English Literature / Education

BA English Literature / Education Code QX33 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

QX33

UCAS Tariff

120 - 104
Course duration

3 years

Available for September start 2025

In choosing to study this English Literature and Education Degree you'll immerse yourself in a broad range of texts from medieval through to modern, evaluated in various ways from the linguistic/stylistic approach through to political or social emphasis. You'll also spend 50% of your time covering the fundamentals of education. With a focus on gaining essential employability skills that include team-work, communication and time management. This English Literature and Education Degree is taught by dedicated, enthusiastic experts, often in very small tutorial and seminar class sizes, giving you the very best experience. Upon successful completion of this degree, students can progress and undertake a PGCE qualification.

Course Overview

Why study English Literature and Education at Aberystwyth?

You will be taught by staff who are world leaders in their fields of expertise.
We offer you opportunities to engage with a wide variety of approaches to literature and cultural history, combining critical thinking with a scholarship.
You will have the opportunity to explore literary theory - philosophical and conceptual ideas that inform, challenge and problematize the ways we read.
There are exciting opportunities to work with our partners - schools and communities across the UK and Wales.
We have one of the biggest libraries in the world, the National Library of Wales, on our doorstep. This copyright institution receives a copy of every book published in the UK.
The department is home to New Welsh Review, Wales’ foremost literary magazine - this could be an exciting opportunity for you to get involved.
You will be immersed in a supportive and vibrant community of creative and critical thinkers, literary experts, and published scholars from every field.

Our Staff

All academic staff in the Department of English and Creative Writing are active scholars and experts in their fields. They are either qualified to PhD level or have commensurate experience. Our Lecturers either hold or are working towards a Higher Education teaching qualification and the majority of academic staff also hold the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Undergraduate lecturers in the School of Education are either qualified to PhD standard or are experienced practitioners in their field. All teaching staff currently possess, or are working towards, a recognised teaching qualification.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name	Module Code	Credit Value
Ancestral Voices	EN10220	20
Children's Development and Learning *	ED14520	20
Critical Practice	EN11320	20
Partnerships in Principle and Practice *	ED14420	20

Options

Module Name	Module Code	Credit Value
Academic Writing: Planning, Process and Product	IC17720	20
American Literature 1819-1925	EN11220	20
Contemporary Writing	EN10520	20
Greek and Roman Epic and Drama	CL10120	20
Health and Wellbeing in the Early Years	ED14620	20
Introduction to Poetry	WL10420	20
Key Skills for University	ED13620	20
Language Awareness for TESOL	IC13420	20
Language Development	ED14320	20
Literature And The Sea	WL11420	20
Peering into Possibility: Speculative Fiction and the Now	WL11920	20
Play and Learning:Theory and Practice	ED13720	20
Re-imagining Nineteenth-Century Literature	WL10120	20

Core

Module Name	Module Code	Credit Value
Literary Theory: Debates and Dialogues	EN20120	20
Psychology of Learning and Thinking *	ED20120	20

Options

Module Name	Module Code	Credit Value
A Century in Crisis: 1790s to 1890s	WL20720	20
Classical Drama and Myth	CL20320	20
Contemporary Writing and Climate Crisis	EN21120	20
Discourses Language and Education	ED22420	20
Education, Diversity and Equality	ED20420	20
Effective Academic and Professional Communication 1	IC27720	20
In the Olde Dayes: Medieval Texts and Their World	EN23120	20
Literacy in Young Children	ED20220	20
Literary Geographies	EN21020	20
Literary Modernisms	EN20920	20
Literature and Climate in the Nineteenth Century	EN21220	20
Literature since the '60s	EN22920	20
Making Sense of the Curriculum	ED20820	20
Place and Self	EN22120	20
Research Methods	ED20320	20
Safeguarding and Professional Practice	ED24320	20
TESOL Approaches, Methods and Teaching Techniques	IC23420	20
Working with Children	ED20620	20
Writing Women for the Public Stage, 1670-1780	EN28720	20

