Course information

We offer a stimulating range of courses: single-subject English, and combined courses with the Departments of History, History of Art, Language and Linguistic Science, Philosophy, and Politics.

Whichever course you study, you’ll choose your English modules from a range that covers literature from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century.

Teaching and support

The tutors I've had so far have been outstanding: the staff here go out of their way for students by not only broadening your academic horizons, but by really making an effort to get to know you. When I've spoken to friends at other universities, they've all been surprised and jealous that my teachers here are so accessible.

Miranda, English

York is renowned for its flexible and innovative approach to teaching and assessment. You’ll learn through a programme of seminars, workshops, lectures, and one-to-one tutorials.

Contact hours

You can normally expect to have between five to eight scheduled contact hours each week, depending on the modules you choose.

We also organise regular meetings and special events, including supervisions with your personal tutor, lectures and readings from well-known writers and researchers, feedback forums, and essay workshops.

Open door policy

If you have a text that you’d like to discuss further, an idea for an essay, or a question about any aspect of the taught course, you can also come along to any of our academic staff’s open office hours. You won’t need an appointment, and you won’t be limited to discussing just texts that are on the syllabus. And of course, supervisors and tutors are available for individual support by email as well as in person.

Develop your skills

Skills teaching is built in to our academic programme, rather than occupying a separate strand. You’ll develop crucial proficiencies in writing, rhetoric, argument, and both individual and group presentations, alongside valuable abilities in debate and discussion, independent study and research, and teamwork.

Personal study

We expect you to prepare rigorously so that you can play a full part in seminar discussions and workshop exercises.

Alongside the taught elements of your course, you’ll also undertake structured independent study.

While science students are required to spend time in the lab with various bits of hardware, you will be working independently with a range of primary and secondary texts, and media and digital resources; the library is the laboratory of the arts and humanities. And you’ll be actively encouraged to explore your interests beyond the core syllabus, not least in preparation for the third year dissertation.

Assessment

The study of English literature is centrally concerned with sustained research, careful analysis, and the ability to craft a persuasive narrative. Your main mode of assessment will be writing essays — from short exercises in close reading to more detailed interrogations of a topic of your choosing.

Some modules use other forms of assessment, including group presentations, online exercises, and closed exams, but for all forms of assessment, we’ll support you as fully as we can and provide detailed guidance about how best to prepare.

In your final year, you’ll write a 7000-8000 word dissertation.

Studying abroad

You may apply to spend all or part of your second year studying abroad. We have exchange schemes with universities elsewhere in Europe, in the US and Canada.

 
(c) John Houlihan

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