English BA
AAA at A level, an A in English Literature; graduates earn a median £24,500 three years on.
Typical A level offer
AAA
an A in English Literature · 98% of entrants came with A levels · 95% stay on after year 1 · York course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
AAAtypical A level offer; aaa/a*ab including an a in english literature (english language and literature is also acceptable)
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. Contextual offer: ABB, for applicants from under-represented backgrounds.
York course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
- 1an A in English Literature
Who actually got in: 98% with A levels. 4% arrived with 208 or more UCAS tariff points — roughly A*A*A or better. Based on 215 entrants.
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications5
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 39 credits at Distinction, including at least 9 credits in Literature-related un39 credits at Distinction, including at least 9 credits in Literature-related units, and 6 credits at Merit or higher | — |
| BTEC | DDDDDD with an additional A Level or equivalent qualification in English Literature at grade A | — |
| IB | 36 points36 points including 6 in English Literature at Higher Level (Higher Level English Language and Literature is also acceptable) | 6 in English Literature at Higher Level |
| Scottish Highers | BBBB | — |
| Advanced Highers | A in English Literature plus | — |
Years 1–3
What do you study?
6compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: arts & humanities 74% · transversal skills 15% · language & communication 11%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
York course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 6 core · 120 credits ≈ 1,200 hours
- Classics and Cultural Translations
What you learn (8)
- identify canonical classical texts across drama and epic poetry genres
- describe relationships between classical texts and their later inter-texts
- explain how classical works have been culturally transformed over time
- apply comparative approaches to analyse works from different literary traditions
- discuss key scholarly debates concerning classical literature
- relate critical contexts to the interpretation of classical inter-texts
- construct well-reasoned arguments using critical thinking skills
- conduct independent research to support academic writing
- Other Worlds
What you learn (9)
- identify key genres and forms in medieval and early modern literature
- analyse representative texts from the medieval and early modern periods
- describe the cultural context of medieval and early modern literature
- explain the historical context shaping medieval and early modern literature
- discuss key scholarly debates relating to the period
- apply critical approaches to the study of the period's literature
- construct a reasoned argument supported by textual evidence
- conduct basic research into literary topics
- produce written work demonstrating critical thinking skills
- Empire and Aftermaths
What you learn (8)
- explain how selected texts relate to themes of empire
- describe major literary and cultural changes relating to empire across the period
- relate shifts in cultural and literary practice to the development of empire
- discuss critical debates surrounding empire and its cultural legacies
- analyse the cultural and literary aftermaths of empire
- construct a coherent argument supported by critical reasoning
- conduct basic research to support literary analysis
- produce written work demonstrating clear academic expression
- Writing Modernity
What you learn (6)
- explain the concept of modernity in literary contexts
- identify genres and forms used from the eighteenth to twentieth century
- describe debates surrounding the emergence of the novel
- explain how modern subjectivities were formed historically
- evaluate critical approaches to defining the modern period
- construct a critical argument using independent research
- Reading Now
What you learn (5)
- describe essential skills for literary research
- compare a range of literary genres including poetry, drama, prose and film
- describe principles of literary criticism and critical writing
- construct close readings and literary arguments at university level
- produce a portfolio of literary critical writing
- Theory Now
What you learn (9)
- identify key literary terms and theoretical concepts
- explain how key literary concepts relate to theoretical approaches
- describe a range of literary theories
- apply literary theories to the analysis of texts
- construct arguments using critical thinking at degree level
- conduct research to support literary arguments
- produce academic writing that conveys developed ideas
- plan and revise critical writing through multiple drafts
- apply correct grammar and rhetorical techniques in writing
Year 2 · 0 core, 19 optional
19 optional modules
- Age of Extremes: Twentieth-Century British and Irish Literature
What you learn (7)
- analyse texts published in twentieth-century Britain and Ireland
- relate literary texts to contemporary cultural and political developments
- discuss representations of class, gender and race in literary works
