Undergraduate

English

A student sits reading a book in the seventh floor observatory of the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull.
Six students doing collaborative work at a group work desk in the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull.
The exterior of the seven-storey Brynmor Jones Library lit up at dusk.
A student sits studying rare, antique books at the Rare Books room in the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull.
Four students sit laughing outside on campus with a red-brick, ivy-clad university building behind them.

Look around

Study the breadth of English and American poetry, short fiction, drama and novels. From medieval and Renaissance to #MeToo and Black Lives Matter.
Our English degree trains you to analyse, research and communicate at a very high level. It gives you the skills that are prized in many professions.
Our literary legacy is inspirational. Andrew Marvell, Philip Larkin, Stevie Smith, Tom Paulin, J.R.R. Tolkien and Winifred Holtby have ties to Hull.
The 7-storey Brynmor Jones Library is home to 1 million+ books. Our Rare Books room includes a variety of titles published between 1473 and 2002.
Join our student-led English Society and HUWrites. Share your unique voice at open mics. And publish your work in our in-house literary magazines.
Retreat to the sanctuary of the Reading Room where you can catch up on the newest poetry, prose and criticism in our library of literary journals.
A student sits reading a book in the seventh floor observatory of the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull.
Six students doing collaborative work at a group work desk in the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull.
The exterior of the seven-storey Brynmor Jones Library lit up at dusk.
A student sits studying rare, antique books at the Rare Books room in the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull.
Four students sit laughing outside on campus with a red-brick, ivy-clad university building behind them.
Brynmor Jones Library Reading Room

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Code

Duration

Mode

  • Standard course
  • With a foundation year

Typical offer

What does this mean?

The way we communicate has the power to inspire, shift perspectives and drive action. It can change the way people see the world, but it can also be used try to control ideas and opinions. The BA English programme will help you to consider how literature and language can influence public opinion, and address current political, social and environmental challenges.

Your passion for reading and communication are at the heart of BA English at the University of Hull. We encourage you to value your own lived experiences, to explore how communication has impacted on these, and to connect them with those from diverse cultures and time periods.

You will be taught by experts in a region with a rich literary and cultural history. Renowned authors Andrew Marvell, Phillip Larkin, Stevie Smith, Tom Paulin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Winifred Holtby and Matt Haig, as well as film director Anthony Minghella, all have ties to both the University and the city.

  • 92.9% of students

    in work or further study 15 months after graduating 1

  • 1st in the UK

    for Student Voice 2

  • Over 1 million books

    in our 7-storey library

  • Published writers

    and scholars teach on this course

  • Top 10 in the UK

    for Student Experience 3

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Course overview
Module options

About this course

On our BA English programme, you’ll study contemporary and international writing and communication, and how it links to past, present – and imaginary future – narratives.

With an array of modules, such as ‘Emotional and Artificial Intelligence’, ‘Prized Texts’, ‘Scandalous Lives’, ‘Movement and Migration’ and more, you’ll be able to follow your passions to create a personalised academic experience. 

You will engage with a range of textual forms from manuscripts to printed works, from stage performances to films, and digital media. The nature of the ‘texts’ considered is wide-ranging and varied, including non-fiction forms, and this programme will encourage you to explore how ideas are communicated to and received by various public audiences.

Hull’s vibrant literary scene also offers numerous opportunities to showcase your unique voice. Join our thriving English Society and connect with celebrated authors at campus events. Additionally, you can design, edit, and publish your own work with our in-house magazines, Document 1 and Hull Scribbler.

Scheduled study hours and how you’re assessed

You don't do exams at work, so why do them at university? We take a different approach and focus on giving you the skills and experience to succeed, whatever career you choose.

So here, 100% of your assessments will be through coursework, which could include essays, blogs, vlogs, group projects or presentations. But don't worry, you won't be forced to present live if you don't want to.

Throughout your degree, you’re expected to study for 1,200 hours per year. That’s based on 200 hours per 20 credit module. And it includes scheduled hours, time spent on placement and independent study. How this time is divided across the year varies and depends on the module you are studying.

Choose your modules

Each year, you’ll study modules worth a certain number of credits, and you need 120 credits per year. Most modules are 20 credits – so you’ll study six modules each year. Some longer modules, such as a dissertation, are worth more. In these cases, you’ll study fewer modules - but the number of credits will always add up to 120. Some modules are compulsory, some are optional, so you can build a course that’s right for you.

Preparing for Learning in Higher Education

This module is designed to give you the best possible start to your university studies, making sure you have all the essential skills you need to succeed. Through lectures and workshops we will teach you how to write in an academic style, how to find quality sources, how to reference work, culminating in writing up a mini-research project.

