English Literature

Studying English Literature will help you develop your personal and professional skills, preparing you for a variety of different career paths. Literature graduates often find success in fields such as education, marketing, publishing and communications.

We’ll get to know you well throughout your time at Worcester. Our open-door policy means you’ll receive detailed, personalised feedback on assessments, and support with your academic writing and research. Our teaching team will encourage your passion for literature while supporting you to develop an appreciation of its personal, cultural and historical significance. From classic novels to unfamiliar texts, you’ll be challenged to explore different ways to interpret and analyse literary works.

Much of your learning will take place in small group seminars, meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know your fellow students through informal discussions and close-reading activities. During these seminars, your lecturers will help you bridge the gap between literary texts, the societal and cultural contexts surrounding them, and the theoretical concepts explored during your lectures.

Our flexible module options mean you can study the genres and topics that mean the most to you. We offer modules in everything from Elizabethan revenge plays to how literary texts represent and reflect the human body. In Year Three, you can take your interests further with an independent dissertation project on a literary topic of your choice, supported by a member of our teaching team.

You’ll study in – and explore the literary heritage of – an ancient Cathedral city steeped in history, having been the location of the final battle of the English Civil War. Our students benefit from research trips to the Cathedral Library, with its priceless collection of rare books and manuscripts, as well as the twelve miles of archives stored within our university library, The Hive.

Why the University of Worcester?

The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation.

At Worcester, small class sizes, supportive tutors, and professionally focused courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education.

• University of the Year finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.

• First in the UK for sustained employment, further study or both, from any multidisciplinary university – Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2017 to 2025.

• First in the UK for quality education – Joint 1st in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings 2025.

Join us at one of our regular Open Days to see if the University is a good fit for you: www.worcester.ac.uk/opendays

Course Modules

For a breakdown of the modules you'll study each year visit our course page. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of this page and selecting 'Visit our course page'

For detailed information about assessment, feedback, teaching and contact time visit our course page. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of this page and selecting 'Visit our course page'