- evaluate critical debates surrounding modernism and postmodernism
- construct a well-reasoned written argument on a literary topic
- present a coherent oral argument supported by critical analysis
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- American Literature: From the First World War to the End of Empire
What you learn (4)
- describe american novels, plays, poems and short stories of the 20th-21st century
- explain social, cultural, political and economic contexts of american literature
- discuss modernism, postmodernism and later critical debates
- construct written arguments demonstrating critical and research skills
- The Shock of the New: Medieval Literature
What you learn (9)
- analyse a range of medieval texts spanning different genres
- explain major literary innovations across the medieval period
- describe the multilingual and international nature of medieval literature
- evaluate key scholarly debates surrounding medieval texts
- perform close reading of texts written in Middle English
- perform close reading of medieval texts in translation
- construct a reasoned written argument on a medieval literary topic
- present a reasoned oral argument on a medieval literary topic
- apply research skills to support critical literary analysis
- The Renaissance
What you learn (6)
- analyse a range of Renaissance literary texts and genres
- explain the social, religious, political and cultural contexts of the Renaissance
- evaluate key scholarly debates surrounding Renaissance literature
- construct a coherent written argument using critical analysis
- present a coherent oral argument using critical analysis
- apply research skills to support literary arguments
- Inventing Britain, 1700-1830
What you learn (8)
- analyse texts published between 1700 and 1830 in relation to historical concerns
- relate literary works of the period to the conventions of their time
- explain accounts of Britishness and national identity in period texts
- relate literary texts to their cultural and political contexts
- examine debates raised by writers on marginalised social groups
- examine writers' arguments on abolition, gender equality and human rights
- construct a spoken argument supported by critical analysis and research
- construct a written argument supported by critical analysis and research
- Making the Modern: Global Literature in the Victorian Age
What you learn (7)
- identify a range of Victorian literary texts, movements and genres
- analyse Victorian texts in relation to their literary movement and genre
- relate Victorian texts to their historical and cultural context
- examine key critical debates surrounding Victorian literature
- construct a coherent written argument supported by research
- present a coherent oral argument supported by research
- apply critical thinking skills to literary analysis
- Modern French and Francophone Literature
What you learn (11)
- analyse a range of French and Francophone literary texts across three centuries
- describe key features of symbolist poetry and the nouveau roman
- explain themes of postwar feminist writing and French Caribbean poetry
- explain themes and context of French Algerian fiction
- evaluate critical debates using poetic analysis and narratology approaches
- evaluate literary texts through feminist theory and historicist approaches
- construct a well-reasoned critical argument on a literary topic
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- produce clear academic writing on literary topics
- discuss key challenges involved in literary translation
- evaluate issues arising from studying literature in translation
- Medieval Arabic and Persian Global Literature
What you learn (11)
- describe key themes and forms in medieval Arabic and Persian poetry and prose
- analyse selected medieval Arabic and Persian literary texts
- relate medieval Arabic and Persian narratives to their social and cultural settings
- explain the historical context shaping medieval Arabic and Persian literature
- evaluate critical debates on global literature in a pre-modern context
- assess the role of cross-cultural exchange in medieval literary production
- critique the concept of orientalism as applied to pre-modern texts
- construct a reasoned literary argument supported by research
- apply critical thinking skills to develop original interpretations
- identify key issues arising in the translation of literary texts
- discuss the implications of reading literature through translation
- The World of Beowulf
What you learn (7)
- describe the sense of place and time in early medieval England
- explain the social, cultural and political contexts of early medieval England
- evaluate key critical debates on early medieval English literature
- construct well-supported arguments using critical thinking
- conduct research to support academic writing
- identify basic vocabulary and grammar of Old English
- discuss key challenges in translating Old English texts
- European New Cinema
What you learn (8)
- engage critically with selected post-war European films
- explain the historical and political context of selected filmmakers' work
- analyse the aesthetic features of selected filmmakers' work
- examine key debates relevant to European cinema studies
