Integrated Foundation - Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - English

The BA (Hons) English with Foundation Year programme is a distinctive, diverse, and challenging degree that provides a strong core in English Literature while offering options in English Language. Engagement with literary, critical, and cultural theory forms the core of the programme, enabling students to develop a highly nuanced and sophisticated approach to the analysis of literature, language, and culture. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including the evolution of fantasy, the representation of crime, the legacy of Empire, cultural politics, existentialist writing, classical myth, and the 19th-century realist novel. Alongside literature modules, students can explore key areas in linguistics, such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and the relationship between language and identity.

The programme exposes students to literature from across the globe, studied through perspective-altering theories concerning identity, desire, cultural politics, and the nature of reality. It equips graduates with skills and knowledge suitable for careers in teaching, journalism, publishing, arts administration, and other related fields. The teaching team comprises experts who are passionate about the subject and committed to student success. Opportunities for work-based learning, study visits to cultural and heritage institutions, and lectures and seminars delivered by guest speakers further enhance the programme.

The assessment strategy is designed to produce confident, articulate, and independent graduates, with no exams. Assessments include essays, participation in seminars, and seminar leadership. Emphasis is also placed on research skills, with conference papers and independent projects forming a key part of the second and third years. Students have the option to study for a semester at one of the programme’s American partner universities. The inclusion of a foundation year provides a head start in academic and professional development, offering the chance to strengthen skills, knowledge, and confidence with extensive support from the expert staff before progressing to stage one of the honours degree. The foundation year is also beneficial for those planning a career change or seeking to gain understanding of new subject areas.