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The BA in English and American Literature at the University of Kent offers students an in-depth and comprehensive exploration of the literary traditions of both the English-speaking world and the United States. Designed to cultivate critical thinking, analytical skills, and a deep appreciation for literary artistry, this programme provides a diverse array of modules covering classic and contemporary texts, literary theory, and cultural contexts. Throughout the course, students will investigate influential writers such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Walt Whitman, Toni Morrison, and many others, analyzing their work through various theoretical lenses. The programme encourages close reading, historical awareness, and creative engagement, enabling students to develop their own distinctive voices as writers and scholars.
In addition to literature, students study related fields such as cultural studies, film, and media, which enrich their understanding of literature's role within broader societal frameworks. The course structure includes core modules in literary history, theory, and critical methods, alongside optional modules allowing students to tailor their studies to specific interests, such as American modernism, postcolonial literature, or contemporary American fiction. Throughout their degree, students benefit from the expertise of scholars renowned in their fields, as well as opportunities for placements, internships, and study abroad exchange programs to enhance practical experience and intercultural understanding.
Assessment methods vary, incorporating essays, presentations, exams, and research projects designed to prepare students for diverse career paths. Graduates of the programme have gone on to successful careers in education, publishing, journalism, media, and cultural management, demonstrating the programme’s strong foundation and versatility. The University of Kent’s vibrant literary community and its location in Medway and Canterbury provide an inspiring environment for studying literature, with access to historical sites, libraries, and cultural events that bring texts to life. The BA in English and American Literature aims to nurture passionate readers and insightful thinkers, equipping students with the skills necessary to engage meaningfully with the world’s literary and cultural landscapes.
Detailed Course Facts
Application deadline January 15 Tuition fee- GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
- GBP 12450 Year (Non-EEA)
Start date September 2015 Credits (ECTS) 180 ECTS
Duration full-time 36 months Partnership Joint Languages Take an IELTS test
- English
Course Content
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules, you may also have the option to take wild modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Stage 1
Possible modules may include:
EN333 - Romanticism
SO336 - Sociology of Everyday Life
SO337 - Fundamentals of Sociology
SO408 - Sociological Theory: The Classics
EN302 - Early Drama
EN331 - Readings in the Twentieth Century
EN332 - Writing America
SA300 - Social Problems and Social Policy I: Youth,The family and the State
SO305 - Introduction to Criminology
SO334 - Modern Culture
Stage 2
Possible modules may include:
SO727 - Contemporary Sociological Theory
EN681 - Novelty, Enlightenment and Emancipation: 18th Century Literature
EN692 - Early Modern Literature 1500-1700
EN694 - Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama
EN697 - Chaucer and Late Medieval English Literature
EN695 - Empire, New Nations and Migration
EN677 - The Contemporary
EN689 - Modernism
EN672 - Reading Victorian Literature
EN675 - Declaring Independence: 19th Century US Literature
SA525 - Education,Training and Social Policy
SA519 - The Social Politics of Food
SO505 - Sociology of Crime and Deviance
SO506 - Popular Culture, Media and Society
SO509 - Health, Illness and Medicine
SO532 - Mental Health
SO534 - Violence and Society
SO536 - Criminal Justice in Modern Britain:Development, Issues and Politics
SO537 - Race and Racism
SO709 - Modern Chinese Societies
SO712 - Urban Sociology
SO678 - Caring for Vulnerable Adults: Understanding Social Care
SO684 - Globalization and Development
SO689 - Drugs, Culture and Control
SO702 - Sociology and Social Politics of the Family
SO575 - Poverty, Inequality and Social Security
SO538 - Childhood, Society and Children's Rights
SO601 - Welfare in Modern Britain
SO645 - The Third Sector: Charities and Social Enterprises in Modern Societies
SO657 - Digital Culture
SO659 - Risk and Society
SO676 - Cultures of Embodiment
Stage 3
Possible modules may include:
SO676 - Cultures of Embodiment
SO659 - Risk and Society
SO668 - The Sociology of Work
SO657 - Digital Culture
SO645 - The Third Sector: Charities and Social Enterprises in Modern Societies
SO601 - Welfare in Modern Britain
SO603 - Health and Health Policy
SO538 - Childhood, Society and Children's Rights
SO575 - Poverty, Inequality and Social Security
SO594 - Terrorism and Modern Society
SO595 - Reproductive Health Policy in Britain
SO702 - Sociology and Social Politics of the Family
SO689 - Drugs, Culture and Control
SO684 - Globalization and Development
SO678 - Caring for Vulnerable Adults: Understanding Social Care
SO679 - Research Dissertation
SO712 - Urban Sociology
SO709 - Modern Chinese Societies
SO710 - War, Atrocity and Genocide
SO537 - Race and Racism
SO536 - Criminal Justice in Modern Britain:Development, Issues and Politics
SO534 - Violence and Society
SO535 - Youth and Crime
SO532 - Mental Health
SO533 - Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice
SO509 - Health, Illness and Medicine
SO506 - Popular Culture, Media and Society
SO505 - Sociology of Crime and Deviance
SA519 - The Social Politics of Food
SA503 - A Future for the Welfare State? Social Change, Challenge and Crisis
SA525 - Education,Training and Social Policy
SA531 - The Care and Protection of Children and Families
EN701 - The Global Eighteenth Century
EN702 - Thomas Hardy
EN703 - The 'Real' America: Class and Culture in the American Gilded Age
EN704 - Discord and Devotion: Society & Spirituality in Middle English Literatu
EN705 - The Contemporary Memoir
EN707 - The British Novel in the 1860s: Sensing Modern Life
EN708 - Virginia Woolf
EN709 - Animals, Humans, Writing
EN710 - Victorian Aestheticism and Decadence
EN676 - Cross-Cultural Coming-of-Age Narratives
EN684 - Clouds, Waves & Crows: Writing the Natural, 1800 to the Present
