English Literature with any two Humanities minors BA Hons
School of Humanities
Institution Code H36
UCAS Code
Q303
Course Code HEHMSEG
Start date
September
More about the course
English literature students study an exciting spread of modules ranging from literary 'classics' by canonical writers like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and John Milton to the contemporary and the popular including work by Ian Fleming, Pat Barker and Carol Ann Duffy.
In the first year you study two core foundation modules. These are 'Reading Prose Narrative', a study of the ways in which novelists construct narratives and different techniques they employ, and 'Ways of Reading', which looks at new critical and theoretical approaches to literary texts and films. You may also choose to take other literature modules focusing on drama and poetry.
In the second year you choose from a selection of modules which are period-based and are intended to help you to understand and place texts in their socio-historical and cultural contexts. In your final year you build on your own particular interests, choosing specialist modules covering a wide range of authors, genres and issues. Currently these include Shakespeare, children's writing, American writing, science fiction, crime writing, autobiography, gender and sexuality. There are also options in literature and film adaptation, the short story, the eighteenth century novel from Defoe to Austen, and seventeenth century women's' writing.
In addition to this you will study two other subjects from the following:
Acting & Screen Performance
American Studies
Creative Writing
English Language Teaching
English Language & Communication
French or Spanish
Film
History
Journalism
Media Cultures
New Media Publishing
Philosophy
Work placement
You can choose to study for a year in North America, Europe, Australia or Singapore through the SOCRATES-ERASMUS exchange programme during the second or third year of the degree. In some cases, you may be able to graduate with a degree from your partner university as well as from Hertfordshire. You may be eligible for a grant if you meet certain conditions.Careers
Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment in media, publishing, teaching and information management where their skills in analysis, communication and evaluation are highly valued. Many of our graduates go on to higher levels of study engaging in research in their chosen fields. Whatever your future career plans, what is important to your potential employers is the range of intellectual, transferable, personal skills and experience you have gained and can demonstrate. We ensure our programmes are relevant to the world of work through active links with regional employers across a range of industries and professions.Teaching methods
The precise method of teaching varies according to each module. Most are taught via weekly lectures and weekly seminars. You may be asked to work with fellow students and produce some group work together. Sometimes you will have to present the findings of your research to your fellow students in the seminars. You will be expected to contribute to on-line discussions and to download and read lecture notes from StudyNet, our virtual learning environment.Course structure
Detailed information about the structure of the course and the modules you will study.