The University of Leeds, Leeds, England
The School of English at Leeds University prides itself on being ranked third in the UK, with only Oxford and Cambridge ranked higher. More than rankings, the School of English has a very talented staff and has educated, employed, and been affiliated with many great authors, writers, and poets. At Leeds Uni, you can study under the same instructors and take the same courses as Tony Harrison, Geoffrey Hill, J.R.R. Tolkien, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ian Duhig, Richard Hoggart, Wole Soyinka, John Heath-Stubbs, Vernon Scannell, and Peter Robinson.
Located nearly halfway between London and Edinburgh, Scotland, Leeds is the third largest city in England and widely referred to as the “Heart of the North.” With just a short train ride, you can lean into the wind on the moors at Haworth with the Brontes, stroll through the halls of Shakespeare’s home, walk along the Viking wall at York, or see and experience London. In just a few hours, you can be in Edinburgh and tour the castle, and visit the homes of Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Fly to Dublin and see the homes of Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, and Samuel Beckett. Moreover, the University has a four-week Easter Break, during which time you can travel as you’ve always wished, backpacking through Europe and experiencing the places you’ve read about. Because of its location, the cost of living in Leeds is much less as compared with London or other major cities, making travel easy and affordable as it fits into your budget.
Leeds, a young and vibrant city with a rich history and a unique and dynamic cultural scene, has one of the greatest shopping districts in the UK, a world-renowned theatre, an exciting and diverse social scene, and several universities. Whatever social scene interests you, from traditional, carpeted English pubs to multi-story European dance clubs, Leeds has a venue for you. Additionally, the music scene in Leeds is unrivalled—from the legendary concerts held at the Leeds University Union, to up-and-coming bands from all over the world, Leeds is home to a diverse and exciting music culture.
With all of these characteristics, Leeds is the perfect city for young people. The University of Leeds is located in the heart of the city, and the University attracts talented students and faculty from around the world.
About the University
Comparable to Penn State, The University of Leeds is one of the largest universities in the UK and is the most applied-to university for undergraduates in that country. The University is home to over 32,000 undergraduate students in over 700 degree programs.
The School of English is touted as one of the largest and most successful English departments in the UK. Ranked third in the nation, the School of English offers courses from Old English to Contemporary Literature. Whatever your particular area of interest within literature, the University of Leeds offers a course for you.
“At Leeds Uni, I had the opportunity to study under tutors who knew the authors personally—in one module, the tutor told us about jokes he had with Seamus Heaney and which poets he had taught while they were at Leeds.” –Nicole Williams, Spring 2007
The English Department
Leeds offers many, many courses, ranging from specialized courses in James Joyce to broader pro-seminars, covering British Literature from 1660-1790. For students eager to study British literature in its homeland, Leeds is a wonderful choice and terrific preparation for the GREs and graduate school.
Research in the School of English at the University of Leeds is one of the school strongest attributes. According to the School of English’s web site:
The School of English has a distinguished research profile. In the last three Research Assessment Exercises it achieved grades of 5, 5A, and 5*A in 2001. 5* is the highest grade, indicating research of international excellence, and the 'A' demonstrates that over 95% of staff were returned as research-active (only six other departments achieved this double distinction).
The School of English is housed in a series of renovated row houses, and your professors (called tutors) have offices in what used to be rooms of these houses, giving the School of English a homey and truly “English” feel. In the foyer of the school of English is a beautiful sitting area, complete with big comfy couches perfect for reading and intricate and ornate woodwork. Offsetting the unique layout of the building are two of the School’s most convenient and admired resources, the library and the computer lab. The School of English Library offers popular texts often unavailable in the main libraries, as well as detailed reference texts and past students’ dissertations. The computer lab (or cluster), while dwarfed in comparison to the size of the labs at Penn State, is an excellent way to print, research, or write without having to wait in lines at other labs or spend time between classes.
At Leeds Uni, your major is your course, your professor is your tutor, and a class or course is a module. The English modules are structured very differently from English courses at Penn State; however, they provide the opportunity to test your study and reading skills in a new environment. Most, if not all, courses are based on two lectures and one seminar per week. The lectures are an hour in length, and are given to hundreds of students. Rather than discussion, this time is for the tutor to point out major themes and engage some of the critical analysis of the work, and relate it back to the grander theme of the module. Each module will have several different tutors, each of who lecture on the topics of that module they are most knowledgeable about or best suited for.
Once a week, you will meet with a smaller group of students in a seminar, usually led by a graduate student or with one of the tutors. Seminars resemble Penn State English courses, in that they are smaller and based entirely on discussion. As with courses at Penn State, the quality of these seminars is dependent upon the tutor and the other students in your seminar. However, it is very possible to switch seminars to a more convenient time or with another tutor if that suits you.
In the School of English, grades are earned based upon exams, like finals, at the end of the semester. Most modules will have an unassessed, meaning ungraded but mandatory, essay due halfway through the semester. At the end of the semester, you will have an essay exam that will comprise your grade.
