English Literature

At Swansea, studying English Literature means exploring ideas that matter, both past and present - making you a part of critical cultural work that matters!

Our degree brings the study of literature into the present by exploring texts within their cultural and historical frameworks and thinking about what they mean for the world we live in today In a fast-changing job market, employers value graduates who are equipped to face challenges, can analyse and write content clearly, and can communicate persuasively. Our degree will help you build those skills.

Throughout this programme you will:

• Experience literary ‘travel’ across time and place by exploring texts in English written in local and global contexts, from the medieval period to now.

• Explore the most pressing cultural questions through literary texts: about identity, the environmental crisis, gender, race and ethnicity, and nationhood

• Connect with experts. Work with publishing experts, cultural bodies, literary prize panels, and industry leaders to help shape our literary landscape.

• Acquire skills in critical thinking, reading for meaning, writing for purpose, and creative solutions: which are all vital for the modern job market.

• Offer employers a diverse and critical perspective.

• Produce professional, real-world, creative and critical applications.

• Build a career with impact. Prepare for exciting roles in publishing, the creative and cultural industries, writing / authorship, journalism, communications and PR, and literary festival management, as critics, screenwriters, and content generators.

With the cultural and creative industries now among the fastest-growing global sectors, now is a time to be a part of the literary future!

Why English Literature at Swansea?
Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula;

English Literature at Swansea is ranked:

• 11th in the UK for Research Impact (REF 2021)

• Top 15 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2026)

• 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 benefit from this expertise and become equipped with critical creativity, improving on your skills in reading, , and thought that are vital for future employment.

You will also have the option of a semester in the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore.

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

Typically your second and third years will 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

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