Faculty of Arts

Table of Contents

1. Prerequisites
2. Diploma in Arts (English)
3. Requirements for a major in English literary studies
4. Honours entry
5. Honours requirements
    5.1. Pure honours
    5.2. Combined honours
6. Further study
7. Career opportunities
8. For more information
Subject Lists
    First-year subjects
    Second/third-year subjects
    Third/fourth-year subject
    Fourth-year subjects
    Publishing and communications subjects


The Department of English was inaugurated in 1854 as one of the first departments in Australia to offer studies in English literature. The department is recognised nationally and internationally as one of the most exciting and progressive departments of its kind. Academic staff maintain a strong commitment to scholarly values and actively encourage and support students in their passion for literature and writing. Staff are dedicated to fostering learning experiences students will remember their whole lives. In recent decades the department has been at the forefront of disciplinary innovation and current theoretical approaches to critical literary studies. Whether undertaking a major in English literary studies or in the popular creative writing program, students of English have an excellent and flexible preparation for careers in the media and publishing, advertising, education and professional writing. Students who are interested in expanding their interests and knowledge in English are provided with an articulated structure of higher degree study options at the University of Melbourne.

English is the study of literary texts written in the English language from the medieval to the modern era. Traditional ways of thinking, writing and talking about texts have been transformed in recent decades by heightened awareness of the assumptions underlying literary criticism. English subjects may be oriented towards the texts themselves, the historical and cultural contexts in which such texts are produced, or the theoretical issues involved in reading texts. A number of subjects approach the task of criticism from methodologies which originate in Marxist, feminist, postcolonial, historicist or psychoanalytic thought.

1. Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for first-year subjects in English.

The prerequisite for a second/third-year subject in English is usually the completion of two first-year subjects in English (25 points). Students who have completed suitable alternative first-year subjects are advised to consult with the department for permission to enrol. Exemptions may also be granted where subjects are taken as part of an approved interdepartmental program with its own entry requirements.

2. Diploma in Arts (English)

The Diploma in Arts (English) is only available to students who are currently enrolled in a degree course at the University of Melbourne. It consists of a three-year sequence of study, and adds one year to the duration of your degree.

Students must complete 25 points of first-year subjects in English and 75 points of second/third-year subjects selected from the list of English literary studies subjects below. Alternatively, students who have completed appropriate background studies at first year may complete 100 points of second/third-year subjects from the list of English literary studies subject below.

3. Requirements for a major in English literary studies

A major in English literary studies usually consists of nine 12.5-point subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

Subjects for the major
First year subjectsSemester
 106-101 Contemporary Culture and Media1
 106-102 Modern Literature1
 106-106 Contemporary Culture and Everyday Life2
 106-109 Shakespeare's Theatre1
 106-110 Contemporary Global Literature2
 106-120 Literature, Culture, History2
 106-186 Creative Writing 1: Autofictions1
Second/third year English literary studies subjects
 106-013 Beowulf2
 106-015 Backgrounds to English Literature1
 106-019 BlakeNot Offered
 106-024 Introduction to Old English A1
 106-029 Introduction to Old English B2
 106-032 Novel and Film2
 106-033 Writing After EmpireNot Offered
 106-034 Imagining the City: Dream, Fact, Style1
 106-035 Popular Fiction2
 106-036 Postmodernism1
 106-037 Shakespearean Worlds1
 106-038 Medievalism in Contemporary Culture1
 106-039 Literary ClassicsNot Offered
 106-043 The Victorian 'Supernatural'2
 106-045 Aboriginal WritingNot Offered
 106-046 Australia and the Colonial Imaginary2
 106-047 Art/Pornography/Blasphemy/Propaganda2
 106-048 Travel Writing: Zones of the ImaginationNot Offered
 106-049 American Liberals and ModernsNot Offered
 106-050 Australian AuthorshipNot Offered
 106-052 Gothic Fictions1
 106-053 Chaucer and the CanonNot Offered
 106-056 Character and the NovelNot Offered
 106-058 Sex, Sentiment & the 18th Century Novel1
 106-060 Decadence1
 106-061 American Voices1
 106-077 Poetry in the Making1
 106-210 Elizabethan TextsNot Offered
 106-211 Restoration WritingNot Offered
 106-212 Principles of Editing and Publishing2
 106-213 Art, Ideology and Doctrine, 400-10002

4. Honours entry

The prerequisites for entry to fouth year honours in English literary studies are:

Entry to honours must be approved by the English honours coordinator and the Faculty of Arts honours course adviser. A departmental application form for both pure and combined honours is included in the English Honours Handbook, available from the department mid-October. Application forms are to be lodged with the department by 21 November. If the student intends enrolling in an English honours thesis the application must include a 200-word thesis proposal. Prospective honours students will be interviewed by the departmental honours coordinator from 1-5 December. Mid-year entry applications must meet the same timetable although a mid-year interview period is provided for students ineligible to apply in December.

