English

English literature at York is one of the most celebrated undergraduate programmes in the country, and it is easy to understand why. Literature is the record of how human beings have made sense of their experience across centuries and cultures, using language to explore emotion, politics, identity, and the full range of what it means to be alive. Studying it seriously means learning to read with genuine precision and to think about what you have read with rigour, imagination, and an informed awareness of the historical and cultural contexts that shape what writers do.

At the University of York, this three-year, full-time programme offers an extraordinary breadth of coverage, from ancient classics to contemporary writing, and from British and American traditions to literatures produced across the globe. You will have the flexibility to shape your studies around your own interests, including options in film and creative writing alongside literary study, and the department's commitment to research-led teaching means your tutors are active scholars in the areas they teach. The programme includes the option of a sandwich placement year, giving you extended professional experience, and a year abroad to study in a different academic environment.

Work placement experience is also integrated into the course structure. A typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the high academic standard the department maintains.

English graduates from York go on to careers in publishing, journalism, teaching, the civil service, law, marketing and communications, arts administration, broadcasting, and a wide range of other fields that value the ability to read carefully, write precisely, and think independently. The research and analytical skills the degree builds transfer across virtually every profession. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in English literature, creative writing, journalism, or publishing, while others move directly into competitive graduate careers that seek the intellectual qualities an English degree at York reliably develops.