English Literature, BA (Hons)

Course summary

Coventry University’s English Literature course offers you the opportunity to study literature of all periods from the Medieval to the present day, as well as global anglophone literature and literature in translation.The English Literature BA (Hons) course at Coventry University is for students with a passion for literature who want to further develop their knowledge of the major genres and periods of English literature, as well as explore anglophone writing and literature in translation from around the world.

• Analyse the gothic, fantasy and speculative fictions, African-American literature, anglophone world literatures, and literatures of the American West.

• Discover a wide range of novels, plays and poetry from the ancient to the contemporary, and from the local (the English Midlands) to the global.

• This course offers you the chance to spend three years analysing texts and exploring great writing.

• There is a focus on your application of new and cutting-edge theories and ways to analyse texts. Such examples include posthumanism, ecocriticism and critical race theory. This is to help you generate new insights of your own, building on literary history and the interpretations of others. At Coventry, we want to inspire you to keep learning even after graduation.

• You may have the opportunity to apply for a work placement. This has led previous students to experiences as an English subject mentor at Cardinal Newman School, a marketing and events social media and newsletter editor at the Coventry Irish Society, an editorial intern at Grazia Magazine, a freelance journalist at Coventry News and Sport or a human resources intern at First Utility.

• Innovative assessments move beyond the traditional essay and presentation formats to include digital and multimedia projects.

• You will develop a dynamic online presence through the creation of an individual A Domain of One’s Own (DoOO) website, which will allow you to present prospective employers with an online portfolio of degree-level work.

• You will have the opportunity to join a range of societies which aim to develop your interest in literature, film, and theatre, as well as promoting social events.

This course has a common first year. The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn. If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements). Common first year courses English Language and Literature BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing BA (Hons) English Language and TEFL BA (Hons) English Literature BA (Hons) Languages for Global Communication BA (Hons) Year One In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field. Year Two In Year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum and developing your: Technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge Study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner Professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career Global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen In Year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with: Shakespeare, gender and sexuality and 21st century literature, amongst others. Placement Year There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement* can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future. If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee* of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement. Final Year Year three aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from year one and two. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor and your Academic Personal Tutor. You will be asked to choose optional modules on top of the compulsory module, ‘Reading #BlackLivesMatter’, to total 120 credits in your final year. We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. Before accepting any offers, please check the website for the most up to date course content. For full module details please check the course page on the Coventry University website. *For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website