Overview

Literature offers one of the richest windows into human history, culture and imagination, spanning centuries of changing ideas about identity, power and expression. The BA English at the University of Exeter takes students through this landscape in full, from medieval writing to contemporary literature and digital media, ranked in the top ten in the UK for English. The department's academic staff bring particular strength in film studies and creative writing, and students benefit from unique resources including the university's Special Collections of literary manuscripts, the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, and a Digital Humanities Lab equipped for archival and multimedia research. After a foundational first year covering criticism, pre-1800 literature and academic writing skills, students gain considerable freedom in later years to specialise across periods, genres and media, including options in creative writing and comics studies. This degree suits those who enjoy close reading and independent thought, and prepares graduates for careers across publishing, journalism, education and the wider creative industries, with the option to extend the course through a year abroad or a work placement.

What You'll Learn

Critical and theoretical approaches to reading texts

English literature before 1800, including major medieval and early modern works

Poetry as a literary form, and academic essay-writing skills

Options in the novel, digital cultures, or Shakespeare studies

Specialist historical periods such as the Renaissance, Romanticism, or Modernism

Global and postcolonial literatures, and the study of comics and adaptation

Creative writing in prose or poetry, for those who choose it

Independent research methods leading to a dissertation or creative portfolio

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to draw on a broad and detailed knowledge of English literature across historical periods, genres and media, from close textual analysis through to an understanding of literature's wider cultural, historical and theoretical contexts, and will be equipped to critically evaluate texts and form independent, well-supported arguments about them. Extensive engagement with primary sources throughout the degree, including the university's own literary archives and film collections, builds strong research and analytical skills alongside confident written and oral communication. Students will also complete an independent dissertation or creative portfolio, developing the ability to devise and pursue their own research questions, while the wide range of optional modules allows them to specialise in a period, genre or approach suited to their own literary interests and future career direction.