English and Comparative Literature

In your first year, you’ll choose modules across the spectrum of poetry, prose and drama in English as well as core modules introducing you to key areas of comparative literature.

In your second year you take a core module on Reception, Transmission and Translation, which introduces you to the theory and practice of global literary circulation and is partly assessed through the co-production of an edited anthology. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules from the Schools of English and Languages, Cultures and Societies.

In your third year, you’ll apply the critical and research skills you’ve developed to your final year project, where you’ll independently research a topic which cuts across English and literature from other cultures – the myth of Odysseus from Homer to Derek Walcott, for example, or the ways in which foreign-language detective fiction has been received in the English-speaking world.

You’ll also study optional modules covering an array of topics, such as different periods of English literature, Chinese theatre, Dante or Latin American culture among others.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Modules Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Studying and Researching English 5 credits
• Worlds of Literature 20 credits
• Discourse, Culture and Identity 20 credits

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Reception, Transmission and Translation: The Global Circulation of Literature 20 credits

Year 3

Compulsory modules

• Final Year Project: Dissertation 40 credits

For more information on typical modules, read English and Comparative Literature BA in the course catalogue

Broadening your academic horizons

At Leeds we want you to benefit from the depth and breadth of the University's expertise, to prepare you for success in an ever-changing and challenging world. This course gives you the opportunity to broaden your learning by studying discovery modules. Find out more on the Broadening webpages.

Learning and teaching

We use a variety of learning and teaching styles to help you benefit from our tutors’ expertise. Lectures, seminars and tutorials are most commonly used, but workshops may also be involved in some modules.

However, independent learning is also a vital part of the degree, allowing you to conduct your own research and think critically about what you find. The University Library runs excellent training programmes to help you make the most of our resources.

Assessment

Different types of assessment are also used – usually exams and essays, but oral presentations and group work may also be included in some modules. We offer plenty of support throughout your time at Leeds, including extra classes on issues like structuring essays, public speaking or exam technique.