English

Study a wide range of English, Scottish, Irish, American and world literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day.

At St Andrews, English is taught by notable scholars and leading creative writers who challenge you to consider the ideas, human values and history behind a broad variety of texts.

Two women in an office with books

Undergraduate

Postgraduate taught

Postgraduate research

The School of English at St Andrews offers PhD, MPhil and MSt(Res) programmes. Research in English typically falls into one of four main groups:

The University also offers two MFA degrees, one in Creative Writing and another in Playwriting & Screenwriting

To apply, you should first identify and contact a potential supervisor you would like to work with in your intended research area. Find out how to contact a research supervisor.

“The most important thing about English for me is the ability to think outside of the box and consider texts in new lights. Learning everything from Anglo-Saxon poetry in its original language to contemporary theatre offers such a wealth of information about the development of literature. All of my tutors are incredibly supportive of approaching texts in an unconventional manner to create new and interesting analyses.”

Callum
Callum
- Derbyshire, England

Awards

First in the UK for English

Guardian University Guide 2023

First in Scotland and third in the UK for English

The Complete University Guide 2023

91% of research activity rated 3* or 4*

The most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021)