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The English Literature curriculum at Reading is pioneering, contemporary, and comprehensive. The wide range of expertise among our teaching staff means that you can study literature in English from every period of history and from across the globe.

Our degrees are flexible, allowing you to choose the modules that best suit your interests. After the groundwork of Part 1, you will choose your individual pathway through the broader period or thematic modules of Part 2 and a wide range of specialised options in Part 3. You can, in effect, design your own degree by picking the modules that appeal most to you.

We are proud of the range of options available to our students. Many of our modules are unique to Reading because they reflect the research specialisms of our expert teaching staff.
Please note that modules may change due to developments in the curriculum, the research interests of staff, or the relocation of staff.

How our degrees work

YEAR ONE - THE BEDROCK OF YOUR DEGREE

Your first year will teach you new methods for getting to grips with literature, including literary theory and criticism, textual analysis and comparison.

YEAR TWO - PICK YOUR SPECIALISMS

During your second year, you will be able to pick from a wide range of modules covering key historical periods, themes and concepts. Here at Reading we allow you to choose all six of the modules in your second year, giving you a real breadth of experience and expertise.

YEAR THREE - BECOMING AN EXPERT

In your third year you delve further into specialised fields of expertise. You will also have the opportunity to carry out a personalised research project in the form of your dissertation. This project is on a subject of your choice and will involve individual supervision and mentoring from one of our academic team.

Your degree in a nutshell

A groups of book stood on end as viewed from above

Read about the wide choice of modules available to you throughout your degree.

Diverse study options

Become part of a diverse and inclusive community of readers and writers, united in our passion for our subject.

Read our Department of English Literature brochure 

Read our joint degrees leaflet 

Read more in our Literature and Languages Foundation Year leaflet