Course summary
Explore English language and literature to understand how they reflect and are influenced by the culture, technology and economics of different places and historical periods. Develop transferable skills and knowledge for many careers on our BA (Hons) English degree in Cambridge. Our English courses ranked 11th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2024, and 7th in the UK for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide 2023. On our BA (Hons) English degree you’ll study a range of texts, including classic literary forms such as the novel, poetry, and plays, but also theatrical performances, films, essays, pamphlets, reviews and works of critical and cultural theory, developing your ability to read and respond critically. You’ll also explore the power of the English language in communication, and how it expresses and reflects crucial global issues such as ideologies, culture wars, conflict, social justice, equality, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Studying English – by its nature a multi-disciplinary subject – will develop your understanding of history, politics, philosophy, religion, psychology and many other subjects, giving you a broad interdisciplinary experience where you can develop your own areas of interest and expertise. Throughout the course, you’ll have opportunities to explore topics from other subjects too, including writing, film, media, sociology and politics. Our English degree will help you develop many transferable skills valued by employers from all industries, including literacy, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and working both independently and collaboratively. Our wide range of optional modules will allow you to narrow your studies to interests of your choice. You might decide to learn more about a particular literary genre, such as crime fiction or children’s books, explore digital publishing or online journalism, or develop your own creative writing skills. You could also further improve your CV by applying for the work placement year option, studying abroad for a trimester, or learning a new language with our Anglia Language Programme. We’ll also support you to find placements and work experience throughout the course, with live briefs embedded into some modules. Cambridge has a range of vibrant business and industry sectors, ranging from major publishing houses to technology companies, all of which require graduates with strong communication and analytic skills. With over 30 English language schools, it's the perfect place to study English. Our business and industry partners provide opportunities for live briefs, placements and volunteering positions; they also give you a vital network for your future employment and projects. If you’re interested in teaching English, you might also be able to take up part-time work with them, and further develop your skills at the same time. You’ll have many opportunities to attend co-curricular events that include interactions with writers, publishers, language teachers and other professionals related to the field, allowing you to further expand your network as well as your knowledge base. Your studies will be supported by our team of expert lecturers, including several published authors, such as Dr Vahid Parvaresh (co-author, Elastic Language in Persuasion and Comforting: A Cross-Cultural Perspective), Dr Cassie Gorman (The Atom in Seventeenth-Century Poetry); Dr Tory Young (Studying English Literature, a text used on many other university courses as well as our own); and Dr Bettina Beinhoff (Perceiving Identity through Accent – Attitudes towards Non-Native Speakers and their Accents in English). You can also get feedback and support for your writing projects from our Royal Literary Fund Fellowship Scheme mentors. Our Language and Literature research was awarded 'world-leading' status in the Research Excellence Framework 20211.
Modules
Year 1 core modules: How Texts Work; Introduction to the Study of Literature and Writing; Deconstructing Communication; Language, Communication and Society; The History of the Novel. Year 2 Core modules: Ruskin Module; Bridging Cultures; Woke Wars; From Modernism to the Millenium. Year 2 Optional modules: Sounds and Communication; Podcasting; Nineteenth Century Literature and the Environment; Nineteenth Century Afterlives and Adaptations; Professional Placement; Doing Stylistics with Corpora; Digital Media Theory: Social Media; AI and the Cultures of the Internet; Online Journalism; Teenage Kicks: Youth Culture and Media; Crocodiles, Pirates and Moon-men: Renaissance Encounters; Science Fiction; Performing Shakespeare; Writing Short Fiction; Philosophy of Art and Image; Key Paradigms 2: Sociology and Politics; Anglia Language Programme. Year 3: Placement. Year 4 Core modules: Prejudice and Ideologies; Research Communication; Major Project. Year 4 Optional modules: New Media Discourse; Communication Disorders; Cultural Politics of Celebrity; Digital Publishing; Spectacle and Representation in Renaissance Drama; Literature and Exile: Displacement, Identity, Self; Crime and Detective Fiction; Renaissance Magic; Writing Poetry; Language and the Law; Communication, Flesh, Philosophy; The Making of Modern Media; Life Writing; Key Paradigms 3: International and Global Perspectives in Education; Anglia Language Programme. Modules are subject to change and availability.
Assessment method
We’ll use a range of methods to assess your progress, including essays, portfolios, self-reflection, and presentations. These will allow you to engage with multidisciplinary resources in a collaborative and structured manner, and with practical or ‘real world’ contexts in which you can explore and evaluate concepts and arguments. Alongside tools such as open-form project work (including creative multimedia outputs) and peer assessment, they will also help you develop key transferable skills. The Major Project acts as the capstone for your degree. You’ll work on a detailed piece of research that builds on earlier course materials and perspectives to create a final project in a format agreed with your supervisor, but equivalent to 10,000 words.
How to apply
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:
- Q318
- Institution code:
- A60
- Campus name:
- Cambridge Campus
- Campus code:
- C
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 96 points
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Student Outcomes
There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
England | £9250 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £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
Provider information
Anglia Ruskin University
East Road
Cambridge
CB1 1PT