Study English literature from Shakespeare to the latest contemporary fiction and popular culture, via classic works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. You'll learn about their cultural-historical contexts and their function in society, within wider theoretical frameworks. You'll study English from exciting interdisciplinary perspectives and benefit from your lecturers' and tutors' deep literary knowledge and expertise.

Edinburgh is a vibrant city with a rich literary heritage, offering an excellent learning environment and lots of world-leading cultural events, such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

You'll have an opportunity to study abroad through our exchange programmes at a partner university overseas, or take a work placement in industry.

This qualification will prepare you for a career in a number of areas of the cultural and creative industries and beyond.

The BA (Hons) English scored 100% for overall satisfaction in the 2026 results from the National Student Survey (NSS).

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

Start date:

UCAS code:

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READ MORE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS

Edinburgh Napier is where I felt my confidence begin to flourish. The University tutors were excellent and always there to guide and support me on my journey.

Kirsty Lee

BA (Hons) English Alumni

I chose to move to Edinburgh because I fell in love with the City as well as the course. After researching the degree and attending open days, I knew that it was the University for me.

-Atlanta Hodson, final year BA (Hons) English student

"I learned to not limit myself.”

Miriam Hussain

Rebel Intern, Scottish Book Trust

Read more

This is a full-time course studied over four years. You will develop a broad knowledge of the relationships between literature, culture and the modern world. By the end of the course you'll be able to engage in informed and critical readings of literature and to understand the contexts within which works of literature are produced.

You'll learn about major genres and critical issues within English studies, including:

Shakespeare to modern drama

Poetry from the Romantic age to the present

Graphic novels, children's literature, cultural heritage

Scottish, Irish, and American literatures

Modernist, post-colonial, and environmental literatures and film

Literary and cultural theories about class, gender, money and power

Modules in Year 2 an 3 include options in creative writing. Module choices in creative writing allow you to apply your understanding of literature to your own creative work.

This qualification will prepare you for a career in a number of areas of the cultural and creative industries, in the public sector and beyond and beyond, for example in management or politics.

Additional costs and materials

There are no additional mandatory costs.

All compulsory texts studied on the course should be available in the university library. Accessing those texts may require student organisation, such as requesting ahead of time if available copies are all on loan. Many texts are available for free online via the university library holdings, through major online repositories such as archive.org, Jstor and similar databases. Some readings are digitised and provided via the Moodle virtual learning environment. Any films or visual materials studied are usually accessible for free through Box of Broadcasts, or a screening is put on.

However, many students like to have their own copies of compulsory texts. This can be advantageous in terms of notetaking and detailed engagement over an extended period. Texts we teach are mostly available in mass-market paperback and copies can often be obtained cheaply second-hand.

It may also be useful to allow a budget for printing materials (although submission is now almost entirely electronic), and to have a storage device for your work such as a USB stick (although networked storage is available via university computers).

How you’ll be taught

Academic modules are taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars and independent study.

Assessments

All your modules are assessed by coursework, including: essays; presentations; creative writing options; reading diaries; online writing activities, such as blogs and discussions. There are no formal sit-down exams on modules offered by the English teaching team.

Work placement

Our dedicated placement scheme offers the opportunity to:

Gain teaching experience in primary or secondary schools in Edinburgh

Participate in our award-winning partnership with the Scottish Prison Service

Apply for research project internships.

Study abroad

Our study abroad schemes give you the opportunity to apply to study at foreign universities in North America and Europe.

Facilities

This course is taught in person at our Merchiston campus.

