Studies & Degrees in Literature
Literature Study Programs
Literature is the study of written works — novels, poetry, drama, essays and, increasingly, film, graphic novels and digital texts — and of the societies that produced them. Students read closely, place a text in its historical and cultural setting, compare critical approaches and write a great deal. The University of Westminster describes its English Literature BA as the study of literature in its wider social, cultural and historical contexts, with texts that range from Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to graphic novels and new forms of digital content.
A literature degree usually combines survey courses by period (medieval, early modern, nineteenth century, contemporary), courses on genres and authors, literary theory, and optional work in creative writing, linguistics or a second language. Assessment is mainly by essays and a final dissertation or research project.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees. In English-speaking countries the degree is usually called English or English Literature. In England it normally takes three years: the English Literature degrees of the University of Westminster in London and of Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge both last three years, and Anglia Ruskin also offers a four-year version with a placement. In Canada and the United States literature is a major within a Bachelor of Arts. The University of the Fraser Valley, for example, offers four English major options within its Bachelor of Arts: English literature, or a concentration in creative writing, drama, or writing and rhetoric.
- Comparative literature. This branch studies several literary traditions side by side, normally in more than one language. At Binghamton University the BA in Comparative Literature covers different national literatures and the literatures of ethnic groups, together with philosophy, modern theory, cultural studies and translation studies.
- Spain. Literature is usually studied inside a philology or language-studies degree. An official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Filología Hispánica of the Universidad de Salamanca, for example, lasts four academic years (240 ECTS), is taught in Spanish, includes literary theory in its shared first two years and lets students lean towards language, literature or culture.
- Master's and doctorate. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Elsewhere, graduate study takes the form of an MA, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing, or a PhD; the Department of English of the University of Washington, for example, lists MA/PhD and MFA programmes.
Short courses in literature are also part of many study abroad and language programmes, where they are taken together with language classes.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 178 active schools for literature. The United States has the most (69), followed by Spain (15), the United Kingdom (12), Canada (10) and Italy (7); China, Germany, Brazil and France have four each, and Greece, the Netherlands and Peru two each. Examples from the list are the University of Aberdeen, the University of Westminster and Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom; The University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, the University of Washington and Binghamton University in the United States; the University of Lethbridge, the University of Prince Edward Island and the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada; Ghent University in Belgium; and ISI Florence in Italy.
Language matters more here than in most subjects, because the texts are read in the original. Choose the country according to the literature you want to study, and check the language level each programme requires: a degree in Spanish philology is taught in Spanish, an English literature degree in English.
Careers
Literature graduates work in teaching, publishing, journalism, communications, translation, libraries, cultural management and the public sector, and some go on to research. The skills employers look for are careful reading, clear writing and the ability to build an argument.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that a college degree in English, communications or journalism is generally required for a full-time position as a writer or author, and that editors typically need a bachelor's degree in one of the same fields. Its projections for the United States are modest: employment of writers and authors is expected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings each year, and employment of editors to decline 1 percent. University teaching typically requires a PhD; employment of postsecondary teachers as a whole is projected to grow 7 percent over the same period. School teaching usually requires an additional teaching qualification, which each country regulates itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between English literature and comparative literature?
English literature concentrates on works written in English. Comparative literature studies several national literatures together and usually requires reading in more than one language.
How long does a literature degree take?
Three years in England, as at the University of Westminster and Anglia Ruskin University, and four years in Spain, where a grado has 240 ECTS credits. Bachelor's degrees in Europe have either 180 or 240 ECTS credits.
Can I study literature in Spain?
Yes, usually within a philology degree. The Grado en Filología Hispánica of the Universidad de Salamanca, for example, lasts four academic years and is taught in Spanish.
What jobs can I do with a literature degree?
Common fields are teaching, publishing, editing, writing, journalism and communications. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a degree in English is one of the usual routes into work as a writer or editor.