English Literature (with Placement Year)

Investigate identity, emotion, and society with our exciting English Literature degree

Trace connections between fiction and reality with our immersive English Literature degree. You will explore literature’s relationships with history, culture, and politics through various interdisciplinary perspectives. You will cover topics like:

- London literature

- underrepresented authors

- unconventional literary forms

- the ‘unconscious’

- modernism.

We offer a wide range of modules, so you can focus on whatever excites you.

A campus with vibrant literary history

Our BA English literature course emphasises relationships between writing and place. You will learn next to Strawberry Hill House, in which renowned gothic writer, Horace Walpole, designed and lived to inspire his work. As a result, your degree will be a fully immersive and geographically distinct learning experience.

Learn in the capital

We are only 30 minutes from central London. Therefore, you’ll have access to the capital’s diverse literature scene and world-renowned libraries. You can visit places like:

- The British Library

- Shakespeare’s Globe

- The Sherlock Holmes Museum

- The George Inn

- Charles Dickens Museum.

Expert teaching and support

We welcome you into a close-knit and academically stimulating community. We value your experience, needs, and ambitions, so you will learn through small groups and one-to-one tutoring with experts.

We rose 73 places for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide (2023).

About the Placement Year

A placement year enables you to undertake a year of experience in an organisation between your second and final year.

It will enable you to:

- apply the knowledge and skills you gain from your course in a work setting

- build your commercial awareness and insights into organisations and industries you might want to work in

- develop your professional skills through company training, networking skills and confidence in the workplace

- get some great experience for future job applications or even land a graduate job.

Support from St Mary’s every step of the way

Securing a placement can really help you develop your job search skills and the Employability Service placement and Careers Teams can support you to find and apply for available opportunities.

Please note: in the event that you cannot secure a placement you will be able to transfer onto the three year version of your degree programme.