COVID-19 update
On our BA English Literature and Film programme, you will explore two complementary and inter-connected forms of media (the written word and film) that have shaped modern culture.
You will be studying in two departments (English Literature; and Film, Theatre & Television) who collaborate with each other extensively. English Literature was one of the first university departments in the UK to study American and Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood, and we continue this tradition with a curriculum that includes the best of contemporary writing in English from around the globe. The Department of Film, Theatre & Television pioneered the study of film in UK higher education, and we continue to lead in the range and breadth of the modules we offer.
You will learn about film from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century to the present day, and you will be able to learn more about everything from contemporary Hollywood to avant-garde cinema, together with new forms of digital entertainment and video art. Our teaching is a dynamic mix of theory and practice, and optional modules that include group-based practical projects are available for those who enjoy practice-based study. We have a huge advantage in our £11.4-million building (opened in 2011) that features three theatre spaces, a digital cinema, a dedicated recording studio and a mixing suite. You will have access to a studio with a flexible lighting system, multi-camera facilities, a talk-back system and Chroma key, and a studio gallery linked to the theatres for live filming and mixing work. We provide industry-standard software and support from dedicated technicians, and all spaces are equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment and lighting.
In your English Literature modules, you will encounter authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). You will also explore aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our lecturers and professors have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary Caribbean and American fiction so you will be learning from experts in the field. Everyone in our departments, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree, so you are learning from experts as soon as you begin your first year.
We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment, because we believe that the study of literature and cinema is a discursive process where we learn by sharing ideas. We provide detailed and thorough feedback on your written work within 15 working days: this is crucial to your development as a writer, whether you intend a career in creative or professional writing.
Placement
Throughout your degree you will be thinking about the career choices that will enable you to thrive after graduation: we will help you put in place the skills and experience that you need to launch that career. Our innovative placement scheme gives you the chance to undertake an academic placement in commerce, industry or the arts. You can also take a placement module on languages and literature in heritage, in education, and in the media. Students on our Communications at Work module also undertake a short placement to explore the ways in which the skills and knowledge gained in their studies have direct application to the workplace.
Study abroad
In your second year, it may be possible for you to spend a term studying abroad at one of our partner institutions in the USA, Canada, Asia and countries across Europe. Learn more about studying abroad.
Overview
On our BA English Literature and Film programme, you will explore two complementary and inter-connected forms of media (the written word and film) that have shaped modern culture.
You will be studying in two departments (English Literature; and Film, Theatre & Television) who collaborate with each other extensively. English Literature was one of the first university departments in the UK to study American and Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood, and we continue this tradition with a curriculum that includes the best of contemporary writing in English from around the globe. The Department of Film, Theatre & Television pioneered the study of film in UK higher education, and we continue to lead in the range and breadth of the modules we offer.
You will learn about film from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century to the present day, and you will be able to learn more about everything from contemporary Hollywood to avant-garde cinema, together with new forms of digital entertainment and video art. Our teaching is a dynamic mix of theory and practice, and optional modules that include group-based practical projects are available for those who enjoy practice-based study. We have a huge advantage in our £11.4-million building (opened in 2011) that features three theatre spaces, a digital cinema, a dedicated recording studio and a mixing suite. You will have access to a studio with a flexible lighting system, multi-camera facilities, a talk-back system and Chroma key, and a studio gallery linked to the theatres for live filming and mixing work. We provide industry-standard software and support from dedicated technicians, and all spaces are equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment and lighting.
In your English Literature modules, you will encounter authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). You will also explore aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our lecturers and professors have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary Caribbean and American fiction so you will be learning from experts in the field. Everyone in our departments, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree, so you are learning from experts as soon as you begin your first year.
We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment, because we believe that the study of literature and cinema is a discursive process where we learn by sharing ideas. We provide detailed and thorough feedback on your written work within 15 working days: this is crucial to your development as a writer, whether you intend a career in creative or professional writing.
Placement
Throughout your degree you will be thinking about the career choices that will enable you to thrive after graduation: we will help you put in place the skills and experience that you need to launch that career. Our innovative placement scheme gives you the chance to undertake an academic placement in commerce, industry or the arts. You can also take a placement module on languages and literature in heritage, in education, and in the media. Students on our Communications at Work module also undertake a short placement to explore the ways in which the skills and knowledge gained in their studies have direct application to the workplace.
Study abroad
In your second year, it may be possible for you to spend a term studying abroad at one of our partner institutions in the USA, Canada, Asia and countries across Europe. Learn more about studying abroad.
Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall
Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.
Typical offer
BBB including grade B in A level English Literature or related subject. Related subjects include English Language and Literature, English Language, Drama and Theatre Studies, and Creative Writing.
International Baccalaureate
30 points overall including 5 in higher level English or a related subject listed above
Extended Project Qualification
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDM (Modules taken must be comparable to subject specific requirement)
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.
