Course summary

The foundation year will introduce you to study at university and your chosen subject. It also provides a highly supportive environment where you can develop your self-confidence. If you want to join a close-knit community where you can analyse books, evaluate the debates they inspire and develop transferable skills in communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy then study English Literature with us. On our course you’ll explore the ways that literature helps us to imagine what it is like to walk in other people’s shoes, and how it can take us on journeys of self-discovery. You’ll have the opportunity to indulge your passion for a text or topic in your dissertation and apply your skills in projects and work placements related to your subject interests. You’ll study on a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the rich cultural history of the city within touching distance. Famous as the eponymous destination for Chaucer’s pilgrims, Canterbury was an exceptional medieval centre of learning and the birthplace of extraordinary early modern writers such as Christopher Marlowe and Aphra Behn. Reading and engaging with a range of literature will be at the heart of your studies with us. You'll find yourself responding to a range of absorbing and thought-provoking literary texts by both famous and lesser-known authors. In seminar discussion and in a range of assessment forms, you'll develop your ability to analyse, evaluate and make critical judgements while also honing your skills in the practice of thinking, writing, and arguing with clarity, cogency, and precision. If you like to read, are curious about the questions that reading raises, and value the opportunity to share your discoveries with others, you'll find that our course can bring benefits and rewards that extend far beyond graduation. Top reasons to study with us

• 100% of our English Literature students were satisfied overall with their course. National Student Survey 2022

• You’ll be able to access unique books and manuscripts at Canterbury Cathedral and in the special collections of the International Centre for Victorian Women Writers at the University.

• Our strong links with the heritage sector and community projects will provide you with placement and volunteering opportunities.

• You’ll have the chance to explore Kent’s literary heritage in digital projects and get involved with the work of the Centre for Kent History and Heritage.

• Throughout the course, you'll be supported by lecturers who are passionate about their specialisms and who regularly publish books and articles on what they teach.