How you will learn
Overview
The Cambridge system is unique, and we teach in many ways, so you benefit from a rich combination of methods. We are proud of our commitment to teaching, and love working with our students as they develop their ideas.
Supervisions
Colleges arrange weekly ‘supervisions’ in small groups, typically in pairs. These are led by specialists. You will usually write a short essay for each supervision, which you will discuss, as well as the topic in general. This is an exciting form of teaching: intensive, exploratory and led by you.
Lectures
The Faculty puts on a huge array of lectures. These are not compulsory and you are free to attend lectures on any areas that interest you. Lectures illuminate the whole subject panoramically and light up more focused intellectual passions.
Seminars
The Faculty also runs seminars that deepen your work on particular subjects, such as Shakespeare. A particular highlight are the third-year seminars, where small groups in a chosen specialism come together to exchange ideas and explore reading in lively, thought-provoking discussions.
Reading
A love of extended reading is essential to flourishing on our course. We have world-leading and exceptionally welcoming libraries, as well as a wealth of other resources to support you.
Hear from our undergraduates...
"When I first started studying English here, I was blown away by how varied the course is. Even within the same college, you have the opportunity to focus on completely different texts and approaches to your peers. Cambridge not only allows but encourages you to pursue your own interests and question what ‘canonical’ literature has been and should be."
"At Part II (the final year of the English course), the depth of exploration that is possible is riveting. I am now writing on literature in translation, climate change in relation to postcolonial ecocriticism and tragedy, the carceral complex in the Black Arts Movement poets, identity formation within the Malaysian Sinophone diaspora and a host of other topical issues"
"I came from a school background where I didn’t always have as much support as I might have liked, but here I have felt enabled to be comfortable creating the routine that suits me, filling my time with the work and extra-curricular activities that interest me."
"The great thing about university education is that you have a much greater say than school about what and how you study. Beyond the flexibility of the course itself, various committees, such as our Student Consultative Committee, also give students an opportunity to speak to representatives of the Faculty and ensure that our time studying English is the best it can be."
What about after graduation?
The average starting salary for a Cambridge English BA graduate is £27k. 87.5% of Cambridge English graduates were in work or further study 15 months after graduation and the majority describe their activity as 'meaningful'. Across the UK, graduates with an English degree have the 4th best wage growth in the UK at 6.2% p.a, better than Business, Physics or Psychology.
Discover more
Admissions
Apply to Cambridge
We welcome and warmly encourage applications from talented students from every educational and social background. In Cambridge, admissions are handled by individual Colleges, so you should consult the webpage of the College to which you would like to apply, but you can find out more about what we're looking for here.
Fees and Funding
Finance your studies
Going to university is an investment in your future. You'll need to consider the cost of your tuition and your living (or ‘maintenance’) costs. These amounts can seem daunting. But there's lots of support available to help you finance your studies.
BA in English
Learn about the course
The Cambridge English course is designed to help you become an independent and persuasive thinker, reader and writer. It is an exhilarating course offering unparalleled intellectual freedom within a structured framework.