In 1828, UCL became the first university in England, possibly the first in the world, to offer English as a degree subject. Throughout its history, UCL has been a leader in the field; it continues to be one of the most sought-after places for students at every level. Today, UCL English combines the virtues of historical study — BA students encounter literature of every period from Anglo-Saxon to the present — with the opportunity to pursue the latest theoretical and thematic approaches to the literature. We have always managed to achieve a combination of old and new emphases, starting with what was once the radically new proposal of English literature as a possible object of university study.

The Department has an outstanding record of research. It is a feature of UCL English that many staff publish in mainstream as well as academic media: some are regular reviewers for newspapers and for the Times Literary Supplement and the London Review of Books. We have a particularly close connection with the LRB, whose founding editor was the then Head of Department, Karl Miller.

Compared with many other English departments, UCL is small, which means that BA as well as MA students will get to know all of their peer-group. There are 28 members of teaching and research staff, just over 200 undergraduates across the three BA years, about 80 MA students and 40-50 MPhil/PhD students.

One distinctive feature of the Department is the ongoing Survey of English Usage. Founded in 1959, this provides an invaluable, internationally used resource for the study of the present-day language. Undergraduate as well as MA and research students have the opportunity to take courses that draw on the teaching and research resources of the Survey.

UCL is in Bloomsbury, in the heart of London; literary associations, including Virginia Woolf who lived right here in Gordon Square, are all around. We are close to the British Museum and the cinemas, theatres, concert halls and art galleries of London’s West End. The British Library and Senate House Library (part of the University of London) are adjacent. Close too of course are all the shops, bars, cafés and restaurants that anyone could want. And we are five minutes’ walk from the St Pancras Eurostar terminal—as well as from King’s Cross and Euston stations.

Graduate Study

Our three thriving taught MA programmes are described on our website. We also welcome applications to do research at the post-MA level in any area of English. The Department offers MPhil/PhD supervision in a wide range of topics, including English and English-related language and literature from Old English to the present day. Over the next few years we are also seeking to increase our graduate intake in the earlier periods and in English language, at both MA and MPhil/PhD levels. See further information on our taught MA programmes or on research towards the MPhil/PhD.

UCL Department of English Language and Literature

English at UCL

Graduate Study

See also