English Studies and Philosophy

Texts are all around us – from books and magazines to TV, email and the internet.

The ability to analyse text and language is a skill that employers value, and the tools you learn from studying English will support your career goals.

You can learn more about the power of language and literature with a degree in English from the University of Stirling. We’re ranked 1st in Scotland (source: National Student Survey 2024).

What you’ll study

Our course offers a blend of language analysis, literary studies, and creative writing. You will:

• explore literature from the medieval period to the present day;

• analyse a variety of literary texts including classic novels, plays, and poems;

• develop your creative writing skills to enhance your understanding of literary techniques;

• gain insights into linguistics and the evolution of the English language.

Unique opportunities

We offer several unique opportunities to enrich your studies. You can:

• meet creative writers, scholars and critics at our lectures and readings. Previous guests include Stirling alumni Graeme Armstrong and Kirsty Logan, and writers from the prestigious Royal Literary Fund and Charles Wallace fellowships;

• network with visiting authors, such as past guests Anne Enright, Sarah Waters, Ben Okri and Graeme Macrae Burnet;

• work with our Royal Literary Fund Fellow in one-on-one sessions to develop and enhance your writing skills.

How are our minds related to our bodies? Do we really have free will? What can we truly know about the world around us, about other people or about ourselves?

These questions lie at the heart of philosophy – and if you seriously want to search for the answers, this is the course for you. Our Philosophy BA will challenge you to develop a strong set of critical, imaginative and informed reasoning skills. It will also deepen your understanding of the nature of the human mind, language, morality and politics, art, science and logic. We offer breadth and variety – from modules focused on individual philosophers, to others built around specific topics such as metaphysics, moral philosophy and environmental ethics.

You’ll be introduced to key philosophical issues in your first two years, before focusing in on the areas that interest you most. Along the way, you’ll benefit from the expert insights of your lecturers and tutors, whose own cutting-edge research feeds into course content and keeps you on the frontline of academic thinking.

Our Philosophy course has consistently achieved top marks for student satisfaction. It won the Outstanding Programme category at the RATE Awards 2025 (The Stirling Students' Union Recognising and Advancing Teaching Excellence awards). Your studies will play out in a supportive, vibrant environment with an extremely active Student Philosophy Society.

If you want to investigate the burning questions that shape humanity while gaining vital employability skills, choosing Philosophy at the University of Stirling is the perfect starting point.