Reading an inspiring work of literature isn’t just a pleasure, it can help build up useful skills and understanding too. Combine that with a close study of language – the building blocks that go into the written and spoken word – and you could develop an extremely analytical mind and some highly transferable skills that employers are looking for.

Why English Language and Literature?

• State-of-the-art facilities including a forensic linguistics lab, a research and resource centre and conference labs.
• Opportunity to take a five-week placement as part of the ‘Language in the Workplace’ module – a chance to see how the language skills you’ve learnt on the course can be applied to communication in a working environment.
• Get involved in the writing, editing and production of the popular department linguistics magazine, Babel.
• Our team of academic staff are ranked in the top 5 in the UK for the quality of their research publications (REF 2014).
• 100% of graduates from this course are in work and/or further study fifteen months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 17/18, UK domiciled graduates).
• Every year students also have the chance to get involved in events at the Huddersfield Literature Festival.
• We’ll get you out of the classroom on some interesting fieldtrips.

Every text can raise cultural, ethical and political issues, and we’ll give you the chance to explore them. For the language elements of your course, we’ll assess how language shapes the world we live in, and how principles like humour, power and cross-cultural relations are all dependent on the formation of language. The course is equally split between literature and language.

Placements

As part of the compulsory second year ‘Language in the Workplace' module you will have the chance to gain valuable experience spending 5 weeks in a work placement or work related activity. The module shows you how the language skills you aim to develop through your course can be applied to communication in the workplace.

If you’re studying full-time, this course also offers an optional one-year (48 weeks) work placement after the second year, in the UK or abroad. This will give you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience, insight into your chosen career and open up your graduate employment prospects. Our Placement Unit and academic staff have excellent industry links and can support you in applying for and finding your placement(s), as well as during your placement year.

Some of our students have gained real-world experience in various teaching environments, in publishing houses and in marketing roles. Previous placement providers have included Maiden Voyage.Com, Kirklees Library Services, M-Four Translations, Quest Media and a range of primary and secondary schools.

Your Career

As an English Language and Literature graduate, you are valued for the advanced skills you have developed in communication, self-motivation, teamwork, analysis, creative problem solving and persuasiveness. Depending on your specialism, your career choices are as varied and exciting as your degree course.

Our graduates have gone on to a variety of careers within publishing, broadcasting, teaching, writing, advertising, management, politics and local government. A selection of companies that have employed Huddersfield graduates in recent years include BBC, Emerald Group Publishing, Securitas UK, Roma Publications and Crown House Publishing. Others have opted for PGCE study and have become teachers, or continued their studies at postgraduate level.**