English Studies

Program Overview

The B.A. Honours Bachelor Degree in English Studies at Trinity College Dublin is a four-year program that explores the history and practices of writing in English across various cultures. Students develop critical consciousness, literary analysis skills, and a deep understanding of critical and cultural theory. The program offers a wide range of specialist modules in the third and fourth years, culminating in a Capstone project. Graduates pursue careers in diverse fields, including journalism, teaching, business, and creative writing.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The B.A. Honours Bachelor Degree in English Studies at Trinity College Dublin is a four-year full-time program that delves into the history and practices of writing in English. It encompasses literary works spanning English, Anglo-Irish, American, and post-colonial cultures. The program aims to develop a thorough understanding of the history of these literatures while fostering a sophisticated critical consciousness and an awareness of critical and cultural theory.

Outline:

First and Second Years:

• Introduction to a variety of critical theories, practices, and approaches to literature
• Concentration on selected prescribed texts
• Modules may include:
• Genres
• Irish Writing
• Imagining the Middle Ages
• Shakespeare
• Writing Childhoods
• Pulp: Introduction to Popular Literature
• American Literature
• Postcolonial Literature
• Imagining the Contemporary

Third and Fourth Years:

• Students choose most of their modules from a wide range of specialist options
• Modules are taught at an advanced level in small group seminars
• Modules may include:
• Creative Writing
• Ulysses in Context
• African and Caribbean Literature
• Crime Fiction
• Global Shakespeare
• Modernism
• American Writing
• Children's Literature
• Popular Literature
• History of the English Language
• All final-year students complete a Capstone project, which can be a dissertation, a study of material from the Library's Open Collections, or a portfolio of Creative Writing.

Assessment:

• Combination of submitted essays, journals, dissertation, and end-of-semester examinations
• In first and second year, the weighting is approximately 66% submitted work and 33% final examinations
• In third and fourth year, the weighting may vary depending on the modules chosen, although submission of a Capstone project is compulsory for all final year students

Teaching:

• Small-group teaching with close personal staff supervision
• Development of writing and discussion skills
• Access to the resources of one of the world's great libraries, with rich resources in the full range of literature in English

Careers:

• Graduates gain leading roles in intellectual, professional, and public life
• Skills developed are in high demand from employers in various fields, including:
• Journalism
• Broadcasting
• Teaching
• Advertising
• Marketing
• Business
• Arts management
• Publishing
• Law
• Diplomacy
• Recent graduates work in organizations such as Google, the Irish Times, the Department of Foreign Affairs, RTÉ, and PwC
• Around 30% of graduates pursue postgraduate studies in English each year
• Notable creative writers who are Trinity English graduates include:
• Eavan Boland
• Deirdre Madden
• Michael Longley
• John Connolly
• Derek Mahon
• Brendan Kennelly
• Anne Enright
• Paula Meehan
• Sally Rooney

Other:

• Students may apply to study abroad during their third year, either on the Erasmus program in Europe or on a non-EU exchange in countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, Singapore, and China
• The program is also available within the Dual B.A.
Programme between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University (open only to Single Honours students)