English BA (Hons)

Sheffield Hallam University

Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.

Course summary

• Gain expertise in a wide variety of English topics.
• Learn from an expert team of researchers and practising writers.
• Choose your direction of study and discover the topics that fire your interest the most.
• Team up with professionals and apply your skills in placements and projects.

This is an exciting opportunity to study all three areas of English. You’ll debate a dynamic variety of literary texts, explore the relationship between language and society, and develop your creative voice across a range of genres. If you’re enthusiastic about all areas of English, then this is the course for you.

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Join a friendly and welcoming academic and creative community. You’ll be supported by expert researchers and a distinguished team of practising writers – including poets, novelists and scriptwriters – who all value and nurture your unique insights and perspectives.

As you progress, you can choose to specialise in one of the disciplines or continue to combine all three.

You learn through

• lectures on specialist topics
• critical debates in seminars
• writing workshops
• one-to-one meetings with staff
• group work
• innovative assessments, projects and briefs
• live readings and special events

Applied learning - Work placements

We’re committed to giving you the experience and confidence you need to take your skills and knowledge beyond the classroom.

You can gain professional experience in your second year by collaborating with external partners or undertaking a work placement. Previous students have worked with local schools and children’s charities to develop materials and resources. Many have also gained experience in publishing, journalism, event design and public relations – with some even starting their own businesses.

You can also work towards the Trinity College London TESOL certificate as part of your course credit. This internationally-recognised qualification allows you to teach English as a foreign language, while gaining valuable classroom and lesson planning experience at the same time.

Live projects

You’ll have opportunities to work with our industry and community partners. You can work independently and in teams – bringing your ideas to life with real-world project briefs.

Field trips

We run local, regional and international field trips at no extra cost – such as writing retreats, festivals and theatre visits. Students in previous years have visited the London Book Fair, as well as events in Montreal, Canada and Zagreb, Croatia. Some have also taken part in the Festival of Debate and attended the ZEE-Jaipur Literature Festival in London.

Networking opportunities

Studying in Sheffield puts you at the heart of a vibrant cultural scene. We work with renowned festivals held in the city, such as Off the Shelf literary festival and Doc/Fest, an international documentary film festival.

These events attract literary agents, publishers and high profile writers. Past students have volunteered as delegates – gaining experience working at the festivals while growing their professional network. Plus our innovative masterclass programmes will give you a headstart in the writing and publishing industries.

We also have a strong network of graduates – and we encourage you to connect with partners outside of the university to give you the best career opportunities possible.