English Literature BA(Hons)

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Top reasons to choose this course

• Opportunity to choose a specialism and study for an award of English Literature with Sexuality and Gender or Comics and Graphic Novels.
• Staff are active researchers and writers who bring their expertise to your learning.
• Option modules in the second and third years enable you to tailor your degree to your specific career ambitions.
• International exchange opportunities at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece; Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands; Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands; and University of Lyon 2, France.

• Placement opportunities give you the chance to make industry connections and gain valuable experience.

• Scrivener talks give you the chance to speak to a professional writer about their work.

• Extracurricular activities such as the Performance and Community Research and Enterprise Group and the student-led Creative Writing Society.
• Our focus on employability ensures you will graduate with a strong skillset.
• Develop valuable transferable skills as a critical thinker, independent researcher with excellent presentation, written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent student support and a warm and encouraging community.
• Weekly roundup of writing competitions and opportunities to encourage you to promote your work and consider future careers.
• Royal Literary Fund Fellow.

Year 1 

The content and structure of the course reflects its aims and ethos, providing a core grounding in approaches, theories, genres and periods in the first two years, followed by opportunities for pursuing individual research and practice interests in the third year.

Your degree includes core literature modules and further option modules through which you will be able to forge a personal pathway. For example you might take creative or writing modules at each level to provide a distinctive creative strand through the degree, which can then be supplemented in your dissertation. Students may also take one option from outside literature in years 2 and 3, with choice across the fields of linguistics, media and language.

You’ll develop presentation skills through seminar groups, which foster and enable a debating culture.

Modules

• Textual Encounters: Reading, Writing, Thinking

  How do texts make meaning? How can we understand the relationships between readers, writers, and texts? This module introduces questions crucial to the study of literature and culture through examining reading, writing and thinking as dynamic and dialogic cultural practices. You will develop the skills necessary to become an effective writer, thinker and critic, enabling you to develop informed responses to texts and ideas in dialogue with others as a member of a collaborative intellectual community.

• Empire and Revolution

  You will explore literary representations of empires and revolutions in different parts of the world, from the 1500s to the early 1900s. You'll learn about literary history by reading texts that both supported and questioned ideas of empire and revolution. You will also look at how power is culturally reproduced and how marginalised people have used literary forms to gain different degrees of cultural and social power.

• Poetry-Politics-Protest

  During this module you will explore poetry from a diverse selection of writers, time periods and cultures. Learning how to analyse and interpret poetry and understand poetic forms and techniques, you’ll discuss poetry as a political act, a form of protest and an agent of social change to discover the dynamic possibilities of poetry as a relevant means of communication and connection essential in our changing world. Students co-create this module and you will develop your own practice through curating a poetry anthology.

• Introducing Research

  You will be introduced to research in literature during this module. Through research tasks and seminars, you will develop an understanding of research methods and processes in literature and reflect on and evaluate research practices. You will also complete an individual research project on a topic related to your course so that you develop your own research interests, skills and practices.

• The World, the Text and the Critic

  Taking inspiration from Edward Said’s book The World, the Text, and the Critic (1983), this module enables you to explore some of the key debates in contemporary literary studies. Organised around decolonial, feminist, queer, ecocritical and other approaches to texts, you will develop critical writing skills and knowledge of social, cultural and political contexts in the interpretation of literary works and the wider world. 

• Literary Histories of Cultures and Identities

  During this module you will look at the development of cultures and identities and how literature engages with and responds to them at key historical moments. You will investigate elements of personal, collective and national identity; class; gender; sexuality; ethnicity; and social transformation. You’ll also explore reactions to and participation in intellectual movements and ideologies.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through Student View.

Year 2 

In the second year you can choose to stay with the broad English Literature degree, or to specialise in sexuality and gender, or comics and graphic novels.

You’ll begin developing your own interests through option choices each semester and can choose option modules from across our humanities and arts subjects.

At the end of your second year you will have the opportunity to study abroad for a year extending your degree to four years.

Modules

Core modules

• Women’s Writing and Feminist Theory

  You will explore women’s writing and feminist theory, looking at areas including politics, gender, sexuality, roles, identities and cultures in this module which is co-created with students. By examining and participating in feminist practice and debating the ways in which feminisms have informed and transformed the content, form and purpose of women’s writing, you will work together to research, analyse, evaluate and enact practices and processes of feminisms and women’s writing across different genres.

• Comics, Cultures and Societies

  This module introduces comics cultures and the many ways they can reflect social contexts. You'll explore comics from different places and times and across cultures, drawing on the themes and issues that reflect the social context they are created in. As you examine each area, you'll focus on comics genres, aspects of representation, audience expectations and the narrative structures used. 

