English Language and Literature

Many of the world's most fascinating and influential literary works have been written in English. This programme offers you the opportunity to study the development of the English language through English literature from around the world.

In this programme, you will cover a wide range of texts and their cultural contexts, from the Middle Ages to the present. Through this engagement, you will build a skillset that is:

* critical

* analytic

* linguistic

* literary

* creative

You will also deepen your understanding of:

* the principles of theoretical linguistics

* the way we learn language

* the regional and social variations of the English language and language in general

* methods of communication

Why Edinburgh?

We are ranked third in the UK, and in the world's top 10 universities, for English Language and Literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

As part of your study of the English language, you can choose to study Scots, which has its own rich linguistic and literary tradition. Over the course of your four-year programme, it is also possible to study other world cultures and languages.