English

BA/BSc (NFQ Level 8)

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Irish/UK/EU Applicant

International (non-EU) Applicant

Study Abroad

Sustainable Development Goals

This course is available through the following application route(s)

Duration:

3 Years

Attendance:

Full Time

Delivery:

On Campus

NFQ Level:

8 (180 credits)

Level:

Undergraduate

Award:

Bachelor of Arts

Next Intake:

September

General Entry Requirements (A-Level)

DDD

General Entry Requirements (IB)

Subject Requirements (Mathematics)

A Level C for Maths/Stats

IB HL5 for Maths/Stats

CAO Points 2025

420

Leaving Cert Subject Entry Requirements

English, Irish, a third Language, Three other recognised subjects

Country Specific Entry Requirements:

Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.

Other School Leaving Requirements:

See www.ucd.ie/admissions

About This Course

Click here to Download Course Pathways document.

You will study themes and contexts of literature from around the world, from Medieval to contemporary times. Modules are taught in a variety of ways ranging from small in-depth seminars taught by a single lecturer, to larger, collaboratively-taught classes and research driven modules. Throughout your degree you can choose from more than 60 modules on different aspects of literature including:

First Year

Reading World Literature • Literature & Crisis • Contemporary Irish Writing • Literary Genre: The Art of Criticism & the Craft of Writing • How to Read Poetry • Horror Literature • Children’s Literature • Comics & Fantasy

Second Year

Critical Theory • Reading Medieval Literature • Irish Literature in English • Modern American Literature • Renaissance Literature • Romanticism • Global 19th Century Literature

Third Year

Reading Ulysses • Apocalypse Then: Old English Literature • Yeats & the Arts • Writing Black • Reading Gender and Sexuality • The Modern Short Story • Social Networks in Fiction • Global Science Fiction • Masculinities & Manhood • Contemporary Irish Women’s Poetry • Global Eco- Literature • Making Shakespeare • Literature & Science

Assessment is through end-of-trimester essays and written examinations, as well as a range of continuous assessment methods, including worksheets, presentations and project work.

Study English

Archaeology	Irish/Gaeilge
Art History	Irish Folklore
Celtic Civilisation	Irish Studies
Drama Studies	Italian
Film Studies	Latin
French	Maths
Greek	Music
Greek & Roman Civilisation	Linguistics
Geography	Philosophy
German	Spanish
History	Sociology
Information & Communication Studies	Statistics
Portuguese

Studying English (BSc Social Sciences) as a minor with one of the following:

Sociology

Geography

We have links with: Albert-Ludwigs- Universität, Freiburg, Germany; Sorbonne Université, France; University of Turin, Italy; University of Verona, Italy; University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; University of Coimbra, Portugal; University of Barcelona, Spain; University of British Columbia, Canada; University of Miami, USA; University of Otago, New Zealand; University of California, Davis, USA.

Graduates of English work across a wide range of industries, including: Broadcasting and Journalism, Cultural Production and Arts Management, Public Relations, Business/Finance, Publishing, Law, Politics, Policymaking, Teaching, Heritage, Management Consultancy, Tourism, Humanities Research, Digital Media and Tech.

Choose from a wide range of MA options including: Creative Writing, Literature and Culture (with strands in American, Gender, Sexuality and Culture, Medieval, Modern and Contemporary, Renaissance) Film Studies and Writing for Stage and Screen, Irish Writing. See www.ucd.ie/englishdramafilm/study/ postgraduate for more detail.

