A degree for a better future...

The Cambridge English BA gives you the skills to flourish. This degree will teach you to be an analytical thinker - 'the most sought-after core skill among employers' according to the World Economic Forum. The expansive breadth of the degree and its demands also foster flexible and agile thinking, resilience, curiosity, creative thinking and independence, all skills already highly valued by employers and expected to rise even more in importance as the world faces new challenges.

"English taught me to think in a disciplined, structured way and to engage with the human as well as the analytical. Both of these were invaluable in my later career [...] Most of all English inspired me."

Paul Rogers, a former Managing Director of Bain & Company, a Global Management Consulting Firm

...with many possibilities

A Cambridge English degree keeps your options open. Our graduates build successful careers in business, civil service, diplomacy, finance, healthcare, investment, journalism, law, politics and public policy, as well as thriving in creative industries as actors, broadcasters, directors, literary agents, novelists, playwrights, producers, and screenwriters. Unlike some subjects, a Cambridge English degree doesn't have a single predetermined route and that is its great strength: it opens doors for our graduates.

[In my admissions interview] I was asked by the most animated woman with the most powerful intellect what I thought and it changed my life. My whole life was different from then on. I left on cloud nine because I had never had an experience like it - Newnham gave me permission to have ideas.

Emma Thompson, Oscar-winning actor

...and a humane focus

At the same time, studying English at university should be about more than just acquiring skills. We firmly believe there is a place for pleasure in a degree, whether that's the joy of encountering other minds in books and the supervision room, or from thinking deeply or from crafting an argument. Our alumni consistently talk about their love and knowledge of literature having inspired and comforted them beyond Cambridge, giving them an anchor in life. As Margaret Atwood says, 'The study of English, through novels, poetry, plays, and essays, will take you into the heart of our shared humanity. It might even allow you to see the world with new eyes, and help you make it more humane.'

In Demand

8 of the 10 fastest growing sectors employ more graduates from AHSS than other disciplines

Equipped for the Future

English graduates have 8 of the top 10 skills declared essential by the World Economic Forum

Flourishing Careers

At 6.2% p.a. English graduates have the 4th best wage growth in the UK

Where will English take you?

Find out more about some of the careers our alumni have chosen and how they have made an impact in the world.

Politics

'Doing English is intensely political. It's about your power to get your point over and communicate well.' (Andy Burnham, Prime Minister 2026-)

Writer

At Cambridge, 'I studied 500 years’ worth of literature and that is what made me a writer.' (Zadie Smith, novelist and essayist)

Sathnam Sanghera, photo credit Frederick Windsor-Clive

Journalist

'Find people who have the job you want and talk about it.' (Sathnam Sanghera, journalist and writer)

Publishing

'English literature at Cambridge...helped put me in a credible position to start Bloomsbury Publishing.' (Nigel Newton, founder Bloomsbury publishing)

Film and TV

English 'taught me how to communicate, to evaluate, to create a cogent argument, to empathise…it gave me everything.' (Sue Perkins, comedian and broadcaster)

Theatre

'No one’s going to put me in the limelight. You have to do it yourself.' (Temi Wilkey, writer-performer of Main Character Energy)

Law

'If one only does what one is passionate about then it's extraordinary how much one can do.' (Anthony Julius, Solicitor-Advocate)

Finance and Investment

"It's ok to not know what you want to do with your career.' For your degree 'do what you're passionate about.' (Tilly Franklin, Chief Investment Officer)

Discover more

Study with us

We are proud of our commitment to teaching, and love working with our students as they develop their ideas. Read more about what it's like to study here.

Three University staff members are talking in front of a banner at the Student Services Careers Centre. Copyright: University of Cambridge (November 2024)

University Careers Service

The University's Careers Service offers support during your time at Cambridge and beyond, from deciding what careers interest you through to help with interviews and assessment centres.

screenshot of the start of a video celebrating recent graduates of English degrees

EnglishCreates Futures

#EnglishCreates explores how vibrant and connected with the contemporary world and its needs English studies degrees are, with careers for graduates across industry and society.