Course summary

Studying English is rewarding, enjoyable and prepares you for the future. Reading literature allows us to question our world, to discover new ideas and ways of being, to evaluate historical and social processes, and to think through the complexities of our own times. Our degree in English Literature is designed to give you a deep understanding of the literary past and the literary present. You'll study texts in English written from medieval times to now, and you'll explore literary traditions ranging from the local to the global. You'll be taught by world-leading experts who will introduce you to exciting and challenging critical and theoretical approaches. By choosing from a diverse range of options including interdisciplinary and creative writing units, you can shape your degree to align with your own interests. In your final year dissertation you'll be able to work independently on a topic entirely of your own devising. At Bristol, you'll join an intellectually curious and friendly community, in a city full of culture. Over the course of your degree, you'll be supported in developing your own identity and sense of purpose as a reader, thinker, writer, and communicator. Bristol English graduates are versatile, creative, questioning, articulate, and highly sought after by employers in sectors ranging from the creative economy to law and finance.