Are you passionate about literature, creative writing or exploring the origins of language? Maybe you see your future in the world of drama and performance? Perhaps you’re thinking about a teaching career or work in the civic sector?  At the University of Salford, our inter-disciplinary degrees and pathways enable you to explore and nurture diverse interests.

When you study an English course with us, you’ll be taught by expert tutors with a vast array of experience. Our English Literature staff are passionate about both the historical and contemporary landscapes of literature. Our Creative Writing tutors are publishing professionals. Our Language academics apply their knowledge to sectors as diverse as the media and health, and our drama practitioners are working playwrights and dramaturgs.

You will be based at a green campus close to the cultural benefits of Salford and Manchester and home to the New Adelphi Theatre and studios. If you study Creative Writing Multidiscipline, you will also be working with our state-of-the-art facilities at Media City UK.

And you won’t just be a number; you’ll be taught in small groups, which provide the opportunity for meaningful discussion with your tutors and peers.

You’ll be able to specialise in the areas of English that interest you, and at the end of it all, you’ll graduate with a portfolio of work and the confidence you’ll need to make an impact from day one of your new career. Our courses are flexible - you can combine the disciplines of Creative Writing, Drama, English Language and English Literature in any way you want by opting for our English Multidiscipline degree.

Read on to find out where English at Salford could take you.

DID YOU KNOW...?

What English, Creative Writing and Drama courses do we offer?

Foundation Year

Undergraduate

Undergraduate English Degree Courses

Spend three years exploring the areas of English which interest you most. You’ll gain an understanding of the general skills you’ll need, and as you progress you’ll get the chance to shape your degree how you want to.

Postgraduate

Postgraduate English Degree Courses

Build on your undergraduate and work experiences so far to further develop your skills and job prospects in a specific area.

Have a question? Read our helpful English course FAQs

What's the English, creative writing and drama scene like in Greater Manchester?

We're proud that Greater Manchester's literary and theatrical history is etched on the world map. Greater Manchester has produced iconic writers such as Thomas De Quincey, Howard Jacobson, Elizabeth Gaskell, Anthony Burgess, Jeanette Winterson and Lemn Sissay. 

Regular live literature events and festivals cover all genres, and there are lots of bookshops, libraries and archives to be explored. 

Greater Manchester is also a thriving hub of theatre and performance, from large scale globally touring productions to fringe theatre and experimental work, with lots of opportunities to experience and share work. 

Do you have any social channels I can follow you on?

The English department has an Instagram, Twitter and Facebook account you can follow so you can see the great things our staff get up to. 

How can I best prepare for my studies at the University of Salford?

If you're taking one of our degrees with Creative Writing in the title, our tutor David Savill (a famous published novelist) recommends that you keep working on your writing, so you have a readymade store of work to draw on in your first-year workshops.

Suppose you're taking a degree with Drama in the title. In that case, Szilvi Naray-Davey (actress, translator and programme leader for Drama) recommends that you try your best to take in as many plays as you can, whether in person or online.

If you're taking a degree with Literature in the title, you should focus on the writing that makes you happy - there is space for a personal, focused project in the final year dissertation.

If you're taking a degree with Language in the title, listen for the LLanguage all around you - whether that's children in your family learning their first words or different accents you encounter. Start noticing LLanguage in the world and note down anything you find interesting so your expert tutors can explain it.

What career pathways have Salford graduates followed?

You may be asking, 'what can you do with an English degree?' Our students go into many wonderful careers: writing, public relations, teaching, journalism, academia. The exciting thing about English is that it gives you the skills for the jobs of the future. Your communication skills will set you up to be a flexible, independent thinker who can deal with the changing nature of work in the twenty-first century. We also offer an internship at a publishing house as well as other opportunities.

You can find more details of these opportunities here.

How are students supported as they progress from college level study to university level?

We offer a free writing course to all of our students called Wordscope, which focuses on helping you to develop your writing skills, easing the transition from college to university. By participating in this course, you can learn to tackle common writing problems such as punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraphing.

For more information, you can take a look at the Wordscope webpage.

When can we expect our timetables?

Personalised timetables are sent to students when they register in September. We try our best to keep your timetable sensible and avoid you being in every day of the week. There are no lectures on a Wednesday afternoon then to participate in clubs, societies and extracurricular activities.

You will have nine in-class hours a week, which will be a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops - alongside drop-in office hours and personal tutor meetings.