COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA English Literature degree at the University of Reading offers a structured yet flexible exploration of literary texts across different periods, genres, and cultural contexts. In the first year, core modules such as Theory and Practice of Writing, Introduction to Drama, Poetry in English, and Prose: Writing Identities introduce you to key literary forms while building strong critical and analytical skills. These modules allow you to study texts ranging from early modern drama to contemporary prose, while also examining themes such as identity, power, gender, race, and class. Alongside compulsory study, you can choose optional modules covering areas such as medieval storytelling, Victorian literature, modernist poetry, contemporary fiction, and creative writing. You may also explore specialist topics like the business of books, writing in the public sphere, and critical thinking, which broaden your understanding of literature’s social, historical, and commercial contexts. In the second and third years, you deepen your study through more advanced and specialised modules, engaging with periods such as the Renaissance, Enlightenment, Romanticism, and modern literature, as well as thematic areas like American literature and political writing. The degree culminates in a dissertation, where you complete an independent research project on a topic of your choice, demonstrating advanced critical thinking, research ability, and literary analysis skills useful for careers in writing, publishing, media, and education.