Study a Literature Degree
- Humanities Studies
- Literature
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- Asia64
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Study a Literature Degree
Open University
BA (Honours) in Arts and Humanities (English Literature)
- Online United Kingdom
BA
Full time, Part time
3 years
Distance Learning
English
This BA (Honours) in Arts and Humanities (English Literature) degree gives you the freedom to combine the study of different subject areas in the arts and humanities. You'll develop a specialism in English literature, exploring a range of texts across different periods and places. You can combine this with a second specialism or choose to develop broader interests in art history, classical studies, creative writing, English language, history, modern languages, music, philosophy, and religious studies.
Universidade Santiago de Compostela
PhD in Literature and Cultural Studies
- Santiago de Compostela, Spain
PhD
Full time
3 years
On-Campus
Spanish, Galician
The Doctoral Program in Literature and Cultural Studies is characterized by an emphasis on literary studies from different methodological and linguistic perspectives, with an openness towards cultural analysis. Among the previous programs that are part of this new proposal are the Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature, originally linked to a Mundus Master, and the Study and Annotation of Spanish Literary Texts. Likewise, other programs are incorporated that are registered in the fields of Latin, Greek, Italian, French, Galician, Portuguese and German philology.
Cardiff University
MA English Literature
- Cardiff, United Kingdom
MA
Full time, Part time
1 year
On-Campus
English
English Literature at Cardiff is taught by staff with an international reputation for innovative and influential research. We offer modules in a range of critical approaches, from editorial and textual studies to the latest advances in critical theory. Our textual range encompasses drama, film studies, contemporary women’s writing, queer textualities, material culture, and archives. We are intrigued by the connections between literature and popular culture and literature and theory, and our teaching reflects these interests
Tallinn University
Master in Literature, Visual Culture and Film Studies
- Tallinn, Estonia
Master
Full time
2 years
On-Campus
English
Engage in a broadly interdisciplinary study of the relationships between literature, visual culture, and film in contemporary and historical contexts. Gain cutting-edge theoretical insights into intermedial aesthetics and into the philosophy of literature, art, and film. Equip yourself with critical tools for the cultural analysis of contemporary audiovisual, image, and text-based media. We welcome applicants who wish to explore the possibilities of extending the boundaries of the traditional disciplines in the humanities by focusing their research on the relations between words, still, and moving images both historically and in contemporary culture.
Universidade Santiago de Compostela
Master's Degree in Literature and Culture Studies
- Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Master
Full time
1 year
On-Campus
Spanish, Galician
The master's degree offers complete training that ranges from literary and cultural studies to tools for publishing literary texts or the field of cultural industries. Tradition, modernity and diversity coexist making literature and culture a door between the university and the world.
Binghamton University, State University of New York
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Comparative Literature (BA, Minor)
- Binghamton, USA
BA
Full time
4 years
On-Campus
English
Fast-track counseling
As either a major or a minor, the comparative literature program allows students great freedom to explore an area of their choice. The department encourages cross-disciplinary work between students of many fields of interest through cultural and linguistic borders. Students will learn different national literatures as well as the literature of ethnic groups, exposing them to philosophy, modern theory, cultural studies, and translation studies from distinctive communicative contexts.
Universitat de Barcelona
Master's Degree in Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature
- Barcelona, Spain
Master
Full time
1 year
On-Campus
Spanish
The master's degree in Literary Theory and Comparative Literature offers studies in literature and in various areas of critical thinking. Students gain advanced training in the main trends in Literary Theory, in the most relevant current debates in this area of knowledge, and in the various methods for analysing and interpreting texts. With this training, students gain the skills required to create their own discourse on modernity and contemporaneity in literature and art.
Bishop Grosseteste University
BA (Hons) in English Literature
- Lincoln, United Kingdom
BA
Full time
3 years
On-Campus
English
Studying English at BGU provides an exciting and wide-ranging engagement with the power of human creativity and the rich heritage of literary expression. You will study great works of literature from Sophocles to Ali Smith, Bernardine Evaristo, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, directing your own path of learning through module options such as creative writing and crime fiction, American and World Literature, Restoration drama and trauma narrative, Victorian, Romantic, and contemporary literature. You will study great works of literature from Sophocles to Ali Smith, Bernardine Evaristo, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, directing your own path of learning through module options including creative and environmental writing, crime fiction, American and World Literature, drama and children’s literature, film studies, Victorian, Romantic, and contemporary literature.
Universidad de Valladolid
Fast-track counseling
Master in Spanish Literature and Literary Studies in Relation to the Arts
- Valladolid, Spain
Master
1 year
On-Campus
Spanish
Fast-track counseling
This Master´s Degree constitutes an innovative proposal aimed at deepening research methods in literary and philological studies, with special emphasis on the interdisciplinary relations of these studies with other arts (cinema, plastic arts, music and performing arts) and with other sciences and disciplines (anthropology, rhetoric, ecdotics or palaeography). The fundamental contents belong to the areas of Spanish Literature and Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, with an educational offer that includes other subjects that may also be of interest to students of Cinema, Art, History, Anthropology or Music.