Module Type	Module		Trimester	Credits
Stage 2 Core Modules	ENG20780	Critical Theory	Autumn	10
Stage 2 Core Modules	ENG20410	Reading Medieval Literature	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 option modules. Students can choose to take further modules in English as substitutions for elective credits.	ENG20450	Writing and Performance in the Age of Shakespeare: Renaissance Literature	Autumn	5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 option modules. Students can choose to take further modules in English as substitutions for elective credits.	ENG20490	Romanticism	Autumn	5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 option modules. Students can choose to take further modules in English as substitutions for elective credits.	ENG20430	Modern American Literature	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 option modules. Students can choose to take further modules in English as substitutions for elective credits.	ENG20440	Reading the story of Ireland: Irish Literature in English	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 option modules. Students can choose to take further modules in English as substitutions for elective credits.	ENG20790	Global 19th C. Literature	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 option modules. Students can choose to take further modules in English as substitutions for elective credits.	ENG20800	Global Eco-Literature	Spring	5
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31960	Apocalypse Then: Old Eng. Lit.	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32030	Theatre of Martin McDonagh	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32050	Reading Joyce	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32070	Medieval Celluloid	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32090	Masculinities and Manhood in Irish Writing and Culture	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32100	Fin-de-Siecle	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32560	Writing Black: African American Literature and Racial Consciousness	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32580	Staging Conflict and Human Rights	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32760	Life Writing: Text and Self	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32780	Presenting Tennessee Williams	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32840	Literature and Justice	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32860	Literature & Publishing	Autumn	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31930	Irish Fiction After 2010	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31940	Global Science Fiction	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31980	Women and the Novel in Romantic-era Britain	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32020	Detecting Fictions: the Crime Novel in America, Britain and Ireland	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32080	Social Networks in Fiction: from Jane Austen to Conan Doyle	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32180	Poetry in Performance	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32200	Sexuality & American Modernism	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32270	Pursuits of Happiness: Fictions of America Since 1945	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32600	Creative Non-Fiction	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32670	Dark Romanticism	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32690	Writing Habits	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32870	The Modernist Novel	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	CRWT30240	Making Comics	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31900	Yeats and the Arts	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31990	Reading Gender and Sexuality	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32220	Popular Fiction in Britain	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32290	Reading Ulysses	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32380	Sexuality and the State in Irish Drama and Culture	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32590	Memory and Testimony in Performance	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32680	Global Renaissance	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32790	Shakespeare in Film&Television	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32810	Irish Poetry, Global Diplomacy	Spring	10
Stage 3 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32510	Writing Dublin	Autumn	5
Stage 3 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32520	Ugly Feelings	Autumn	5
Stage 3 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32740	King Arthur: History & Romance	Autumn	5
Stage 3 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG31780	Contemporary European Crime Fiction	Spring	5
Stage 3 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32880	The 'Madwoman' in Literature	Spring	5
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31960	Apocalypse Then: Old Eng. Lit.	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32030	Theatre of Martin McDonagh	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32050	Reading Joyce	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32070	Medieval Celluloid	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32090	Masculinities and Manhood in Irish Writing and Culture	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32100	Fin-de-Siecle	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32560	Writing Black: African American Literature and Racial Consciousness	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32580	Staging Conflict and Human Rights	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32760	Life Writing: Text and Self	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32780	Presenting Tennessee Williams	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32840	Literature and Justice	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32860	Literature & Publishing	Autumn	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31930	Irish Fiction After 2010	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31940	Global Science Fiction	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31980	Women and the Novel in Romantic-era Britain	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32020	Detecting Fictions: the Crime Novel in America, Britain and Ireland	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32080	Social Networks in Fiction: from Jane Austen to Conan Doyle	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32180	Poetry in Performance	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32200	Sexuality & American Modernism	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32270	Pursuits of Happiness: Fictions of America Since 1945	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32600	Creative Non-Fiction	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32670	Dark Romanticism	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32690	Writing Habits	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32870	The Modernist Novel	Autumn and Spring (separate)	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	CRWT30240	Making Comics	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31900	Yeats and the Arts	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG31990	Reading Gender and Sexuality	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32220	Popular Fiction in Britain	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32290	Reading Ulysses	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32380	Sexuality and the State in Irish Drama and Culture	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32590	Memory and Testimony in Performance	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32680	Global Renaissance	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32790	Shakespeare in Film&Television	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - A) Min 2 of: Students should choose 2 x 10 credit modules. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives	ENG32810	Irish Poetry, Global Diplomacy	Spring	10
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32510	Writing Dublin	Autumn	5
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32520	Ugly Feelings	Autumn	5
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32740	King Arthur: History & Romance	Autumn	5
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG31780	Contemporary European Crime Fiction	Spring	5
Stage 4 Options - B) Min 1 of: Students should choose 1 x 5 credit module. Students may take additional modules from the list below in place of electives.	ENG32880	The 'Madwoman' in Literature	Spring	5

