English Literature and English for International Communication BA (Hons)

What you'll study

Programme overview

You begin your English Literature degree by acquiring knowledge of a wide range of literature and the methods we use to understand writing and other forms of cultural representation. As you move through the programme, you are able to choose from options that allow increased specialisation, from Shakespeare to contemporary and comparative literatures.

Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)

Year 1 provides you with knowledge of the history of world literatures in English and an understanding of different genres. You explore a range of literatures from around the globe, from the earliest classical authors to contemporary international writers. You also look at the way in which literature engages with other forms of culture, such as film, media, creative writing and the arts.

Modules include:

• Theories of Reading
• Texts in Context
• Genres and Contemporary Writing
• World Literatures

Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)

In Year 2, you take compulsory modules based on the history of English literature and on issues of race, national identity, gender and sexuality in contemporary writing. In addition, you are able to choose from a range of optional modules that allow you to develop your own interests. These modules include ones centred upon period and genre, those that develop an understanding of literature in a global context, and ones that consider English literature in its broader cultural setting. From Year 2 on, students on the English Literature degree programme also have the option to take modules in creative writing.

Modules include:

• Constructing the Self
• Radical Subjectivities
• Contemporary Literature: Gender and Sexuality
• Contemporary Literature: Postcolonial Fictions
• Adaptations
• The 20th and 21st-Century American Novel
• Science/Fiction
• Poetry in English from 1909

Professional Training placement (optional)

Unusually for an English Literature degree programme, we offer the opportunity to undertake a Professional Training placement year. Subject to availability, a placement will help to enhance your employability by giving you experience in degree-related professions such as publishing, marketing, the media industries, teaching, creative writing or arts administration.

Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6)

In Year 3, you continue to develop your skills in methodology, although these will become more research-led in order to offer full support for your dissertation. In addition, you are offered further opportunities for specialisation through a range of options that are based upon the research interests and expertise of members of staff. These build upon the knowledge of history, genre, internationalisation and contemporary culture gained in Years 1 and 2. They also offer you the opportunity to investigate specific themes such as gender, race and politics.

Modules include:

• Dissertation
• The Theatre and The Novel
• Creative Identities
• Travel, Landscape and Identity in 20th-Century Fiction
• Writing on the Metropolis
• Text and Talk
• Imagination and Identity in 19th-Century Poetry
• The 21st-Century British Novel
• Global Diversity in Language and Communication
• Censorship, Freedom of Speech and Literature
• Gothic to Goth

Professional Training and placements

A Professional Training placement will give you the opportunity to develop valuable transferable skills in analysis, reflection, communication and organisation. Placements are arranged jointly by the University and the student, and although students do not always receive a salary, they are often paid a small bursary by their employer.

Teaching

Teaching on our English Literature programmes is both stimulating and encouraging. You experience a wide range of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. In Year 1, in addition to lectures, you work closely with tutors and your fellow students in smaller seminar groups.

During Years 2 and 3, you become increasingly independent, participating in seminars in Year 2 and contributing to student-led sessions in Year 3. All learning is fully supported by the University’s virtual learning environment, and you will acquire a range of computing skills through the programme.

You are also encouraged to supplement classroom work with participation in activities outside the University, such as theatre visits and trips to regional festivals such as the renowned Guildford Book Festival.

Assessment

The English Literature programmes are modular in structure, with assessment taking place at the end of each semester. This enables you to track your own progress throughout the degree. Although there are modules which must be passed to allow you to move on to the next year of study, the marks gained in Year 1 will not count towards your final degree result. You will be assessed through a range of methods, including essays, portfolios, seminar presentations, projects and examinations.

Facilities

As an English Literature student at Surrey, you will be introduced to an exciting and challenging environment that combines conventional teaching with a wide range of opportunities for you to engage with a vibrant research culture and arts activities. Regular visiting guest speakers and research seminars will inject a specialised interest into the programme and encourage students to consider areas for further study. English at Surrey enjoys connections with contemporary poets through the poets-in-residence scheme, the annual Morag Morris poetry lecture and involvement with the Surrey Poetry Festival. The University of Surrey has close ties with the charity English PEN, which campaigns to protect freedom of speech and human rights for writers around the world. English PEN regularly hosts talks by prominent writers and other events at the University.

Guildford itself provides considerable access to arts activities, including the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, which puts on new and canonical plays, the Guildford Book Festival, and a host of galleries, libraries and archives that will stimulate and support your independent studies. Above all, the University is only 35 minutes by train from London, one of the world’s most important cultural centres.

You will have the opportunity to see plays at the National Theatre, the Barbican and the Globe Theatre. You will be able to watch new films in the major West End cinemas and classic movies at the National Film Theatre. This wide choice of activities will complement your studies in English Literature at Surrey, and you will be encouraged to draw inspiration from them in your work for your degree.

Career opportunities

A degree in English Literature equips you with a wide range of transferable skills that will prepare you for many rewarding careers. Typical job prospects include marketing, communications, publishing, the media industries, education, creative writing and arts administration. Should you wish to pursue further study, our programmes will provide you with essential knowledge and skills, as well as offering informed support and guidance to assist you in your studies.

Graduate prospects

Our English Literature degrees provide you with a range of valuable skills to prepare you for a variety of careers. English graduates are perhaps best qualified for such professions as journalism, marketing, publishing, teaching, writing and arts administration. They are also attractive to employers in management, business, communications and the media.

• Come to an Open Day
• Build your own prospectus

Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like. In the meantime, order a personal prospectus – tailored to only include the subjects that interest you.