Career opportunities
English develops key skills in critical thinking, cultural awareness, and communication, which are essential in all workplaces, and are increasingly sought after by employers.
Our graduates are working as editors, copy-writers and in publishing, as creative writers or journalists, teachers, librarians and educational administrators.
English graduates may be found in the public service, as analysts, diplomats, politicians, and policy-makers. Others have become ministers of religion, arts administrators, and broadcasters.
Otago has an excellent record of preparing students for postgraduate study in English and related disciplines, both in New Zealand and overseas. Recent Otago graduates have gone on to study at top Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, and Harvard, and Otago graduates hold positions at universities in Britain, Australia, and North America.
Write your story
Study English at Otago and develop your powers of analysis, creativity and imagination.
Teaching style
English at Otago teaches the arts of reading and writing in an integrated way, by studying and discussing literary texts, and by practising the techniques of writing.
Our courses involve a combination of small-scale, discussion-based classes (tutorials) and larger-class teaching (lectures), which generally involve a variety of staff.
In upper-level courses, class sizes are usually smaller and opportunities for discussion greater. At second and especially third year, there is generally a greater emphasis placed on independent and exploratory learning and research.
Choose a study option
Whether you're embarking on your academic journey with our comprehensive undergraduate programmes or aiming to reach new heights through our advanced postgraduate offerings, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Undergraduate qualifications
For new and current students studying towards a Bachelor's or other first degree. Explore undergraduate qualifications at Otago, designed to build a strong foundation in your chosen field, preparing you for a successful career or further study.
Note: this subject can also be studied as a minor.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
A three-year degree offering flexibility to explore a major in Arts along with other subjects
Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom)
Combine two majors, one in Arts and one in Commerce, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects
Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)
Combine two majors, one in Arts and one in Science, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects
Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr)
A three-year degree that equips you to change the world as you create new products, services and ideas
Ready to apply?
Take the first step towards your future in this subject.
Further study opportunities
Whether you are looking to bridge your undergraduate studies to advanced knowledge or aiming to specialise in a specific field, Otago offers a range of graduate and postgraduate options to suit your aspirations.
Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad)
The Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad), requiring study of at least seven papers (at least four of which are at 300-level o...
Postgraduate Study in English
Explore postgraduate study in English at Otago. Gain advanced knowledge, skills, and research opportunities in a support...
Related subject areas
Explore all subject areasLanguage and global cultures
Explore cultures, languages, and global issues to discover your place in an inclusive, sustainable world
Media, literature, communication and performing arts
Explore performing arts, creative writing, or media studies to express yourself and understand their impact on our lives
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject.
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | ENGL 121 English Literature: The Remix, or ENGL 131 Controversial Classics | 18 |
|
One further paper from: ENGL 120 Creative Writing: How to Captivate and Persuade ENGL 121 English Literature: The Remix ENGL 127 Essentials of Writing ENGL 128 Essentials of Communication ENGL 131 Controversial Classics LING 111 Language and its Structure | 18 | |
| 200-level | Three 200-level ENGL papers | 54 |
| One of DHUM 201 Digital Humanities: Method and Critique or EURO 202 The Culture of the European City may be substituted for one 200-level ENGL paper | ||
| 300-level | Four 300-level ENGL papers | 72 |
| EURO 302 The Culture of the European City may be substituted for one 300-level ENGL paper | ||
| Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. | 198 |
| Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | ||
| Total | 360 |
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | LING 111 A World of Languages | 18 |
| One 100-level ENGL paper (excluding ENGL 126 English for University Purposes) | 18 | |
| 200-level | LING 217 What's Behind Language: Sound and Structure | 18 |
| Two 200-level ENGL papers | 36 | |
| One further 200-level LING paper (excluding LING 231 TESOL: Guide to Language Teaching) | 18 | |
| DHUM 201 Digital Humanities: Method and Critique may be substituted for one 200-level paper | ||
| 300-level | Two 300-level ENGL papers | 36 |
| Two 300-level LING papers | 36 | |
| Plus | 180 further points; must include 36 points at 200-level or above. | 180 |
| Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | ||
| Total | 360 |
A minor subject can be included in many of our undergraduate degrees. To earn a minor, you typically must complete a minimum of 90 points in that subject, with at least 18 points at the 300-level.
