Undergraduate study

• A good general grounding in literature and literary criticism
• The opportunity to study English as both a critical and creative discipline
• The opportunity to include pathways in creative writing and film studies
• A wide choice of exchange programmes in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US

English can be combined with a very wide variety of other programmes in the humanities, sciences and social sciences as part of the Keele Dual Honours degree system. The English course provides a grounding in the key periods and genres of English literature and a thorough training in critical methods. It allows students to concentrate on areas that appeal to them, allowing them to experience the full breadth of the subject. We teach literature from the Renaissance period to the present day, as well as film studies and creative writing. The staff are active in research on a wide range of topics in English literature, film, cultural theory.

You can also take modules in Creative Writing or Film Studies throughout your undergraduate study at Keele. Follow the links for more information.

There are regular programmes of visiting academic speakers, novelists and poets, open to all students. Recent visitors have included Gwendoline Riley, Paul Muldoon, Jackie Kay, Roger McGough, and Carol Ann Duffy.

English with Creative Writing

English with Creative writing is a Single Honours course, which allows students to study English literature and Creative Writing as part of an integrated programme. Students study English literature from Shakespeare to the present day. Creative writing begins with two first year modules that combine studying poetry and the short story with learning to write poetry and short fiction. Second year creative writing options include Lyric and Popular Music, where students learn to write lyrics for popular songs (taught with the Music Department), and 'Writingscapes', where students specialise in writing about place. Students do a dissertation in English literature in the third year and complete a creative writing portfolio. There are also opportunities to study film and American literature options.

The core modules in both semesters of the first year are aimed at developing analytical and critical skills, and broadening both students' experience of literature and modern approaches to thinking and writing about it. Alongside this students may choose a further elective module in English or American literature, creative writing or film. In the second year students will go on to choose from a series of core and elective modules. In the final year, students can choose from a range of more specialised options, and this may also involve writing a dissertation or working on a creative writing portfolio. Such projects offer exciting opportunities for independent research and writing, while being supported by a tutor.

First year 
You will take the following core module and may choose one elective:

Autumn Semester core module
Reading Literature introduces various aspects of literary study, enabling you to get to grips with a range of primary texts (including films) but also to develop a variety of critical skills.

Electives
Telling Tales provides an introduction to narrative fiction (short stories, novels and film) using examples from the 18th to the 21st century.

Poetry Through Practice looks at the major poetic modes (for example the love lyric and the elegy), explores how different poets employed these modes and encourages you to employ them in your own writing.

Reading Film introduces students to the essential elements of film narrative and engages them in thinking critically about the creative and technical choices made by filmmakers.

Spring Semester core module
Becoming a Critic introduces the critical methods and skills involved in the study of narrative fiction. The module is characterised by both historical breadth and detailed critical engagement, and focuses particularly on the concept of colonial and postcolonial literature.

Electives
Playing Parts aims to introduce students to the critical study and evaluation of drama and poetry through close attention to issues of performance, voice and style. It focuses on the development of different styles of poetry and drama between the 17th century and the present day.

Fiction Through Practice is designed to establish a bridge between the composition and criticism of prose fiction. It introduces different literary modes and encourages you to develop these in your own writing.

Approaches to Film examines the development of critical thinking on the cinema and invites you to debate, question and apply ideas on film authorship, genre, and history.

Second year 
You will take two core modules (one each semester), and will also have the choice of taking two elective modules (one each semester) from among the following areas:

Victorian Literature
The 17th Century
Renaissance
Romanticisms
Creative Writing
Film
The Novel
Postwar Poetry and Fiction

Third year 
You can opt to take two special subject modules from the following selection (one in each semester) or one extended special subject culminating in a dissertation. Some of the special subject options currently on offer are:

Modern Poetry
Shakespeare on Film
Mental Fight
The Two Cultures: Literature and Science
The Canadian Metropolis
Literature, Culture and Politics in the 1980s
Joyce’s Ulysses
Modern Poetry
Shakespeare Problem Plays and Late Plays
Postcolonial Fictions
Canadian Metropolis
Dickens, Collins and Detection
Decadence, Eccentricity & Nonsense: Journeys to the Edge of Victorian Literature

Dual Honours course can be combined with:

Single Honours, Major and Foundation course available:

Teaching is conducted by means of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and one-to-one consultations. A variety of assessment methods are used: essays, seminar participation, reports, book reviews, assessed oral presentations (group and individual), examinations, Web quizzes, and so on.

Programme specifications (new window)

As a result of studying this degree, students will acquire a range of subject-specific and generic, transferable skills. In addition to an in-depth knowledge of English literature students will become skilled in textual analysis, interpretation and evaluation. You will also have acquired advanced communication and writing skills, the ability to research and interpret a variety of sources of information, and time-management skills. English enjoys close, collaborative links with the Careers Service. English graduates have achieved high levels of success in entering challenging and rewarding careers, in spheres such as publishing, banking, journalism, teaching, retail management, and the media.

Visit our Careers pages (new window)

English at Keele offers students a unique opportunity to study English and American Literature, Film and Creative Writing.