Bachelor in Featured Module War Writing Since 1914

At University of Plymouth, tuition comes to 17,800 GBP per year.

Graduates who engage with critical inquiries into conflict and human experience often transition into roles within journalism, public policy, advocacy, and cultural heritage, or continue into postgraduate research in modern literature and history. This third-year module invites students to examine the roots of global conflict through the diverse lenses of poetry, fiction, life writing, and film produced since 1914.

By exploring how war shapes literary genres and influences our contemporary understanding of trauma and memory, the module provides a deep dive into the voices of those who have witnessed history firsthand. It is designed for students seeking to develop advanced analytical skills while engaging with some of the most profound and challenging texts of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Core Literary Perspectives

• Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front: An unflinching look at the Great War through the eyes of a young soldier.
• Mary Borden, The Forbidden Zone: A rare, visceral perspective on the Western Front from a frontline nurse.
• Primo Levi, If This is a Man: A haunting, understated account of survival in Auschwitz.
• Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse 5: An unconventional, narrative-defying exploration of the bombing of Dresden.
• Harry Parker, Anatomy of a Soldier: A contemporary experiment in perspective, narrated entirely through forty-five inanimate objects.

Beyond the core texts, the curriculum integrates a wide range of war poetry and cinematic interpretations—from the 1930 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front to Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker—to help students understand the imaginative ways writers and filmmakers articulate the experience of war.

University of Plymouth, situated on England’s southwest coast, is a modern, student-centred university with around 18,000 students and a welcoming international community. The campus blends contemporary facilities with strong industry links, particularly in marine science, health, engineering and business. Plymouth emphasises practical learning and employability, offering placements, internships and project-based modules that connect students directly with employers and local partners.

International students find Plymouth attractive for its supportive campus services, range of student societies and manageable city scale that balances urban amenities with coastal lifestyle. The university provides pre‑arrival guidance, English language support and dedicated international student teams to ease transition and help with accommodation, visas and wellbeing. Teaching approaches combine lectures, labs and applied projects, while research-active staff bring real-world problems into the classroom.

Graduates from Plymouth benefit from strong regional and national employer engagement, which can lead to placements, graduate roles and entrepreneurial support through incubators and career services. The city’s quality of life, lower cost compared with larger UK cities and emphasis on hands-on learning make Plymouth a practical choice for students seeking a balanced academic experience and strong prospects for work or further study after graduation.