By joining the UCD College of Arts and Humanities you will be part of a vibrant community of students and faculty who are committed to creating a more sustainable, just and equitable future. Our courses are designed to equip students with the best education in their chosen arts and humanities subjects. Our research and teaching and learning connect with many of the SDGs, most notably:

SDG 4: Quality Education -Promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
SDG 5: Gender Equality - Advances gender equality by addressing social norms, histories, and cultural practices that contribute to gender disparities.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities - Encourages understanding and action against social, economic, and political inequalities.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Enhances cultural understanding and heritage preservation, fostering sustainable communities.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - Promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions through critical inquiry into human rights, ethics, and governance.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Encourages global partnerships and collaboration by fostering international understanding and dialogue.

Our programmes equip students with critical thinking, empathy, and cultural awareness, essential for addressing complex global challenges.

Studying English at UCD has empowered me to develop a profound understanding and appreciation of literature. It has also given me the opportunity to implement the craft of writing, critical thinking and analysis, helping me to develop how I articulate my ideas in academia and everyday life. The School of English, Drama and Film has an extremely friendly and dedicated staff. Each lecturer that I have interacted with has been so helpful and approachable. The lecturers and tutors are very passionate about their subject. This is conveyed through their various teaching styles, making for a very enjoyable and enriching experience.

Adesewa Awobadejo, English Graduate

How to Apply

General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to English:

ROWCLASS	Apply to
showAudience-audienceInt	BAU5 Joint Honours Bachelor of Arts Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Undergraduate Degree (Non EU) Non EU Undergraduates Apply
showAudience-audienceInt	SBU3 Social Sciences Bachelor of Science Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Undergraduate Degree (Non EU) Non EU Undergraduates Apply
showAudience-audienceEU	DN520 Joint Honours Bachelor of Arts Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Application through CAO Apply via CAO
showAudience-audienceEU	DN700 Social Sciences Bachelor of Science Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Application through CAO Apply via CAO

Additional special entry route(s) to English:

These options have additional eligibility requirements to cater for specific applicant cohorts. You should not apply via these routes before consulting the requirements or contacting the responsible UCD office.

ROWCLASS	Apply to
showAudience-audienceInt	BAU5 Joint Honours Bachelor of Arts Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Access Progression Pathway Access Progression Pathway Apply Application to this Non-EU Access Progression Pathway is by invitation only. If you are not currently enrolled on an Access programme at UCD, your application will be marked as invalid. If you are not a current Access student, but you are a non-EU applicant seeking admission to an undergraduate degree, please submit an application via the "Undergraduate Degree (Non-EU)" course type.
showAudience-audienceInt	SBU3 Social Sciences Bachelor of Science Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Access Progression Pathway Access Progression Pathway Apply Application to this Non-EU Access Progression Pathway is by invitation only. If you are not currently enrolled on an Access programme at UCD, your application will be marked as invalid. If you are not a current Access student, but you are a non-EU applicant seeking admission to an undergraduate degree, please submit an application via the "Undergraduate Degree (Non-EU)" course type.

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About This Course

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Explore UCD

About UCD

Students

Research & Innovation

Colleges

Engage

Key Services

English

Entry viaDN520BAU5 Joint Honours (BA) 3 Years

Entry viaDN700SBU3 Social Sciences (BSc) 4 Years

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