Overview

English and Literary Studies at The University of Western Australia is a Bachelor of Arts course that examines how imaginative texts shape, and are shaped by, the societies that produce them. Students work with literature, film and television alongside their own creative writing, building the ability to read closely, think critically and write with precision. They can tailor their pathway to their own interests, moving between creative practice, performance and the long history of Western literature. The course matters because stories in every medium influence how people understand ethics, culture and social change.

What You'll Learn

• The Western literary tradition, including major authors such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf

• Global literatures and the way writing operates across cultures in a connected world

• Creative writing, with practice in producing original work of your own

• Screen and performance studies, covering texts beyond the printed page, including cinema and long-form television

• Speculative fiction, poetry and poetics, and Australian literature and cinema

• Literary theory and the tools it offers for interpreting texts

• How gender, race and class are represented and negotiated in everyday life through writing and storytelling

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret varied texts within their historical and cultural settings, and to build well-supported arguments through research, synthesis and clear presentation. They will communicate confidently in both written and spoken form, apply critical reasoning to complex material, and produce creative work with originality. Students will also be able to explain how texts reflect and challenge cultural values, drawing on both traditional and contemporary media. Finally, they will be prepared to collaborate productively in groups as well as manage their own independent projects.