English Literature with Foundation Year

Literature matters because it gives form and language to experiences that might otherwise remain unspoken, and because reading across times, places, and lives that are different from our own deepens our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. English literature as a discipline trains you not merely to read but to read closely and critically, to understand how texts work, what assumptions they carry, and what cultural work they perform in the societies that produce and receive them.

At York St John University, this four-year programme invites you to delve deep into literary texts themselves and into their place in the societies and cultures surrounding them. You will study a wide range of writing across historical periods and literary forms, developing the skills to analyse poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fictional prose with both sensitivity and intellectual rigour. The first year builds your critical and analytical foundations before you move into more advanced areas of the curriculum.

The course includes a sandwich year and work placement, giving you the opportunity to develop professional skills and build your network in contexts where literary and communication expertise is applied. The year abroad component further broadens your perspective, allowing you to study at a partner institution in another country and to experience how English literature is taught and valued in a different cultural setting. The typical entry tariff is 104 UCAS points, and the programme is studied full time.

Graduates from English literature programmes go on to diverse careers. Publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, communications, public relations, copywriting, charity work, and arts administration all draw on the reading, writing, and analytical skills that the degree develops. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in English literature, creative writing, education, or related humanities disciplines.