English and Writing

English is concerned with the critical and historical study of English literature, pursued through a wide range of courses dealing with different national traditions, periods, genres, and themes.

English also offers students the opportunity to study writing through a Creative Writing strand that begins in first year with the Creative Reading and Writing course and continues through to third-year and Honours.

Students also take English courses as part of a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts, through the English Teaching specialisation for Secondary teachers and the English Key Learning Area for intending Primary teachers.

Career Opportunities

English, like most other Arts and Humanities courses, does not provide vocational training for a specific type of employment, but it does help students to acquire what are perhaps the most marketable of all skills:

Ability to read perceptively
Ability to write lucidly and persuasively.

Any form of employment in which words matter will value the ability to read and write critically and creatively, but the more common graduate destinations for English majors include occupations in:

The public sector
Human resources
Education
Library and information management
Advertising

Journalism
Public relations
Publishing
The media
Professional writing

For further information contact Head of Discipline Dr Jesper Gulddal

English Honours

English honours offers students the opportunity to undertake advanced study in English Literature or Creative Writing. The course is designed to allow students to explore critical and methodological issues, and areas of theoretical and technical debate, and how these relate to the activity of reading and writing literary texts.

The Honours program combines seminar work with supervised research and writing. Many students take Honours simply because they want to keep studying literature or creative writing, but Honours also provides students with credentials testifying to their ability to engage in high-quality independent study and is a necessary preparation for postgraduate study.

For further information contact the Honours Convenor Dr Jesper Gulddal