Why Study English Literature?

Learning English Literature in Bar-Ilan University

Learning English literature opens up a world of inspiration and creativity, while also developing skills that are essential for today's global environment. English Literature studies give an opportunity to discover how literature makes sense of the world through stories, poems, novels and plays. Learning English Literature also gives a chance to sharpen your own ability to write, read, analyze and persuade.

For more information about learning English Literature or a Literature Degree at the Bar-Ilan University, please contact us via this Contact Us page or by phone: + 972-3-5318238 | +972-3-5318236

Literature Degree studies in our department are conducted in English. Through extensive reading and writing, students in our BA program develop their skills of analysis, interpretation and self-expression.

Throughout their degree in English Literature, the students receive a thorough introduction to essential literary genres (novels, poems, criticism) and the work of great canonical authors (Shakespeare, Milton, Austen, Dickens) as well as contemporary ones. Advanced seminars expose students to new horizons, such as translation and creative writing, and invite them to consider various special topics in literary study: literature and gender, literature and the visual arts, literature and religion and so on.

For students who already have an undergraduate degree, we offer MA programs in Literature, including emphases in Creative Writing and Literary Translation, as well as a PhD in Literature. Students in each of the tracks of our English Literature studies, engage in high-level study of literature and cultivate their abilities in advanced interpretation, innovation, and writing. A graduate degree in English Literature represents a high standard of achievement in analysis and critical reasoning. Our English Literature degree programs also offer an opportunity for individual research regarding a literary question, topic, or theme of your design, under the mentorship of a faculty advisor.

Creative Writing students receive instruction from published poets and fiction writers as they write their own original thesis project in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. The MA degree in English Literature with a focus on Literary Translation combines advanced study of English Literature with practical workshops taught by highly accomplished translators. Students in this program write a translation thesis as their final project.

The Department of English Literature and Linguistics is proud of its warm, inclusive atmosphere, devoted academic faculty, and excellent administrative staff. 

If you have any questions regarding Literature Degree, or require more information about learning English Literature at the Bar-Ilan University, please contact us via this Contact Us page or by phone: + 972-3-5318238 | +972-3-5318236