Popular modules

Introduction to Literary Studies: Text and Context

18th and 19th-Century Texts and Contexts

Reading Texts: Analysing Film, Literature and Culture

Literature and Adaptation

The World at War: Writing and Watching Global Conflict

The Modern Novel

American Outlaws: Modern American Writing

Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice

Generation Television: US Complex TV 1990 - Present

Unsuitable for Adults? Children’s Literature

Narratives of Social and Sexual Deviance: Rethinking the Victorians

C21 Literature: Writing the Unfolding Present

Narratives of Nature

Unacknowledged Legislators: Poets in History and Society

Television Studies

Women’s Writing and Filmmaking

Bloody Bodies: Violence in Early Modern Drama

Science Fiction: Genres and Criticism

Comics and Culture

Modern Scottish Fiction

Fictions of Terror: From Dynamite Violence to Media Spectacle

Global Shakespeare: Adaptation and Appropriation

Film and Comics

Keeping up Appearances: Facing Prejudice in Eighteenth-Century Literature

Crime in Text and Film

Migration, Literature and Decolonisation

The Gothic Tradition

The Concept of Intelligence in Literature, Film and Culture

Utopia, Dystopia and the Global Political Imagination

Meet your Programme Leader and Teaching Team

Throughout your studies, you'll learn from experienced professionals and industry leaders who bring valuable expertise, insight and real-world perspectives to your learning experience.

Programme Leader: Frederik Byrn Køhlert.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

English language

International students

Admissions policies

Our entry requirements indicate both Standard and Minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Minimum Year 1

Scottish Higher

Standard Entry Requirement: ABBB including English or literary subject.

Minimum Offer Entry Requirement: BBBC including English or literary subject.

You may be given an Offer of entry if you meet our specified minimum entry requirements within our widening participation criteria, and outlined in our Contextual Admissions Policy. For further information, see our entry requirements and admissions policies.

BBC including English or literary subject.

Irish Leaving Certificate

H2, H2, H2, H3 at HL including English or literary subject.

Pass HNC in Media and Communications, Creative Industries: Media and Communication, Practical Journalism or Creative Industries: Television with grade B in the graded unit.

BTEC (QCF) Extended Diploma Level 3

Minimum grades DMM (Distinction, Merit, Merit) in a related subject, plus A Level English or literary subject at Grade C.

BTEC (QCF) National Diploma Level 3

Minimum grades D*D* (Distinction*, Distinction*) in a related subject, plus A Level English or literary subject at Grade C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

Award of Diploma with 29 points overall with three HL subjects at grades 6,5,5 including English or literary subject.

Grade Merit

T Level must be completed in a English/literary subject or A Level English/literary subject may be required. Please contact ugadmissions@napier.ac.uk to check if you meet the subject specific requirements.

*Literary subjects: Modern Studies, History, Psychology, RMPS, Latin, Sociology, Theology, Media Studies, Politics, Classics, Philosophy, Geography, A Level Government and Politics, A Level Classical Civilisation, A Level Drama

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English. Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

If you do not currently meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer a number of pre-sessional English language courses which could help you achieve the required level.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:

BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery

MSc Nursing courses

All Graduate Apprenticeship courses

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study.

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies

Postgraduate admissions policies

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Undergraduate student fees and funding information

Postgraduate student fees and funding information

International student fees and funding information

Tuition fees

Students from

Scotland

England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland

Overseas and EU

Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland will be invoiced the tuition fees for 3 years of their 4 years of study.

Tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other tuition fee matters, please see our Fees and Funding links above.

If additional compulsory costs other than the tuition fees are applicable, these will be detailed in the course details.

Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.

Careers & employability

What can you do with a BA (Hons) English degree?

This dynamic programme designed for lovers of reading and storytelling will enable you to delve into the world of English literature and embark on a journey of discovery and exploration. Through a variety of learning activities and assignments, you’ll deepen your understanding of English literature and culture while developing critical thinking and communication skills that are highly valued in today’s world, Career opportunities include:

• Writer

• Teacher

• Publisher

• Journalist

• Arts Administrator

Throughout the course, you’ll explore a diverse range of literary genres, periods, and theoretical approaches, from Shakesperean drama to contemporary poetry and postcolonial literature. Through seminars, lectures, and independent research projects, you’ll engage with texts in depth, analyse their meanings and contexts, and develop your own interpretations and critical perspectives.

Upon completion, you’ll emerge as a versatile and well-rounded graduate, equipped with a deep appreciation for the power of language and the complexities of human experience. Whether you aspire to pursue further study. Enter the workforce, or pursue a career in fields such as education, publishing, or media, our BA (Hons) in English will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in a variety of personal and professional endeavours.

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