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English

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The deadline for international students is 30 June 2024.

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Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) is a bachelor’s degree awarded for an undergraduate programme in the arts.

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Course overview

The BA English degree programme gives you the flexibility to combine the study of literature and language in a balance that suits you, and offers optional modules in creative writing in the second and final years. The language modules aim to provide understanding of the historical, social and psychological factors that shape the English language used in everyday life, while the literature modules are designed to foster interpretive skills applying to a wide range of genres and historical periods.

Introduction

Through a range of entirely optional modules, you may choose to construct a programme combining English language and literature in equal measures, or to specialise in either part of the subject.

Year one introduces key skills necessary for the advanced study of literature and language, including academic writing and independent learning. You will study the historical developments of the English language and of literatures in English, alongside approaches to textual analysis and interpretation.

In your second and final years, you will have the freedom to plan the specific path that you follow through the programme. Year two focuses on the major periods of English literature and core aspects of English language study. Available modules examine the literatures of specific historical periods – such as the medieval, Victorian, or modernist – and areas of language study including child language acquisition or psycholinguistics.

In the final year, the emphasis is on specialisation within different literary genres and on the social, legal and other contexts of English language. You will develop skills of independent research – for instance, by choosing to write a dissertation on a topic of your own design – and you will also have the option to take a work placement module that will give you workplace experience with an organisation relevant to your degree.

Each year of study is comprised entirely of optional modules, enabling you to tailor the course of your studies. In each year, you will take modules amounting to 120 credits.

Creative Writing modules are offered in years two and three.

Year in industry

This programme is available with an optional year in industry. If you choose this option, year three is spent on a paid placement within an organisation in industry, broadly defined. You will be supported by the School of the Arts and the Department throughout, and your reflexive written account of the experience will contribute towards your final degree result. If you wish to study this programme with a year in industry, please put the option code ‘YI’ in the ‘further choices’ section of your UCAS application form.

English Attainment Scholarships

We are pleased to offer two attainment scholarships per year to undergraduate students from the UK. The scholarships will cover the entire UK tuition fee for both years two and three (currently £9,250 per annum). Awards will be made by the department at the end of year one, based on performance.

What you'll learn

  • Knowledge of one or more specific literary historical periods, and the associated genres and language
  • Critical and textual analysis
  • Independent research and evaluative skills
  • Advanced writing and communications skills
  • The ability to write fluent prose
  • An awareness of cultural, theoretical and historical contexts of literature and language use
  • The ability to construct and support argument in written or spoken forms
  • Literary and linguistic analysis

Teaching Excellence Framework 2023

We’re proud to announce we’ve been awarded a Gold rating for educational excellence.

Course content

Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.

Year one

Your first year will provide the knowledge and skills required to pursue the rest of your degree. You will take at least 30 credits each of literature and language modules.

Optional modules

Attitudes to English (ENGL106)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

Module description:
Have you ever wondered why some accents are perceived as being ‘cooler’, ‘friendlier’ or ‘uglier’ than others? Or whether there is any truth in statements such as “they speak really bad English in…” or “young people cannot write properly any more”? If so, ENGL106 Attitudes to English is the right module for you!
In this module, we will explore the concept of ‘attitude’ and how attitudinal judgements towards different aspects of language use (e.g. accents and dialects of English within the UK and overseas, gendered language, internet language, etc) come about in the history of English. We will also learn about the methods that social scientists use to explore language attitudes and how to put both theory and practice to the test by designing a mini-attitude project exercise. This mini-attitude exercise will be part of the final module assessment (40% of the final mark) and will be complemented by a take-home exam (60% of the final mark) at the end of the semester.
By taking this module, you will be exposed to different teaching styles (small and large-group teaching) and activities (e.g. critical reading and discussion of selected research articles, hands-on computer activities, out-of-university visits, in-class group-work and debate, exposure to both in-house and expert guest speakers) which will help you to not only develop an adequate understanding of key concepts and processes but also seek to enhance your:
Digital fluency: The ‘methodology block’ of the module will teach you how to navigate and use effectively on-line databases (e.g. newspaper repositories, corpora and corpus-specific software) and compile and analyse datasets both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Global citizenship: The topics explored in the module lend themselves to cross-cultural and cross-national comparisons. In fact, comparisons with other countries and/or cultures will be at the centre of the materials that we cover. You will also be encouraged to carry out comparative exercises across (inter)national contexts for your Attitudes assessed exercise.

CLOSE READING (ENGL103)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

This module introduces students to a key skill in literary study, that of precise and informed analysis of text (close reading).