EN687 - Poetry and Crisis, from the First World War to Occupy
EN580 - Charles Dickens and Victorian England
EN583 - Postcolonial Writing
EN586 - Language and Place in Colonial and Postcolonial Poetry
EN588 - Innovation and Experiment in New York, 1945- 1995
EN604 - The Unknown: Reading and Writing
EN623 - Native American Literature
EN633 - Bodies of Evidence: Reading The Body In Eighteenth Century Literature
EN637 - Unruly Women and Other Insubordinates: the dramatic repertoire of the Q
EN646 - Image, Vision and Dream: Medieval Texts and Visual Culture
EN655 - Places and Journeys
EN656 - Heroes and Exiles: An Introduction to Old English Poetry
EN657 - The Brontes in Context
EN658 - American Crime Fiction
EN659 - Contemporary Irish Writing
EN660 - Writing Lives in Early Modern England: Diaries, Letters and Secret Selv
EN661 - The Stranger
EN666 - From Book to Blog: Geoffrey Chaucer and his Afterlives
EN667 - Harlem to Hogan's Alley: Black Writing in North America
EN668 - Discovery Space: New Theatres in Early Modern England
EN669 - Marriage, Desire and Divorce in Early Modern Literature
EN670 - Lyric, Ballad and Popular Song
English Language Requirements
IELTS band : 6.5
To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to
take an IELTS test.Requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
- A level:ABB including English Literature or English Language and Literature grade B
- Access to HE Diploma:The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma):The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances.
- International Baccalaureate:34 overall or 16 points at HL, including HL English A1/A2/B at 5/6/6 OR English Literature A/English Language and Literature A (or Literature A/Language and Literature A of another country) at HL 5 or SL 6
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements.Work Experience
No work experience is required.
Related Scholarships*
- Academic Excellence Scholarship
"The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."
- Access Bursary
Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.
- Alumni Bursary
Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students
* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than University of Kent.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Our 2015 financial support package includes a £6,000 cash bursary spread over the duration of your course. For Ts&Cs and to find out more, visit our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our funding pages. Please note that details of the scholarship for 2015 entry have not yet been finalised and are subject to change.
The Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature at the University of Kent offers students an in-depth study of the literary traditions of the English-speaking world, focusing on both historical and contemporary works. The program encompasses a wide range of texts from various periods, allowing students to explore the evolution of literature across centuries and borders. Students will engage with classic authors such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Austen, as well as modern writers like Toni Morrison and Don DeLillo, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the themes, styles, and cultural contexts that have shaped English and American literature.
Throughout the course, students develop critical reading and analytical skills, learning to interpret complex texts and articulate their insights effectively. The program also emphasizes the importance of historical and cultural awareness, encouraging students to consider the social and political backgrounds that influence literary production. In addition to poetry, prose, and drama, students will explore transatlantic literary relationships, exploring how American and British writers influence and respond to each other’s work.
The program offers flexibility through optional modules, allowing students to tailor their studies to particular interests such as gender studies, postcolonial literature, or contemporary literary theory. The curriculum combines lectures, seminars, and independent research, fostering an interactive learning environment. Students are encouraged to participate in literary festivals, workshops, and possibly study abroad opportunities to enhance their understanding of different cultural contexts.
Graduates of this program develop highly transferable skills, including critical thinking, research proficiency, effective communication, and cultural awareness, preparing them for careers in publishing, education, media, journalism, or further academic study. The University of Kent provides strong academic support and resources, including access to extensive libraries and digital archives, to facilitate students' research and learning experiences.
The Sociology component of the program provides an understanding of the social forces and structures that shape human behavior and society. Students examine topics such as social inequality, urbanization, class, gender, race, and social change. The curriculum includes qualitative and quantitative research methods, enabling students to analyze societal issues critically and empirically. Core modules cover sociological theory, social policy, and contemporary social issues, fostering an appreciation of sociology’s role in addressing real-world problems.
By integrating English and American Literature with Sociology, the program offers an interdisciplinary approach, encouraging students to explore the intersections between literature and social issues, such as identity, power, and cultural dynamics. This combined study prepares students for diverse career paths in social research, community work, journalism, or cultural institutions. The University of Kent emphasizes experiential learning, including placement opportunities and engagement with local community projects, to provide practical experience.
Overall, the degree aims to produce well-rounded graduates capable of critical analysis, cultural insight, and social understanding, equipped to navigate and contribute meaningfully to a complex, multicultural world. The small class sizes and dedicated academic staff support personalized learning and mentorship. Students graduate with a comprehensive skill set that blends literary analysis, sociological insight, and research competence, making them competitive in various professional fields.
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