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English Language and Literature at Aston University, Birmingham - UCAS

Course summary

Ready to become an expert communicator and discover the crucial role of English language and literature in today’s world? Course outline The BA (Hons) English Language and Literature course has been designed with your future in mind, linking your studies to professionally relevant contexts with practical applications. It is directly informed by the research expertise of our staff, who specialise in disciplines spanning linguistics, literature, language education, workplace communication and more. We study everything from poetry and plays to news reporting and social media, providing you with the opportunity to develop skills in linguistic analysis, while exploring literary genres from Shakespeare to post-apocalyptic science fiction, considering periods from the seventeenth century to the present day. This equips you with theoretical depth, cutting-edge linguistic abilities and techniques for close reading and analysis, applicable in legal, educational and business domains. The integrated placement year offers the chance to apply your learning in a work or study placement in the UK or overseas. Whether you choose to study abroad, work for a company or to teach, Aston University’s links with employers, schools and universities around the world mean you will have a wide range of options to boost your employability. Key benefits

  • Power up your future – Develop the skills employers around the globe look for. Gain an edge in a fast-changing world and thrive in your career with Aston Power Skills.
  • Excellent prospects - Ranked 1st in the UK for ‘career prospects’ (English; Guardian, 2025)
  • Safe in our hands - Ranked 5th in the UK for ‘student-to-staff ratio’ (English; Guardian, 2025)
  • Here for you. 100% of students felt positive about the academic support they received (English Language and Literature; National Student Survey, 2024).
  • Top teachers. 98% of students felt positive about teaching on their course (English Language and Literature; National Student Survey, 2024).
  • Earn more – Our graduates are among the highest paid in the country, earning on average £35,400 five years after graduating (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2024)
  • Gold standard teaching – Aston University was awarded Gold – the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF, 2023)
Where can this degree take me? The transferable skills that our English programmes provide mean that our graduates are successful in finding employment in a wide range of roles such as:
  • Teacher
  • Marketing executive
  • Research and content writer
  • Social media executive
  • Police officer
  • Education consultant
  • Policy adviser
  • Copywriter
  • Operations support manager
  • Merchandising assistant
Our graduates have gone on to work at companies and public sector organisations such as the BBC, Lloyds Banking Group, West Midlands Railway, West Midlands Police, Ministry of Justice, NHS and Airbus.

Modules

For a full list of modules and course objectives, visit the course page on Aston University's website: https://www.aston.ac.uk/study/courses/english-language-and-literature-ba

Assessment method

For more information on how this course is assessed, visit the course page on Aston University's website: https://www.aston.ac.uk/study/courses/english-language-and-literature-ba


How to apply

This course is not open to application until the 13th May 2025.

Application codes

Course code:
Q321
Institution code:
A80
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

All applications are considered on an individual basis and the whole application is reviewed carefully, including previous and predicted qualifications, experience, reference and your motivation to study the course. Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard. However, any offer made will not be lower than stated above. Entry onto our Foundation Year maybe offered as an alternative to the degree course if lower entry grades are achieved. Aston University welcomes applications from students with a wide range of qualifications from the UK and overseas, including combinations of qualifications. If your qualifications are not listed here and you wish to check whether they meet the entry requirements for this course, please contact the university.


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
90%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
95%
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

England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
International £21500 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

UK students (Home Undergraduate): The annual tuition fee for the programme commencing in academic year 2025/26 will be £9,535 (subject to the passing of legislation implementing the Government’s policy to increase the maximum tuition fee from £9,250, payable by Home Undergraduate students on full-time courses). The fee for the placement year is £1,250. International students (Overseas Undergraduate): The annual tuition fee for the programme commencing in academic year 2025/26 will be £21,500. The fee for the placement year is £2,500. All students: The duration of your programme is set out above and you will be responsible for the payment of an annual tuition fee in each of these years. The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually in accordance with its Terms and Conditions (aston.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-12/Terms_and_Conditions_of_Enrolment_2025-6.pdf) and subject at all times to the maximum tuition fee caps set by Government from time to time. This means that your total tuition fee may be higher than stated above, but your total tuition fee will never increase by more than 6% year on year. An increase in fees will allow the University to cover the increased costs of delivering the course and ensure it is able to maintain high standards of education and facilities.
English Language and Literature at Aston University, Birmingham - UCAS