English Language in Context (ENGL116)

Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 2

This course will offer students a solid background in basic linguistic analysis for English while also exploring the various contexts in which language is used. For example, students will be learning about the sounds of English while looking at how children learn their first language, or the structures of English from the perspective of a second language learner. Students will explore the breadth of English Language studies looking at how language is learnt/processed in our minds and how it is used in both micro-interactions (e.g. looking at how the police may be trying to frame a suspect) and macro-interactions at the level of society (e.g. looking at media representation of migrants). Students will learn basic qualitative and quantitative research methods and will meet a range of lecturers teaching in years 2/3, each with their own distinctive teaching style.

Introduction to Language Study (ENGL107)

Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 1

This module is an introduction to the fundamentals of linguistic study. Students will gain an understanding of several key issues in the linguistic study of the English Language. The module will normally also introduce students to specialist software and resources used by active researchers in the field. Students will acquire skills in using specialist notation (including the International Phonetic Alphabet) and in analysing the features of the English Language.

INTRODUCTION TO STYLISTICS (ENGL105)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

Stylistics is concerned with the language of literature in the broadest sense of the word: ranging from poems and novels to advertisements and political slogans. In this module students will seek linguistic answers for some of the most essential questions in the study of texts, such as: Why do some kinds of language use grab readers’ attention more than others? What tools do writers employ to mediate the speech and thought of other people? How do metaphors shape our understanding of the world? The concepts covered on this module form a solid foundation for further language study at levels 2 and 3.

Literature and Place: City, Country, Planet (ENGL102)

Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 2

This module will examine the ways in which English literature has represented the concept of place in a variety of genres across time (1350 to the present day). Students who successfully complete the module will have encountered at least ten substantial, representative literary texts which draw significantly on places of different types. These may include: cities; villages and ‘the country’; islands; built environments; wildernesses; oceans; imaginary worlds; and so on. Examples will be drawn from a diverse range of English, British, Irish and American literature and other Anglophone cultures. The types of text will include prose fiction, poetry, and drama. There will be two workshops each week, introducing and discussing a text or texts; and one weekly tutorial, in groups of no more than nine for smaller-scale analysis and tasks relating to the same weekly text(s) or theme(s).

Literature in Time (ENGL117)

Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 1

This module serves as an introduction to the major periods of English literature from the Middle Ages onwards. One literary period will be covered each week by means of one lecture on a literary text from the period and one lecture on its context. These periods correspond to the ‘period’ literature modules that are available to students at Level 2, and thereby provide a sample of those modules, enabling students to make informed choices with regard to the modules they choose to take at Level 2. To this end, the texts have been chosen and the lectures are given by teaching staff from the relevant Level 2 modules.

Reading Drama (ENGL119)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

This module will cover a range or dramatic texts from different culture and eras, exploring the processes of reading them whilst thinking about genre and context. Students will develop close-reading skills as well as an awareness of drama as a genre, its history and development. Assessment is coursework based and involves close reading, discursive response, and a short creative-critical exercise.

WAYS OF READING (ENGL113)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

This module will allow students to develop critical methods of reading and contextual analysis of literary texts. Lectures and tutorials will explore a range of critical methodologies (for example psychoanalysis and postcolonialism) as well as topics focused on the modes, attitudes and concerns that underlie the production of literature in relation to politics, society and culture. In doing so students will be introduced to key debates within literary study, as well as addressing topics important to different periods including issues of race, gender, sexuality, literary form, environment and economy.

This module aims to develop and challenge accepted modes of reading in order to expand and strengthen original critical enquiry while also improving students’ written, oral and digital communication skills.

Theorising Theatre and Performance (ENGL104)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

This module introduces students to a range of theoretical approaches for analysing diverse forms of dramatic text and performance. Students will learn about how historical and contemporary contexts have shaped the development of theatre and performance theory. They will be invited to think critically about what makes analysing theatre and performance different from other types of text, and how theory might inform their interpretive practice. The module will cover a variety of theoretical approaches and contextualise them against specific performances in order to give students the expertise for thorough critical engagement and interpretation.

Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.

Our curriculum

The Liverpool Curriculum framework sets out our distinctive approach to education. Our teaching staff support our students to develop academic knowledge, skills, and understanding alongside our graduate attributes:

  • Digital fluency
  • Confidence
  • Global citizenship

Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:

  • Research-connected teaching
  • Active learning
  • Authentic assessment

All this is underpinned by our core value of inclusivity and commitment to providing a curriculum that is accessible to all students.

Course options

Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.

Global Opportunities

University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide. Choose to spend a year at XJTLU in China or a year or semester at an institution of your choice.

What's available on this course?

Year in China

Immerse yourself in Chinese culture on an optional additional year at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in stunning Suzhou.

  • Learn Chinese
  • Study in a bustling world heritage city
  • Improve employment prospects
  • Study Chinese culture
  • 30 minutes from Shanghai
  • Learn new skills

Read more about Year at XJTLU, China

Year in industry

Year in industry placements give you an in-depth workplace experience where you can develop your skills and apply your learning.