Core•20 credits

Introduction to Study in the Humanities

This module equips you with a suite of analytical and theoretical tools to support you as you progress along your academic journey. You'll develop an interdisciplinary understanding of approaches to study in the humanities by working with a variety of resources, including novels, films and aspects of the visual arts.

Core•20 credits

Research in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Education

This module will equip you with the necessary skills to conduct and analyse research in a specific interest, supported by academics within your subject. You'll navigate through the research process, from identifying an area of interest to presenting their findings to your peers.

Core•20 credits

Group Challenge (Humanities)

Formulate and execute a group led enquiry into texts, cultural artifacts, film, music or dance. You'll explore their topics in groups at supervised workshops and develop questions on the cultural object relates to the living world of human experience, as well as developing your own methods to answer these questions.

Compulsory•20 credits

Foundation in Data Analysis

Develop a strong foundation in data collection and analysis. This module will introduce you to qualitative and quantitative data and how to analyse it; the collection of primary and secondary data; the production of high quality graphics; and report writing.

Compulsory•20 credits

Academic Writing Skills

Developing confidence in expression, oral as well as written, is a key feature of this module, which also aims to familiarise you with submission and assessment procedures in the context of Higher Education. This is a clear building block onto your degree programme and places you at a distinct advantage when you move into the following year.

Compulsory•20 credits

Students who require Foundation Year study will register on the English with Foundation Year programme.

Upon successful completion with a score of 50% or above you will progress directly onto BA English. The foundation year has been designed to prepare you for entry on the degree.
6 Modules

Emotional and Artificial Intelligence

Explore two of the most critical issues of today: artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EQ). Learn to use generative AI tools like MS Copilot and critique their societal impacts, including challenges in academia and ethics. Explore EQ through literature and film, developing skills in empathy, critical thinking, and emotional management. Equip yourself for the future of work and life in an AI-driven world.

Compulsory•20 credits

Just Read

Reignite your passion for literature by selecting and analysing current ‘must-read’ texts recommended by peers, tutors, and an online community. Explore reader-reception, market influence, and how publishers and writers shape what we ‘just read.’ Develop your critical reading and reflection skills while preparing for more complex concepts to come.

Compulsory•20 credits

Transforming Stories

Study key concepts like adaptation, appropriation, and intertextuality, examining how literature transforms existing stories. Explore texts like Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Chaucer, and Shakespeare to see how myths and narratives are reworked across time and cultures. This module incorporates feminist, postcolonial, and LGBTQ+ perspectives and encourages creating creative responses, blending English Literature and Creative Writing.

Compulsory•20 credits

Global Voices

Explore global Anglophone poetry’s response to issues like the US Civil Rights Movement and South African Apartheid and gender and identity politics. Study poetry’s spoken forms, including metre, rhyme, and verse types such as sonnets and ballads. Investigate how poets worldwide use these forms to engage with historical and social contexts, challenging and reshaping poetic expectations.

Compulsory•20 credits

Performing Identity

Explore evolving notions of identity through drama, focusing on gender, race, sexuality, and intersectionality. Examine how plays reflect and challenge societal norms from contemporary texts to ancient Greece and Shakespeare. Develop skills in dramatic analysis, gain insights into the relationship between self and society, and explore gender equality barriers.

Compulsory•20 credits

Young Adult Fiction

Delve into genres like science fiction, fantasy, romance, and realism. Examine how young adult fiction addresses real-life issues such as gender, sexuality, and racial justice, helping readers navigate their identities. Understand how young adult fiction shapes visions of the future, and its appeal to both young and adult audiences.

Compulsory•20 credits
6 Modules

Green Thoughts, Blue Stories: Literature and the Environment

Explore environmental issues, focusing on 'green' (land) and 'blue' (sea) themes. Analyse Anglophone eco-writing, including Native Indian and Indigenous perspectives, and texts on pollution, climate change, and sustainability, such as Juliet Blaxland’s The Easternmost House and W. G. Sebald’s Rings of Saturn. This module fosters cross-cultural and creative approaches to global environmental crises.

Compulsory•20 credits

Networked Societies: Communication and culture in the Internet Age

Few aspects of contemporary life are untouched by the Internet, but the all-pervasiveness of digital networks does not mean they are easy to understand. This module offers tools and case studies to help you think more clearly and ask better questions about our networked societies.

Compulsory•20 credits

Scandalous Lives

This module explores 'scandalous' texts, focusing on themes like prostitution, domestic abuse, and incest. Analyse works addressing maternity, authority, and relationships, to understand changing perceptions of scandal. Spanning various genres and periods, the module invites you to reflect on contemporary and historical understandings of scandal and how literature challenges and redefines societal norms.

