English Literature (Placement Year) (Hons) Lancaster University

Overview

Throughout the English Literature (Placement Year) (Hons) course from Lancaster University you will have the chance to study all the great names, as well as voices that have been forgotten or overlooked. You’ll also explore a wide range of literary forms—from ancient myth to slave memoir, Gothic fiction to dystopian narrative, and Shakespearean drama to the contemporary graphic novel.

At Lancaster, literary study is not just an academic pursuit—it is also an opportunity to connect with history, culture, and the many ways literature shapes our world.

Your studies will not only deepen your understanding of literature but also reveal its connections to other realms such as politics, ecology, philosophy, psychology, theology, and the arts.

You will also have the chance to expand your literary horizons and cultural sensitivity by studying works in translation from other languages, such as Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French, German, Spanish, Palestinian and Egyptian.

Career opportunities:

Throughout your study you will be developing skills that are vital to employers, such as clarity of writing, persuasive argumentation, and critical thinking. In addition, you will be offered expert literature-specific careers advice to help you explore a host of relevant graduate destinations.

Our graduates go on to careers in traditional fields such as publishing, editing, journalism, arts management, copy-writing or library and archival work.

New and exciting opportunities are emerging here in creative and cultural industries such as museums, heritage and the arts, literary tourism, podcasting, game-writing, blogging, film, television, and social media.

It’s also possible to enter a variety of professional careers such as teaching, law and social work via postgraduate programmes.

Your skills will be valued by a range of sectors -- from the public to private sector, including large multinationals and small local enterprises. Our graduates have gone on to become:

• Authors

• Journalists

• Publishers

• Teachers

• Computer programmers

• Game writers

• Copywriters

• Advertisers

• Financiers

The course also lays a strong foundation for further specialization through our own MA in English Literary Studies or a Master’s elsewhere.