  • Develop key employability skills that graduate employers are looking for
  • Experience and understand workplace culture and disciple
  • Understand the relationship between academic theory and real world application
  • Begin your professional network
  • Gain industry insight and insight into potential career options.

You don't need to decide now - you can choose to add a year in industry after you've begun your degree.

Learn more about year in industry

To spend a year in industry, you'll need to secure a placement with an organisation. If you're unable to find a placement, you'll continue with the standard version of the course without a year in industry.

Language study

Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:

  • A dedicated languages degree
  • A language as a joint or major/ minor degree
  • Language modules (selected degrees)
  • Language classes alongside your studies

Read more about studying a language

Study as part of XJTLU 2+2

Students studying English Studies BA at XJTLU can study this course at the University of Liverpool. Read more about English BA (Hons) as part of the 2+2 programme.

The natural next step for ambitious XJTLU students who want to build a brilliant career.

  • Spend two years at the University of Liverpool campus
  • Improve your prospects of progressing to postgraduate study at a top 100 university
  • Receive two degrees: one from XJTLU, one from the University of Liverpool
  • Get support with visas, accommodation and your career.

Read more about the 2+2 programme.

Combine this subject

With a combined degree, you can study two subjects as part of the same degree programme.

  • Choose from 30 subjects and over 300 combinations
  • Choose joint or major minor subjects
  • Adjust the weight of your subjects at the end of your first year
  • Same number of credits as single honours students
  • Same classes as single honours students
  • Appeal to a wide range of employers

Explore combined degrees for English courses

Your experience

The Department of English is based in the School of the Arts, although teaching will take place across the campus. We are committed to small group teaching, which encourages a more rewarding learning experience, where ideas are shared and explored with your peers and tutors.

Virtual tour

Supporting your learning

From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:

An exciting place to study English

  • We are internationally renowned for advancing the study of language, literature, and creative writing and have a strong research ethos
  • Our programmes offer opportunities to study creative writing and literature from a wide range of periods, as well as a range of approaches to understanding the way in which the English language works
  • We have a reputation for radical thinking, as exemplified by our success rate in the BBC and Arts and Humanities Council’s ‘New Generation Thinkers’ scheme. In total, five members our academic staff have been selected since the scheme was established in 2010
  • We are committed to small group teaching. This encourages a more rewarding learning experience, where ideas are shared and explored with peers and tutors
  • Ranked 10th in sector for research impact classified as outstanding (4*) (REF 2021)
  • We are host to Europe’s largest collection of science fiction materials which includes the John Wyndham Archive and home to the annual Liverpool Literary Festival.

What students say...

Photo of Alex Carabine

The staff are the best thing about the English department. They’re not only incredibly knowledgeable about their fields, but they are also enthusiastic, encouraging and take a genuine interest in their students’ work.

, BA (Hons) English Literature 2018, MA English 2019

Careers and employability

As a student in the School of the Arts, you will be supported to maximise your employability from day one. Our English degree programmes are valued by employers who recognise the skills our students develop, including teamwork, project design, critical thinking, proficiency in text analysis and communication and presentation skills.
The School has its own placements and employability officer, and you will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement or a year in industry as part of your programme.

Our graduates leave to take up a very wide range of careers, including in the following areas:

  • Teaching
  • Media: Journalism, Broadcasting, the arts
  • Business: Marketing, Management trainees in a variety of businesses, Accounting, Retailing
  • Computing
  • Librarianship
  • The Civil Service
  • The legal sector.
The School has its own placements and employability officer, and you will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement or a year in industry as part of your programme.
Our graduates leave to take up a very wide range of careers, including in the following areas:
  • Media: Journalism, Broadcasting, the arts
  • Business: Marketing, Management trainees in a variety of businesses, Accounting, Retailing
  • Computing
  • Librarianship
  • The Civil Service
  • Teaching
  • The legal sector.

4 in 5 English students find their main activity after graduation meaningful.

Graduate Outcomes, 2018-19.

Meet our alumni

Hear what graduates say about their career progression and life after university.

Fees and funding

Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.

Tuition fees

UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
Full-time place, per year £9,250
Year in industry fee £1,850
Year abroad fee £1,385
International fees
Full-time place, per year £22,400
Year in industry fee £1,850
Year abroad fee £11,200
Fees are correct for the academic year 2024/25. Please note that the Year Abroad fee also applies to the Year in China.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support. Learn more about paying for your studies..

Additional costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.

Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this course.

Additional study costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.

Find out more about additional study costs.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to provide tuition fee discounts and help with living expenses while at university.

Check out our Liverpool Bursary, worth up to £2,000 per year for eligible UK students. Or for international students, our Undergraduate Global Advancement Scholarship offers a tuition fee discount of up to £5,000 for eligible international students starting an undergraduate degree from September 2024.

