Introduction to English
Why study English?
- Study in one of the leading English programs
- Study English with some of Australia's eminent scholars and teachers
- Study a wide range of subjects is offered
- A chance to broaden your horizons
By specialising in English you will learn to read analytically and to think and write critically about both familiar and unfamiliar texts. You will encounter a field of study that over the last twenty years or so has been characterised by dynamic changes. These have transformed the ways in which we write about literary texts and interact with other forms of cultural and textual analysis.
The English program offers undergraduate subjects in specialist areas such as:
- medieval literature
- renaissance literature
- romantic literature
- modernist literature
- Australian literature
- American literature
- postmodernist literature
You may also explore interdisciplinary areas such as:
- postcolonial writing
- women's writing
- Aboriginal writing
- popular fiction
- non-fictional forms of textual and cultural production
The program encourages you to examine fundamental questions:
- What is literature?
- How has it been defined, analysed and valued?
- How can related forms - oral culture, film, mass media, and visual and performance art - be studied in conjunction?
- How have responses to these literary and cultural forms changed over time?
Rather than definitively answering these questions, the aim is to encourage you to discover, challenge and take part in critical thinking.
Study in one of the leading English programs
English in the School of Culture and Communication is recognised nationally and internationally as one of the most exciting and progressive programs of its kind. Inaugurated in 1854, it is one of the oldest programs of English in Australia. Since the 1970s it has been at the forefront of disciplinary innovation, championing current approaches to literary studies while maintaining a strong commitment to scholarly values, as well as to encouraging a love of literature and writing.
Study with some of Australia's eminent scholars and teachers
As an English student you can strive for excellence under the guidance of thinkers who are highly regarded nationally and internationally. You will be encouraged to engage in discovery and in critical thought, and to pursue excellence.
View a list of the English academic staff
Study a wide range of subjects
The School of Culture and Communication is pluralistic in approach, offering a diverse range of subjects. You may find it helpful to plan your subject choices around English and its other related disciplines: Cultural Studies and Creative Writing.
View a full of subjects:
A chance to broaden horizons
Many of our students are actively involved in creative and critical writing. Within the University, there are a number of prizes for poetry, prose and critical writing, You can also contribute critical and/or creative articles, reviews or essays to the School's publication antiTHESIS, a training ground of many established writers and journalists. At postgraduate level, you might even choose to join the editing and publishing team responsible for antiTHESIS.
NB The School of Culture and Communication does not offer English Language Studies.