COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA English Literature and Film programme at the University of Reading combines the study of written texts and moving-image media, enabling you to analyse how literature, television, and film shape contemporary culture. In your first year, you build a strong foundation through core modules such as Theory and Practice of Writing, Poetry in English, Approaches to Film, and Approaches to Television. These introduce key methods of critical analysis while helping you understand how narrative, genre, and form operate across different media. You explore poetry from the Renaissance to the present, alongside global film and television traditions, examining how cultural, historical, and industrial contexts influence meaning and audience reception. As the degree progresses, you deepen your understanding of film cultures through modules like Film Forms and Cultures, which also introduces creative methods such as video essays as a form of analysis. Throughout the course, you develop skills in critical thinking, research, and written and visual communication, while engaging with both academic theory and creative practice. In your final year, you complete a major independent project, choosing between an English Literature dissertation, a Film dissertation, or a Creative Research Project that combines analysis with creative work. This flexible structure prepares you for careers in media, film, publishing, writing, and other creative industries.