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English Literature
English Literature is a popular programme with an excellent reputation. Along with only 32 other universities, English Literature at Bath Spa University was rated ‘excellent’ by the Higher Education Funding Council for teaching quality: we were commended for ‘the friendly and supportive atmosphere within the School … and the energy given to maintaining an attractive learning environment’.
Quality Assessment
We also also scored highly in the last Research Assessment Exercise, gaining a ‘4’ (the same rating as King’s College, London, amongst other institutions). The quality of the English Literature programme reflects both staff expertise in research and scholarship and their commitment to excellence in teaching.
Our Undergraduate Courses
You can combine English Literature with a large variety of other subjects (such as Creative Writing or History) or take English as a single honours subject. We offer a diverse range of individual modules, most of which are optional and you can use the flexibility of our modular scheme to put together a programme of modules that suits your interests. The few compulsory modules provide a common framework for all students studying English Literature and help to develop advanced skills of literary analysis.
Our students are encouraged to explore literary texts from different genres, historical periods and different traditions. We have a large programme which covers well-known writers such as Shakespeare, Austen, Hardy and the Brontės as well as more unusual modules on thematic topics such as ‘Writing and the Environment’, ‘Utopias’ or ‘Film Adaptation’. There are also study trips, for instance to the theatre or to the Bodleian Library in Oxford, to enhance students’ experience of the literary texts.
Our Staff
English Literature tutors are all well-qualified and active in research and scholarship in their respective areas of specialism: students benefit from their expertise and enthusiasm. We are keen to make students feel involved in the subject and its modules and aim to foster a lively atmosphere of engagement and debate.