English Literature BA (Hons) - 2024/5

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Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This programme is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital Capabilities: throughout the programme, students will learn how to explore and practice a wide range of digital tools, allowing them to assess the potentialities and challenges of forms of artistic expression that are increasingly central in contemporary culture and society: among them, digital storytelling, visuality and filmic representation, video gaming, blogging, and podcasting. Both individually and through collaboration and group work, the programme allows students to actively participate in the production and in the critical evaluation of digital knowledge, providing them with critical and analytical skills that are highly sought by employers in the cultural and digital industries. Students will also gain skills in writing and communicating professionally on digital platforms, such as SurreyLearn, Microsoft Teams, and other digital and document sharing platforms.

Employability: the programme equips students with professional and transferable skills in communications, writing, and critical thinking. Students will learn how to write at a professional level in a variety of modes: analytical commentary and interpretive analysis, literary criticism, prose fiction, poetry, and writing for stage and screen. By analysing theoretical materials alongside literature, film, and other forms of visual and written expression, they will be able to carefully evaluate literary and cultural evidence, as well as synthesising and interpreting large and complex bodies of knowledge. During seminar discussions and class activities, students will develop skills in presenting their work effectively and concisely, both in verbal and written form. The programme thus equips students with skills¿clear and compelling communication, independent thinking, collaboration and team work¿that employers have consistently praised in PTY placement visits related to our programme. These skills are paramount in a wide range of professional environments and career paths, such as copywriting, communications roles, teaching, publishing, marketing, journalism and social media roles.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: the programme encourages students to share their work and their analytical and interpretive insights in class, allowing them to receive feedback from their peers and tutors, and empowering them to respond to it in intellectually productive ways. During seminar discussions, workshops, and class activities, students will learn how to explore resources collaboratively, learn from setbacks, and reflect on their individual progress. By fostering empathetic and open communication among students and between students and personal tutors, the programme supports students in their intellectual, cognitive, and affective journey. Students will become part of a community of literary and cultural scholars, writers, and creative practitioners, and will be able to explore the opportunities and challenges of studying, practicing, and producing critical and creative forms of expression. The programme fosters the wellbeing of our students, empowering them to become self-aware and resourceful individuals by offering a progressive, scaffolded learning experience and by allowing them to develop cultural sensitivity and emotional and social intelligence.

Sustainability: the programme encourages students to reflect on environmental and cultural sustainability, and equips them with tools and resources for shaping more equitable and sustainable futures. Students will be exposed to ecological thinking and ecocritical writing, and will read a variety of fictions and theories that address contemporary global issues related to sustainability, such as global warming, the Anthropocene, relations between human and non-human forms of life, and non-Western perspectives on sustainable ecosystems. Students will also be able to produce narratives and critical commentaries about these questions in written, oral, and digital-based forms (such as podcasting). By considering both global perspectives and local contexts, students will actively contribute to the imagination of potential solutions to contemporary challenges. The programme also exposes students to non-canonical perspectives originating from non-Western, queer, and/or indigenous communities, thus allowing students to broaden their critical horizon, develop ethical awareness, and become more environmentally and culturally sensitive thinkers and writers.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: the programme welcomes and supports students from a variety of cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds. Our pedagogical practices create safe and interactive spaces where students are encouraged to participate in the production and sharing of knowledge from their own cultural backgrounds and interests. The programme offers a learning journey that allows students to explore canonical forms, texts, and authors alongside perspectives, worldviews, and creative practices that have been historically silenced, marginalised, or endangered. Throughout the programme, students will develop sensitivity and appreciation for a diverse range of cultures and forms of artistic expressions, as well as emotional and cultural intelligence when discussing them with their peers and tutors. During seminars, workshop, and class activities, students will be encouraged to contribute actively from their own cultural perspective while practicing respectful communication and empathetic listening. In doing so, they will explore rigorous critical and creative tools, develop a high degree of self-awareness, and learn how to avoid conscious or unconscious bias when discussing contemporary global cultures and societies.