Compulsory modules

Philosophy as Reason and Wonder
This module opens your mind to philosophical questioning and gives you a logical toolbox to answer your new questions. You'll delve into core metaphysical and epistemological issues. Formal logical skills will be introduced, enhancing your academic and professional abilities. Additionally, you'll attend a Royal Institute of Philosophy session and report on it, offering an experiential learning opportunity that showcases philosophical debate in action.

Becoming a Critic
How do you craft a compelling university essay, analyse a literary text, and put criticism to use? How can you interpret a work within its historical context, or apply literary theory to it? Through studying a wide range of texts, from novels such as Wuthering Heights, to Renaissance tragedy, to the poetry of Toni Morrison, you'll develop essential skills for academic reading and writing. This module will enhance your appreciation of literature and prepare you for advanced study throughout your degree. 

Optional modules

Voices and Audiences: Building Your Professional Communication Skills 
This module introduces you to the many ways that your literary knowledge and communication skills will be useful in future employment. Studying a range of poems, speeches, and plays, you will learn how to employ effective rhetorical strategies to communicate professionally with different audiences, enabling you to give speeches, design lesson plans or exhibitions, or run social media campaigns. The module includes masterclasses from professionals working in, for example, museums, theatres, and social media.

Becoming a Social Scientist  
This module transitions you to university scholarship and introduces the employability and professional skills that a social science degree provides through a range of action-focused activities. You will learn vital academic and professional skills and competencies that will allow you to thrive in the first year of your undergraduate studies and throughout your degree.

Classic Literature and its Adaptations
What makes a work of literature 'classic'? What do we mean when we call something an example of 'popular culture'? This module invites you to compare 'classic' texts (such as Hamlet, The Great Gatsby, and The Color Purple) with adaptations that share their themes or challenge their values. You'll learn new ways to think about why some texts are called 'classics' and some are not, and enrich your understanding of the way that texts interact with one another across genres.

Gothic Nightmares: Robots, Monsters and Witches
Gothic Nightmares introduces you to the representation of spooks, automatons, monsters and supernatural horrors in literature, film, and TV from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Each week you will read a short story and a critical text, and watch an example of the gothic genre from film or TV. Why has the gothic persisted as it has? Why do we need (or want) to be scared? What are we afraid of anyway?

What does it mean to be good? 
You will be introduced to the ethical, practical concerns of philosophy, centring on the ancient question “how should we live?” Religious belief and doubt usually had a role in these reflections, so this module makes an excellent link from Religious Studies, which you may have engaged in prior to university. You will have the opportunity to think philosophically in religious spaces through field trips and site visits. Assessed debates, as well as assessed PowerPoint presentations, will develop your transferable skills.

Ancient Global Wisdom 
Ancient philosophy with a twist, for although Greek philosophy is discussed in depth, ideas from traditional Indian, Chinese and African philosophy are given prominence too. By seeing how similar philosophical concerns arose, you will come to a better understanding of how the past has shaped our thinking. You will write dialogues and empathetic monologues, in the spirit of ancient philosophy. For an unforgettable Experiential Learning, you will have an opportunity to perform these in the perfect setting: The Keele Amphitheatre.

Nietzsche’s Death of God 
Few philosophers hold more fascination to the beginning student of philosophy than Friedrich Nietzsche, the prophetic and iconoclastic 19th century philosopher who predicted a coming age of nihilism, which many think has now arrived; Nietzsche’s final lapse of sanity is often connected to his uncompromising path of thought. The excitement of reading Nietzsche provides a perfect introduction to close textual reading and analysis, which will prove useful as the degree progresses, and which is another of philosophy’s key transferrable skills. 

Students MUST take EITHER 'Becoming a Social Scientist' OR 'Voices and Audiences'.

Compulsory modules

Revolutions in Thought: Medieval Pioneers to Romantic Rebels 
How can we mobilise our sociological imagination to understand the complexities and challenges of the modern world and our place within it? This module rethinks classic sociological theories for the global digital world, considering poststructural, intersectional and non-Western perspectives. You will gain a critical appreciation of how competing sociologies have emerged as our understanding of positionality and difference has developed, and look to the ways in which the sociological project has been stretched to incorporate debates about our non-human world. 

Enlightenment Philosophy 
It is impossible to properly understand the rise of modern science and decline in the cultural influence of religion in Europe without understanding the rise of modern philosophy, and thus the great metaphysical and epistemological theories of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. A module such as this is essential to any serious study of philosophy. Transferable skills are developed through close textual reading and analysis, and through assessed group, which develop presentation and teamwork skills 

Optional modules

Cultures in Conflict: Victorian to Contemporary World Literature 
In the face of challenges from above, below and within, democracy around the world is under threat. From challenges posed by populism and autocratic leadership, to increasing political mistrust and declining levels of participation set against a backdrop of the threat posed by AI and misinformation, global democracies face numerous different threats. You will develop your data handling and analysis skills, exploring whether global democracy is resilient or in retreat and complete diverse assessments designed for an external audience.

