English Literature

English literature is the study of how writers have used language to create meaning, and of how that meaning has been received, contested and transformed across centuries and cultures. It is a discipline that takes reading seriously as an intellectual act, asking not just what texts mean but how they mean it, why certain works have endured and others been forgotten, and what literature tells us about the societies and historical moments that produced it. The close reading skills, sensitivity to language and capacity for sustained argument that the degree develops are among the most transferable in the humanities.

At York St John this three-year full-time programme incorporates a foundation year, a sandwich year, a year abroad and embedded work placement experience. The foundation year builds the analytical and writing skills needed for degree-level literary study. You will delve deep into literary texts and their place in the societies and cultures surrounding them, as the current description notes, reading across a wide range of periods, genres, traditions and forms, from medieval poetry and Renaissance drama to the modern novel and contemporary poetry from around the world.

York's own rich literary history, from the mystery plays to the Brontë country on its doorstep, enriches the learning environment in ways few other locations can.

English literature graduates are valued for their ability to read complex material carefully, construct arguments rigorously and communicate with precision and style, which opens a remarkably wide range of careers. Common destinations include publishing, journalism, teaching, the civil service, law, public relations, broadcasting, arts administration, marketing and the charity sector. Postgraduate study in English literature, creative writing, linguistics, education or publishing is a natural continuation, and many English graduates move into careers that draw directly on the reading and writing skills the degree develops.