COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA English program at Southampton provides a comprehensive exploration of literature across periods, genres, and cultures, encouraging students to develop critical thinking, research, and creative skills. In the first year, students engage with core modules such as English on the Move, Poetic Language, The Act of the Essay, The Invention of English Literature, and The Novel, alongside optional modules including Literary Transformations, Theory and Criticism, and World Dramas. These modules introduce students to literary analysis, textual interpretation, and the historical and cultural contexts of literature. In the second year, the curriculum broadens to include Revolutions in English Literature, The Worlding of English Literature, and study abroad preparation, with optional modules spanning Milton, African literature, short story writing, corpus linguistics, and the intersections of data, culture, and literature. Students may also undertake a Year in Employment to gain practical experience. In the final year, students complete an independent English Dissertation, allowing them to conduct in-depth research on a chosen topic, and select from diverse modules covering areas such as American cinema, Gothic literature, fantasy fiction, global hip hop, Shakespeare, environmental literature, creative writing, and digital cultures. The program emphasizes both critical scholarship and creative engagement, equipping graduates with analytical, research, and communication skills applicable in a wide range of careers.