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The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, T +44 (0)1227 764000
Why Study English at Kent?
"English is a rich and fascinating subject at degree level that allows you to combine imagination with intellectual enquiry, and teaches you to think critically, to write well, and to read closely. So what are the advantages of studying English at Kent?"
Lyn Innes, Professor of Postcolonial Literatures
Flexibility and interdisciplinarity
At Kent you choose your own pathway through the degree and can focus on English, American, or Postcolonial literature; you can also opt to study full- or part-time. In your first year you get the chance to try out other subjects from the wide range of modules offered in the Faculty of Humanities; in your second year you select the particular periods and genres of English and American literature you want to study, and in your final year you explore more specialised topics and have the opportunity to write your own research dissertation. You can also study English with many other subjects in a Joint Honours degree.
Tradition and Innovation
At Kent we cover the standard canon of English literature, with 'core' modules on Chaucer to contemporary literature that give you a solid grounding in broad periods of English and American literature. We're interested in fresh approaches to traditional areas of scholarship, and in engaging with a variety of different critical approaches to literary study. But we're also committed to new kinds of writing - exploring the diversity of literatures in English, such as Indian Caribbean or Australian poetry - and to new fields of critical enquiry, reflected in the innovative 'special' modules we teach that grow out of the current research interests of staff. The School of English is especially strong in medieval, Renaissance, 19th and 20th century, and American literature, and it is one of the foremost departments in the country for studying Postcolonial literature.
Creative Writing
At Kent we encourage students to get involved in creative writing . We have a number of published novelists and poets within the department.The Literary Society also provides a forum for students to exchange ideas and publish their work. Several English students also join the Drama Society who are active staging new productions in the excellent campus theatres.
Studying for a Year Abroad in Europe or North America
As part of its ongoing commitment to developing a stimulating and innovative degree programme, the School of English now offers the option for Single and Joint Honours students to study for a Year Abroad in Europe (Amsterdam, Madrid, Munich, Poitiers, and possibly Venice) or North America (from California to New York state). Students would spend their third year abroad, returning to Kent for their fourth year; funding would operate on similar principles to language and American studies students. For more information, click here.
Small group teaching in a student-centred department
At Kent we are committed to keeping small class sizes and regular weekly meetings. In your first year seminars are capped at 16 students; in your second and final years group sizes are normally 12-16 (in addition, seminars are supported by lecture programmes). By maintaining small seminar groups we can get to know students better, students get to build close working relationships with their teachers, and the department is in a stronger position to support students throughout their degree.