Course Overview
Attendance
* Price per 20-credit module
Course summary
Our English Literature BA gives you an opportunity to study English literature in its wider social, cultural, and historical contexts.
You'll be able to engage with an exciting variety of texts, both traditional (such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens) and non-traditional (such as queer fiction, graphic novels, and new forms of digital content) alongside other kinds of cultural works such as films, museums and art. You'll become a sophisticated reader of texts in their wider cultural contexts, at the same time as sharpening your skills in research. This training in critical and creative reading is particularly suitable if you are considering English teaching, the publishing or journalism industries, or any career that involves sophisticated communication skills and an advanced level of language use. It is of particular interest to those wishing to develop their skills as a writer. Our degree is strong in promoting the transferable and cognitive skills that employers value, and that contribute to lifelong personal and professional development.
We begin the course with an examination of what literature is, what tools we use to discuss it, and how texts are related to the historical contexts from which they emerge. As you progress through the course, you'll be introduced to a wide variety of literature from Shakespeare to the Gothic, American fiction, Modernism and contemporary writing. You'll study different forms including poetry, prose, and drama, looking at texts from diverse periods and places.
We make the most of our central London location in the midst of galleries, museums, cinemas and theatres, and use the urban landscape as a resource for studying the social and theoretical issues relating to literature.
Top reasons to study with us
- Benefit from small group learning – We offer bespoke small group tutorials of around five students per tutor, which are designed to support your individual learning needs during the first two years of your degree, as well as academic skills support throughout your degree
- Engage with a variety of texts – You'll be studying both traditional and non-traditional texts alongside other cultural works such as films, museums and art
- Gain experience before graduating – you’ll have the option to do a work placement as part of this course
- Learn transferable skills – Our degree will prepare you for a variety of careers by helping you to build your communication skills, research skills and creativity in problem-solving
- Experience cultural London – Our unrivalled central London location allows us to take advantage of the wealth of cultural institutions and opportunities in London
Course structure
There is a range of optional modules available from within the School of Humanities and across the University in each year of study. In Year 3, you have a particularly extensive array of modules to choose from, which allows you to tailor the degree to your own interests and future aspirations. In Year 3, you also complete a dissertation in a topic of your choice, with one-to-one supervisory support.
Our principal mode of teaching is through seminars of 15-25 students, with some larger university lectures. A key feature of our degree is our weekly small group tutorials (about five students per tutor). These are designed to support your own individual learning needs as you go through the first two years. The tutorials are specific to this degree and provide an important space for you to find personalised support in your studies more generally, alongside enhancing your study and employability skills.
As with all university study, much of your learning is independent, conducted beyond the classroom (individually and in groups) in the library, at home, and via our online learning system (Blackboard), and the tutorials provide essential support for independent study.
Assessment on the English Literature BA varies from traditional essays, presentations and small analytic exercises of texts through to small research projects and ultimately the preparation and writing of your own dissertation in the final year. Some modules combine coursework with a short exam.
The following subjects are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Subjects of study include:
- Literature Tutorial
- What is Literature?
- Key Words for Literary Studies
- Shakespeare and Performance
- Poetry and Politics
Credit Level 4
Subjects of study include:
- English Literature Tutorial
- The Novel
- Romanticisms
- The Victorian World
- Writing Revolutions
- Making Memory: Culture History and Representation
- Monsters
Credit Level 5
Between Levels 5 and 6 you’ll have the option to undertake either a study or work placement at a partner institution abroad. The optional year abroad helps you develop cultural and intercultural awareness of the country you visit and gives you an opportunity to gain experience in a different setting.
Find out more about the costs involved in taking a study abroad or placement year.
Subjects of study include:
- Dissertation
- Reading the Present
- Tragedy: Ancient to Modern
- Fiction After 1950
- Issues in Culture
- Special Topic
- The Modernist World
- Sexualities in Literature and Culture
- Work Placement for the Humanities
Credit Level 6
Hear from our students
For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).
To request an accessible version please email [email protected]
Get your copy of the University of Westminster prospectus and browse the range of courses on offer.
Contact us for general course enquiries:
+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm GMT)
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(Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm GMT)
Open days
Join us at an open day online or on campus. Get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster and talk to course leaders and our support teams.
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Careers
Graduates of the English Literature BA go on to work in a wide variety of fields, including further study at MA and PhD levels, teaching, arts organisations such as theatres and museums, charities, journalism, marketing and public relations.
Get career-ready
Our degree enhances your communication skills, research skills, initiative and creativity in problem-solving – skills that are valued in a wide range of careers.
Student satisfaction
95% of our English Literature BA students were satisfied with the quality of the course.
(Source: Discover Uni - site accessed in January 2021)”
Employers around the world
The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers and support you to achieve your full potential.
Transferable skills
On graduating, you'll have an array of important transferable skills, including:
- A sophisticated use of written and spoken English
- An advanced critical ability in the use of theoretical perspectives
- Facility and precision in the use of analytical tools
- Strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear, well-presented reports or fluent critical arguments
We also provide guidance in CV writing and drafting job applications, and preparing for interviews and psychometric tests, giving you a headstart in your graduate career.
Work experience
You’ll have the option to complete a work placement as part of this course.
You can gain valuable work experience supporting a teacher in a school or college through the Explore Teaching programme, using your subject knowledge to support and inspire small groups of pupils.
