English

Activity locations

All subject activity sessions will take place on the University of Exeter Streatham campus, with the exception of one which will take place on the Penryn campus, Cornwall. 

In this exciting and diverse subject activity strand, you will take part in sessions that give you first-hand experience of what it is like to study English at university. You will explore literature from a range of periods and locations across the past and present, from classical to contemporary, with taster sessions in Fiction, Film and Television, Shakespeare, Communications, Poetry, and Creative Writing. You will also have the opportunity to tour innovative research and archival facilities such as Special Collections, the Digital Humanities Lab, and The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Dependent on availability you may engage in specific topics, such as graphic novels, the creative industries, short stories, visual media, environmental literature, etc. You will interact with current students and find out about their personal experiences studying at university, and you will be supported by staff and Exeter Student Ambassadors (ESAs) who will offer guidance and be available to discuss any queries you may have. 

This subject activity strand will influence you to think creatively and critically, and you will develop skills in communication, analysis, discussion, collaboration, adaptability, empathy, research, and problem-solving. You will broaden your horizons as English equips you to better understand and interpret texts, concepts and theories. These transferable skills are highly sought after by employers across many industries and fields, and English leads to a wide range of career paths. Through the study of English, you examine contextual factors such as culture, society, politics, history, and philosophy, as literature – whether a novel, a film, a play, an essay – expresses the voices of the times from individuals and communities, helping us to better understand human experience. This subject activity strand will nurture your appreciation of literature and the creative arts, and will both challenge and inspire you to express yourself and find your own voice.

This subject activity strand has contributions from the following departments:

• The Department of English and Creative Writing
• The Department of Communications, Drama, and Film
• The Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies
• Humanities and Social Sciences, Cornwall

There are no specific entry requirements for this subject activity strand. 

In the event of this subject activity strand being oversubscribed, priority for places will be given to students studying at English Literature or English Literature & Language at A Level or IB. 

Please note that if you wish to study an English degree at Exeter, you will need to be studying English Literature or English Literature & Language at A Level or IB.

In order to pass the programme, you must attend a minimum of 5 out of 6 subject activity sessions, as well as the Exeter Scholars Student Conference.