English Language and Literature

English language and literature together address two of the most important dimensions of human communication: the aesthetic and imaginative uses of language in literature and the structural and social dimensions of language as a system. Studying both develops a particularly complete understanding of how English works, how it creates meaning, how it varies across communities and contexts, and how writers and speakers exploit its resources to achieve their effects. The combination encourages you to read literary texts with linguistic precision and to approach language with the interpretive richness that literary study provides.

At the University of Sussex, this three-year full-time degree, which is available with a foundation year and can include a sandwich year placement and a year abroad, is designed to develop your critical skills so that you can question norms, contribute to a changing society, and expand your potential as a thinker and communicator. The foundation year provides additional academic preparation for students who will benefit from it before engaging with degree-level content. The main programme takes you across both dimensions of the subject, developing your close reading and literary critical skills alongside your analytical understanding of language structure, variation, history and use.

Placement, work experience and year abroad options give you the opportunity to extend your experience well beyond the classroom.

You will develop strong analytical, research and written communication skills, the capacity for sustained argument, and a nuanced understanding of how English operates in both literary and social contexts.

Graduates from English language and literature programmes move into publishing, education, journalism, communications, linguistics research, speech and language therapy (with further training), the creative industries, the civil service, and a wide range of other careers. Postgraduate study in English, linguistics, education, or creative writing is a well-established pathway.