English Literature

English literature is the discipline of reading, interpreting, and analysing the full range of written texts that constitute the literary tradition, from the earliest medieval texts to the fiction, poetry, and drama being written today. It is concerned not just with what texts say but with how they work: the choices of language, form, and structure that writers make, and how those choices interact with the historical and cultural contexts in which the texts were produced and read. Close reading is the central practice, and the argument that flows from close reading is the central skill.

At the University of Chichester, this three-year full-time programme invites you to explore your passion for literature, discover new literary worlds, and engage in critical debate as you analyse texts from a variety of contexts, time periods, and authors. You will read across periods and genres, from medieval and early modern writing through the Romantics and Victorians to modernism and contemporary literature, developing both the specific knowledge of particular texts and periods and the broader critical frameworks needed to situate them. The programme encourages intellectual debate and the development of your own interpretive voice.

You will develop skills in close reading, literary analysis, historical contextualisation, and sustained written argument. The ability to construct and defend a reading of a text, to engage with competing interpretations, and to communicate your thinking clearly in writing are all capacities that the degree builds and that transfer readily to many professional contexts.

Graduates go on to work in publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, marketing, arts administration, broadcasting, and a wide range of other fields. The analytical and communicative capabilities an English literature degree develops are valued by employers across many sectors. Postgraduate study in literature, creative writing, or related fields is a natural next step for those who wish to specialise.