Our unique and challenging course provides you with knowledge and skills to move into a variety of careers.

Full entry requirements

English at Leicester

The School of English at the University of Leicester is internationally recognised for excellence in both teaching and research. Our courses are both challenging and enjoyable, building on the best traditions of the subject through the use of innovative study and research methods. We provide breadth of coverage in the core literary periods, as well as depth of chosen specialisation in the third-year Dissertation (with one-to-one tuition) and Special Subject options.

The staff in the School are internationally and nationally renowned scholars whose interests cover all areas of English Studies from the development of slang to the works of Salman Rushdie, and from Old English to contemporary post-colonialism. Our scholarship in Victorian Studies is particularly notable, and the School offers a vibrant and dynamic research environment which directly benefits undergraduates’ learning.

The School of English is renowned not only for its academic excellence, but also its members’ accessibility and friendliness. Our pastoral care system is first-rate, and feedback and participation are encouraged through the Staff Student Consultative Committee where lecturers and student representatives from all years meet to discuss issues. The English Society, run by students for students, also arranges a significant number of events, including a book sale and an annual ball for all members of the School.

Why Choose English at Leicester?

National Student Survey Ranking: 93% of students satisfied with their course. Teaching Quality score: ‘Excellent’
Teaching Quality score: ‘Excellent’
Research rating: The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) designated 95% of all research submitted as having international status, with 60% accorded world-leading status.
Places: 180
Applications: 1018

The School of English has maintained an outstanding record in the National Student Survey since the survey began in 2005, with ratings over 90% for student satisfaction. Our overall satisfaction rating in the National Student Survey for 2010 was 93%. Our excellent performance has frequently places us in the top 5 rankings for English departments: 4th in 2009, 2nd in 2007, 1st in 2006, 4th in 2005.

The 2011 Times Good University Guide ranked us 14th out of 99 English departments in the UK.

All of our lecturers publish on their specialist subjects meaning that the teaching in the School is informed by the very latest in ground-breaking research.

You will be taught in seminar groups of about 12, an ideal size for detailed discussions of issues raised in lectures and close readings of set texts.

Students in the School of English benefit from the excellent facilities of the new University Library, which opened in 2008. The research resources range from electronic databases of the latest journals to the rare and antique books held in the ‘Special Collections’.

You will graduate with a thorough knowledge of English Literature and language from its beginnings in the Anglo-Saxon period through to the globalisation of English in the twenty-first century.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Study consists of a variety of methods, including traditional lectures, interactive workshops, seminar groups of a dozen students, and small group work. You will also receive one-to-one tuition in your third-year Dissertation module, and work with other students in the acquisition of skills. The School of English runs the highly successful PAL (Peer-Assisted Learning) system, where senior undergraduates assist first-years in settling into the University. You will also have support and guidance from a Personal Tutor, a member of academic staff allocated to you on arrival at the University.

Students are assessed through a combination of examination, coursework, critical review, presentation, group work and portfolio.

Course Opportunities

You can opt to change degree at the end of the First Year to the BA English EU programme. This means that the degree becomes a four-year course, with the third fully funded year spent studying English at one of our partner institutions. We have exchange agreements with some of the most respected universities on the continent: Bologna, Turin, Leipzig, Heidelberg, Salzburg, Amsterdam, Helsinki and Paris.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop language skills and to share in a different university experience.

Skills Gained

Within the English degree, you have access to an exciting range of approaches and study opportunities. As well as the close reading of texts, you also learn about the English language itself, and about the ways in which modern critical theory informs our strategies for reading. You will have the chance, as part of your Special Subject options, to study creative writing, literature and film, drama in performance, the world of words and metaphors, text and visual imagery, women writers, and much more.

In your Final Year you will be able to build on the study and research skills you have gained throughout the course by embarking on a dissertation research project of your choice. This will give valuable study and time-management skills to anyone going onto a masters, PhD or research-centred career.

Graduate Opportunities

The range of opportunities for graduates in English is vast. The degree is highly flexible, and is valued by employers and by those who recruit future teachers. We have, for example, graduates working in the national press, book and magazine publishing, the law, local government, personnel, university administration, accountancy, and English teaching in Europe and the Far East. The breadth and depth of Leicester’s English degree provide creative and critical skills that make our graduates greatly appreciated, and there are few limits to the career choices offered by this degree.

Full entry requirements

Opportunities to Visit and Further Information

Choosing where and what to study at university is an important choice for you. We believe it is important to give you the opportunity to talk to our admissions team, so you can find out whether our programme is the right choice for you.

For further information, please contact:
The Admissions Secretary
0116 252 2624
Fax: 0116 252 2065
english@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/english/

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