University of Birmingham has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Studying a BA English Language and and Philosophy degree allows you to discover how societies communicate and how language shapes our experience of the world. Combining this study with different philosophical perspectives, you’ll engage with some of history’s greatest minds as you discover how language and society influence each other. At Birmingham, you will have access to world-class talent in philosophical fields as diverse as metaphysics and epistemology, philosophy of language and mind, ethics and ethical theory. By studying Philosophy as a Joint Honours degree with English Language, you'll also gain a thorough appreciation of the technical aspects of the English language and its social and political context. You'll have the chance to use new resources, such as computer-held databases of linguistic data, and you'll be encouraged to embrace theoretical and technological advances in the study of language. Why study this course? BA English Language and Philosophy is for you if you want to: Explore a broad range of specialisms - Birmingham is internationally famous for its work in corpus linguistics, figurative language, language learning and teaching, the language of social media and stylistics. You can focus on traditional aspects of the subject such as grammar, historical linguistics or pragmatics, but you can also explore newer areas such as English used in internet communication or English used worldwide. Enjoy fantastic module variety - the amount of optional modules on offer will allow you to specialise more as you progress through your degree course, so that you can study areas of the discipline that interest you the most. Some module examples include Minds, Brains and Computers: Issues in Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Reasons to Believe: Topics in Epistemology and Fantastic Beasts and How to Understand them and Topics in Philosophy of Biology. Take advantage of our exceptional resources - including our archives and special collections in the Cadbury Research Library and the Library of Birmingham, Europe’s largest regional library. Do more than read books - take advantage of the wide-ranging expertise within our academic community and delve into the study of language in areas as diverse as advertising, traditional and online media, and clinical and health settings. Join welcoming and sociable departments - you can join the English Language and Linguistics or Philosophy student societies and take part in a range of social and wellbeing activities, getting to know your fellow students with quizzes, coffee mornings, trips, and a summer ball. 26th for English Language and Literature in the QS World Subject Rankings 2024 11th for Philosophy in the Complete University Guide 2025
Modules
First-year modules cover a broad base of the subject and are designed to introduce you to ways of studying at university. By the final year the modules you take will become more specialised and reflect the research expertise of the academic staff. More detailed module information can be found on the ‘Course detail’ tab on the University of Birmingham’s coursefinder web pages.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- QV35
- Institution code:
- B32
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - AAB
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 32 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| England | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
For details of the annual tuition fee for International Students please see the course web page listed in the 'course details' section above.
If you are made an offer to study by the University, the yearly tuition fee will be stated in your offer letter.
Provider information
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT