What you'll study

The English Literature curriculum at Reading is pioneering, contemporary, and comprehensive.

Our teaching staff's wide range of expertise means that you can study literature in English from every period of history and across the globe.

Our flexible degrees allow you to choose the modules that best suit your interests. After the groundwork of your first year, you will select your pathway through the broader period or thematic modules of your second year and a wide range of specialised options in your third year. In effect, you can design your degree by picking the modules that appeal most to you.

We are proud of the range of options available to our students. Many of our modules are unique to Reading because they reflect the research specialisms of our expert teaching staff.

Please note that modules may change due to developments in the curriculum, staff research interests, or staff relocation.

YEAR ONE - THE BEDROCK OF YOUR DEGREE

Your first year will teach you new methods for getting to grips with literature, including literary theory and criticism, textual analysis and comparison.

YEAR TWO - PICK YOUR SPECIALISMS

During your second year, you will be able to pick from a wide range of modules covering key historical periods, themes and concepts. Here at Reading we allow you to choose all six of the modules in your second year, giving you a real breadth of experience and expertise.

YEAR THREE - BECOMING AN EXPERT

In your third year you delve further into specialised fields of expertise. You will also have the opportunity to carry out a personalised research project in the form of your dissertation. This project is on a subject of your choice and will involve individual supervision and mentoring from one of our academic team.