This BA English Literature and Theatre degree enables you to explore a broad range of topics across English literature and theatre, as well as areas where the two subjects overlap.
You will be studying in two departments (English Literature; and Film, Theatre & Television) who collaborate with each other extensively. English Literature was one of the first university departments in the UK to study American and Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood, and we continue this tradition with a curriculum that includes the best of contemporary writing in English from around the globe. The Department of Film, Theatre & Television pioneered the study of film in UK higher education, and we continue to lead in the range and breadth of the modules we offer.
The theatre component of your degree focuses on performance, and so we investigate plays in a variety of settings. You will make regular trips to performances in Reading and London, and will investigate a range of contemporary practices including site specific work and examples of digital technologies in live performance. We study twentieth and twenty-first century dramatists, such as Caryl Churchill, Sarah Kane, and Samuel Beckett. Our teaching is a dynamic mix of theory and practice, and optional modules that include group-based practical projects are available for those who enjoy practice-based study.
We have state-of-the-art facilities, including three theatre spaces, a dedicated recording studio and a mixing suite. You will have access to a studio with a flexible lighting system, multi-camera facilities, a talk-back system and Chroma key and a studio gallery linked to the theatres for live filming and mixing work. We provide industry standard software and support from dedicated technicians, and all spaces are equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment and lighting. Over 100 performances, films, and television programmes are created in the Department of Film, Theatre & Television each year, meaning that there are plenty of opportunities for you to develop your technical or performance skills on an extra-curricular basis.
In your English Literature modules, you will encounter authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). You will also explore aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our lecturers and professors have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary Caribbean and American fiction so you will be learning from experts in the field. Everyone in our departments, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree, so you are learning from experts as soon as you begin your first year. 96% of students agreed that our staff are good at explaining things in the Department of English Literature (The National Student Survey, 2021).
We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment, because we believe that the study of literature and theatre is a discursive process where we learn by sharing ideas. We provide detailed and thorough feedback on your written work within 15 working days: this is crucial to your development as a writer, whether you intend a career in creative or professional writing.
Develop and hone your writing skills, and explore the important relationships between film and theatre, in our BA Creative Writing and Film & Theatre course.
Taught jointly by the Department of English Literature and the Department of Film, Theatre and Television, this multi-faceted course will:
- develop your creative writing in a small-group environment
- explore a variety of literary, dramatic and film texts
- provide practical and theoretical approaches to film and theatre.
Creative writing, film and theatre complement each other perfectly. Developing characters and narratives in your creative writing, and working to improve and refine them, will make you a better writer. This will enhance your ability to create compelling characters and narratives in your filmmaking and theatre work.
The media industry is changing quickly, and success depends on keeping up. If you're preparing for a career in this exciting field, our MA Media and Communications degree course will help you stand out from the competition.
You'll unpack the current and historic effects of media on society, and learn about how traditional and new media can be used to communicate different messages. You'll combine cultural, historical and industry-specific analysis with theoretical study, and develop a deeper critical appreciation for the media too. You'll also have the chance to test your creativity, by producing screenplays and TV scripts.
Once you graduate, you'll be able to pursue roles across the media industry, including publishing, journalism, scriptwriting, film and media management.
Do you want to use and develop your expertise in creative digital technology to find a career in a creative industry? Our MSc Digital Media degree course will give you the skills you need to get ahead of the competition – in fields such as web application development, mobile application development, interactive design and animation and video/audio production.
On this course, you'll get to unpack the theoretical, practical and technical aspects of designing, coding and media production and tailor your studies to your personal strengths and future career plans. You’ll also sharpen your skills in various aspects of creative digital technology, including web designing, web programming, mobile application designing, mobile application programming, 3D animation, filming and editing.
You'll use the latest equipment, design your own project and receive the support of expert tech staff on your path to becoming an expert in digital media technologies.
If you’re interested in computer animation, computer games or music technology, then our MSc Creative Technologies Master's degree course is a great way to take your existing skills and knowledge to postgraduate level.
You'll master the design and application of new hardware, software and techniques used in creative and innovative technology. You'll design, create and manage a media development or research programme. You'll also learn to address research problems and apply your skills to advancing the creative technology industry.
This course can open doors to exciting careers in the entertainment and media industries.
Our BSc (Hons) Music Technology degree course will help you lay the groundwork for a rewarding career in the music industry as a creative or technical producer.
You’ll learn how to engineer and produce music and sound using professional studio hardware and software, experiment with innovative practices and emerging technologies – including artificial intelligence (AI) – and through collaboration and project work, you’ll develop transferable skills that can be applied beyond your degree.
In year 1, you’ll explore subjects relating to recording and production, composition, and music computing. You’ll then choose a pathway that focuses on your chosen specialisation, preparing you for your future career.
In years 2 and 3, you’ll specialise in a specific area of music technology by choosing specific modules, and graduate with an exit award.
In Year 1 you will learn the basic skills in performance, songwriting and production of recorded and live music. Working independently and collaboratively, you will be introduced to the ethical considerations involved in the music industry as well as the theoretical underpinning. Modules include Recording Studio Practice and Performance that are delivered over two semesters, as well as Digital Music and Artist Development1: Songwriting.
Year 2 will build on your knowledge of production and performance; it will give you an awareness of the relationship between the practical theoretical understandings of the industry as well as its diversity. You will have the opportunity to develop the skills and experience of working within production teams and as artists, collaborating on live projects. You will study advanced techniques in Performance 2, as well as modules like Artist Development 2, Popular Music Culture and Creative Music Production.
By Year 3 you will be studying advanced skills in a range of professional music production and performance techniques. Teaching is designed to prepare you for employment in the music and creative industries whilst encouraging a strong sense of autonomy.
The programme builds on the University’s values, encouraging you to embrace individuality, and staff will support professional and creative development at all stages.
Does professional studio recording and sound design thrill you? Are you seeking to push audio boundaries, discover emerging musical trends or forge new collaborations with musicians and creative artists?
You can achieve all this and more on our Music and Sound Production programme, which is designed to provide you with an in-depth exploration of music and sound’s role in the convergent media industries of today enabling you to become the professional you want to be.
The Audio Production MA is a well-established course (running for over 20 years), producing numerous graduates who've gone on to enjoy successful careers in the music and creative industries. This Master's programme is accredited by JAMES (consortium of music, entertainment and media industry organisations in the support of education and promotion of excellence). The course is designed to meet and exceed professional standards and will enable you to reach the highest level in the creative use of audio, and explore how creative ideas and new technologies can be combined, enhanced and redefined.
As a major media education site in Europe, the University's Harrow Campus includes 14 professional recording studios (five of which are surround studios and two with Dolby Atmos), a new teaching recording studio, Music Lab and an array of TV, post-production, radio, film and multimedia facilities built and equipped to the highest standards.
This innovative course develops your creative abilities in audio across music production, sound design, radio, TV, film and multimedia, all supported by a robust understanding of the technologies involved. You will be able to explore and expand as a creative artist while achieving control and experience of a professional audio environment.
