Explore literature, discover new meanings
Deepen your knowledge of English literature through study of poetry, drama and prose, learning how to analyse literary form and style from Greek tragedy to contemporary novels. Through a combination of live teaching and pre-recorded lectures, we’ll introduce you to techniques of close reading and contextual analysis.
Why choose this course with us?
- Learn at Cambridge, whatever your experience: this is an open-entry course
- Access Cambridge teaching in a flexible format: part-time and online
- Gain a credited, Cambridge award: boost your learning and career opportunities
- Join our peer-learning and Cambridge alumni communities: connection and support, for life
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Course information
Course highlights
During this part-time online certificate course, you will:
- enhance your aptitude for and enjoyment of literary study
- acquire key study and writing skills
Through reading a wide range of literature, you will learn about writers and their works in relation to their period and to other writers. This course will involve plenty of lively discussion and teaching exercises designed to introduce critical vocabulary.
As part of our learning community, you will:
- explore approaches to understanding poetry, drama and fiction, using both close reading and contextualisation as methods of interpretation
- consider how the relation between literary form, context and meaning shapes our understanding and evaluation of texts from different periods
- explore the history and theory of tragedy in drama and other literary forms
- study the works of Samuel Beckett and other ground-breaking modern dramatists in depth
- encounter works by Austen, Eliot and Dickens as you examine the development of the 19th century novel and explore how its moral and philosophical discussion, gripping plotlines and expansive canvases depict complex social worlds.
Course breakdown
This course will run from 9 October 2026 to 9 June 2027.
After an introduction and welcome session, each term’s teaching will take place in 4 live teaching sessions usually on Saturdays from 1pm to 3pm and 4pm to 6pm, and 2 open sessions usually on Wednesday evenings, between 7pm and 8pm, plus pre-recorded lectures (all times UK time). Exact teaching dates and times will be confirmed in the course guide upon enrolment.
Michaelmas term: Reading and Interpretation
This unit will introduce you to critical terms which will broaden your understanding of literature as you engage in the task of close analysis. Beginning with two mighty texts, 'Oedipus Rex' and 'Hamlet', you will be introduced to key terms in literary criticism such as tragedy, narrative, satire, genre, irony and intertextuality, as we read texts from a range of periods and forms, all with a connection to the theme of ‘investigation’.
- Introduction and Welcome: TBC
- Course (unit 1) start date: Friday 9 October 2026
- Unit 1 end date: Wednesday 6 January 2027
Lent term: Samuel Beckett and Modern Theatre
This unit will explore how Samuel Beckett, a novelist and poet, found his fame through a medium he adopted relatively late in his career: stage drama. After sessions offering an immersion in Beckett’s most important plays, including 'Waiting for Godot', 'Endgame', and 'Krapp’s Last Tape', we will examine how Beckett’s reimagining of the theatre influenced later playwrights including Harold Pinter, Will Eno and Marina Carr. Throughout the course there will be an emphasis on performance and dramatic technique: we will read parts of the plays aloud, consider film adaptations of the works, and films of stage productions.
- Unit 2 start date: Monday 4 January 2027
- Unit 2 end date: Wednesday 24 March 2027
Easter term: The Nineteenth-Century Novel
The Nineteenth Century Novel introduced characters who still make sense to twenty-first century readers, knitting together moral and philosophical discussion with gripping plots. This unit will continue to employ the close-reading skills and understanding of contextual study you have developed in the previous terms as we encounter some of the great works of nineteenth century fiction, from George Eliot’s 'Middlemarch' to Bram Stoker’s 'Dracula'.
- Unit 3 start date: Monday 29 March 2027
- Unit 3 end date: Wednesday 9 June 2027
After the course
You may wish to take our other Undergraduate Certificate in English Literature: Texts and Contexts. Students who have successfully completed both Certificate courses can apply to be awarded the Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education in English Literature, worth 120 credits at level 4. You may also be interested in progressing to our Undergraduate Diploma in English Literature: Literature and Criticism.
Entry requirements
There are no formal academic entry requirements for this course. It’s open to all learners who are interested in the subject.
English language requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you’ll need to meet the requirements of one of the language proficiency tests below. You’ll need to complete your test and submit the results to our admissions team by 22 September 2026.
IELTS (Academic), IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS One Skill Retake
Overall score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in any component.
TOELF iBT or TOEFL Home Edition
https://www.ets.org/toefl.html
Overall score of 92, with no element below 20.
Cambridge English C2 Proficiency
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/proficiency/
Overall score of 176, with no element lower than 169.
As part of our open and inclusive learning environment, you can enjoy the world-class resources and expertise of the University of Cambridge wherever you are on your academic journey.
Our video-based teaching platforms offer a flexible way to access lectures, while our Virtual Learning Environment makes it easy to study and learn online and interact with your tutor and fellow students.
Our teaching methods include lectures, in-class presentations by tutors, and interactive and experiential learning activities. We will also give you reading and assignments to complete outside of classroom sessions.
You will demonstrate your learning using a range of assignments submitted during and at the end of each unit. There are more details about how this course is assessed in the course guide we will send you once you have enrolled.
Qualifications
This course is equivalent to half of the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree. It offers 60 CATS credits, which are recognised by higher education institutions and employers.
Hours of study
The award of academic credit is a means of quantifying and recognising learning and within the UK, one credit notionally represents 10 hours of learning. This course attracts 60 credits, so students should expect to need to study for approximately 600 hours in total to complete all units successfully. However, it is recognised that students study at different paces and use a variety of approaches, so this is a recommendation, rather than a hard-and-fast calculation.
SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education (2021) here.
Fees
The total fee for this course is shown above in 'Course details'.
To help you manage your finances more comfortably, you can pay the fee in instalments. For more information on payment options, and how to secure your place, see how to pay.
Funding
We're dedicated to reducing and removing financial barriers to learning. Visit financial support before applying to find out what options may be available to help you in your studies. You can explore external funding and stay up to date on our concessions and bursaries.
We're committed to supporting you in your learning journey, and we offer a variety of support opportunities to meet individual needs. Visit student support to find out more about how we can help.