Core

Module Name	Module Code	Credit Value
Assessment and Education *	ED30120	20

Options

Module Name	Module Code	Credit Value
Children's Rights	ED30620	20
Communication	ED34720	20
Emotional and Social Development	ED34820	20
Major dissertation	ED33640	40
Mathematical Development in the Early Years	ED30320	20
Special Educational Needs	ED30420	20
Ali Smith and 21st Century fiction(s)	EN33620	20
Effective Academic and Professional Communication 2	IC37820	20
Haunting Texts	EN30820	20
Literatures of Surveillance	WL35320	20
Reading Theory / Reading Text	EN30120	20
Remix: Chaucer In The Then and Now	WL30620	20
Romantic Eroticism	EN30520	20
TESOL Materials Development and Application of Technologies	IC33420	20
The Mark of the Beast: Animals in Literature from the 1780s to the 1920s	EN31320	20
Undergraduate Dissertation	EN30040	40
Victorian Childhoods	EN30320	20
Writing in the Margins: Twentieth-Century Welsh Poetry in English	EN30420	20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Career Prospects

A degree in English Literature is the “gold standard” for any employment setting where communication is valued. All of our modules deliver key skills that enable you to build a comprehensive C.V. that evidences your diverse range of competencies.

Our graduates have been successful across the widest possible range of career destinations:

broadcasting
journalism
advertising
publishing
education
the Civil Service
business
finance
new media.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in English Literature will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:

the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
effective problem-solving and creative-thinking skills
the ability to work independently
time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
self-motivation and self-reliance
team-work, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
research skills.

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying?

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

This degree will allow you to explore literature of all genres and from all periods within the context of the broadest possible interpretation of literature in English. You will become skilled in the interpretation and analysis of literary texts and you will engage with current critical debates.

In your first year you may discover:

new techniques for analysing literary texts
some key figures from literary history (from Shakespeare to the Brontës)
lesser known texts, and writers who are new-to-you
a variety of “ways of reading” and some theoretical approaches to textual analysis
poetry, prose, drama, American Literature, adaptations, Classical literature, contemporary writing, medieval texts and much more
the importance of educational policies
childhood in society
global citizenship.

In your second year you may explore:

the theoretical approaches to, and the practice of, literary criticism
a range of selected core texts from the medieval period through to the twenty-first century
a number of specialist topics chosen by you (these might focus on a specific genre (such as crime fiction), historical period (such as the Victorian era), or theme (such as “place”)
seven week placement with an organisation relating to education, aid or development
and critically assess the theories of community and education
how to analyse the effects of migration and mobility on education
the development of literacy globally.

In the third year you may master:

literary theory and the application of theoretical perspectives to literary analysis;
extended writing and independent research in your final year dissertation project (on a topic chosen and defined by you);
your own specialisms drawn from a diverse range of option modules taught by researchers in those fields. Our option modules include topics such as Elizabethan drama, the ghost story, the early English novel, queer fiction, children’s literature, Romanticism, and much more;
global perspectives on rights and health in the developing world;
every factor affecting education and development;
community issues;
the role of individuals and government;
the application of rights and legislation;
the impact of poverty.

How will I be taught?

Our degree is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and one-to-one tutorials. We also encourage self-directed learning designed to stimulate your academic interest in English Literature and nurture your personal and intellectual development.

You will be assessed through essays, exams and oral presentation. You will also be required to complete additional, non-assessed, assignments and to work with others on particular tasks.

Further information

As you study, you will develop a range of skills which will benefit you in further study or any graduate workplace. You will learn to: employ multiple critical techniques when approaching texts; develop a reflective practice in reading and writing; articulate a detailed critical analysis of your subject; and respond to any task with creativity, flair and style.

You will be assigned a personal tutor who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or pastoral issues. Your personal tutor will also be responsible for delivering tutorials that will help you in the development of key skills. You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.

Student Testimonials

The English Literature and Education course works so well as a joint honours degree. Despite being two separate subject disciplines, the skills that you learn in Education can be utilised in English and vice versa. The subject matter can be transferred as well – you might learn about the formation of children’s literature over in English and then take it to your Education lecture on Literacy and understand how it is implemented in children’s learning.

The lecturers in both departments are passionate and thoroughly knowledgeable in their subject areas, willing to give up their time to offer you extra support and guidance. Doing this degree offers such a diverse range of options post-graduation, I feel equipped to enter a number of professions. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in both disciplines. Liz Titley

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-28

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65%

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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