• Queer Writing

  In this module you will explore a tradition of LGBTQ+ writing in the context of the history and politics of sexuality and queer identities over the past two centuries. The module uses key dates in that history to examine and debate how representation and writing have been both tools of oppression and liberation. Primary texts and films/TV shows could include The Well of Loneliness, Stone Butch Blues, The Black Flamingo, Swimming in the Dark and Fairytales for Lost Children.

• From Postcolonial to Black British Literature

  You will study the diversity of writing that has emerged from the experience of British and Western European colonisation, including the rich tradition of Black British writing that has dealt with the aftermath of Empire and colonial legacy. You will explore the political and cultural debates which inform postcolonial theory and literature and the ways in which writers engage in canon re-formation and decolonisation. 

• Cultures of Modernities

  You will look at the turbulent period of history from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century during this module. You’ll examine different ideas of ‘modern life’ and look at how the literary and cultural phenomenon of modernism responded to the challenges of the time. Through an interdisciplinary approach you will consider literature alongside other art forms and media and examine the local history of modernism in Brighton and Sussex through cultural organisations, archives and collections.

• Research: Special Topic

  During this module, you will gain specialist knowledge and problem-solving skills by designing, researching and delivering a small project in a selected area guided by current staff research or community partnerships. You will develop skills as a scholar by taking part in a formal peer review process and you’ll explore and reflect on the different ways to communicate your research to others.

• Gender: Texts and Concepts

  This module builds on your knowledge of constructions and conceptualisations of gender. By looking at selected texts, philosophies and theories from a range of political moments and geographical locations, you will be able to identify, define and evaluate concepts of gender, their implications in politics, legislation and policy, as well as how writers have engaged with these.

• Image and Text: The Language of Comics and Graphic Novels

  This module looks at the visual language of comics and graphic novels, exploring how images and text work together. You will consider ways in which layout, structure, language, colour and form (print, digital) shape the way we see, read and understand these stories. You’ll also explore creative processes and have the chance to experiment and play with this media – no previous experience in making comics is needed.

Options*

• Children’s Literature and Culture

  What is children’s literature and who is it really for? This module examines the construction of childhood, adolescence and adulthood as political and representational categories and explores the development of children’s and young adults literatures as distinct modes of cultural production. What agency do children have over their images and culture? How far is children’s literature a product of adult nostalgia? What is at stake when adults speak about, for or as children?

• Transforming Texts

  This module introduces you to the fields of translation studies, adaptation studies, intertextuality and theories of textual reworking. It encourages you to consider strategies for remaking, retelling and reworking texts. You’ll consider the formal, political and social implications of moving textual material from one form to another, thinking about the practical demands of transforming information from textual media into visual media, including questions of copyright.

• Professional Practice and Placement

  In this module, you will undertake a work placement or creative project where you’ll put into practice the skills and knowledge you’ve learned throughout your degree. It will enable you to follow up on areas of particular interest and gain insight into the kinds of roles and work you may wish to enter into in future. It will develop your employability skills, confidence and knowledge of your professional and personal self.

• Literature and Art History

  Literature and Art History introduces the interrelationship between literature and fine art and addresses two key issues: how to study a text’s broader cultural setting and how to use art history to enhance literary analysis. You will explore topics including the illustrated manuscript, visual realism, the literary imagination, ‘painterly’ literature, ‘poetic’ painting, language and the word as art objects, writers’ responses to art, and the impact on literature of radical modes of visual representation, such as abstraction and minimalism.

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Placements 

Spend a year on placement

Gain valuable experience and earn money during an optional placement year following year 2. You’ll return to the final year of your degree with added confidence, real-world experience and valuable contacts. 

A placement year significantly improves your CV, giving you a distinct advantage over others when applying for jobs and starting your career. It will also help you to develop the softer skills such as communication and teamwork.

For the assessed part of your placement, you will create a reflective piece of work on professional practice and skills. 

The university has links with a wide range of organisations including in health, culture and heritage, housing, councils, the police, the probation service, policy think tanks and charities.

Our dedicated Placements and Employability team will support you in getting a placement that meets with your interests and career ambitions. They can help with CVs and cover letter writing, applications, online testing and more. Plus, they’ll provide support and guidance when you’re on placement and make sure that everything is going well.

Placement modules for hands-on experience

In year 2 you can choose a placement module which will allow you to gain professional experience in industries such as publishing, broadcasting, social media marketing, PR and the charity sector. 

Recent placement hosts include:

• Action Medical Research

• Action Tutoring

• Airstream Photo Booth

• Brighton Dome

• British Forces Broadcasting Services

• Epoque Press

• Factory Films

• The Old Market Theatre

• Little Green Pig

• Men’s Health Magazine

• Prsnt.