- apply critical and theoretical approaches to film analysis
- construct arguments supported by research evidence
- produce written work demonstrating critical thinking
- identify key issues involved in translating literary texts
- Introduction to Greek and Roman Literature
What you learn (9)
- explain the main themes and genres found in Greek and Latin literature
- analyse how Greek and Roman literary traditions influenced each other
- relate classical texts to their cultural and historical contexts
- examine scholarly debates on the evolution of literary genres in classical texts
- trace the history of translating Greek and Latin texts
- construct a coherent argument supported by critical analysis of sources
- produce academic writing demonstrating independent research skills
- discuss key challenges involved in translating literary texts
- evaluate the implications of studying literature through translation
- Modern Latin American Literature
What you learn (9)
- analyse texts from diverse Latin(x) American literary genres
- discuss major debates within Latin(x) American literary culture
- explain connections between literature, history and politics
- evaluate critical approaches to colonialism and race in Latin(x) American texts
- evaluate critical approaches to indigeneity, class and gender in Latin(x) American texts
- construct well-supported critical arguments on literary topics
- conduct research to support literary analysis
- produce coherent academic writing on literary topics
- identify key issues in translation and translated literature
- Old Norse Literature
What you learn (11)
- identify key themes and features across various Old Norse texts and genres
- analyse selected Old Norse sagas and poems in detail
- describe the historical background of the Viking Age
- explain the cultural context of medieval Icelandic society
- evaluate major scholarly debates on Old Norse literary studies
- compare different critical approaches used in interpreting Old Norse texts
- construct a coherent academic argument supported by evidence
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- produce well-structured written work on literary topics
- recognise basic vocabulary and grammar of the Old Norse language
- discuss challenges involved in translating medieval literary texts
- Eros: The Literature and Philosophy of Love
What you learn (9)
- analyse a range of literary works about love
- explain cultural contexts shaping love literature across periods
- evaluate critical debates and approaches to love literature
- examine representations of queer and other sexualities in literature
- apply theoretical frameworks of love to literary analysis
- construct well-reasoned critical arguments about literary texts
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- produce clearly structured academic writing on literary topics
- discuss key issues involved in literary translation
- Post-War Italian Cinema
What you learn (9)
- analyse post-war Italian films in relation to their cultural context
- relate post-war Italian films to their socio-historical background
- interpret secondary critical texts written in Italian
- apply Italian-language scholarship to film analysis
- examine key scholarly debates on italian cinema
- apply critical and theoretical approaches to film study
- construct well-reasoned arguments supported by research
- produce clear academic writing on film topics
- discuss key challenges involved in literary translation
- African Imaginations and Afrophone Literatures
What you learn (12)
- explain styles and themes found across Afrophone literatures
- relate literary works to their cultural, historical and political context
- apply world literature approaches to studying Afrophone texts
- describe features of African oral storytelling traditions
- explain how orature has shaped the evolution of African literatures
- analyse critical debates surrounding Afrophone literary studies
- evaluate how translation and digital media shape the visibility of Afrophone literatures
- assess the role of multilingualism and orature in raising literary recognition
- construct well-reasoned arguments using critical thinking skills
- conduct research to support academic writing
- discuss central challenges involved in literary translation
- examine issues arising when studying literature through translation
- Creative Writing: Contemporary Practice
What you learn (9)
- identify key conventions used within selected literary genres
- apply genre conventions when producing creative writing
- describe core creative writing techniques such as form and structure
- apply narrative voice and imagery techniques in original writing
- format creative work according to genre presentation standards
- analyse current critical debates within creative writing practice
- produce a portfolio of creative work responding to critical contexts
- construct oral arguments demonstrating critical and creative reasoning
- produce written work supported by independent research
- French Autofictions
What you learn (5)
- analyse texts that blend autobiography and fiction in first-person narration
- relate selected literary works to their relevant historical and cultural contexts