Literature and Society 
Building on your first year, in this second-year module you will extend your knowledge of different literary approaches and theories, exploring topics such as feminism, race studies, ecocriticism, and the history of emotions. You will explore how literature reflects and influences social issues, both those contemporary to the literature you study and those relevant in today’s society. You will deepen your skills in critical analysis as you apply your literary understanding to real-world debates and situations.

Brave New Worlds? Science Fiction and Fantasy
Building on your understanding of genre fiction, ‘popular’ literature, and questions of value developed in year 1, on 'Brave New Worlds?' you'll examine the connections between two types of 'speculative fiction': sci-fi and fantasy. As you explore how their strange fictional worlds critique the real world, you'll think further about the relationship between ‘popular’ genres and the literary establishment, consolidating your skills in independent critical analysis. Why are such genres still often not regarded as ‘serious’ literature? Is this justifiable? 

Meaning and Nihilism 
A module on our existential condition as mortal human beings: whether there is a meaning of life, or whether nihilists are right that there is not. For some, nihilism is a source of liberation – ‘Sunny Nihilism’ is a popular online movement – while the traditional view is that it is a source of despair. In studying this fascinating and personally engaging topic, students will gain sought-after skills in presenting and advocating, e.g., by preparing speeches and drawing up debate maps.

Pathways with English: Developing your Profile
This module broadens your knowledge of the variety of career pathways open to you, enabling you to identify, analyse, and showcase your degree skills and experiences effectively. Through completing and reflecting on problem-based tasks relating to different sectors, such as telling the story of a business, or writing a funding proposal to support a literary festival, you will build your creative and collaborative skills and learn how to articulate them in ways that will be attractive to employers.

Social Sciences at Work
This module begins to introduce you to possible careers for social scientists and links to the work you are doing in your subject core and option modules asking the question ‘how can we mobilise academic study into the real world?’ You will also be encouraged to prepare for placement work that you may pursue and reflect on your social media footprint; developing your personal/professional brand and digital networking platforms.

Professional Experience with English (Year 2) 
This module offers you the chance to contribute to the world outside the University through completing a work placement, a project for a client (or a series of projects for different clients), or working as a team to deliver a successful festival or event. You will be trained to showcase your creative and collaborative skills and abilities effectively before applying for an opportunity advertised through the module (or you can source your own, subject to it meeting the module’s requirements). 

The American South: US Summer School (Level 5) 
Study Southern US culture on location! The American South is a distinctive but difficult to define geographical and cultural entity, and attitudes to the South range from celebration to derision. Studying with others from a range of disciplines, you will think through historical and current constructions of the US South through its history, literature, film, and wider culture. You spend four weeks at one of our partner universities taught by Keele staff, shaping your own research project with their support. 

Students must take ONE of the available professional development modules: 'Professional Experience in English (Year 2)', 'Pathways in English', 'Social Sciences at Work'.

Optional modules

Shakespeare on Film 
How have Shakespeare's works been adapted by the film industry, and why do screenwriters and directors make the creative decisions they make? In 'Shakespeare on Film' you will explore a range of Shakespeare plays adapted for film, and develop your understanding both of the original works and of the possibilities they offer for reinterpretation and adaptation. You can practise film adaptation yourself, as you explore possibilities for cutting and modernising Shakespeare’s text for the screen.

Angels and Demons: Conflict and Rebellion in Seventeenth-Century Literature 
In 'Angels and Demons' you will focus on one of the most turbulent periods in English history. In the mid-1600s, civil war turned the country upside down, and writers turned to the supernatural to explain their experiences of conflict, as well as to justify or condemn rebellion. Through studying a range of printed matter – including epic supernatural tales, ghost narratives, and religious prophecies – you will enhance your ability to scrutinise the ways in which imaginative writing shaped political debate.

Not just superheroes! Contemporary Comics and Graphic Novels 
Contemporary comics and graphic novels deal with a startling range of themes: alongside superheroes, they explore questions of racial identity, sexual politics, teenage angst, events such as 9/11 and the legacy of colonialism. You will learn how to read these complex, exciting texts, exploring the challenges and pleasures that graphic narratives offer to readers. In discussing how the combination of text and image offer new approaches to understanding contemporary issues, you will develop an advanced appreciation of different literary genres.

