English

English as an academic discipline asks you to read literature with care and to think rigorously about how texts produce their meanings in the contexts in which they were written and received. At Nottingham, one of the UK's leading English departments, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year for those who need additional preparation before the main degree, and a year abroad that places your literary studies in an international setting. The foundation year provides the academic and critical grounding to succeed in a demanding and intellectually rich degree.

You will encounter literature across a wide range of periods, genres and traditions, from medieval and early modern texts through to contemporary fiction and poetry, with the opportunity to study American literature, postcolonial writing, literary theory and creative writing alongside the canonical works of English literary history. Nottingham's English department has research strengths across the full range of the subject, and you will benefit from teaching by scholars who are actively engaged with the questions the discipline poses. The year abroad gives you the experience of studying literature in another institutional and cultural context.

A typical tariff of around 104 points is expected for the foundation year entry route.

English graduates enter careers across an exceptionally wide spectrum. Publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, public relations, broadcasting, law, arts management and academia are among the most common destinations, but the skills of close reading, critical analysis and clear writing are valued in virtually every professional field. Many graduates proceed to postgraduate study in English literature, creative writing, journalism or teacher training, while others use the breadth of their humanistic education as a foundation for careers in fields that value intellectual versatility.