Your minor can be a subject more commonly taken for a different degree. For example, a BCom majoring in Marketing can include Japanese as a minor subject. To include this subject as a minor in your application, first find a major subject through our Subject Search or Study Match.
You can check what’s required to receive the minor accreditation in the programme details below.
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | Two of: | 36 |
| 200-level | Two papers from 200-level ENGL papers Note: EURO 202 or EURO 302 may be substituted for one 100- or 200-level ENGL paper | 36 |
| 300-level | One 300-level ENGL paper | 18 |
| Total | 90 |
Papers
View a list of all related papers below.
ENGL papers
| Paper Code | Year | Title | Points | Teaching period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL120 | 2025 | Creative Writing: How to Captivate and Persuade | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL121 | 2025 | English Literature: The Remix | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL127 | 2025 | Essentials of Writing | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL128 | 2025 | Essentials of Communication | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL131 | 2025 | Controversial Classics | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL216 | 2025 | A Topic in English Language | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL218 | 2025 | Shakespeare: Stage, Page and Screen | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL219 | 2025 | Poetry and Music | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL220 | 2025 | Creative Writing: Reading for Writers | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL222 | 2025 | Literature and Activism: The Art of Protest | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL223 | 2025 | Fantasy and the Imagination | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL227 | 2025 | Essay and Feature Writing | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL228 | 2025 | Writing for the Professions | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL230 | 2025 | Creative Writing for Games and Interactive Media | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL233 | 2025 | Literary Theory: From Marxism to Ecocriticism | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL241 | 2025 | Irish-Scots Gothic and the Gothic as Genre | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL242 | 2025 | New Zealand Literature: Connecting Worlds | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL251 | 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL254 | 2025 | Magic and Treachery in Medieval Literature | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL311 | 2025 | Renaissance Literature | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL312 | 2025 | Literature in the Age of Invention | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL313 | 2025 | Victorian Literature | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL319 | 2025 | Poetic Revolt from Soho to Social Media | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL320 | 2025 | Creative Writing: Crafting Voices | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL323 | 2025 | Fantasy and the Imagination (Advanced) | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL327 | 2025 | The Essay: Creative Non-Fiction | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL334 | 2025 | Textuality and Visuality | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL335 | 2025 | Romantics, Revolutionaries, and the Imagination | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL337 | 2025 | Creative Writing: Travel Narratives | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL339 | 2025 | Māori and Pacific Literature | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL340 | 2025 | Modernism: Joyce | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL341 | 2025 | Irish-Scots Gothic and the Gothic as Genre | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL342 | 2025 | Digital Literature: Technologies of Storytelling | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL350 | 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL351 | 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL353 | 2025 | Reading Minds: Literature and Psychology | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL354 | 2025 | Monsters and Monstrosity in Medieval Literature | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL368 | 2025 | Engaging Literary Stories | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL404 | 2025 | A Topic in English Language | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL454 | 2025 | Medieval Misogyny: Subverting the Antifeminist Tradition | 30 points | Semester 2 |
| ENGL465 | 2025 | A Topic in New Zealand Literature | 30 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL467 | 2025 | Special Topic | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL469 | 2025 | Writing Revolutions: How Modernism Changed the World | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL470 | 2025 | Storyworlds and Cognition | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL471 | 2025 | A Topic in Romanticism | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL473 | 2025 | A Topic in 19th Century Literature | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL474 | 2025 | Special Topic | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL475 | 2025 | Reading and Writing Crime Fiction | 30 points | Semester 1 |
| ENGL476 | 2025 | A Topic in English Literature 1660-1800 | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL477 | 2025 | A Topic in American Literature | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL478 | 2025 | A Topic in Postcolonial Literatures | 30 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| ENGL490 | 2025 | Dissertation | 60 points | Full Year |
| ENGL590 | 2025 | Research Dissertation | 60 points | 1st Non standard period (28 February 2025 - 20 February 2026), 2nd Non standard period (11 July 2025 - 3 July 2026) |
More information
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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2025 Calendar and supplementary material.
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