BA English Literature and American Studies

This degree is designed for those wanting to study English Literature who have a particular interest in American cultures and literatures. Students choose from a wealth of English studies courses in a leading English Literature department, combined with one of the strongest concentrations of Americanist experts in the country. You’ll get access to an array of literatures in the English language, from graphic novels to poetry and from post-colonial literature to contemporary American fiction.

The specialisms of our lecturers enable students to learn about concepts and debates from literature, popular culture and history, developing highly relevant tools to approach today's global society. These include:

• Democracy and the novel
• Postcolonial film and fiction
• Narratives of conspiracy thinking and social media
• Environmental humanities and climate communication
• Gender, sexuality and culture
• Cultural theory and modernism
• Anti-racist literatures and cultures
• Radical thought, literature and social activism
• Cultures of recent and contemporary capitalism
• Victorian studies and Manchester
• The politics and poetics of life writing
• ‘Public humanities’ approaches (which engaged with publics and practitioners, informed by questions of social justice)

Engaging with these forms and themes will refine your critical perspectives, encouraging you to place cultural works within broader historical and political contexts in engaged and concrete ways. A signature dimension of this degree is its cultivation of ‘interdisciplinary’ skills, highly valued in contemporary society.

On this degree, many students take advantage of the opportunities for study abroad for one semester at one of our partner institutions in North America or Europe. The course holds more than 20 exchange partnerships with institutions across North America, including North Carolina State, University of Illinois, Rutgers University, and the University of Toronto – founded on deep trans-Atlantic partnerships (our American Studies programme is the oldest in the country).

You'll also become part of a thriving community of students, lecturers, and writers at The University of Manchester, in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature. This city has produced some of the world's greatest writers and has a lively literature and arts scene, including major events like the Manchester Literature Festival. The Centre for New Writing also hosts a regular public event series, Literature Live, which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to read and engage in conversation.

Study abroad

In your second year, you have the exciting opportunity to spend a semester studying abroad.

Exchange partners are offered in Europe through the Erasmus Exchange scheme, as well as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore via the Worldwide Exchange scheme.

Placement year option

In your third year, apply your knowledge in a real-world setting through a placement year. This experience will enhance your employment prospects, help you clarify your career goals, and build your external networks.

Literature events

Manchester Literature Festival holds literary events across Manchester throughout the year, many in partnership with the University.

The Centre for New Writing also hosts a regular public event series, Literature Live, which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to read and engage in conversation.

Meet like-minded students

You can get to know your fellow students outside of your course by joining the English Literature Society or volunteering to work on the student-run Sonder Magazine.

Learn more on our Societies page.

Benefit from research

Study at the home of the UK's first-ever Department of American Studies and interact with scholars who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research at the forefront of new developments and ideas.

You will be taught mainly through lecture and tutor-led sessions.

Tutorials will give you the opportunity to consider the same texts and topics as the lectures, but with a different approach.

Tutorial groups usually meet at least once a week, and numbers are kept as low as possible so that you can get to know one another and share your ideas.

Other course units (mainly those in your final year) are taught through a weekly seminar led by a specialist member of staff.

For some course units, you will join in group work and other forms of collaborative learning.

You'll also have access to our virtual learning environment, Blackboard and other digital resources to support your learning.

You will spend approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.

For every hour spent at university, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study.

You will also need to study during the holiday periods.

The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, or revising for examinations.

A significant part of your study time will be spent reading, taking notes, preparing presentations and writing essays (which examine aspects of a subject in greater depth).

You will be assessed using a variety of formats, including:

• written examinations;
• coursework essays;
• research reports;
• practical tests;
• learning logs;
• web contributions;
• oral presentations;
• final-year thesis.

Your second-year work counts toward 33% of your final degree result. Your third-year work accounts for the remaining 67%.

The John Rylands Library

Home to one of the world's richest and most unique collections of manuscripts, maps, works of art and objects.

You'll have access to the library's impressive special collections, including papyri, early printed books, key archives such as the Women's Suffrage Movement archive and Shakespeare's first folio.

The Centre for New Writing

The University is home to a major hub for new writing excellence and award-winning teaching staff, including Granta Best Young British Novelist Kamila Shamsie and Jeanette Winterson CBE.

The Centre also hosts Literature Live - a public event series which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to showcase their work.

The University of Manchester Library

One of only five National Research Libraries; you'll have access to our internationally renowned medieval, Victorian and American literary collections, including the Walt Whitman Collection and the Upton Sinclair Collection.

You'll also have access to other cultural assets on campus, including the award-winning Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum .

Find out more on our facilities page.