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If you choose to study with us, you’ll be welcomed into a friendly and stimulating environment that encourages you to thrive both academically and personally.
The English Department is home to academics with a wide range of research specialisms across different genres, text styles, and time periods.
We can provide you with a great opportunity to explore and refine your own interests under the support and expertise of a diverse and inclusive department.
Upon enrolling, you will be allocated a personal tutor and in the second semester you will be allocated a supervisor for your dissertation. Throughout your master's you will have consistent contact with your individual seminar leaders.
Our master's cohorts tend to be small, meaning you will receive attentive guidance from your tutors, supervisors, and lecturers. Our belief in small group teaching not only ensures that you receive individual support during your studies but also enhances your overall experience of being part of a community.
You will have access to various resources and study spaces while working on campus, including a common room, Special Collections reading rooms, the University library, Student Union study area, and a range of cafes and other eateries.
Nour Baghat, MA Alumni
As a master's student, you will be invited to all of our guest lectures and research seminars. This provides you with the opportunity to expand your research networks, and consider yourself and your work in the broader context of the academic community.
Reading boasts a thriving social life for students with literary interests. The Student Union has an English Society - open to all students - which hosts events throughout the year including film nights, formals, and theatre trips, as well as offering general course-related support.
Beyond campus, Reading is filled with local book clubs, writing groups, poetry slams, and other literary events you can explore during your time here.
If you'd like to find out more about what goes on in the Department of English Literature, take a look at our blog.
The University has a wealth of literary treasures and superb resources. Our Library has excellent holdings – papers and manuscripts of several twentieth-century poets, a large collection of historical children’s books, and an impressive rare book collection.
We house the Archive of British Publishing and Printing, which includes records of literary publishers such as Chatto & Windus and the Hogarth Press. We also have the world’s leading Samuel Beckett archive, containing manuscripts, letters, memoranda and book materials.
Major research resources, such as the British Library in London and the Bodleian in Oxford, are within easy reach.
Elle Codling, MA English
Step off campus and you'll find yourself in a bustling town centre offering a variety of shops, restaurants and activities. We're also well-connected – you can reach London Paddington within half an hour by train.