Undergraduate study in English

Studying English at St Andrews will give you the opportunity to read and reflect on a broad range of topics across a variety of literary genres from the Middle Ages to the present day - taught via a combination of lectures and small tutorial groups in the first two years of study.

Dr Katie Garner with a student

The modules offered in first and second year will equip you with the range of literary experience and critical skills necessary for more in-depth study of specialist subject areas at Honours level - with modules in English, Scottish, Irish and American literature, as well as prose, verse, drama and even film.

The School of English offers the following undergraduate courses:

In addition, you can opt to take English MA (Hons) with another subject as part of a joint degree.

The University also offers General MA qualifications which enable part-time study of a wide range of subjects in a way that fits around you and your commitments.

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In first and second year, the School provides a solid foundation in all periods of literature from the Medieval period to the present. View the first and second year module list:

School of English sub-honours modules 2018-2019 (PDF)

In third and fourth year, the School offers an extensive and varied range of modules allowing students flexibility in their course of study. The modules offered in third and fourth year change from year to year, however the following categories will always be represented:
- Medieval
- Renaissance to Restoration
- Augustans, Romantics, Victorians
- Dissertation
- Modernist to Contemporary
- Creative writing
View the Honours modules which were offered recently:

School of English Honours module list 2018-2019 (PDF)

The full list of modules being taught this year can be found in the module catalogue.
The four-year Honours undergraduate degree allows students to read and reflect on a wide variety of literary works (selected from genres, historical eras and other ranges) in first and second year, so that by the Honours years students may make an informed choice of modules from a wider menu.

To encourage a wide spectrum of view, the School asks single Honours students to take at least one module from each of the Medieval, Early Modern, and 18th and 19th century periods. Students will also write a dissertation in their final year.

Coursework takes the form of essays, along with other kinds of assessed work including oral presentations, electronic projects and creative writing portfolios.
The School participates in a wide range of study abroad schemes, including exchanges with North American, Australian and European universities.

In the last few years, some of the School's students have spent their third year of study at the universities of:
- California (Berkeley, San Diego and Santa Barbara)
- Virginia
- William & Mary
- Toronto
- Western
- Queen's
- Dublin (Trinity College)
- Vienna.
For more information please consult the study abroad pages.

Undergraduate study in English

Modules

Course structure

Study abroad