Massey’s BA (English) offers you thorough coverage of great literature in English, from Shakespeare to the present day. Our courses are taught by active researchers who share your love of literature: they’ll introduce you to amazing writing and the reasons why it matters.

A Massey BA (English) gives you tools to understand how literature helps create the world we live in. You’ll explore the ethical and social power of literary language and rhetoric, helping you to think deeply about the world and your place in it.

Choose from a select range of courses where you can use your English skills in more creative and applied ways. Choose to expand the horizons of your major by taking a course in creative writing, theatre studies or public and professional writing.

You’ll get excellent training in expressing yourself in a range of written, digital and oral forms. You’ll develop specialised skills in reading and writing that are transferable into any professional career.

You may know you have an interest in English but you are unsure about what courses might complement this interest or lead on to a second major, or minor. The following list provides possible choices for interests in History, Linguistics, Media Studies, Philosophy or Sociology to help with planning your first year of study. A usual full-time workload for first year is eight courses; four courses in Semester One, and four courses in Semester Two.

You should take:

230.110 Tūrangawaewae: Identity and Belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand
230.111 Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry
230.112 Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking
139.139 Intro to English Studies
139.105 Fiction: The Long and the Short of It

Choose three electives from:

134.101 Knowledge and Reality
148.120 Blockbuster and Biopics 
154.101 Introduction to Media Studies
154.115 Stardom and Celebrity in the Media
172.131 Language and Communication
172.133 Intro to Language Studies
176.101 Intro to Sociology
176.102 NZ Society
176.104 Identity and Culture in NZ

Introduction to English Studies is the only compulsory component to the major. The other 100-level courses introduce you to the more specific elements in the study of English from which you branch out into the more advanced courses depending on your interests and goals.

A major consists of 135 credits in English, including: 139.139; at least 75 credits from List A courses; 30 credits at 200-level; 60 credits at 300-level; and 30 credits at any level from the English schedule.

Compulsory Course

139.139 Introduction to English Studies

List A Courses

139.105 Fiction: The Long and Short of It 
139.122 Contemporary Literary Forms of Aotearoa New Zealand 
139.142 Mythology and Fantasy 
139.201 Poets and Players in Shakespeare’s England 
139.202 Romantic Writing: Self and Nature 
139.210 Rewriting Classic Fiction 
139.253 American Literature 
139.255 Critical Periods in Aotearoa New Zealand Literature 
139.275 Gothic 
139.301 Shakespeare’s Worlds 
139.303 Modern Drama 
139.305 Twentieth Century Literature 
139.307 Territory, Modernity, and Victorian Literature 
139.352 Postcolonial Literature 
139.361 The Literature of Women 
139.374 Tragedy 
139.376 Sexual/Textual Politics

List B Courses

139.104 Drama in Performance 
139.123 Creative Writing 
139.209 Speaking: Theory and Practice 
139.229 Writing Poetry 
139.244 Writing for the Public 
139.348 Literacy Studies 
154.308 Screen Fictions

The Massey University High Achiever scholarships were established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in the areas of: Academic, Arts, Sport. Thre are also other undergraduate scholarships available.

High achiever scholarships

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more subject areas and/or a record of merit in several subject areas.

Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship

The Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship was established to support new student athletes enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in sport and who show future potential in their chosen sport.

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more subject areas and/or a record of merit in several subject areas.

Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Art)

The Massey University Vice Chancellor's High Achiever Scholarship (Arts) was established to support new students enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of excellence in one or more of the arts fields both inside and outside of the school context.

Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship

The Massey University Academy of Sport Scholarship was established to support new student athletes enrolling at Massey University with a previous record of high achievement in sport and who show future potential in their chosen sport.

Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Natural Sciences Excellence Award

The Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Natural Sciences Excellence Award was established to support new students enrolling at the Albany campus, Massey University with a previous record of  academic excellence in the natural sciences. Recipients are expected to be committed to studying and completing the Bachelor of Natural Sciences degree.

Massey University Albany Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation and Academic Excellence Scholarship

The Massey University Albany Vice Chancellor's Innovation and Academic Excellence Scholarship was established to support new students enrolling fulltime at the Albany campus, Massey University who  are currently attending a North Shore or West Auckland secondary school who have a minimum of 20 NCEA L2 credits (or equivalent in CIE or IB) with a record of excellence or merit.

Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship

The Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship was established to recognise and support future leaders enrolling in full-time business programmes at Massey University who have a previous record of leadership and high academic achievement. 

Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship

The Encouraging Kiwis into Engineering Massey University Full-Fees Scholarship was established to encourage more students into engineering, particularly those currently studying maths, physics, and/or chemistry. Applicants are expected to be studying NCEA Level 3 or equivalent in Mathematics with Calculus, Physics and perhaps also Chemistry; have involvement in extracurricular Science, Engineering or Technology and show leadership and creative skills.