Undergraduate

This diverse and creative course incorporating a Foundation Year is a must for anyone passionate about English, whether that be language, literature, drama or creative writing.

As part of the foundation year you will develop essential skills and knowledge which will help you succeed in your future degree level studies and which will be transferable to your future career.

You will study a variety of subjects, including language and literature, drama and creative writing, and will learn how these different aspects of English study interact with one another.

Alongside this you will develop core skills in research, critical analysis, planning and evaluation, creativity and effective communication. Understanding how English is studied in context, developing that knowledge and applying it through a range of assignments and assessments, will provide you with a strong foundation upon which to progress to degree-level study at the School of English.

The BA (Hons) English Language and Literature programme will support you in developing interdisciplinary skills in both areas, as well as the wider field of humanities.

You will have a unique opportunity to strengthen your critical skills in informed reading and analysis, whilst deepening your appreciation for language and literature. You will develop your writing, close-reading and research skills, and learn to express your arguments coherently and persuasively.

Your language studies will be applied to everyday and professional settings, allowing you to strengthen your understanding of communicative processes, while your literature studies will provide an opportunity to examine literature from all of the major periods, movements and genres. Your degree will allow you to tailor your studies to your individual interests.

What's covered in the course?

English as a discipline continues to be relevant to the lives we lead and is central to a wide range of contemporary and social contexts. It is this fact on which the School has built its philosophy and approach to English as a subject with interdisciplinary reach beyond its own boundaries.

Understanding how language works in practice, engaging with multiple forms of communication, and examining how language and literature engage with societies and cultures in the past and present, are all vital aspects in understanding how the discipline connects with the wider world, enabling you to focus on the production, interpretation and negotiation of meaning and to understand the world from a variety of perspectives.

You will benefit from student-focused and research-informed teaching in a friendly and supportive learning environment. Our graduates are characterised by their extensive subject knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, reflected in the skills and abilities that enables them to adapt to a wide range of career paths and employment opportunities.

The School contributes to the cultural life of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands by: working closely with partner colleges and schools; maintaining close links with cultural institutions such as the Birmingham and Midland Institute (BMI) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG); and working with agencies such as Writing West Midlands. The aim is to provide opportunities for the community to engage with the discipline and the University.

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Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Qualification	Offer	Further information
UCAS Tariff	80 points
A level	CDD	Must include English Lang or Lit. May consider Film Studies/Communication Studies/Creative Writing in lieu of English if applicant submits satisfactory essay set by the department. For English and Drama will consider A Level in Performing Arts/Drama or Theatre Studies in lieu of English. A maximum of three subjects are considered. Other 6-unit qualifications can be considered in lieu of one or two A-level subjects.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)	MMP
Access to HE Diploma		60 credits overall. Minimum of 45 credits at level 3 with a minimum of 18 credits in English related area at merit or above. Language, Literature and Culture subjects preferred but other subjects also considered. Applicants may be requested to complete an essay set by the department.
Scottish Higher		Achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points achieved from either five Highers or a combination of two Highers offered with two Advanced Highers. Where only Highers have been taken a minimum of (CDDDD) are required. Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of DD in two Highers).
AS		Must be considered along with a minimum of 2 of the following qualifications providing has A Level English at C or above: A-levels, BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas/ OCR Cambridge Technical Diplomas. Can also be considered in combination with a BTEC extended diploma, art and design foundation diploma or UAL extended diploma to obtain 80 pts.
Extended Project		Must be in a topic related to the degree subject being applied for. Must be considered along with a minimum of 2 of the following qualifications providing has A Level English at grade C or above: A-levels, BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas/ OCR Cambridge Technical Diplomas. Can also be considered in combination with a BTEC extended diploma, art and design foundation diploma or UAL extended diploma to obtain 80 pts.
GCSE/National 4/National 5	GCSE 5 grade 4's Must include english language grade 4 or above Must have been achieved at the point of application.
HNC (BTEC)		Course dependent
HND (BTEC)		Course dependent
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme		Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall. For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) Group A English Group A - Grade 4 or above, OR English Group B - Grade 5 or above from the IB will be accepted. Students who do not complete the IB Diploma and who achieve the minimum of 11 points from two Higher Level subjects, will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)		Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 80 tariff points, achieved in four Higher level subjects. This must include English Language taken at either Ordinary level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) or Higher level (minimum grade H5/D1).
Leaving Certificate - Ordinary Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)		See level 3 entry under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details
OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate		Must be considered along with the following qualifications providing has A Level English grade C or above: A-Levels, BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas/ OCR Cambridge Technical Diplomas. Can also be considered in combination with a BTEC Extended Diploma, Art and Design Foundation Diploma or UAL Extended Diploma to obtain 80 pts.
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma	DM	Can be considered in combination with either A-levels,AS-levels or BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/BTEC 90 credit diploma/ OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma qualification/Foundation Diploma in Art and Design/ UAL extended diploma to achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate		Must be offered along with either A-levels,AS-levels or BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/BTEC 90 credit diploma/ OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma qualification/Foundation Diploma in Art and Design/ UAL extended diploma to achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma	MMP
OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma		Must be considered along with the following qualifications providing has A Level English grade C or above: A-Levels, BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas/ OCR Cambridge Technical Diplomas. Can also be considered in combination with a BTEC Extended Diploma, Art and Design Foundation Diploma or UAL Extended Diploma to obtain 80 pts.
OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma		Must be considered along with the following qualifications providing has A Level English grade C or above: A-Levels, BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas/ OCR Cambridge Technical Diplomas. Can also be considered in combination with a BTEC Extended Diploma, Art and Design Foundation Diploma or UAL Extended Diploma to obtain 80 pts.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)	DM	Only in combination with other qualifications Can be combined with two A levels, a BTEC Diploma, or OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma to achieve a total of 80 UCAS points.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)	DM	will be considered in combination with either A-level, AS-levels or BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/BTEC 90 credit diploma/ OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma qualification/Foundation Diploma in Art and Design/ UAL extended diploma to achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)	D*	Can be combined with one A level, AS level, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, or OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma to achieve a total of 80 UCAS tariff points.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)		Combined with other level 3 qualifications.
Scottish Advanced Higher		Achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve minimum of grades DDD.  Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of DD in two Highers).
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)		Must be offered along with either A-levels,AS-levels or BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/BTEC 90 credit diploma/ OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma qualification/Foundation Diploma in Art and Design/ UAL extended diploma to achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points

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English language requirements

Test	Grade	Additional details
IELTS (Academic)	6.5	with no sub-test below 6.0

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