Key information
Duration: 3 years full time
UCAS code: QQ23
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
The course
Comparative Literature and Culture and English (BA)
A joint honours degree in Comparative Literature and Culture and English gives you access to a world of literature, allowing you to compare and contrast the English literary tradition with the literatures and cultures produced in different languages, places, and historical periods from across the globe. It will provide you with the opportunity to combine the study of world literatures and visual arts with the critical study of English literature, developing you as a culturally aware, creative and adaptable thinker, with impressive communication and presentation skills.
Comparative Literature and Culture may appeal if you have already enjoyed studying English, Drama, Languages, or History of Art at A Level but wish to develop your understanding of these subjects by taking a more global, comparative perspective. The programme is taught by academics from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures who are experts in European and world literatures and cultures and whose research is multilingual, transnational, and interdisciplinary.
The course takes a cross-cultural perspective that compares materials from the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. Alongside the core modules which introduce key critical concepts and develop comparative analytical skills, you can choose from a wide range of fascinating options: you can read, watch, and compare materials from Ancient Greece to contemporary New York, from medieval Arabia to contemporary Korea, from world cinema to crime fiction, and from tragedy to the avant-garde. You do not need to have studied, or study, a foreign language as all materials are taught in English translation. Far more than a journey around the world through literary and cultural ‘masterpieces’, Comparative Literature and Culture at Royal Holloway encourages students to think critically about how and why literatures and cultures develop, evolve, and travel. As a result, students of CLC develop the important analytical skills, creative thinking, cross-cultural understanding and global outlook that are valued by employers.
From Beowulf to the Booker Prize , English offers you the opportunity to study the full historical range of literature in English as well as the latest developments in the field, and even to pursue your own creative writing. You can discover the earliest works in English, deepen your knowledge of Shakespeare, find out what is great about Renaissance literature, darken your view of the 18th century, and unpack the Victorians.
The course's structure allows you to develop a sound understanding of key periods, genres, authors, and ideas as well as choosing from a huge range of options. You can study Modernism, Postmodernism and American literature, explore literary criticism, develop your own creative writing, and analyse the latest developments in global literatures in the English language. You will gain original insights into the whole range of English literature from its beginnings to its latest developments, ranging from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and Salman Rushdie. And study unusual, non-traditional subjects such as the body in the 18th century or time in modern literature or courses incorporating visual arts and cinema.
One of the strengths of Comparative Literature and Culture and English at Royal Holloway is the supportive environment we create. Our student communities are close-knit and international, with students coming from a variety backgrounds and parts of the world, enhancing the programme’s global perspective. Throughout your studies you will also be able to get involved with an array of cultural initiatives that take place on campus and make the most of being within easy reach of London and its many events and attractions.
Studying Comparative Literature and Culture and English will broaden your horizons, interests and passions, and give you a critical edge in a competitive global marketplace.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Year 1
You will take the following modules in Comparative Literature and Culture:
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This module introduces students to the theories and practices of textual analysis and comparative textual analysis as well as to the major debates about theories and practices of comparative literature in a transnational context. Students will read a small number of core literary texts - influential within comparatism and diverse in cultural, temporal and linguistic origin - alongside a range of historically, geographically, culturally, generically and stylistically varied textual extracts. The core literary texts will be read in their entirety, with particular attention to: the construction and interpretation of genre; transnationalism and translation; cultural and historical context; and questions of authorship, influence and canonicity.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how to think, read and write as a critic. You will look at the concepts, ideas and histories that are central to the ‘disciplinary consciousness’ of English Literature, considering periodisation, form, genre, canon, intention, narrative, framing and identity.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the origins, developments and innovations of the novel form. You will look at a range of contemporary, eighteenth and nineteenth-century novels and learn to use concepts in narrative theory and criticism. You will consider literary history and make formal and thematic connections between texts and their varying socio-cultural contexts. You will examine novels such as 'The Accidental' by Ali Smith, 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe and 'North and South' by Elizabeth Gaskell, analysing their cultural and intellectual contexts.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of a variety of major poems in English. You will look at key poems from the Renaissance to the present day. You will engage with historical issues surrounding the poems and make critical judgements, considering stylistic elements such as rhyme, rhythm, metre, diction and imagery. You will examine poems from Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath and analyse topics such as sound, the stanza and the use of poetic language.
Year 2
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Comparing short stories from different periods and geographical areas is a great way of exploring how literature evolves structurally and thematically in response to different ideas and contexts. In this module we read short stories – and look at examples of visual art - from the eighteenth century to the present day to discover what structural and symbolic elements characterize major movements of Western art including the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism and Postmodernism. All non-English-language texts are in English translation. These are explored both individually and in comparison, developing skills in close reading and comparative critical analysis and the ability to recognize and contrast different features of fiction and to situate evolving literary aesthetics in their historical context.
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This module provides an account of some of the major theoretical trends and currents which inform our thinking and practice of Comparative Literature and Culture. Reading canonical and contemporary texts alongside each other, students will ask questions such as: How should we understand and respond to art in the twenty-first century? Who counts as a subject and how should we understand racial, sexual and species difference? And, how should we conceptualise culture in a globalised world?
Year 3
- All modules are optional
Optional Modules
For more information on optional modules available as part of the CLC part of your course, please see the list here.
Teaching & assessment
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminar groups, and tutorials, in which you will be able to try out new ideas by giving presentations and participating in lively discussions in a supportive environment. Independent study and preparation are essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the University’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle, which provides a variety of supporting materials.
We use a range of assessment models to suit different learning styles, from online comprehension tests and individual and group presentations to coursework-based assignments such as short and long essays, critical commentaries, blogposts and reviews, and end of year formal examinations and portfolios of creative work.
When you begin you will be allocated your own Personal Advisor, a member of academic staff who will support you academically. In your first year you also take a study skills course designed to equip you with and enhance the skills you will need to be successful in your degree. This course does not count towards your final degree award, but you are required to pass it to progress to your second year.
Entry requirements
A Levels: AAB-ABB
Required subjects:
- A-level B in an essay based subject.
- At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and Mathematics.
English language requirements
All teaching at Royal Holloway (apart from some language courses) is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.
The scores we require
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
Country-specific requirements
For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please visit here.
Undergraduate preparation programme
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements, for this undergraduate degree, the Royal Holloway International Study Centre offers an International Foundation Year programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills.
Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Your future career
Graduating with a degree in Comparative Literature and Culture and English from Royal Holloway will help you stand out in a crowded global marketplace. As well as being an adaptable and critical thinker with impressive communication and leadership skills, students of Comparative Literature and Culture and English are valued by employers because of their rich cultural and transnational awareness.
Your degree not only gives you the directly relevant knowledge to enter the literary, creative, media and arts sectors, but also a range of valuable transferable skills, thereby allowing you to keep your options open, crucial in today’s world of flexible careers. Our recent graduates have successfully entered a wide range of careers including film, content writing, photographic editorial, journalism, publishing, marketing and PR, the media, arts administration, fashion, finance, international management, retail buying, the civil service, law, accountancy or teaching; others have gone on to pursue postgraduate study in a variety of fields.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,535
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £26,800
Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.
*The tuition fee for Home (UK) undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. This figure is the fee for the academic year 2025/26 and is shown as a guide. The fee for the academic year 2026/27 has not yet been announced.
**This figure is the fee for EU and international students on this course in the academic year 2026/27.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for all students. For further information see fees and funding.
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2026/27 academic year. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