In year 3 you can choose the Community Placement module aimed at further building your professional experience. This is 30 to 50 hours of voluntary work with a not-for-profit or community organisation. The placement is assessed and contributes to your degree.

Mia Kurian, graduate

“My community engagement placement was with Metropolitan City Church Brighton as their Social Media Manager. I learnt a lot about myself and my interests and the type of career I may want to pursue. I got to try my hand at website design, something I had never done before, and it was a great opportunity for me to expand my creativity. Professionally, I gained a lot of experience that has been extremely useful in my career today. I learnt about creating brand cohesion and creating a brand image from scratch, something I’ve never done before.

“I absolutely loved it. It was an incredible learning experience as well as insightful. It allowed me to learn a lot about myself and the future I want. My placement manager was lovely and supportive and allowed me the freedom to explore my creativity.”

Final year 

Your final year of literature study allows you to benefit from the skills you have developed and to demonstrate your academic ability through a major dissertation project.

Modules

Core modules

• Literature and the Global Contemporary

  In this module you will look at case studies of selected contemporary texts including fiction and non-fiction, as well as novels, poetry, film and drama that address a range of global issues. You will consider the contexts from which the texts have been written and examine how they address specific audiences through their rendering of place and/or their engagement with contemporary political issues and UN sustainability goals.

• Literature and Social Change

  This module investigates how literature functions in local contexts, taking into account community, social change and active citizenship. You will look at a diverse range of texts and concepts to explore how literature engages with and contributes to change making. Applying your learning to solve problems and reflect on your practice, you will complete a live brief which is devised through collaboration between tutors, the Employability Team and a community partner.

• English Literature Dissertation

  In this module you will undertake an academic investigation which will extend and evaluate your understanding of your chosen topic(s). You will also design, manage and complete independent research in this area. Workshops will offer guidance on planning a project, writing an academic blog, research practice and methodology and formulating research questions, and you will be allocated a supervisor to support you throughout your project.

• Comics and Graphic Novels Dissertation

  If you have chosen the Comics and Graphic Novels pathway, this module gives you the chance to undertake an in-depth independent research project on a specific topic which will expand, evaluate and develop your understanding of comics and graphic novels. You will engage with a series of workshops and seminars focusing on dissertation writing, criticism and comics-specific research, and work closely with a supervisor.

• Sexuality and Gender Dissertation

  This module gives you the opportunity to design, manage and complete an in-depth independent research project which will develop and evaluate your understanding of your chosen topic(s) relevant to sexuality and gender. You will be allocated a supervisor who will guide and support you throughout your project and attend workshops focusing on areas such as appropriate research practices, planning a dissertation and presentation.

Options*

• Conflict, Migration, Borders

  This module examines the mass displacement of refugees from areas of conflict and the search for sanctuary in the EU. Through a variety of genres, including novels, short stories, testimonies and films, you will explore ways in which cultural production is charting the experience of conflict and displacement and analyse how writers and film-makers challenge the discourses underlining the development of Fortress Europe.

• Gothic Texts and Contexts

  In this module you will critically reflect upon the social relevance of Gothic texts and how they articulate, develop or challenge notions of the ‘Gothic’ from the eighteenth century into the twenty-first century. You will look at texts such as Paradise Lost, Dr Faustus, The Castle of Otranto, The Monk, Frankenstein, Christabel and Carmilla; Gothic works by fine artists such as Turner, Goya, Fuseli and Blake; and Gothic popular culture via films and TV shows like Nosferatu and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

• (Re)viewing Shakespeare

  In this module you will re-view Shakespeare by looking at his drama within the playing and political contexts of 1590 to 1615 and explore our contemporary interpretations of his work by understanding the place and meaning of ‘Shakespeare’ in our culture. You will see his plays performed during theatre visits and write a review of one of the works you have seen or studied.

• Victorian Sexualities

  You will build on your experience of the nineteenth century in this module by focusing on the important and controversial discourse of sexuality. You will explore some key representations of sexuality in literature, medical and legal discourse and art and will construct a case study to demonstrate your critical awareness of these issues and the debates surrounding them.

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Specialise in sexuality and gender  

At the end of your first year, you can carry on with your English Literature BA for a broad view of the subject along with your choice of option modules, or choose to specialise in English literature combined with sexuality and gender.

Choosing to specialise means that your core modules and options focus on the subject that you choose, and you'll graduate with that subject in your degree title.

English Literature with Sexuality and Gender BA(Hons)

On this route, you will uncover and explore the ways that themes of gender and sexuality in literature have shaped and reflected social attitudes.

You will examine a rich and growing tradition of LGBTQIA+ writing in the UK and beyond and explore how literary works often question heteronormative cultural practices, providing insights into intersectional perspectives on gender, sexuality and identity.

