Undergraduate degrees in English

Join the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Sheffield and you won't just take a degree.

You'll join a leading centre for English Literature, Language and Literature, Language and Linguistics, Theatre, and Performance. You'll belong to a community of learning in one of Britain's most admired universities.

Drama work and the Storying Sheffield project You'll be taught by innovative researchers whose work is renowned internationally. You'll open up a panoply of career possibilities. You'll surprise yourself with your own creativity. You'll see the world in entirely new ways.

More choices, great courses

As one of the UK's largest English departments we can offer a wide range of module topics across our degrees. Chaucer's comic tales; film; modern Irish; teaching English to non-English speakers; the use of dialect in songs; creative writing; techniques of theatre production; Renaissance literature; genre; language and power... and many others.

Our 45 academic staff are among the best in the field. They're renowned for innovative research and leading pioneering work with local communities. And they're passionate and dedicated teachers – who believe learning happens when staff and students collaborate.

More about our BA degree programmes

Language & Linguistics | Language & Literature | English Literature
English & Theatre Studies | Theatre & Performance

Have it both ways with a dual degree

Interested in another subject? We don't just offer far-reaching English courses: we've got a range of degrees in English with a second area of study. From philosophy, music or history to French, Japanese or Russian, there'll be a dual degree for you.

Meet us and look around

If you're interested in studying at Sheffield, come and meet us at an Open Day. Look around the department and University, see your accommodation, tour the UK's best students' union. There's no better way to get a feel for living and learning in Sheffield.

English students and staff will be around to chat and answer your questions – from employability, studying abroad and tuition fees to South Yorkshire's best spots for rock climbing. We're looking forward to meeting you.

More about Open Days
Book a place now

A sense of community: around the department...

For a large department we have a strong sense of community. After lectures and seminars there's always time to chat with staff informally. If you need support with any academic issue, or there's anything else worrying you, your personal tutor will be there to help throughout your time with us.

Or you and other students could join up with your tutors to put on a play, edit a creative writing journal, or visit a theatre or exhibition.

Then sign up with the student-run English Society and enjoy an amazing range of social and cultural events. Poetry readings, pub quizzes, Scrabble contests, football, netball, club nights and city trips away and abroad. It's another way to form friendships and widen your horizons.

Activities and events

...and across the city

Some people see universities as cloistered and closed off from the public. At Sheffield we think universities should get their hands dirty and play an active role in their community. Staff and students from the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics work with people and organisations right across our beautiful city.

We've inspired local schoolchildren with visits from our students and professor of poetry Simon Armitage (pictured below). We run our own festival of music and poetry. We've given a stage to refugee musicians and helped women steelworkers from World War II tell their life stories. Every year there are new events, new ideas, new ways of enriching the life of our city and the study of English literature and language.

Join us and be a part of it. Make your degree mean something special.

Storying Sheffield

Sheffield students at work and play

Your career

When it comes to the workplace, a degree in English can open all kinds of doors. This is good if you're not sure about your career plans yet. But it's just as good if you are.

Analytical skills and communication are vital across all kinds of careers. Add this to the prestige of a degree from one of Britain's greatest universities and you'll see why our graduates do well in the jobs market.

Many go on to work in the media, journalism, publishing, marketing and advertising. Others build careers in teaching, while some follow paths into law, business and management.

A further group progresses to postgraduate study, research and an academic career.

The University's Careers Service has more information about job options for graduates in:

English Language and Linguistics
English Literature

Case study

Helen Temple (right) took our BA degree in English literature. She went on to a masters course and now works as youth programme manager with the National Youth Theatre (NYT).

"The University of Sheffield was the perfect choice for me both as a city and an academic establishment... Sheffield offered the structure of following chronology of the literary canon alongside a great deal of choice in the modules on offer. I was able to explore new topics and develop valuable research interests. I couldn’t have wished for a more fulfilling experience from a university.

"My role at NYT is to create, manage and deliver the work the company produces in educational and social inclusion settings and in communities across the UK. Producing dissertations at undergraduate and postgraduate level has been invaluable in equipping me with the skills to write funding bids for projects. Building partnerships with arts organisations, funding bodies, youth services, local and national government is key to my role. The most rewarding element of my role is working with young people, and seeing their progression through the company and the industry.

"Personally I feel that university is an invaluable investment in your future success, but most importantly it facilitates a huge amount of opportunity. I have no doubt that active involvement in the life of the University of Sheffield has been instrumental in my career progression and for helping me develop lifelong skills."

Passionate, innovative, forward-looking – that's the School of English at Sheffield. If that's you too, study with us.

What next?

Browse courses in our online prospectus: English literature | English language and linguistics
Order a free print copy

University Open Days: visit us and look around

Frequently asked questions
Get in touch and ask us for more information