Bachelor of Arts - English and Comparative Literature (Including Year Abroad) (Q211)

The BA English and Comparative Literature program offers a unique opportunity to explore English literature alongside writings from across the globe, both in English and in translation. Essex places the study of English firmly in the global context from which it emerges, and explores the ways in which English interacts with the literatures of Europe, the US, Caribbean and beyond. There is a focus on deepening students' knowledge of literary traditions and movements across a variety of genres in order to develop their skills as a reader and to sharpen their critical intelligence. Studying different literary traditions from around the world and across history enables students to understand literary movements and developments in their global context, whether in relation to the evolution of the epic, the novel or poetry.

From ancient texts to contemporary literature, from US literature to Petrarch and the English Imagination, this course provides students the chance to immerse themselves in a wide range of topics, whilst also providing the opportunity to focus on a specialist area of their choice.

Education extends beyond the university campus. Essex supports students in expanding their education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of their partner universities. The four-year version of the degree allows students to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course. Studying abroad allows students to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden their degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that they are mature, adaptable, and organized.

Essex has nurtured a long tradition of distinguished writers whose work has shaped literature as it is known today, from past giants such as the American poets Robert Lowell and Ted Berrigan, to contemporary writers such as mythographer and novelist Dame Marina Warner, and Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri. The degree in literature takes place in the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies, which is home to a variety of Academic disciplines. Students will have the opportunity to benefit from seminars, lectures and events from all the disciplines available in the department. These include film studies, drama and theatre studies, creative writing and journalism.

The number of careers that lead from courses in literature is almost as large as the number of graduates, but two particular areas in which graduates have had recent success are publishing and the theatre. One of Essex's former students is now in charge of editorial at a large publishing house, and another has just taken over running one of the country’s major theatres.