The modules on this pathway will allow you to analyse literature through a critical lens, deconstructing stereotypes, challenging traditional narratives and engaging with Brighton’s vibrant literary queer community.

Brighton is unofficially referred to as the LGBTQIA+ capital of Britain, making it the ideal place to study this topic. You will have the opportunity to attend Brighton’s The Coast is Queer, the UK’s biggest and brightest LGBTQ+ literature festival.

You will learn from passionate staff who are involved in relevant research and literary events. They are experts in engaging with literature in a way that offers alternative interpretations, empowering you as a student to critically examine texts and to develop an in-depth understanding of the interplay between literature, identity, and social change.

Specialise in comics and graphic novels

At the end of your first year, you can carry on with your English Literature BA for a broad view of the subject along with your choice of option modules, or you can choose to specialise in English literature combined with comics and graphic novels.

Choosing to specialise means that your core modules and options focus on the subject that you choose, and you'll graduate with that subject in your degree title.

English Literature with Comics and Graphic Novels BA(Hons)

Comics and graphic novels entertain and inform through a powerful and dynamic combination of visual art and narrative storytelling – and their cultural impact means they are recognised as an important art form. They are used to explore subjects from politics to mental health, social inequality to science, fantasy to fiction in ways that convey emotions, action and atmosphere with broad and inclusive appeal.

On this innovative specialist pathway you will be encouraged to experiment, whether that is creating long-form graphic novels or comic strips, engaging with subjects that excite and inspire you.

Our staff have extensive writing and publishing expertise in the field and they will develop your skills and knowledge, ensuring you understand specific storytelling techniques that create an emotional impact on the reader. You will take a critical, literary approach to analysing texts and also learn aspects of design such as panel layouts, visual pacing and composition.

As a student, you will be engaging with this evolving art form in a vibrant city where creativity is celebrated, benefitting from our connections to organisations and events in which you can participate and share your work.

Lab facilities

Mithras House has a series of lab rooms which can be used for teaching on your course or in your independent research work.

Life lab
A skills-based lab for practice-based teaching, social work, psychotherapy and counselling, and employability. The Life lab is fitted with lounge furniture to provide a comfortable space for conducting qualitative research with larger groups. The lab can be used to conduct research activities with children of all ages and can be used for meetings and events. The room also contains a dedicated space to conduct assessed role play or interviews with children.

City lab
This is a qualitative research methods and creative methods resource for all students, staff and researchers, as well as research participants, including children, community groups and the general public. It can also be used for meetings and events. The City lab contains a kitchen, a teaching/meeting room with enhanced acoustic isolation and two meeting spaces that can be separated with a screen or combined to accommodate larger groups.

Design lab
Housing our extensive collection of historic dress and textiles, which are used in some teaching on our History of Art and Design courses, this has the space and equipment for you to work on textile projects. Displays created by students on these programmes are on view in the social spaces of the building.

Community lab
A space designed for collaborative student learning, this is used by students and staff involved in the university’s Global Challenges programme – our collective mission to contribute towards solutions to tackle the pressing issues facing our world.

Stats lab
A specialist workspace with computing equipment for statistical analysis and projects involving video and audio editing software. The lab contains eight acoustically treated booths for both recording and transcribing interviews undertaken as part of dissertation research and for recording and editing podcasts.

Applied cognition lab
A dedicated research space for psychological research involving measures such as electrodermal activity (EDA) and electroencephalography (EEG). The space is designed to allow the participant and researcher to sit at separate desks whilst psychophysiological data is being collected. 

VR and eye tracking lab
The VR and Eye-Tracking Lab is used for psychological research using equipment, such as eye-trackers and virtual reality headsets. The space has adjustable lighting and a blackout blind for maintaining consistent lighting conditions during eye-tracking research, as well as sensors set up in the room to allow individuals to move freely around the room during virtual reality research.

Meet the team

Dr Irralie Doel, course leader

Irralie is Senior Lecturer in English literature and leads the literature subject area at the University of Brighton. She researches twentieth and twenty-first century women’s writing and feminist theory, poetry, poetics and politics, and creative writing.

Other staff who teach on the course include:

• Dr Aakanksha Virkar Yates
• Dr Ailsa Grant Ferguson
• Dr Bea Hitchman
• Dr Craig Jordan-Baker
• Dr Emma Bell
• Dr Jessica Moriarty
• Dr Joseph Ronan
• Julie Everton
• Dr Liam Connell
• Dr Nigel Foxcroft
• Dr Vedrana Velickovic.

Course fees

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Brighton Boost – cost of living help for our new undergrad students. Find out about how we can help with your study, accommodation or travel costs and more...
• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• Read our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf) for more on University of Brighton tuition fees.

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