Our BA degree in English is a respected and long-running programme in the Northwest, taught by supportive, highly qualified tutors in the field of literature. We’ll work to cultivate your interests in the exciting worlds of fiction, poetry, and drama and help you to develop your written and oral communication skills.

Key information

Award:

BA (Hons)

Mode of Study:

Part-time

Duration:

4.5 years

Location:

University of Bolton

UCAS points:

UCAS code:

Q300

Start date:

23/09/2024

Course Details

The study of literature is the study of the representation of life, a metaphor for understanding how the world works. Our BA in English aims to broaden your life experience, by introducing you to a wide variety of literary texts – fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry, historical, contemporary, from near and far. Through close study, you’ll develop your critical skills, and learn to consider texts from many different perspectives.

We want foremost to expand your understanding of literature and its relation to society – how books have informed, persuaded, shocked and delighted their readers over the centuries and up to the modern day. We’ll support you as you develop your written, oral and critical abilities in a challenging and supportive study environment.

We offer small classes full of big ideas. Our lecturers are renowned scholars and award-winning teachers, who will work to meet your individual learning needs. Through research, discussion, argument and analysis, we offer opportunities for you to learn about the workings of the world around you and to use language effectively and powerfully to achieve your goals.

Highlights

Our English courses are top in the UK for teaching quality and student experience, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.
You can benefit from our strong links with external creative organisations, including the nationally acclaimed Octagon Theatre, Bolton, where you can gain behind-the-scenes access and workshop experience.
You’ll have access to reduced-price tickets for Octagon performances and other events related to your course, including poetry readings.
We’ll encourage you to submit your work to our recognised literary magazine The Bolton Review so you can gain publishing experience.

Key Features

We offer popular options in women’s writing, Gothic fiction, children’s literature, film adaptation and contemporary poetry, in addition to a range of exciting core modules that build on our close links with the Creative Writing team.
Our English tutors actively research the three core areas of poetry, prose and drama, feeding their knowledge back into the curriculum so you can benefit from the latest thinking and discoveries.
We work to help you develop a range of skills that are highly valued by employers, such as written and verbal communication, presenting information and ideas, argument and persuasion, working to deadlines, research and critical analysis, listening, IT, cultural awareness, and lifelong learning.
You’ll be encouraged to attend guest lectures from literary scholars, and to hear contemporary writers read at the University’s regular, well-established “Live Literature” events.

96 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Subjects including experience of English language and/or literature are preferred.
You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
If you don't have the above qualifications but have a strong portfolio of relevant work, we encourage you to apply.
You may be required to attend for interview and provide a portfolio of appropriate work.
If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

The skills you gain by undertaking an English degree are marketable in most career areas. As an English student you’ll be encouraged to lead and participate in discussions, work with others when presenting information and ideas, and effectively convey arguments and opinions, using your judgement to weigh up different options and perspectives. In addition, you’ll be encouraged to develop comprehensive written and spoken communication skills.

As English is a non-vocational course, extracurricular skills are vital in developing your employability. Many undergraduates write for student newspapers or volunteer in a range of different areas to enhance their transferable skills.

What can I do with this qualification?

English graduates are found in most industries, filling a variety of roles. They are often found where strong communication and written English skills are top priorities; for example, in media, publishing, journalism, teaching, advertising, marketing and PR. These roles combine high levels of creativity with excellent communication skills.

As one of the principal humanities subjects on the National Curriculum an English degree is an excellent starting point for entry into the teaching profession. To teach at primary or secondary level you’ll need a professional teaching qualification and experience of working with young people. To work at University level you’ll be required to gain at least a Master’s degree (in the field in which you wish to teach) and often a PhD.

Some English graduates choose to continue their academic studies by doing more vocational postgraduate courses in areas such as journalism, librarianship or law.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use their qualification in English to enter a range of other careers including law, business, accountancy and finance, retail management, youth work, probation work, recruitment and sales. For some of these roles, both relevant experience and postgraduate study is required. Other possible options include:

Libraries
Information, research and records management
Police and Fire Service
Market Research
Housing
Events management
Careers guidance
Local and national government
Heritage and culture
Arts administration
Teaching abroad
Research and consultancy
Voluntary and charitable organisations
Tourism

Course fees

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £6,000 for the academic year 2023/24.

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £6,000 for the academic year 2024/25.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2023-2024 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2023-2024 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:

You should have to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) English - 23 September 2024

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Collegiate School
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University of Bolton

For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.

By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) English - 23 September 2024

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you achieve your potential. Lectures are used to introduce the literary works being studied. Here we open up concepts and make connections to critical, theoretical and historical information to help enrich your understanding of the texts. Seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail and incorporate small group work and whole group discussion.

One-to-one tutorials offer space for you to ask any questions you have, ensuring you understand the topics covered in the lectures and seminars. You can discuss assignments and receive feedback on your work. You’ll also undertake guided independent study; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities and working on assignments.

The University’s e-learning portal Moodle will support your learning online by offering additional resources for each module. Guest lectures and readings by a variety of visiting speakers from the literary and theatre worlds will offer you the chance to further develop your knowledge and understanding.

In terms of formal assessment, you can expect essays of varying lengths, notebooks, reviews, presentations, portfolios and exams. These contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.

We also use other forms of assessment to help you learn, provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these do not count towards your final module mark. You’ll also receive feedback on assessment drafts. This will help to identify any areas which would benefit from extra attention on your part, or where you need more support from your tutor.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

Scholarship
Off the Page
Stories and Narrative
Classics of American Literature
Introduction to Literature: Form and Genre
Introduction to Literature: Text and Context
Future Directions
Critical Dialogues
The Literature of Love
Perspectives on Poetry
Aspects of Prose Fiction
Approaches to Drama
Gothic Narratives
Adaptation
Ambivalent Intimacies: Reading Contemporary British Fiction
Virtual Victorians
Children's Literature
Narrative Representations of Female Desire
Special Authors
Renaissance Drama
Contemporary Poetry
Dissertation and Research Skills

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 91%, Practical exams 9%
Level two	Coursework 74%, Practical exams 9%, Written exams 17%
Level three	Coursework 87%, Practical exams 13%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Guided independent study 66%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34%
Level two	Guided independent study 75%, Placement/study abroad 3%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 22%
Level three	Guided independent study 80%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.