Literature courses

English literature is defined as literature, including novels, short stories, poetry and other literary works, written in the English language, or translated to English. Whilst previously ‘English literature’ was thought to only refer to literature written in England or by English authors, we now have a broader understanding of English literature to incorporate works written in English or translated to English that have made a significant literary impact, regardless of where they were written.

There are a wide range of English literature courses available through Open Universities Australia, including degrees, short courses, and individual subjects you can take separately or as part of working towards a degree. English literature studies encompass many topics, so you can choose to focus your study by choosing specific subjects that align with your interests.

Most individual subjects are themed, for example, modern and contemporary fiction, or post-colonial narratives. You can browse all of these literature courses online, and also find out what subjects are compulsory as part of a degree, and what subjects count as electives.

What you learn in a literature course depends on the specific topic covered. Broadly speaking, however, you’ll learn how to analyse and dissect works of literature to understand the stylistic and thematic aspects of the author’s writing.

You’ll also learn to critically assess literary works and the impact they have from a political, social and philosophical perspective, as well as how they can be interpreted as historical artefacts.

Literature courses teach critical reading, analysis and comprehension skills that are useful beyond the study of literary works, and can be applied in different work and life settings.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide: 

If you study a degree in literature through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.

You should study literature if you’re interested in learning and understanding literary works and their impact on society, and want to formalise your skills in critically reading and interpreting literary works.

If you are interested in writing literature yourself, or developing a career as a critic, in publishing, or in teaching literature, studying literature courses will provide you with skills and qualifications that will be relevant to your career.

You should study literature online if you want to balance your study with existing commitments, such as paid work or caring responsibilities.

If you’re looking to grow your skill set to support your existing career, or maybe seeking to retrain while still working or undertaking other responsibilities, studying online through Open Universities Australia can provide a flexible way for you to balance your study with the rest of your life.

There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.

• You can enrol without entry requirements We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.

• You have total control over how you study Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.

• You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student Once you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.

• We’ll help you navigate the university world Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.

There are a variety of jobs you can get with an English literature degree. Directions you can take include:

• Working in publishing or editing

• Writing fiction, poetry or non-fiction

• Teaching English literature (with further study in education)

• Working in library services

• Working as a journalist or content writer

• Working in communications and marketing

Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.

Chat with us to find out more.

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.