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Full Time: 3 Years
Whether you explore post-colonial literature or debate the ‘Arab Spring’, our BA English and International Relations degree lets you explore the world from different perspectives.
Our students examine some of the world’s most pressing problems as they are represented in literary works and as they are analysed through the study of International Relations, a specialist area of politics.
In your English literature modules, you will read more of authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). But you will also encounter aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary Caribbean and American fiction. As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised: you can do archive work on Studying Manuscripts, or look at the politics of literature in Class Matters. Everyone in our department, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree: this gives you the benefit of our expertise and makes you part of the conversation about our research and its impact outside the classroom.
In international relations, you will learn how to apply political theories and techniques to the issues that make news headlines across the globe. You will have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of specialist core and optional modules, which cover topical issues such as European political integration, international terrorism and the Middle East crisis. In certain modules, you will have the opportunity to take part in United Nations and Middle East simulations and gain an insight into the political process. You can also take part in other activities that are related to the subject, such as the Department of Politics and International Relations' weekly politics radio show and learn other useful skills such as presenting and audio editing.
We place a strong emphasis on small group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. In your first and second years, you will have a mix of lectures (which can be quite large) and seminars. We believe that the study of English literature and international relations is a discursive process in which we learn by sharing our ideas, and so we are determined to keep class sizes small enough so that everyone feels able to contribute. We provide detailed and thorough feedback on your written work within 15 working days: this is crucial to your development as someone whose career will involve the writing of clear and persuasive documents.
Placement
Throughout your degree you will be thinking about the career choices that will enable you to thrive after graduation: we will help you put in place the skills and experience that you need to launch that career. Our innovative placement scheme gives you the chance to undertake an academic placement in commerce, industry or the arts. You can also take a placement module on languages and literature in heritage, in education, and in the media. In international relations, you can undertake a two-week placement as part of our module on British government and politics. This is an opportunity for you to gain first-hand experience of working with an MP, charity, pressure group, local councillor or media organisation. You can also carry out longer placements during summer vacations.
Study abroad
In your second year, it may be possible for you to spend a term studying abroad at one of our partner institutions in the USA, Canada, Australia and countries across Europe. Learn more about studying abroad.
Typical offer A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £9,250* per year
New international students: £17,320 per year
* UK and EU fee changes
UK undergraduate fees are regulated by the government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK and EU** students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
From 2020, the UK government may link tuition fees to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
**EU students
For more information on fees, loans and grants for EU students, see fees and funding for home/EU students.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
* UK and EU Fee Changes
Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.
The tuition fee will remain £9,000 per year for the full duration of this course if you start in the 2016/17 academic year or have accepted an offer but deferred your entry until the 2017/18 academic year. This is unlike other institutions who are planning to raise fees midway through courses.
For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
What career can you have?
Through this course you will develop strong analytical and research skills, as well as becoming experienced in delivering presentations and working as part of a group. These transferable skills will prove immensely valuable when applying for jobs related to your studies and in different fields altogether.
As an English literature graduate, you will enter the job market with highly developed research and communication skills; you will know how to access reliable information on any topic and how to present your findings in clear and persuasive language: these are valuable skills in today’s economy, where information and communication skills are vital. You will have the critical and cultural awareness necessary for working in the public sector and the media. Some of our students decide to continue their studies at postgraduate level; others have successful careers in fields as diverse as law, business administration, web-design, teaching and journalism. Overall, 95% of our graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing their course [1]. Past graduates have gone on to work for employers such the BBC, The Telegraph, Oxford University Press, Waterstones, Cisco Systems and the Royal Mint, as well as local authorities and schools.
[1] Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18; First Degree and other undergraduate responders from English Literature.