5. Honours requirements

Honours coordinator: Clara Tuite

5.1. Pure honours

Students undertaking pure honours in English literary studies must complete:

5.2. Combined honours

Students undertaking combined honours in English literary studies and another area of study must complete:

or

Honours subjects
 106-401 Research Principles and Practices1, repeat 2
 106-402 Cultural Policy and PowerNot Offered
 106-403 Reading the Subject: Freud/Lacan/Fiction2
 106-404 Memory and Contemporary Culture2
 106-405 The Exeter Anthology2
 106-406 Contested Sites1
 106-407 Pope and His EnemiesNot Offered
 106-408 The Novel & the Invention of the ModernNot Offered
 106-409 Stardom, Media, CultureNot Offered
 106-411 Contemporary Historical Fictions1
 106-412 Modernism, Fascism, CommunismNot Offered
 106-413 Reading Suburbia in Post-War Australia2
 106-414 Medieval Representations1
 106-415 Material TextsNot Offered
 106-421 Advanced Theatre/Performance Writing2
 106-422 Poetry: The Versatile Imagination1
 106-423 Romanticism and Modernity2
 106-426 Post-War American Fiction1
 106-427 Writing: Before and Beyond the ImageNot Offered
 106-428 Media, Politics and Cultural Diaspora1
 106-430 Subcultural StudiesNot Offered
 106-436 Queer Theory Ten Years On2
 106-443 Body CulturesNot Offered
 106-444 Global Culture: History and TheoryNot Offered
 106-448 Theorising the Spectator1
 106-455 Urban Entertainments 1700-1800Not Offered
 106-456 Colonial/Postcolonial Visual CulturesNot Offered
 106-459 Postcolonial Writing and Theory1
 106-467 Latin Paleography and Codicology1
 106-472 Writing Genealogies of Place2

6. Further study

The Department of English offers a number of graduate diplomas and degrees at different levels in a wide range of literary studies subjects: Graduate Certificate in Arts (English Literary Studies); Graduate Diploma in Arts (English Literary Studies); Postgraduate Certificate in Arts (English); Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (English); Postgraduate Certificate in Arts (Editing and Communications); Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Editing and Communications); an MA and the PhD. Details of these courses are available in the Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Handbook and from the Department of English.

7. Career opportunities

A degree with a major in English literary studies is an excellent and flexible preparation for careers in journalism and the media, public service, publishing, education, librarianship, information management, and many other roles, public and private, in the communications and service industries.

8. For more information

The Department of English
Second Floor, John Medley Building
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Tel: +61 3 8344 5506/7/8
Web: http://www.english.unimelb.edu.au

First-year subjects

106-101 Contemporary Culture and Media
106-102 Modern Literature
106-106 Contemporary Culture and Everyday Life
106-109 Shakespeare's Theatre
106-110 Contemporary Global Literature
106-120 Literature, Culture, History
106-186 Creative Writing 1: Autofictions

Second/third-year subjects

106-003 Media and Cultural Difference
106-009 Media Histories and Cultural Studies
106-012 Television Cultures
106-013 Beowulf
106-014 Hong Kong Cinema
106-015 Backgrounds to English Literature
106-019 Blake
106-020 Reading Sexuality
106-022 City Cultures: Urban Stories
106-024 Introduction to Old English A
106-025 Creative Writing 2: Across the Genres
106-026 Writing Extended Fiction
106-027 Writing Scripts
106-028 Writing Poetry
106-029 Introduction to Old English B
106-032 Novel and Film
106-033 Writing After Empire
106-034 Imagining the City: Dream, Fact, Style
106-035 Popular Fiction
106-036 Postmodernism
106-037 Shakespearean Worlds
106-038 Medievalism in Contemporary Culture
106-039 Literary Classics
106-043 The Victorian 'Supernatural'
106-045 Aboriginal Writing
106-046 Australia and the Colonial Imaginary
106-047 Art/Pornography/Blasphemy/Propaganda
106-048 Travel Writing: Zones of the Imagination
106-049 American Liberals and Moderns
106-050 Australian Authorship
106-052 Gothic Fictions
106-053 Chaucer and the Canon
106-055 Cybercultures: Global/Local
106-056 Character and the Novel
106-057 From Rock to Rave: Cultural Formations
106-058 Sex, Sentiment & the 18th Century Novel
106-060 Decadence
106-061 American Voices
106-062 Writing Literary Non-Fiction
106-063 Aboriginal Cultural Studies
106-064 Contemporary Cultural Studies
106-068 Imagining Hollywood
106-077 Poetry in the Making
106-090 Editing
106-091 Writing for Performance
106-203 Sports, Entertainment and the Media
106-210 Elizabethan Texts
106-211 Restoration Writing
106-212 Principles of Editing and Publishing
106-213 Art, Ideology and Doctrine, 400-1000

Third/fourth-year subject

106-467 Latin Paleography and Codicology

Fourth-year subjects

106-508 English Thesis
106-509 English Thesis (MYE)
106-401 Research Principles and Practices
106-402 Cultural Policy and Power
106-403 Reading the Subject: Freud/Lacan/Fiction
106-404 Memory and Contemporary Culture
106-405 The Exeter Anthology
106-406 Contested Sites
106-407 Pope and His Enemies
106-408 The Novel & the Invention of the Modern
106-409 Stardom, Media, Culture
106-411 Contemporary Historical Fictions
106-412 Modernism, Fascism, Communism
106-413 Reading Suburbia in Post-War Australia
106-414 Medieval Representations
106-415 Material Texts
106-421 Advanced Theatre/Performance Writing
106-422 Poetry: The Versatile Imagination
106-423 Romanticism and Modernity
106-426 Post-War American Fiction
106-427 Writing: Before and Beyond the Image
106-428 Media, Politics and Cultural Diaspora
106-430 Subcultural Studies
106-436 Queer Theory Ten Years On
106-443 Body Cultures
106-444 Global Culture: History and Theory
106-448 Theorising the Spectator
106-455 Urban Entertainments 1700-1800
106-456 Colonial/Postcolonial Visual Cultures
106-459 Postcolonial Writing and Theory
106-472 Writing Genealogies of Place

Publishing and communications subjects

106-471 Structural Editing
106-473 Editorial English
106-474 The Contemporary Publishing Industry
106-475 Business and Professional Communications
106-476 Technical Writing and Editing
106-477 Editing and Publishing for the Internet



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