Dublin City University
MA in Children's and Young Adult Literature
- Dublin, Ireland
MA
Full time, Part time
1 year
On-Campus
English
DCU’s MA in Children’s and YA Literature is perfect for those passionate about youth literature. Whether you aim to advance your career, pursue writing aspirations, or continue with doctoral studies, this programme deepens your knowledge and opens doors to creative and academic opportunities.
Goldsmiths, University of London
MPhil/PhD English, Comparative Literature or Linguistics
PhD
Full time, Part time
On-Campus
English
We offer MPhil and PhD research programmes in English (including American Studies), Comparative Literature or Linguistics for full or part-time study.
University of Florence
PhD in Philology, Italian Literature, Linguistics
- Florence, Italy
PhD
Full time
3 years
On-Campus
English, Italian
The PhD in Philology, Italian Literature and Linguistics is intended as a highest-level course to acquire specialist skills in the field of literary, philological and linguistic studies.
Vilnius University
Master in English Studies
- Vilnius, Lithuania
Master
Full time
2 years
On-Campus
English
The English Studies programme offers a specialist qualification in English literature, cultural studies, and linguistics. It combines theoretical and empirical analysis of the role of the English language, culture, and literature in modern society. The programme features three balanced blocks of courses in linguistics, literature, and culture, with an optional specialisation in Media Linguistics. This track provides a solid foundation in contemporary linguistic research, equipping students for careers in research, teaching, and language-related fields.
Universidad de Murcia
Master in European Comparative Literature
- Murcia, Spain
Master
Full time
1 year
On-Campus
Spanish
The University Master's Degree in Comparative Literature is conceived as an initiation Master's Degree in Research in Literary Studies of European tradition. The Master is proposed as a way to specialize the already graduated student in the theoretical and methodological knowledge of Comparative Literature and in European literary studies. In the first dimension, with special emphasis on those theoretical-critical currents and methodological approaches of greater validity and current influence. In its development, the Master's study plan is conceived as a support for the historical knowledge of the European literary tradition through the study of various literary traditions in their interconnection, that is, as networks of fluid transversality and mutual influence.
University of Groningen
MA in English Literature and Culture
- Groningen, Netherlands
MA
Full time
1 year
On-Campus
English
The MA in English Literature and Culture is an academic humanities degree with a socially relevant focus. We offer you academic excellence with transferable skills, with the resources of a large research university but with small classes (typically 10-15 students), in a friendly ambiance that contributes to our positive student feedback. Our staff has received their doctorates from a mix of Dutch universities and international institutions (Oxford, Cambridge, Toronto, Edinburgh).
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Degrees in Humanities Studies Literature
Study Literature Abroad
The term literature encompasses any written work in the world. It’s both an art form and a means to convey information or knowledge. Each body of work has its own unique characteristics, as well as commonalities that connect it to world literature in general. Therefore, a literature degree requires an individual who loves to read first and foremost, as you will be reading everything from novels to poetry to essays and everything in between.
Because much of literature is characterized by the country from which it comes, it’s a great opportunity to travel and study literature abroad. You can find a literature degree anywhere you go in the world where you can learn about the styles, movements, and characteristics of any particular literature.
Consider studying in England, the home of Charles Dickens an Jane Austen! Or, if southern Europe is more your style, why not study literature in Florence, Italy, home of Dante. No matter where you end up, you will love your study experience abroad.
Best Literature Degrees
The best literature schools teach students to think critically about the books they are consuming. It’s not enough to just read the classics, you have to learn to understand them in their historical, political, and social contexts. Literature professors may dedicate an entire life’s work on studying just one author or one book, and they’re ready to share their knowledge to make sure you earn one of the best literature degrees the world has to offer.
A typical day in the life of a literature student consists mostly of lectures and seminars. Professors expect you to come to class prepared and having read all the mandatory reading. Therefore, outside of class, you can find many literature students reading in the library or a nearby café. If you’re studying literature abroad, take your book along to explore your new city in search of the best reading nook.
Of course, there’s also the chance to be social! Studying abroad grants students ample time to make new international friends and get to know them better as you go out and visit museums, attractions, and parties together.

Literature Degree Careers
Students who graduate with a degree in literature have the most important skills every employer is looking for: the ability to communicate professionally in writing and the ability to think critically about the bigger picture. Therefore, literature degree graduates can join in almost any field in some capacity. However, you will find many literature students find jobs in the following careers:
- Copywriter
- Editor
- English Teacher
- Journalist
- Publisher
- Translator
No matter which career path you take, you can work almost anywhere in the world with a literature degree. Employers especially love it when graduates also have study abroad experience before they move abroad to work!
Prerequisites for a Degree in Literature
The best literature schools will often require that prospective students have demonstrated they have previously performed well in their classes, especially classes within English. Both undergraduate and graduate students will have to provide a copy of their academic transcripts, along with any standardized test results.
International students will also have to prove their English proficiency, as many literature degrees are conducted entirely in English. If the program requires another language, you may also have to prove you have proficiency in a second language. An essay will also most likely be required to complete your application.