Course overview

Our three-year English Literature BA Honours degree focuses on expanding your knowledge of literary texts and developing critical and theoretical skills. You'll build the firm foundation needed to analyse all forms of literature. 

You'll be introduced to a range of texts – across poetry, prose, plays and film – and explore pre-19th-century topics as well as contemporary ones. 

You will learn from subject experts, world-leading researchers in literature and internationally acclaimed writers throughout your degree, while having opportunities to practise creative writing, theatre or making films.

You'll become a confident expert analysing literature. You'll study a broad range of optional topics, such as American, postcolonial and children’s literature, from different historical moments including the Renaissance, Romantic, Eighteenth-century and Victorian periods. 

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Your course during COVID-19
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption.

Given the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commitments outlined are subject to guidelines that may be in place from time to time.

View our COVID-19 Study page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2022-23.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information

Quality and ranking

• 5th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2022 (Creative Writing category)
• 10th in the UK – Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 (Creative Writing category)
• Top 100 for English Language and Literature - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022
• Top 150 for Arts and Humanities – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2022
• 1st in the UK and 8th in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022
• 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021

Modules and learning

Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage. 

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Optional module availability
Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

You'll be introduced to a variety of literary texts across poetry, prose, plays and film. This will provide you with a foundation in the critical and theoretical skills you need to analyse literature.

You will also have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and try something new. A selection of modules are available from other humanities subjects, for example:

• languages
• history
• philosophy
• sociology
• media
• education

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Introduction to Literary Studies 1	20
Introduction to Literary Studies II	20
Transformations	20
Close Reading	20

Optional Modules	Credits
Introduction to Creative Writing	20
Drama, Theatre & Performance	20

You will advance your understanding of literature through the ages, taking at least two pre-19th-century modules alongside at least two focusing on modern or contemporary topics. These choices cover film, theatre, poetry and prose. Options available include Medieval, Renaissance and Victorian literature, as well as American, postcolonial and contemporary work.

An independent research project teaches you how to research, plan and write an essay on an area of particular interest to you, and prepares you for the Dissertation in third year.

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Independent Research Project	20

Optional Modules	Credits
Career Development for second year students	20
Renaissance Bodies	20
Writing New Worlds, 1688-1789	20
Revolutionary Britain, 1789-1832	20
Victorian Passions: Victorian Values	20
Contemporary Cultures	20
Creative Practice	20
Poetry Workshop	20
Theatre Script Workshop	20
Prose Workshop	20
Screenwriting Workshop	20
Stagecraft in Early Drama	20
Literatures of Decolonisation	20
Overseas Exchange (Semester 1)	60
Overseas Exchange (Semester 2)	60

You will choose at least three specialist options closely linked to your lecturers’ research expertise, taking modules that cover both pre-19th century and post-19th century topics. Current options include the Victorian novel, children’s literature, Romantic poetry, Caribbean literature and film, Medieval literature, American literatures, Contemporary Documentary or a work placement in the cultural industries. 

You will also complete a final-year research project based on a topic you are passionate about or produce a file of original creative work.

Modules

Optional Modules	Credits
Career Development for final year students	20
Growing Up Global: Childhood and National Identity from Postwar to Present	20
Other Renaissances: Gender, Race and Sexuality in Early Modern Culture	20
Contemporary Documentary 1: Theory and Practice	20
Contemporary Documentary 2: Theory & Practice	20
Dissertation in English Literature: Long-Form Essay	40
Independent Essay I (English Literature)	20
Independent Essay II (English Literature)	20
Women of Virtue and Women of Pleasure: Sensibility in the Age of Reason	20
Landscapes of American Modernism	20
Enlightened Romantics: writing on the margins	20
Between the Acts: English Theatre, 1660-1737	20
American Poetry Now	20
Prose Portfolio	40
Theatre Script Portfolio	40
Poetry Portfolio	40
Screenwriting Portfolio	40
Jazz-Age Magazines	20
Dissertation: Digital Exhibition	40
Making Ireland: Kingdom, Colony and Nation in Text and Performance	20
Writing Liberty in the Romantic era	20
Dissertation by Digital Edition	40
Fiction and the Philosophy of Terror: From the Supernatural to the Sublime	20
Reading Freud: An Introduction to the Principles of Psychoanalytic Theory	20
Freedom and Imagination: US Literature 1850 – 1900	20
Deep North: Modern Literature of the North East	20
Unbinding Utopia, 1750 - 1832	20
Performance and Every Day Life in Contemporary Ireland	20
Making Young Adult Literature	20
All the Feels: Theatre, Emotion and Spectatorship	20
Dissertation: Project-based	40

Information about these graphs

We base these figures and graphs on the most up-to-date information available to us. They combine data on the planned delivery and assessments of our courses in 2021-22 with data on the modules chosen by our students in 2020-21.