Pre-sessional English language programme
If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
EN1PE | Poetry in English | DR Matthew Scott |
EN1GC | Genre and Context | DR Chloe Houston |
EN1RC | Research and Criticism | DR Stephen Thomson |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
FA1MM | Modernisms & Mythologies | DR James Hellings |
EC118 | Economy, Politics and Culture in the Roman World | PROF Ken Dark |
EC111 | Economic Policy and Social Problems | PROF Giovanni Razzu |
EC110 | The Economics of Climate Change | DR Stefania Lovo |
AR1REV10 | Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present [10 credits] | DR Aleks Pluskowski |
AR1REV | Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present | DR Aleks Pluskowski |
AP1SB1 | Introduction to Management | DR Yiorgos Gadanakis |
CL1SO | Ancient Song | PROF Ian Rutherford |
CL1TR | Texts, Readers, and Writers | PROF Eleanor Dickey |
LW1SOC | Law & Society | MRS Amanda Millmore |
MM1F10 | Student Enterprise | DR Lebene Soga |
ML1IL | Introduction to Linguistics | DR Federico Faloppa |
PO1INE | Inequality | DR Jonathan Golub |
MT1CC | The Science of Climate Change | PROF Nigel Arnell |
PO1BRI | British Society | DR Dawn Clarke |
PP1GJ | Global Justice | DR Shalini Sinha |
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
FT2FFC | Film Forms and Cultures | MS Alison Butler |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
EN2CF | Contemporary Fiction | PROF Bryan Cheyette |
EN2BB | The Business of Books | DR Nicola Wilson |
EN2CMN | Chaucer and Medieval Narrative | DR Aisling Byrne |
EN2CRI | Critical Issues | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN2LV | Lyric Voices 1340-1650 | DR Mary Morrissey |
EN2MOD | Modernism in Poetry and Fiction | DR Mark Nixon |
EN2OEL | Introduction to Old English Literature | DR Aisling Byrne |
EN2RER | Restoration to Revolution: 1660-1789 | DR Rebecca Bullard |
EN2RP | The Romantic Period | DR Matthew Scott |
EN2RTC | Renaissance Texts and Cultures | PROF Michelle O'Callaghan |
EN2SH | Shakespeare | DR Lucinda Becker |
EN2VIC | Victorian Literature | DR Lucy Bending |
EN2WA | Writing America | DR Sue Walsh |
EN2WGI | Writing, Gender, Identity | DR Yasmine Shamma |
LS2LLE | Literature, Language and Education | MRS Suzanne Portch |
FT2CPD | Creative Industries and Professional Development | DR Veronica Rodriguez Morales |
FT2FG | Film Genre | DR Faye Woods |
FT2P1F | Creative Practice: Film/TV | DR Tonia Kazakopoulou |
FT2PI | Performance and Identity | PROF Anna Mcmullan |
FT2PL10 | Work Placements and Profiles (10 Credits) | DR Veronica Rodriguez Morales |
FT2PL20 | Work Placements and Profiles (20 Credits) | DR Veronica Rodriguez Morales |
FT2PTG | Popular Television Genres | DR Faye Woods |
FT2RFT | Radical Forms and Practices in Theatre | DR Matt McFrederick |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
EN3PC | Publishing Cultures: Writers, Publics, Archives | DR Nicola Wilson |
EN3PSY | Psychoanalysis and Text | PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein |
EN3RF | From Romance to Fantasy | DR Mary Morrissey |
EN3SHF | Shakespeare on Film | DR Lucinda Becker |
EN3TBS | The Bloody Stage: Revenge and Death in Renaissance Drama | DR Chloe Houston |
EN3UTD | Utopia and Dystopia in English and American Literature | DR Chloe Houston |
EN3WWP | Writing Women: Nineteenth Century Poetry | DR Lucy Bending |
EN3VW | Virginia Woolf and Bloomsbury | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN3MAT | Margaret Atwood | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN3MO | Medieval Otherworlds | DR Aisling Byrne |
EN3MPS | Creative Writing Masterclass: Prose | MS Shelley Harris |
EN3MPY | Creative Writing Masterclass: Poetry | DR Conor Carville |
EN3NL | Nigerian Prose Literature: From Achebe to Adichie | DR Sue Walsh |
EN3PA | Placing Jane Austen | DR Paddy Bullard |
EN3DD | Decadence and Degeneration: Literature of the 1880s and 1890s | DR Lucy Bending |
EN3DIC | Dickens | PROF Andrew Mangham |
EN3DIS | Dissertation | DR Neil Cocks |
EN3ECN | The Eighteenth-Century Novel: Sex and Sensibility | DR Rebecca Bullard |
EN3HT | Holocaust Testimony: Memory, Trauma and Representation | PROF Bryan Cheyette |
EN3CF | Contemporary American Fiction | PROF David Brauner |
EN3CL | Children's Literature | PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein |
EN3BBF | Black British Fiction | DR Cato Marks |
FT3CD | Contemporary Documentary | MR James Kenward-Abdollahyan |
FT3CIC | Critical Issues in Contemporary Performance | DR Sarah Bartley |
FT3THF | Three Films | MS Alison Butler |
FT3PL20 | Work Placements and Profiles (20 Credits) | DR Veronica Rodriguez Morales |
FT3IAA | Identity, Agency, Advocacy: Diversity and Representation in Film, Television and Theatre | DR Lisa Woynarski |
FT3DISS | Dissertation: Film & Theatre | DR Matt McFrederick |
FT3VC | Videographic Criticism | PROF John Gibbs |
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year
New international students: £19,500 per year
*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Careers
You will enter the job market with highly-developed research and communication skills; you will know how to access reliable information on any topic and how to present your findings in clear and persuasive language. Practical work and group projects give you experience of project management and collaborative working. These are all valuable skills in today’s economy, where information and communication skills are vital. You will have the critical and cultural awareness necessary for working in the public sector and the media.
Our graduates go into many walks of life: some work in the performing arts, journalism, the media or teaching. Some decide to continue their studies at postgraduate level. Others have successful careers in fields as diverse as law, business administration, web-design and advertising. Past graduates have gone on to work for employers such as the BBC, The Telegraph, Oxford University Press, Waterstones, Cisco Systems and the Royal Mint, as well as local authorities and schools.