In the Matrix: Postmodernism in Fiction, Film and Theory
On 'In the Matrix', you'll explore postmodernism: a cultural and literary movement characterised by scepticism towards authority and an emphasis on irony, playfulness, and fragmentation. You’ll examine its implications for notions of history, identity, sexuality, politics, and consumer society, considering how techniques like intertextuality and unreliable narration challenge traditional structures and conventions. You'll assess the influence of these ideas on authors and film directors and study the main themes and techniques in postmodern fiction and film.

The Alcohol Question
From Shakespeare to Bridget Jones, alcohol has always held a fascination for writers. On this module you will extend considerations of gender, sexuality, and class from previous modules and apply these questions to literary, televisual and filmic representations of alcohol use and drinking cultures. You can produce critical and creative work on key themes such as pub culture, alcoholism, and lads and ladettes – and you can even write your own drinking song or temperance tale!

EITHER Dissertation in Philosophy 
The dissertation module allows you to undertake independent study on a philosophical subject of your choice. You’ll receive individual guidance from a staff member to develop expertise, culminating in an 8,000-word dissertation. In Semester 1, you’ll have the opportunity to present your abstract at a Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture to an external academic. You will then present your thesis at the Philosophy Student Showcase in Semester 2, honing key skills in initiative, determination, and self-criticism.

OR English Project
In your final-year independent research project you will showcase the skills that you have developed over the three years of your degree. In group workshops and individual supervisions you will work closely with a member of the Keele English team to produce either an 8-10,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choosing, or a modern edition of a (normally pre-1800) lesser-known text. Either route will require you to use advanced skills in English literature research, theoretical debate, and textual analysis.

Religion and Metaphysics
Mysticism and spirituality are of increasing importance to people in our technological, output-driven age, but few understand their roots in Neoplatonism, Sufism, the Kabbalah and other strands of ‘Perennial Philosophy’. Against the background of a rational philosophical tradition, today’s trends of mysticism can be critically assessed and improved, leading to clear practical applications. You will gain valuable skills for researching and reporting from close textual analysis and the need to collate information from a variety of difficult texts.

Evaluating Science with Philosophy
The philosophy of science is a central area of contemporary philosophy, as it should be in a world dominated by scientific understanding. However, not all attitudes to science are rational, with scientism generally regarded as an inappropriate, uncritical, almost religious trust in science. This module develops transferrable skills with an innovative video-making project for one of its assessments, showcasing how to channel your perspectives into engaging, audience-focused and interactive content.

Practical Philosophy  
In this module, you will explore the practical application of philosophy through philosophical counselling or other practical approaches to philosophy. You'll learn how philosophical thinking can improve your life, in a manner similar to psychotherapy, for example. Assessments include practical tasks like role-playing exercises, developing transferable skills such as empathetic understanding. Additionally, the module offers a toolkit to enhance your mental health, benefiting you both during and after your studies.

Engaged Social Science 
Moving on from the previous skills modules, you will further consider how your degree can link to a range of life skills and careers through engagement with community groups, activists and people working in public and private sectors. You will be supported in your next steps either through transition to the workplace or postgraduate study.

Employing English: Putting Your Subject into Practice 
Now you are preparing for life after graduation, this module enables you to put your degree skills into practice and work with employer-clients on a series of real-life projects. Enhancing the creative and collaborative skills you developed in your second year, this final-year module will develop your ability to work effectively with clients from a variety of settings, such as charities, publishers, museums, and will enhance your confidence in presenting your work to your chosen employer-client

Professional Experience with English (Year 3)
In your final year we offer you another opportunity to complete a work placement, a project for a client (or a series of clients), or work as part of a team to deliver a successful festival or event. Completed during the final stages of your degree, the module gives you cutting-edge experience of the sector you wish to enter following graduation as well as valuable employer contacts, thereby providing you with an effective career launchpad. 

Work Placement for Final Year Social Sciences 
This module is designed to give you the opportunity to contribute to the world beyond the university. The chosen workplace may be, for example, with the local borough council, other government-related institutions, as well as other UK-based public or private sectors (e.g., businesses, risk analysis, PR, Journalism, charity, radio). While on the placement, you will produce a portfolio that you can draw on in future applications and interviews, reflecting on and giving evidence of the activities/outputs completed at your chosen workplace.

The American South: US Summer School (Level 6) 
Study Southern US culture on location! The American South is a distinctive but difficult to define geographical and cultural entity, and attitudes to the South range from celebration to derision. Studying with others from a range of disciplines, you will think through historical and current constructions of the US South through its history, literature, film, and wider culture. You spend four weeks at one of our partner universities taught by Keele staff, shaping your own research project with their support. 

Students must do a final year independent research project, and so must take EITHER 'Dissertation in Philosophy' OR 'English Project'. You may choose both. 

Students MUST take ONE of the available professional development modules: 'Professional Experience in English (Year 3)', 'Employing English: Putting Your Subject into Practice', 'Engaged Social Science', 'Work Placement for Social Sciences'.