Overview
This course allows you to study English as a single honours degree, giving you an in-depth knowledge of the subject.
Studying English at BGU provides an exciting and wide-ranging engagement with the power of human creativity and the rich heritage of literary expression. You will study great works of literature from Sophocles to Ali Smith, directing your own path of learning through module options such as children’s literature and trauma narrative, creative writing and crime fiction, restoration drama and contemporary literature.
Key Facts
| Award: | BA (Hons) |
| UCAS Code: | Q300 |
| Academic School: | School of Humanities |
| Duration: | 3 years |
| Mode of Study: | Full-time |
| Start Date: | September |
| Awarding Institution: | Bishop Grosseteste University |
| Institution Code: | B38 |
Entry Requirements
You will normally need 96 -112 UCAS tariff points (from a maximum of four Advanced Level qualifications). We welcome a range of qualifications that meet this requirement, such as A/AS Levels, BTEC, Access Courses, International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Pre-U, Extended Project etc.
However this list is not exhaustive – please click here for details of all qualifications in the UCAS tariff.
Further Information
In accordance with University conditions, students are entitled to apply for Accredited Prior Learning, AP(C)L, based on relevant credit at another HE institution or credit Awarded for Experiential Learning, (AP(E)L).
About The Course
Studying English at BGU gives you access to the intense power of human creativity, with opportunities to debate critical questions that continue to shape the investigation of literature. You will encounter authors from Ovid and Aesop to Shakespeare, Blake to Tennyson, Woolf to Winterson, Dickens to Blackman, and explore the richness and diversity of literary expression. All of this whilst you develop your understanding of key genres, styles, periods and contexts, supported by a passionate team of research-active lecturers.
At BGU you will study an exciting range of writers, texts and topics. You will be able to study works in their historical and genre contexts, explore literary concepts and themes (identity, memory, gender and adolescence), make intertextual and creative connections (myth, adaptation, film, creative writing) and develop your critical independence and career prospects with extended research and work-based projects (English@Work, research project). Throughout your studies you can follow your own interests through optional modules, and choose your own focal points and textual examples for assessment tasks.
You will acquire key academic and transferable skills such as critical thinking and evaluation, analysis, research and high-level communication skills through diverse methods of assessment, which blend established critical and communication skills with up-to-date digital literacies and platforms. You will develop expressive and creative skills fit for the 21st century; combining written essays and oral presentations with e-portfolios, multimodal video, posters, hypertext, digital publication, and independent research projects. You will benefit from an innovative and flexible approach to teaching and learning that promotes student participation and engagement. With the close academic support you will receive here at BGU, you will have the opportunities and guidance to fulfil your full potential.
As an English student at BGU, your engagement with literature won’t stop at the seminar door. The English team are all full-time research-active lecturers who are passionate about the study of literature and its positive impact on the individual and wider society. We actively support a range of organised events and visits to enable a wider participation with literary culture, including visiting speakers, a research seminar series, subsidised film and theatre trips, workshops and celebrations, poetry readings and literary awards.
(Please note that depending on your choice of English course, you may have a choice of optional modules in your second and third years.)
Delivery
There is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching at BGU – we shape our methods to suit each subject and each group, combining the best aspects of traditional university teaching with innovative techniques to promote student participation and interactivity.
You will be taught in a variety of ways, from lectures, tutorials and seminars, to practical workshops, coursework, work-based placements or even field visits. Small group seminars and workshops will provide you with an opportunity to review issues raised in lectures, and you will be expected to carry out independent study.
Assessment
We recognise that individuals come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, so we use a variety of assessment strategies on our courses.
Assessments in English are designed to give you the oral, written and digital skills to be confident and successful in the 21st-century world. Through a staged process of development, you will learn how to express yourself persuasively and reflectively across a range of media and platforms: you will write short essays and a long dissertation, deliver oral arguments and create presentations, build digital portfolios and develop personal projects. Instead of time spent in examination rooms, you will experience a diversity of assessment methods, and acquire a broad platform of transferable skills that will prepare you for your future life.
Careers & Further Study
Studying English at BGU equips you to succeed in a diverse range of professions, including teaching, journalism, creative and professional writing, publishing, marketing, librarianship, public policy and a range of creative and media industries. The highly transferable skills embedded in the English course focus on the creative thinking, flexibility, communication skills and problem-solving abilities that are consistently sought after by graduate employers.
English staff work closely with BGU’s Careers and Employability department and a range of community partners to find ways of engaging students in real-world projects and putting those transferable skills to use in a way that builds your CV. As an approachable, supportive team we get to know our students well, so we can help you identify and develop your individual strengths, and build your confidence in areas where you want to improve.
Year 1 Modules
Year 2 Modules
Year 3 Modules
Academic Staff
Dr Claudia Capancioni
Programme leader
Claudia Capancioni teaches nineteenth-, twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature in modules such as H
Dr Cassie Ulph
Academic Staff
Cassie’s research focusses on the literature and culture of late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centurie
Support
Studying at BGU is a student-centred experience. Staff and students work together in a friendly and supportive atmosphere as part of an intimate campus community. You will know every member of staff personally and feel confident approaching them for help and advice, and staff members will recognise you, not just by sight, but as an individual with unique talents and interests. We will be there to support you, personally and academically, from induction to graduation.
Fees & Finance
A lot of student finance information is available from numerous sources, but it is sometimes confusing and contradictory. That’s why at BGU we try to give you all the information and support we can to help to throughout the process. Our Student Advice team are experts in helping you sort out the funding arrangements for your studies, offering a range of services to guide you through all aspects of student finance step by step. Click here to find information about fees, loans and support which will help to make the whole process a little easier to understand.
Undergraduate course applicants must apply via UCAS using the relevant UCAS code. The application fee is £12 for a single choice or £23 for more than one choice. For all applicants, there are full instructions at UCAS to make it as easy as possible for you to fill in your online application, plus help text where appropriate.
