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School of Social Sciences and Humanities

English

BA (Hons), Full-time 3 years
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Explore the great works of culture - in literature, film, and across the breadth of artistic expression – through texts from the Renaissance to the present day, and from the West Indies to the West Midlands.

Christie Lee Simkins, current BA Hons English with Foundation Year student

'Joining as a mature student, I was nervous about embarking on a new journey in education, but this course reignited my passion for literature and the staff have supported me every step of the way. This course has intruiged and engaged me. Covering such a huge variety of literature has allowed me to expand beyond my usual boarders and consider things I never would have thought. Not only have I explored a huge variety of literature, but I've been taught to examine social, cultural and political issues imbedded within the works. This has truly expanded my knowledge.'

Christie Lee Simkins, current BA Hons English with Foundation Year student

Why choose this course?

Explore the great works of culture - in literature, film, and across the breadth of artistic expression – through texts from the Renaissance to the present day, and from the West Indies to the West Midlands.

 

You will study great canonical writers and uncover the literary forms we associate with them (like Shakespearean drama, Milton’s epic, the ‘major’ Romantic poets and great Victorian novelists). You will learn of the challenges to this tradition offered by the Modernists, contemporary counter-culture, and from voices marginalised by class, gender, sexuality and race, and international authors/film-makers/songwriters offering perspectives from outside Britain.

Make sure to follow our Twitter feed @wlv_English.

 
  

What happens on the course?

Year 1 (Level 4)

We get you off to a good start by aiming to make every day you spend on the course an adventure of exploration. The course begins right away to open up for you the world of writing, and encourages you in your classwork and assessments to develop your creative ideas.   To assist you in your personal journey the course team is there to support you individually, and in conjunction with your fellow students, as you experience modules that include: Brief Encounters (the short story); Making a Scene (an introduction to drama); Fantastic Beasts (animals and nature in medieval literature); Poetry.  

Year 2 (Level 5)

This second year provides the backbone of a literature degree through its core modules, while introducing electives so you can spread your wings. You’ll explore the Renaissance through classic texts in poetry and drama, including Shakespeare and Milton, and get a solid grounding in critical theory which will assist you in developing your own perspective on key issues and themes. Options in Children’s Literature, Women’s Writing, and Adventures in the Gothic, etc., will allow you pursue your passions and discover new ones. You’ll learn from fellow students in our Learning Cafes (student conferences), where we offer workshops in areas you help to choose: perhaps in research methods for dissertations, interview techniques and writing your CV, guest speakers on career pathways, etc.

Year 3 (Level 6)

The programme’s final year priorities your independence as a scholar and individual, as it is entirely composed of elective or optional modules, apart from the Independent Study/dissertation (on a topic of your choosing). You can explore the classics in key periods of literary history like Romanticism, the Victorians, and Modernism. Perhaps try American Literature, Literature in the Digital Age, or encounter some of the massive issues confronting the instabilities of our modern world through Literature and Migration. Work placement modules, alumni guest speakers, workshops in writing applications and the ongoing opportunities through the Learning Cafes will also help you prepare for life after graduation.

 

Fees & finance

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £9250 2021/2
Home Full-time £9250 2022/3
Home Full-time £9250 2023/4
International Full-time £12950 2021/2
International Full-time £13450 2022/3
International Full-time £14450 2023/4
Home Part-time £3100 2021/2
Home Part-time £3120 2022/3
Home Part-time £4625 2023/4
International Part-time £6475 2021/2
International Part-time £6725 2022/3
Home Full-time £9250 2023/4
International Full-time £14450 2023/4
Home Part-time £4625 2023/4

Why Wolverhampton?

At Wolverhampton you can:

  • Take part in English-related vocational work in your final year.
  •  Experience semester-length or year-long opportunities to study with English departments in France, Spain and Bulgaria.
  •  Encounter a fascinating blend of classic literature, radical writers and popular culture taught by published academics and scholars. Areas where the English team have gained particular recognition recently include: travel and transcultural literatures; contemporary literature & culture; pedagogic research.
  • Choose to include English language modules alongside your literary ones as part of your curriculum.
  • Be confident that the English programme at Wolverhampton has been commended by external examiners for the creativity of its design and the high standards of its teaching.

Comment from our External Examiner on provision for English:

"The subject curriculum continues to be highly relevant both in terms of the student experience at Wolverhampton and in terms of reflecting the benchmark statements for English, which stress the importance of providing a full range of modules and a diversity of teaching and assessment methods. The English team is to be congratulated once again on ensuring that standards are maintained through the provision of a varied diet of modules, combining traditional and non-traditional courses, with a variety of teaching and assessment methods.  The detailed level of feedback provided on all modules remains an example of good practice".

 

 

What skills will you gain?

At the end of this course you will be able to:

1. Engage in the comprehension, analysis and appreciation of literary and non-literary texts.

2. Develop your language competence through a range of written, oral and digital resources.

3. Attain an advanced knowledge of literary history and the contextual approaches to the production and reception of texts.

4. Cultivate a critical self-awareness and intellectual curiosity about literature in a multi-cultural and international context.

5. Demonstrate enterprising learning, scholarly skills and independent thought.

6. Acquire a range of transferable skills intrinsic to the subject area and of value to graduate employment.

What our students say?

“I went from being a full time housewife to studying two degrees, and a PhD. The University and English inspired me to never stop learning.”

Evelyn Price – BA (Hons) English; MA English

Libraries

Libraries

Our libraries offer helpful support and resources to aid your studies including: social learning and quiet study areas, bookable spaces, and 24/7 opening at key times in the year.
Study spaces

Study spaces

We’re got plenty of study spaces around campus – so you can find the ideal place to suit your style, wherever – and whenever – you get your best ideas.
Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies

Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies

Religious Studies students will benefit from teaching informed by the research of our Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies, the first of its kind in the UK, and its links with Sikh Studies scholars worldwide.
Chaplaincy

Chaplaincy

Need a quiet place to read, write or contemplate the big philosophical and religious ideas? The Chaplaincy, a stone’s throw from Housman Building, offers a quiet place to reflect.
Housman Building

Housman Building

The home of Humanities courses is City Campus’s Housman Building which features a large lecture theatre, dedicated social learning spaces, computers and the Conservatory coffee shop.

World Class Facilities

World Class Facilities

Make it happen

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