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Study English at Otago

Shaping the world with words.

Writers of literature take us on pleasurable and challenging journeys of the imagination. Studying English helps you read more deeply, in fiction, poetry and critical prose, and take in the sounds and signs of language in the world around you.

Studying English also helps to develop writing skills for your own communication, whether for creative pleasure or for your profession.

At Otago you can study literature from Old English to contemporary poetry and prose, New Zealand literature, post-colonial literature, popular literature such as crime fiction, and critical theory.

We also offer courses in Writing – creative writing, and writing for professional purposes.

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Why study English?

Language is power. We use language for the whole range of activities  that make us human, from passion to politics; we negotiate through  language in every waking moment of our lives. Literature is language  at its most effective.

English at Otago is designed to fulfil three main aims: opening  up the vast and delightful range of literatures written in English;  providing a grasp of the concepts and techniques for analysing texts;  and improving communication skills of every kind.

By taking English you will find your perceptions sharpened, your  understanding deepened and your enjoyment enhanced - for life. Above  all, you will equip yourself for a career in almost any sector of  society.

Literature in English embodies a high level of creative insight into human behaviours, preoccupations, politics and passions. By learning about language from its best practitioners, students gain critical skills that are valued by employers, governments and educationalists; skills that are essential for people taking an active role in an open society.

By immersing yourself in literature, you will gain a unique understanding of the roots of society and its cultures and also develop your own powers of analysis, creativity and imagination.

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.

English at Otago

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.

Requirements

English as a minor subject for a BA, MusB, BPA, BTheol, BSc, BCom, BEntr, BHealSc, BACom, BASc or BComSc degree

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

LevelPapersPoints
100-level

Two of:
ENGL 121 English Literature: A Survey
ENGL 127 Essentials of Writing
ENGL 128 Essentials of Communication
ENGL 131 Controversial Classics

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

ENGL papers

Paper Code Year Title Points Teaching period
ENGL120 2024, 2025 Creative Writing: How to Captivate and Persuade 18 points Semester 1
ENGL121 2024, 2025 English Literature: The Remix 18 points Semester 1
ENGL127 2024, 2025 Essentials of Writing 18 points Semester 1
ENGL128 2024, 2025 Essentials of Communication 18 points Semester 2
ENGL131 2024, 2025 Controversial Classics 18 points Semester 2
ENGL216 2024, 2025 A Topic in English Language 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL217 2024 Creative Writing: Poetry 18 points Not offered in 2024
ENGL218 2024, 2025 Shakespeare: Stage, Page and Screen 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL219 2024, 2025 Poetry and Music 18 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025
ENGL220 2024, 2025 Creative Writing: Reading for Writers 18 points Semester 2
ENGL222 2024, 2025 Literature and Activism: The Art of Protest 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL223 2024, 2025 Fantasy and the Imagination 18 points Summer School, Not offered in 2025
ENGL227 2024, 2025 Essay and Feature Writing 18 points Semester 1
ENGL228 2024, 2025 Writing for the Professions 18 points Semester 2
ENGL230 2025 Creative Writing for Games and Interactive Media 18 points Semester 2
ENGL233 2024, 2025 Literary Theory: From Marxism to Ecocriticism 18 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025
ENGL241 2024, 2025 Irish-Scots Gothic and the Gothic as Genre 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
ENGL242 2024, 2025 New Zealand Literature: Connecting Worlds 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
ENGL243 2024 Tartan Noir: Scottish Crime Fiction 18 points Not offered in 2024
ENGL251 2024, 2025 Special Topic 18 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025
ENGL254 2024, 2025 Magic and Treachery in Medieval Literature 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
ENGL311 2024, 2025 Renaissance Literature 18 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025
ENGL312 2024, 2025 Literature in the Age of Invention 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL313 2024, 2025 Victorian Literature 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
ENGL319 2024, 2025 Poetic Revolt from Soho to Social Media 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
ENGL320 2024, 2025 Creative Writing: Crafting Voices 18 points Semester 2
ENGL323 2024, 2025 Fantasy and the Imagination (Advanced) 18 points Summer School, Not offered in 2025
ENGL327 2024, 2025 The Essay: Creative Non-Fiction 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
ENGL332 2024 Postcolonial Literatures 18 points Not offered in 2024
ENGL334 2024, 2025 Textuality and Visuality 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL335 2024, 2025 Romantics, Revolutionaries, and the Imagination 18 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025
ENGL337 2024, 2025 Creative Writing: Travel Narratives 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL339 2025 Māori and Pacific Literature 18 points Semester 1
ENGL340 2024, 2025 Modernism: Joyce 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL341 2024, 2025 Irish-Scots Gothic and the Gothic as Genre 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
ENGL342 2024, 2025 Digital Literature: Technologies of Storytelling 18 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025
ENGL350 2024, 2025 Special Topic 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL351 2024, 2025 Special Topic 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL353 2024, 2025 Reading Minds: Literature and Psychology 18 points Semester 2
ENGL354 2024, 2025 Monsters and Monstrosity in Medieval Literature 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL368 2024, 2025 Engaging Literary Stories 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL404 2024, 2025 A Topic in English Language 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL454 2024, 2025 Medieval Misogyny: Subverting the Antifeminist Tradition 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
ENGL465 2024, 2025 A Topic in New Zealand Literature 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
ENGL467 2024, 2025 Special Topic 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL469 2024, 2025 Writing Revolutions: How Modernism Changed the World 20 points, 30 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025
ENGL470 2024, 2025 Storyworlds and Cognition 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL471 2024, 2025 A Topic in Romanticism 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
ENGL473 2024, 2025 A Topic in 19th Century Literature 20 points, 30 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025
ENGL474 2024, 2025 Special Topic 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL475 2025 Reading and Writing Crime Fiction 30 points Semester 1
ENGL476 2024, 2025 A Topic in English Literature 1660-1800 20 points, 30 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025
ENGL477 2024, 2025 A Topic in American Literature 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL478 2024, 2025 A Topic in Postcolonial Literatures 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
ENGL490 2024, 2025 Dissertation 60 points Full Year
ENGL590 2024, 2025 Research Dissertation 60 points 1st Non standard period (1 March 2024 - 21 February 2025), 2nd Non standard period (12 July 2024 - 4 July 2025), 1st Non standard period (28 February 2025 - 20 February 2026), 2nd Non standard period (11 July 2025 - 3 July 2026)

More information

Contact us

English and Linguistics Programme
School of Arts
Email english@otago.ac.nz
Web otago.ac.nz/english

Studying at Otago

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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2024 Calendar and supplementary material.

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