Compulsory•20 credits

Shakespeare and co.

Rethink connections between plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries and their links to contemporary issues like racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and gender identity. By exploring how these plays address ongoing social issues, we gain an insight into the origins of modern social constructs, while deepening our understanding of dramatic forms and historical context.

Optional•20 credits

Visual Narratives: Reading Word and Image

Understand the relationship between text and image, from medieval manuscripts to modern multimedia. Utilising visual narratives like comic books, graphic novels, webcomics, video games, and virtual reality, the course highlights how they challenge power structures, featuring works from William Blake to contemporary queer and antiracist webcomics.

Optional•20 credits

Literary Lovers

Study literary representations of love and desire through modern works like Sally Rooney’s Normal People, as well as famous literary couples and texts depicting passionate and homoerotic love, such as Wuthering Heights. By analysing depictions of love from classical to contemporary literature, you'll reflect on traditional and transgressive views of desire, building on earlier studies of identity and global voices.

Optional•20 credits

Engaging Audiences

A unique collaboration between English at Hull, HMPPS, and local colleges. Analyse literary engagement with external audiences, gaining skills in quantitative research, ethics, and audience reception theory. Explore responses to literature and social issues. The module enhances employability through real-world challenges, preparing you for advanced research and practical applications.

Optional•20 credits

Dystopian Worlds

A study of contemporary dystopian fiction, featuring key texts from the 20th and 21st centuries, including George Orwell’s 1984. The module covers themes such as totalitarianism, surveillance, rebellion, post-apocalyptic scenarios, and genetic modification, relating them to current political issues

Optional•20 credits

Difference and Divergence

Explore concepts of ‘difference’ and ‘divergence,’ examining both positive and negative connotations. Analyse how ‘normality’ is defined and use ‘otherness’ to understand differences, focusing on texts with neuro-divergent, disabled, gender-fluid, non-binary, or

homosexual protagonists. The course builds on Level 4 Performing Identity, deepening understanding of how literature addresses diverse experiences.

Optional•20 credits

In Year 2 you will be encouraged to expand and deepen your knowledge of literature chronologically and thematically. You take a total of six modules.
9 Modules

Research Project

This module supports you in the design and completion of a final-year independent or collaborative research project. Develop your intellectual autonomy and produce a distinctive and dynamic project which reflects your growing expertise as a researcher in any field of English Studies.

Compulsory•40 credits

Prized Texts

This module explores how literary prizes shape prestige and cultural value, focusing on their impact on perceptions of 'popularity' and 'quality' and how authorial resistance affects these hierarchies. You’ll analyse prizes like the Man Booker and Pulitzer and evaluate their influence on texts and market trends. Building on Level 4’s ‘Just Read,’ the course considers literature’s evolving role in the digital age.

Compulsory•20 credits

Movement and Migration

Explore migration literature, featuring diverse voices across genres and backgrounds. Themes include identity, belonging, and displacement, covering both voluntary and forced

migration, including departures, journeys, arrivals, and returns. The course deepens understanding of how migration shapes identities and promotes global empathy.

Compulsory•20 credits

Banned Books: Literature on Trial

A study of landmark literary libel cases and evolving concepts of decency, censorship, and literary trials. Investigate historical and contemporary instances of literary scrutiny, connecting them to modern cancel culture and book banning. The course explores how censorship reflects cultural biases, politics, and trade, and challenges authorial autonomy.

Optional•20 credits

Cults, Conspiracies, and Criminal Worlds

Explore texts on cults, conspiracies, and related criminal activities, including both fiction and real-world accounts. Topics include JFK's assassination, the Manson Family murders, British fears of communism, and decolonial perspectives on India. The module analyses how conspiratorial thinking impacts societies and applies narrative analysis to contemporary issues like disinformation and the 'post-truth' era.

Optional•20 credits

Terror, Horror, and the Gothic

This course develops an understanding of the Gothic’s cultural significance and contemporary relevance. Study how Gothic literature, film, and art use horror to critique societal norms and address issues such as architecture, nature, and patriarchy, including feminist and anti-racist perspectives. The course includes case studies, museum collections, and Gothic festivals, and the chance to present work through digital presentations and essays.

Optional•20 credits

Writing Now

A study of contemporary novels and plays, focusing on themes like immigration, social division, gender, and political issues such as Brexit and terrorism. Ustilising both realist and avant-garde works, the course highlights global issues and encourages connections to current debates and individual experiences.

Optional•20 credits

Our Year 3 modules are designed to allow you to explore particular topics and genres in greater depth. These modules often develop from the research interests of individual members of staff. You will write a Research Project, on a topic chosen by you, with the support and guidance of your supervisor. On top of the Research Project, you choose a further 4 modules.
7 Modules

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University Life 1 min

Entry requirements

What do I need?