- construct well-supported literary arguments using critical research skills
- produce clear academic writing to present literary analysis
- discuss key issues involved in translating and studying literature in translation
- Beyond the Book: Community Projects
What you learn (9)
- apply literary analysis techniques to texts
- conduct research relevant to literary studies
- produce written work transferable to workplace contexts
- create public-facing written content
- produce a podcast recording
- design digital or online content for an audience
- evaluate own professional development through reflective writing
- plan a collaborative project with peers
- manage project work to meet a partner organisation's needs
Year 3 · 1 core, 14 optional · 40 credits ≈ 400 hours
- English Dissertation
What you learn (7)
- select a focused range of primary texts for independent study
- conduct independent research on a defined literary topic
- apply relevant contextual and theoretical frameworks to literary analysis
- critically engage with scholarly critical materials relevant to a topic
- evaluate major scholarly debates within a chosen research field
- construct original arguments based on independent critical analysis
- produce an extended piece of academic writing demonstrating advanced research skills
14 optional modules
- Pulp Fictions of Medieval England: Romance and Popular Literature
What you learn (6)
- analyse a range of Middle English romance texts
- explain the social, political, religious and material contexts of Middle English romance
- analyse how Middle English romance texts were produced and circulated
- construct original critical arguments on literary texts
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- produce academic writing demonstrating advanced critical skills
- From Tennyson to Tolkien: The Middle Ages and Modern Literature, 1840-1940
What you learn (7)
- analyse a broad range of modern literature influenced by medieval themes
- explain the cultural and historical context of medieval-inspired literature
- explain the political context influencing medieval-inspired literature
- evaluate major scholarly debates relating to medieval-inspired literature
- construct original critical arguments about medieval-inspired literature
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- produce clear academic writing presenting literary arguments
- Modernism's Queer Spaces
What you learn (9)
- analyse a range of queer modernist literary texts
- engage critically with diverse queer modernist writing
- relate literary texts to their historical and political context
- relate literary texts to their legal context
- evaluate critical debates in modernist studies
- evaluate critical debates in queer studies
- construct an original argument on a literary topic
- apply independent research skills to literary study
- produce academic writing demonstrating critical thinking
- Found in Translation: The Practice of Translating Literature
What you learn (5)
- evaluate major debates in translation theory, history and practice
- create an original translation informed by critical engagement with translation theory
- apply editing processes to refine translated literary work
- construct independent critical arguments supported by research
- produce scholarly writing demonstrating advanced academic proficiency
- The Villains of Romantic Gothic
What you learn (7)
- analyse a range of Gothic literary texts in depth
- explain the literary context of the Romantic period
- explain the social and political context of the Romantic period
- evaluate major debates in gothic literary criticism
- construct original arguments on gothic literature
- conduct independent research on literary topics
- produce academic writing demonstrating critical thinking
- Green Romanticism: Nature, Ecology, Calamity
What you learn (7)
- analyse key concepts in ecological and environmental thought
- analyse Romanticism as a distinct literary movement
- explain the influence of Romantic literature on later environmental movements
- evaluate critical debates on ecological themes in Romantic nature writing
- construct original critical arguments on literary and ecological topics
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- produce advanced academic writing on literary and ecological subjects
- The Writer's Notebook: A Prose Fiction Workshop
What you learn (6)
- apply creative writing techniques appropriate to form and genre
- adapt writing style to suit an intended audience
- redraft prose fiction to improve critical and creative quality
- reflect critically on personal creative writing practice
- conduct research to inform creative writing development
- write a reflective essay evaluating one's own creative practice
- Black Writers of the Global Nineteenth Century
What you learn (6)
- explain the literary history of anglophone Black nineteenth-century writers
- analyse how racial politics shape global nineteenth-century literature
- evaluate central debates in black studies and critical race theory
- construct original critical arguments on literary texts
- apply advanced research skills to develop independent ideas
- produce well-structured academic writing demonstrating critical thinking
- The Stuff of Poetry
What you learn (4)