Job roles
This course will prepare you for roles in a range of fields, including:
- Advertising
- Academia
- Curation
- Journalism
- Marketing and PR
- Publishing and editing
- Research
- Teaching
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:
- Apple
- Arsenal Football Club
- Bank of England
- BBC (Newsround, Holby City)
- Cancer Research
- Civil Service
- Charles Dickens Museum
- English Heritage
- Hope Not Hate
- Imperial War Museum
- Ministry of Defence
- NHS
- Penguin
- Selfridges & Co
- Tate Britain
- Taylor and Francis (publishing)
- Ted Baker
- The Guardian
- Victoria and Albert Museum
International Opportunities
Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.
Opportunities could include:
- Taking part in semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
- Attending an international summer school or field trip
- Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad
International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.
Find out more about our international opportunities, including funding options and where you can go.
Course Leader
Dr Lucy Bond
Principal Lecturer
Lucy is a Reader in English Literature. She was educated at the University of Cambridge (English Literature BA), the University of London (Cultural Memory MA), and Goldsmiths, University of London (PhD in English and Comparative Literature). She has lectured at the universities of London and Westminster. She teaches modules in American literature and culture, trauma, and memory.
Her research examines memory, race, and the environment in the Deep South. She has published several books and articles, including Frames of Memory after 9/11 (Palgrave 2015), Memory Unbound: Tracing the Dynamics of Memory Studies (Berghahn 2016), Planetary Memory in Contemporary American Fiction (Routledge 2017), and Trauma (Routledge New Critical Idiom, 2019).
Our degrees will give you the tools to think critically about what it means to be human in a complex and dynamically changing world.
Course Team
- Dr Simon Avery - Reader in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture
- Dr John Baker - Senior Lecturer
- Professor John Beck - Professor
- Dr Lucy Bond - Principal Lecturer
- Dr Matthew Charles - Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Critical Theory
- Dr Georgina Colby - Reader in Modern and Contemporary Literature
- Professor David Cunningham - Professor
- Dr Saul Frampton - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Michelle Geric - Senior Lecturer in English Literature
- Dr Monica Germana - Reader
- Dr Kate M. Graham - Senior Lecturer in English Literature (Theatre)
- Dr Gwilym Jones - Lecturer in English
- Dr Nigel Mapp - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Emma McEvoy - Senior Lecturer in English Literature
- Dr Michael Nath - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Elinor Taylor - Senior Lecturer
- Professor Alexandra Warwick - Head of School - Humanities
- Dr Anne Witchard - Reader
Why study this course?
A literary city
Study in the heart of London, a historic literary city and home to some of the world's most celebrated writers, and make the most of the many cultural opportunities available.
Benefit from small group learning
Our weekly small group tutorials are designed to give you additional support during the first two years of your degree.
Gain a broad perspective
On our course, you'll study both traditional texts and texts from outside the usual literary canon, while focusing on the broader context of Western history and thought, and art and culture.
Entry Requirements
- A levels – BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points)
- T levels – 104 UCAS Tariff points
- International Baccalaureate – 104 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM
- BTEC Diploma – D*D
- Access – 104 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course
In addition to one of the above, you should have:
- GCSE English Language grade 4/C – IB grade 4 Higher level, GCSE Maths grade 4/C – IB grade 4
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.
We also welcome applications from students who are taking a combination of qualifications listed above. For further information, please contact Course Enquiries.
View more information about our entry requirements and the application process
- International Baccalaureate – 104 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You can refer to the UCAS calculator to determine your point score
- We accept a wide range of international high school level qualifications. Please see information on Country-specific entry requirements
- We work in partnership with Kaplan International College London who provide International Foundation Certificate courses for students who don’t meet our entry requirements. Upon successful completion, you can progress to your chosen degree at the University of Westminster. Find out about a range of university preparation courses that are accepted for entry.
English language requirements
- If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS score of 6.0 overall, with a score of 5.5 in each component. Please note we accept a wide range of English language qualifications and assessments. Find out more at English language requirements.
- If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, then we offer online and on campus pre-sessional English programmes to help develop your English language skills to the required level before you start your course. Find out more about our pre-sessional English programmes.
More information
Learn new skills
Learn a new language
From Arabic to Spanish, you can learn a new language alongside your degree with our Polylang programme.
Develop your entrepreneurial skills
Our award-winning Westminster Enterprise Network offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your startup projects.
Gain extra qualifications
We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Fees and Funding
UK tuition fee: £1,540 (Price per 20-credit module)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
Funding
As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.
Find out about undergraduate student funding options.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
Additional costs
You should budget between £50–£100 for additional materials at Level 4, £50–£100 at Level 5 and £50–£100 at Level 6.
See also our general policy on what your tuition fees cover.
International tuition fee: £2,830 (Price per 20-credit module)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme
If you are an international student accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2024 or September 2025 at level 3 (Foundation) or level 4 (first year) on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only, you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.
International student funding
Find out about funding for international students.
Additional costs
You should budget between £50–£100 for additional materials at Level 4, £50–£100 at Level 5 and £50–£100 at Level 6.
See also our general policy on what your tuition fees cover.
Teaching and Assessment
Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable. Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.
How you'll be taught
Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:
- Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
- Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
- Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
How you'll be assessed
Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.
Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:
- Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts
- Written exams: end of semester exams
- Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Data from the academic year 2023/24
Supporting you
Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.
- Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
- Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
- Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
- Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more
Course location
Our Regent Campus is comprised of two sites, situated on and around Regent Street – one of the most famous and vibrant streets in London.
Subjects including Criminology and Sociology, English and Creative Writing, History, Languages, Politics and International Relations and Visual Culture are based at 309 Regent Street, which includes recently refurbished social spaces, gym facilities and our Regent Street Cinema.
For more details, visit our locations page.
Contact us
Call our dedicated team on:
+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511
Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday
Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday
More information
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