BA English

The BA English allows you to explore an exciting and broad range of English literature, along with studying the language and acquiring important careers skills. This comprehensive approach is a distinctive feature of degree. It ensures that graduates from the course are remarkable for the scope of their knowledge of English.

The 30 full-time academic staff provide access to a range of expertise and their internationally recognised research feeds directly into teaching. 

In the 2012 National Student Satisfaction Survey, 94% of English BA students were satisfied with their course.

Degree Structure

The English BA includes literature and language study, with the main emphasis on literature. In the first year you will study introductory English modules and choose an Option Subject from a range including American Literature, Film Studies, History and Creative Writing.

The second year features core modules covering the early medieval period to the eighteenth century, along with the study of critical theory. In the third year you study literature from the Romantic period up to the present day. You will also specialize at an advanced level through choosing a Compulsory Dissertation and selecting two Special Subjects (one in each semester).

Please click on the modules to find information on course content, reading lists, and details of assessments.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Every semester you will study three modules with the teaching taking two principal forms. Lectures, given by subject specialists, are designed to introduce you to important debates and contexts for understanding an author’s work. Weekly seminars allow you to explore a text in detail with a tutor leading a group of about 12 students in discussion.

For each module you will have one seminar and one or more lectures per week. During the week you also attend additional teaching events, such as workshops on research and study skills, learning groups, and introduced film screenings.

Students are assessed through a combination of essays, examinations, group work, and oral presentations. Coursework greatly predominates over examination as a form of assessment. Most modules are assessed either by  coursework or a mix of coursework and exam. Taking all the English BA modules running in 2012/13 together, 38% of the assessment is exam-based or through online tests, and 64% is coursework.

Option Subject (year one)

As a first year, you take four modules of English (two in each semester) and an  Option Subject which you study for the year.

The Option subjects for the academic year 2012/13 are:

• American Literature
• Ancient History (Classical Greece and Rome)
• Creative Writing
  
• Film Studies
• History
• History of Art
• Modern Languages (French, Italian, and Spanish)

The choice of the Option Subject, which must normally be made before you arrive in Leicester to begin the course, must be approved by the School of English. To find out more about Option Subjects, click here.

Special Subjects and Dissertations (year three)

Special Subject modules give you the chance to pursue particular interests and specialize. The modules draw directly on lecturers' research specialities and around 20 options are available each semester.

These modules are taught through weekly two-hour seminars. Assessment differs from subject to subject with some being through one or two essays, and others through an essay and set exercises, or an essay and a piece of creative writing.

Dissertations are individual research projects, culminating in a 5,000 word essay. The choice of topic, author and period are up to you. You will receive one-on-one supervision from a member of staff with an interest in your chosen topic.

List of available Special Subjects

Research

The research strengths of each member of staff play a major role in the degree at Leicester. You will benefit directly from the internationally renowned scholarship of your tutors and lecturers on all the courses that make up the programme of study.

For further details of research undertaken in the School see the research section.

Study skills

As a graduate of our English course, you will be skilled in research, analysis, and in communicating  with different audiences. You will gain considerable experience in delivering oral presentations and, of course, in using the written language to argue clearly and eloquently.

Within the degree programme, careful thought has been given to how to prepare you for your future employment. Definable skills are built into every course. In the first year, for example, workshops include sessions on public-speaking, careers planning, and using electronic resources for research. Innovative teaching techniques, such as the use of teamwork and web-based discussion groups, are integral to the programme.

Support

The School of English has an excellent support care system. You will be assigned a Personal Tutor who can offer advice and support throughout your  university life. This system, coupled with the University’s extensive welfare and support facilities, helps ensure efficient and accessible care is available for all students.

Come and see for your yourself

There is no substitute for personal experience. We believe that witnessing what the School, university and campus has to offer first-hand will allow you absorb what it is actually like to be a student -- and that is something you cannot get from a book or website.

Opportunities to visit the University

Entry requirements

For the most recent information on our entry requirements please refer to our online prospectus - link below.

English prospectus