English Literature and Politics BA (Hons) (with Foundation Year)

ENGLISH LITERATURE

*This course is only available as a combined honours for September 2025 entry

**Single honours course is open for 2026 entry only

Liverpool is the ideal city to study English Literature, with its thriving cultural scene, literary festivals, independent bookshops, and the renowned Central Library. Just a short walk from our Hope Park campus, you’ll also find The Reader Organisation in Calderstones Park—an inspiring hub for literature lovers.

Our English Literature degree explores a wide range of genres and historical periods, from fiction, poetry, and drama to autobiography, essays, travel writing, and slave narratives. You’ll study well-known authors as well as new voices offering fresh perspectives on key themes such as sustainability, identity, wellbeing, and power in society.

This English Literature course also looks beyond the texts themselves, inviting you to engage with the world of books through publishing, marketing, media, and digital technologies. You’ll even work with rare books and manuscripts from Liverpool Hope’s special collections.

Key features of the English Literature degree:

- A broad study of literature across periods, genres, and critical approaches

- Exploration of themes such as the environment, global perspectives, and wellbeing

- Hands-on opportunities in publishing, reading, and digital approaches

- Small group teaching and personalised support from expert tutors

- Employability skills embedded throughout the course

Our teaching team are internationally recognised researchers and published writers. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), English at Liverpool Hope achieved outstanding results, with over 80% of staff publications rated “world leading” or “internationally excellent.”

By the end of the English Literature course, you’ll graduate with advanced critical, analytical, and communication skills that prepare you for careers in publishing, journalism, teaching, marketing, the creative industries, or further study.

Hear from one of our English Literature students.

POLITICS

Politics shapes our lives in many ways. It influences governance, conflict resolution, and our rights. It also impacts our freedoms and access to essential services. This politics course looks at who makes political decisions, how they are made, and their effects on local, national, and global society.

At Liverpool Hope, we connect with politics as it changes in the real world. We tackle current issues like climate change, new technologies, identity politics, Brexit, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Students are encouraged to participate in open debate and discussion, developing a strong awareness of diverse perspectives.

You will explore important political ideas, institutions, and processes. Expert staff will teach you about political research and critical thinking. The course also develops transferable skills to prepare you for a range of careers. Opportunities include work placements and the “Practitioners in Politics” series. In this series, MPs, the Mayor of Liverpool, and the Merseyside Commissioner for Crime and Policing share insights on political careers and essential skills for success.