University of York
Bachelor of Arts Honours in English
The Bachelor of Arts Honours in English in Language and Culture Studies is offered by University of York.
Program Length: 3 YEARS.
Bachelor of Arts Honours in English offered by the University of York
Discover a world of literature at York.English and Related Literature at York is unlike any other English degree. We have a unique approach to what literature is and does, how we read it, how we write about it and even how we make it.At York, you will be at the forefront of literary study. Our modules are designed and taught by world experts working at the cutting-edge of literary study.They offer a breathtaking choice of modules with an unsurpassed geographical and linguistic range, giving you the freedom to tailor your degree to your interests with the support of friendly and accessible tutors. With period coverage extending from Greek and Latin classics to literature being published right now, there’s something for everyone, including creative writing, drama, fiction, film, poetry, and the chance to get your hands dirty in our printing studio.No discipline equips its students better to understand and interpret a wide range of texts or to form articulate and persuasive responses to a range of challenges. Our graduates go on to careers in all sorts of fields, even areas that traditionally haven’t recruited among Arts and Humanities graduates.An English graduate’s creativity, passion, and ability to adapt – along with outstanding presentation, language, and reasoning skills – are what employers look for. Join us at York to discover a world of literature.
Course contentYork’s English degree offers exceptional flexibility and choice. We provide a comprehensive overview of literary history and criticism while also encouraging you to explore the subjects that you are most passionate about.You will get the chance to examine literature from the ancient classics to the present, and from the United Kingdom and beyond. You’ll also study non-English texts, in the original language or in translation.Writing is embedded in each year’s curriculum, helping you to discover and refine your own critical and creative voice. We have a strong commitment to the Creative Industries, offering option modules on creative writing and writing in the marketplace.In total, you’ll take 18 modules from a long list of possible choices, and you’ll write a dissertation in your third year.Study abroadThere are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:Explore global opportunitiesYear 1Core modulesWe’ll introduce you to a range of different texts and critical approaches in your first year to lay the foundation for your degree. Through carefully linked modules, you will be introduced to the historical and theoretical study of literature. These modules will be supplemented by additional skills based and topic-based modules.Approaches to LiteratureGet a feel for the shape of literary history by studying works from the medieval, early modern, eighteenth-century and Romantic, and modern periods in these interlinked modules.Approaches to Literature I: Writing Modernity (20 credits)Approaches to Literature II: Other Worlds (20 credits)A World of LiteratureThese cross-period modules explore a range of responses to ancient literary texts and literature from around the world in these interlinked 20-credit modules.A World of Literature I: Classics and Cultural Translations (20 credits)A World of Literature II: Empire and Aftermaths (20 credits)
Key ConceptsThis year-long foundation module provides you with important critical and methodological contexts for the study of literature. You will develop strategies for essay writing, engaging with criticism and critical theory, and revising work to improve its fluency and persuasiveness, as part of the Department’s innovative Writing at York provision.Key Concepts: An Introduction to Genre, Theory, and Writing (20 credits)
Option modulesThe core modules will be supplemented by additional skills-based and topic-based modules:Topic modules (10 credits each)Choose two of these exciting, hands-on, tightly focused modules that act as an important pivot point between the research skills developed throughout the year and practical skills that will make you more employable after your degree.Academic integrity moduleIn addition to the above you will also need to complete the online Academic Integrity module.Year 2In your second year you’ll further your understanding of period-specific literary topics as well as focus on a World Literature subject.Core moduleCritical Practice (20 credits)A year-long intermediate module that explores the history and theory of literary criticism. Building on the skills you acquired in first year, assignments on different media and in different forms (eg book reviews, magazine articles, scene analyses) will prepare you for advanced-level modules in Year 3.Option modulesChoose two from:Inventing Britain, 1700-1830 (20 credits)The Renaissance (20 credits)The Shock of the New: Medieval Literature (20 credits)and a further one from:Age of Extremes: Twentieth-Century British and Irish Literature (20 credits)American Literature: From the First World War to the End of Empire (20 credits)Victorians: British Literature, 1832-1901 (20 credits)You'll also choose one World Literature module and one Topic module.The Universuty's range of World Literature Modules introduce you to another literature and culture, either in the original language or in translation. The choice is yours, and will be governed by your experience and interests.World Literature modules (30 credits)As in Year 1, choose another one of our highly interactive Topic Modules.Topic modules (10 credits each)Year 3You’ll have the opportunity to explore further the areas you’ve developed an interest in over the course of your studies through the diverse range of module choices available to our third-year students. In addition, the subject of your English dissertation is entirely up to you, which means that there is an exciting opportunity for you to shape the trajectory of your final year.Option modulesAdvanced option modules (20 credits each)Choose four modules from a diverse range of innovative options, covering all periods of literature from the classical era up to the twenty-first century, and exploring a wide variety of genres including creative writing, drama, fiction, film, and poetry. Here, you can shape your final year based on your own interests—whether honing in on the work of a single writer or exploring a new field of study. You can typically expect to choose from around 25 options.DissertationThe degree culminates in the dissertation (40 credits); an in-depth exploration of 7,000-8,000 words on a topic of your choice. Research lectures and writing labs support the one-to-one supervision you will receive from a member of staff. This year-long capstone project is a wonderful opportunity to display your skills in detailed research, elegant writing, and rigorous argument. You can also choose to do a dissertation with creative practice.