When it comes to applying to university, you'll need a certain number of UCAS points. Different qualifications and grades are worth a different amount of points. For this course, you'll need…

Use UCAS's calculator to work out your estimated points

We consider experience and qualifications from the UK and worldwide which may not exactly match the combinations above.

But it's not just about the grades - we'll look at your whole application. We want to know what makes you tick, and about your previous experience, so make sure that you complete your personal statement.

Have questions? Our admissions team will be happy to help.

What do I need?

If you require a student visa to study or if your first language is not English you will be required to provide acceptable evidence of your English language proficiency level.

See other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by the University of Hull.

If your English currently does not reach the University’s required standard for this programme, you may be interested in one of our English language courses.

Visit your country page to find out more about our entry requirements.

Fees & funding

How much is it?

Additional costs you may have to pay

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme. There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make:

  • Books (you can borrow books on your reading lists from the library, but you may buy your own)
  • Optional field trips
  • Study abroad (incl. travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
  • Placement costs (incl. travel costs and accommodation)
  • Student visas (international students)
  • Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and computers on campus, but you may want your own)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Professional-body membership
  • Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel, food and more.

How do I pay for it?

How much is it?

Additional costs you may have to pay

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme. There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make:

  • Books (you can borrow books on your reading lists from the library, but you may buy your own)
  • Optional field trips
  • Study abroad (incl. travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
  • Placement costs (incl. travel costs and accommodation)
  • Student visas (international students)
  • Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and computers on campus, but you may want your own)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Professional-body membership
  • Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel, food and more.

How do I pay for it?

Our academics

You’re taught by internationally-renowned scholars, published poets, fiction writers, and scriptwriters. People who bring their expertise, creativity and passion into everything you learn.

We’re part of the Larkin Centre research group. In REF 2021, 93% of our research was ranked world-leading or internationally excellent.4

See more academics for this subject
Richard Meek
Featured academic

Dr Richard Meek

Richard's research interests include Shakespeare and the history of emotion. He gave the opening keynote lecture at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions conference 'Hamlet and Emotions: Then and Now' in Perth, Australia.

Dr Catherine Wynne
Featured academic

Dr Catherine Wynne

Catherine has contributed to TV and radio programmes on Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle for Channel 4, BBC 2, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, and Irish Radio. She was also a guest expert on Bram Stoker at a British Library event.

Take a look at our facilities

Brynmor Jones Library

Our 7-storey library is home to 1 million+ books, extensive digital resources drawn from libraries and archives across the world, and stunning panoramic views of the city from the 7th floor.

Reading Room

You’ll find the Reading Room on the first floor of our library. It offers a comfortable space and a quiet environment to study – away from the hustle and bustle of the campus.

Rare Books

Our collection includes a variety of titles published between 1473 and 2002. Texts are in 18 languages. Places of publication range from Amsterdam to Zwickau, covering 26 countries on 5 continents.

Study Rooms

You'll find over 1,000 work spaces in our library. From boardroom-style meeting venues with big-screen PCs, to informal group-study areas and interactive whiteboards.

See more in our virtual tour

Look around

Look around

Look around

Look around

Brynmor Jones Library Observation Deck
Brynmor Jones Library Reading Room
Brynmor Jones Library Rare Books Room
Brynmor Jones Library Group Study Room
A between-the-books closeup of a student reading in the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull.

Future prospects

Hull counts poets Douglas Dunn and Roger McGough among its alumni. But an English degree doesn’t just pave the way for a literary career. It trains you to analyse, research and communicate at a very high level. It gives you the skills that are prized in many professions.

With this kind of grounding, you’ll gain the adaptability to flourish in many arenas. These may include more obvious paths, such as teaching or library and archive work. Or in any field requiring research skills and the ability to translate concepts into written or spoken forms, such as those needed by managers in any industry.

University of Hull Open Day

Your next steps

Like what you’ve seen? Then it’s time to apply.

The standard way to apply for this course is through UCAS. This will give you the chance to showcase your skill, qualities and passion for the subject, as well as providing your academic qualifications.

How to apply

Not ready to apply?

Visit our next Open Day, and see all that Hull has to offer for yourself. Talk to our lecturers about your subject, find out what university is really like from our current students, and take a tour of our beautiful campus and amazing facilities.

Book your place now

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1. 92.9% employability (English) UK domicile full-time first degree leavers; Higher Education Graduate Outcomes statistics, for the academic year 2021/22, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency June 2024.

2. English ranks 1st in the UK for for student voice. National Student Survey 2024

3. English is ranked 10th in the UK for Student Experience. The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

4. Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

All modules presented on this course page are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

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