Discover our full range of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries

Entry requirements

The qualifications and exam results you'll need to apply for this course.

We've set the country or region your qualifications are from as United Kingdom. Change it here

Your qualification Requirements

About our typical entry requirements

A levels

ABB including English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature) at grade A.

Applicants with the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) are eligible for a reduction in grade requirements. For this course, the offer is ABC with A in the EPQ.

You may automatically qualify for reduced entry requirements through our contextual offers scheme.

T levels

T levels are not currently accepted.

GCSE 4/C in English and 4/C in Mathematics
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma

Applications considered. BTEC in a humanities-related subject plus A level English at grade A required

International Baccalaureate

33 including 6 in HL English with no score less than 4

Irish Leaving Certificate H1, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3 with H1 in English
Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher

Scottish Advanced Highers of ABB with English Grade A.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Accepted including 2 A levels at AB with A in English.
Access 45 Level 3 credits in graded units in a relevant Diploma, including 30 at Distinction (including all English credits) and a further 15 with at least Merit. Relevant Diploma is Humanities/Social Sciences based.
International qualifications

Many countries have a different education system to that of the UK, meaning your qualifications may not meet our direct entry requirements. Although there is no direct Foundation Certificate route to this course, completing a Foundation Certificate, such as that offered by the University of Liverpool International College, can guarantee you a place on a number of similar courses which may interest you.

English language requirements

You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.

We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.

International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.

English language qualification Requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 5.5
TOEFL iBT 88 overall, with minimum scores of listening 17, writing 17, reading 17 and speaking 19
Duolingo English Test 120 overall, with no component below 95
Pearson PTE Academic 61 overall, with no component below 59
LanguageCert Academic 70 overall, with no skill below 60
Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 Grade C overall, with a minimum of grade 2 in speaking and listening. Speaking and listening must be separately endorsed on the certificate.
Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0990 Grade 4 overall, with Merit in speaking and listening
Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English 0510/0511 0510: Grade B overall, with a minimum of grade 2 in speaking. Speaking must be separately endorsed on the certificate. 0511: Grade B overall.
Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English 0993/0991 0993: Grade 6 overall, with a minimum of grade 2 in speaking. Speaking must be separately endorsed on the certificate. 0991: Grade 6 overall.
International Baccalaureate Grade 5 at Standard Level or grade 4 at Higher Level
Cambridge ESOL Level 2/3 Advanced 176 overall, with no paper below 162

PRE-SESSIONAL ENGLISH

Do you need to complete a Pre-Sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?

The length of Pre-Sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.

Find out the length of Pre-Sessional English course you may require for this degree.

Pre-sessional English

If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests, to determine the length of Pre-Sessional English course you require.

Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.

Your most recent IELTS score Pre-Sessional English course length On campus or online
6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5 6 weeks On campus
5.5 overall, with no component below 5.5 10 weeks On campus and online options available
5.5 overall, with no more than one component below 5.5, and no component below 5.0 12 weeks On campus and online options available
5.5 overall, with no component below 4.5 20 weeks On campus
5.0 overall, with no component below 4.5 30 weeks On campus
4.5 overall, with no more than one component below 4.5, and no component below 4.0 40 weeks On campus

If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-Sessional English course length you require.

Please see our guide to Pre-Sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5, for further details.

Contextual offers: reduced grade requirements

Based on your personal circumstances, you may automatically qualify for up to a two-grade reduction in the entry requirements needed for this course. When you apply, we consider a range of factors – such as where you live – to assess if you’re eligible for a grade reduction. You don’t have to make an application for a grade reduction – we’ll do all the work.

Find out more about how we make reduced grade offers.

About our entry requirements

Our entry requirements may change from time to time both according to national application trends and the availability of places at Liverpool for particular courses. We review our requirements before the start of the new UCAS cycle each year and publish any changes on our website so that applicants are aware of our typical entry requirements before they submit their application.

Recent changes to government policy which determine the number of students individual institutions may admit under the student number control also have a bearing on our entry requirements and acceptance levels, as this policy may result in us having fewer places than in previous years.

We believe in treating applicants as individuals, and in making offers that are appropriate to their personal circumstances and background. For this reason, we consider a range of factors in addition to predicted grades, widening participation factors amongst other evidence provided. Therefore the offer any individual applicant receives may differ slightly from the typical offer quoted in the prospectus and on the website.

Alternative entry requirements

  • If your qualification isn't listed here, or you're taking a combination of qualifications, contact us for advice
  • If you are returning to learning, have had a disrupted education or are switching career pathways, the one-year Go Higher diploma qualifies you to apply for University of Liverpool arts, humanities and social sciences programmes
  • Applications from mature students are welcome.

Changes to English BA (Hons)

See what updates we've made to this course since it was published. We document changes to information such as course content, entry requirements and how you'll be taught.

7 June 2022: New course pages

New course pages launched.