Teaching time is made up of:

• scheduled learning and teaching activities. These are timetabled activities with a member of staff present
• structured guided learning. These are activities developed by staff to support engagement with module learning. Students or groups of students undertake these activities without direct staff participation or supervision

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods

You can normally expect to spend around 10 hours per week attending lectures, seminars, workshops and film screenings. You also spend around 25 hours per week on class preparation, reading, writing, and other kinds of independent research recommended by your tutor.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

• 

  Assignments – written or fieldwork

• 

  Coursework

• 

  Dissertation or research project

• 

  Essays

• 

  Examinations – practical or online

• 

  Group work

• 

  Presentations

Skills and experience

Practical experience

Studying English Literature at Newcastle means you will benefit from regular field trips organised by the School. These include visits to:

• The Wordsworth Trust (Dove Cottage)
• various city theatres including Northern Stage, Live Theatre and Theatre Royal
• Seven Stories (the National Centre for Children's Books)

Business skills

You'll have the opportunity to gain real-world work experience in the cultural industries in Stage 3. This experience will develop your communication and management skills as well as your ability to work in a team.

Research skills

In the final year of your degree, you'll undertake a research project which allows you to carry out an extensive investigation into a topic you're interested in. You'll present your research in either written, oral or an online format.

Employability

All Stage 2 students take part in the English Employability Challenge, an event run in collaboration with School alumni and the Newcastle University Careers Service. This event gives you the opportunity to take on real-life business situations with a brief set by an employer. You have the option to gain work experience in the cultural industries in Stage 3. These experiences will develop your communication and management skills, as well as your ability to work in a team.

Those interested in developing their enterprise skills or setting up a business, will also have the opportunity to take part in the Developing Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Employability module.

Opportunities

Study abroad

You can study abroad for one semester in your second year as part of this degree. In Europe we have links with:

• Ghent University, Belgium
• Leipzig University, Germany
• Groningen University, Netherlands
• Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands

We also have links with universities in other parts of the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and the USA, including, but not limited to:

• Monash University, Australia
• University of Sydney, Australia
• McGill University, Canada
• University of Hong Kong
• University of Vermont, USA

Find out more about Study Abroad.

Work placement

During your degree, you’ll have multiple opportunities to undertake a meaningful work placement. In your second and third years, you may choose to take the Career Development Module which offers academic credit for 50 hours of placement. You can choose to carry out your placement via part-time work, volunteering or in a local school. You will be assessed through a mixture of written work, presentations, and professional skills assessment.

In addition, you'll have the option to spend 9 to 12 months on a work placement with University support from our dedicated Careers team to help you secure your dream placement in the UK or abroad. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice, and developing your professional expertise. Previous placements have been in a range of sectors, including:

• Journalism and Broadcasting
• Sustainable Energy
• Politics
• Digital Media and Marketing
• Education
• Finance
• Museum and Heritage
• Travel and Tourism

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Placements are subject to availability.

Find out more about work placements.

Facilities and environment

Facilities

You'll be based in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. The School is located in the Percy Building, which is at the heart of our city-centre campus. You'll join a lively community of students, academics, writers, and professionals.

You'll have access to:

• a digital media lab – for students with documentary and film-making modules
• a PC cluster
• a student-led café
• plenty of spaces to work and socialise

You will have exceptional library provision from our award-winning Library Service. It houses over one million books and a huge range of electronic resources.

Our literature and creative writing teaching is linked to the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA) programme. This will give you regular contact with leading creative artists. You'll also have access to a diverse programme of events, including spoken-word events and creative writing courses.

Find out more about the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics.

Support

You'll have the support of an academic member of staff as a Personal Tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues affecting your academic progress.

Peer Mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer questions you may have when starting university.

Your future

Industry links:

• Peter Straughan (screenwriter of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
• Andy Bird (former chairman of Walt Disney International)
• Neil Astley (writer and founder of Bloodaxe publishing house)
• Teresa Graham (accountant and SME champion, awarded a CBE in 2007 and an OBE in 1997)

Students with this degree get a range of valuable skills, which they can transfer to many different sectors. Your literary training can be used in journalism, librarianship, teaching and the highly competitive fields of writing, acting, and directing. Our graduates have also gone into a variety of career areas including marketing, law, politics, and human resources.

Make a difference

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Careers support

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for 2022 entry (per year)

Home Fee Students

£9250

International Fee Students

£20400

The maximum fee that we are permitted to charge for home fee-paying students is set by the UK government.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Read more about fees and funding

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our undergraduate scholarship page for more information.

Year abroad and additional costs

For programmes where you can spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad, you will receive a significant fee reduction for that year. 

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Find out more about:

• different tuition fees
• additional costs

Scholarships

Find out more about:

• scholarships for UK, EU and international students
• Student Loans and Government financial support for UK and EU students

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle University, you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All UK schools and colleges, and a small number of EU and international establishments, are registered with UCAS. You will need:

• the UCAS name and institution codes for Newcastle University (NEWC/N21)
• the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for
• the UCAS 'buzzword' for your school or college

If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.

Apply through UCAS

Apply through an agent

International students often apply to us through an agent. Have a look at our recommended agents and get in touch with them.

Visit our International pages