’ll continue building your knowledge of literary history in modules such as Nineteenth-Century Literature and the Environment and From Modernism to the Millenium and have the chance to choose optional modules such as Science Fiction, Film Criticism and Reviewing, or Performing Shakespeare.

Finally, in Year 3, you’ll complete a major research project on a topic of your choice, as well as studying early modern drama and contemporary fiction. Optional modules include Crime and Detective Fiction, Life Writing, and Forbidden Stories: Banned Children’s Books.

*=optional.

Year 1: Introduction to the Study of Literature and Writing; Myth, Miracle and Magic; Reading Critically, Old English to Enlightenment; The History of the Novel; How Texts Work; Into ARU.

Year 2: Ruskin Module; Nineteenth Century Literature and the Environment; Crocodiles, Pirates and Moon-men: Renaissance Encounters; From Modernism to the Millennium; Nineteenth Century Afterlives and Adaptations *; Professional Placement *; Online Journalism *; Science Fiction *; Performing Shakespeare *; Film Criticism and Reviewing *; Digital Stylistics *; Writing Creative Non-Fiction *; Cult Media *; Writing Short Fiction ; Anglia Language Programme.

Year 3: Spectacle and Representation in Renaissance Drama; Writing and the Present; Undergraduate Major Project in English; New Media Discourse *; Literature and Exile: Displacement, Identity, Self *; Crime and Detective Fiction *; Renaissance Magic *; Writing Poetry *; Research Communication *; Communication, Flesh, Philosophy *; The Making of Modern Media *; Forbidden Stories: Banned Children's Books *; Life Writing *; Gender and Sexuality in Britain: 1880-2000 *; Film Journalism ; Anglia Language Programme; Philosophy of Education *.

You'll demonstrate your progress and understanding through a variety of assessment tasks including essays, portfolios, self-reflection, presentations and exams, alongside more creative, experimental and interdisciplinary assessment options, and projects which invite you to explore 'real world' challenges. These will enable you to develop a wide array of key transferable skills vital for career success.

The 10,000 word Major Project, which you will complete in your final year, represents the culmination of the knowledge and skills you have acquired over the course of your degree. It offers you the chance to devise a project on a topic of your choice. You'll be able to explore favourite texts, authors or ideas in depth, honing your research skills as well as your ability to work independently.