- explain anglo-american, african-american and francophone poetry
- explain modernist, postwar and contemporary poetics
- evaluate debates on poetics, materiality, politics and literary form
- construct independent arguments at an advanced critical level
- Spices and Spies: Renaissance Global Travel
What you learn (7)
- analyse diverse genres of early modern travel writing
- engage critically with primary travel texts from the period
- apply textual analysis methods to Renaissance sources
- apply object-based analysis to historical artefacts
- evaluate scholarly debates on Renaissance travel and colonialism
- construct original arguments through independent research
- communicate critical ideas through advanced academic writing
- Borders Bodies Bridges: Migration and Racialisation in Modern Literature and Culture
What you learn (4)
- analyse literary and cultural depictions of migration across diverse regions
- examine how form and content interact in literary and cultural works
- evaluate critical debates on migration and racialisation in culture
- construct original critical arguments supported by independent research
- Tragedy: Theatre, Death and Mourning
What you learn (7)
- analyse dramatic texts spanning Ancient Greek to modern tragedy
- examine theatrical performance conventions across historical contexts
- explain the role of masks and gender-specific acting styles in performance
- describe the function of ritual and gesture in theatrical movement
- evaluate critical debates on the relationship between theatre and ideas of death
- construct original critical arguments supported by independent research
- produce well-structured academic writing on literary topics
- Elemental: Contemporary Indigenous Literatures in English
What you learn (8)
- analyse contemporary Indigenous literary texts from settler colonial nations
- explain the role of oral tradition in indigenous cultural expression
- analyse the impact of settler colonialism on indigenous communities
- discuss forms and significance of indigenous activism
- evaluate key debates in indigenous and postcolonial literary theory
- evaluate decolonial and ecocritical approaches to literary analysis
- construct original critical arguments on indigenous literary texts
- conduct independent research to support literary analysis
- Crafting the Past: Reimagining the Eighteenth Century
What you learn (8)
- analyse how contemporary authors creatively rework eighteenth-century texts
- analyse eighteenth-century textual and visual sources
- compare twenty-first-century revisions with their eighteenth-century originals
- evaluate key debates in Black Studies scholarship
- evaluate key debates in Atlantic World Studies scholarship
- construct an original critical argument on literary material
- conduct independent research to support literary scholarship
- produce academic writing demonstrating advanced critical skill
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£24,500median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£20k
Median£25k
Upper quarter£29k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 245 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 14, 13, 23
Half of graduates earned between £20,000 and £29,000. Five years on, the median is £30,500. 93% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 68% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 13% left | 95% | 240 |
| In work or study, 15 months on9% studying | 93% | 100 |
| Professional or managerial job | 68% | 70 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £27,000 | 55 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £24,500 | 245 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £30,500 | 250 |
Money
What does it cost?
£10,050a year for UK students, 2027/28 entry
Tuition fee loan — paid straight to the university; repayments start the April after you leave, at 9% of income above the threshold. UK fees are capped by government and rise with inflation; placement and study-abroad years are usually charged at a lower rate.
York fees page · source
About £30,150 in fees over 3 years, covered by a tuition fee loan you repay only when earning above the threshold. International students: £27,800 a year (2027/28).
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
80%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 81% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 180 students answered
Highest: 98% agreed on question 15; lowest: 68% on question 10.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 97% |
| Question 2 | 95% |
| Question 3 | 95% |
| Question 4 | 91% |
| Question 5 | 90% |
| Question 6 | 86% |
| Question 7 | 88% |
| Question 8 | 73% |
| Question 9 | 85% |
| Question 10 | 68% |
| Question 11 | 84% |
| Question 12 | 78% |
| Question 13 | 89% |
| Question 14 | 77% |
| Question 15 | 98% |
| Question 16 | 94% |
| Question 17 | 83% |
| Question 18 | 83% |
| Question 19 | 94% |
| Question 20 | 96% |
| Question 21 | 95% |
| Question 22 | 93% |
| Question 23 | 90% |
| Question 24 | 72% |
| Question 25 | 77% |
| Question 26 | 80% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of York’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of York is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.