English Literature
BA (Hons)
UCAS code: Q320
Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Full time: 3 years
Part time: 6 years
Location: Headington
Department(s): School of Education, Humanities and Languages
Overview
In your first year, you’ll explore a wide range of local and global literature. You’ll study the relevance of Shakespeare to contemporary cultures, and develop essential skills in understanding and interpreting texts.
In year two you will explore two core themes: literary responses to the environment, and literary transgression and rebellion. You will also deepen your knowledge of literary movements, eras and genres that interest you. You can do a project on a topic of your choosing, and can also do work-related learning, gaining valuable experience for life after your degree.
In your final year, you’ll choose from a range of topics, allowing you to engage with leading insights and approaches in the field. You can also produce a project on a specialist area that most interests you, in the form of a dissertation or another format of your choosing, such as a video documentary, podcast or exhibition.
Throughout, you will be supported in developing your confidence and capabilities, enabling you to become a highly skilled, culturally informed and insightful graduate.
Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Expert academics
Our academic staff are respected in their fields, publishing research that influences thought around the world.
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Study 2 subjects
Joint honours options include English Literature with Philosophy, Criminology, and Communication, Media and Culture.
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Begin to specialise
Literature is a big field, and we’ll help you find your niche within it, whether you’re interested in AI, gothic horror or African American avant-gardes.
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Gain work experience
Experience the world of work and apply your skills in areas like publishing or literary festivals.
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Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
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Study abroad
Absorb another culture for a semester or a year, discovering how the language and geography influences literature from other countries.
Course details
Study modules
All modules are subject to availability in any given academic year.
Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 6 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.
Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Careers
Our aim is for you to become an engaged and thoughtful citizen of the world who can argue for what they believe in. The skills you’ll develop on the BA (Hons) English Literature degree are highly transferable and are prized across many sectors. Our graduates go on to work in a variety of areas such as:
- arts, culture, and heritage
- NGOs and charities
- academic research
- teaching
- publishing
- media and journalism
- PR, marketing and communications.
Recent graduates have gone on to work for employers such as the Duckegg Theatre, Oxford University Press, Paragon Banking Group, and The British Museum.
Student profiles
Our Staff
Dr Andrea Macrae
I teach, research and publish in the areas of stylistics, narratology and world literature.
Read more about AndreaDr Niall Munro
I mainly work in the field of American literature, especially modernism and poetry and am currently completing a book about twentieth-century memories of the American Civil War. I have also worked on post-war commemoration more broadly and my first book was about the poet Hart Crane. I am the Director of the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre and of our poetry press, ignitionpress.
Read more about NiallJoint honours options
You can also study this course as part of a joint honours degree. This course can be joined with:
Related courses
Entry requirements
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104 - 120
A Level: BCC - BBB
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM - DDM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88 - 96
A Level: CCD - CCC
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
For joint honours, normally the offer will lie between the offers quoted for each subject.
Applications are also welcomed for consideration from applicants with European qualifications, international qualifications or recognised foundation courses. For advice on eligibility please contact Admissions: admissions@brookes.ac.uk
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Please see the University's standard English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.
If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
International qualifications and equivalences
How to apply
Application process
Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
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Travel and associated costs if relevant when undertaking work placements. | £30-700 per year |
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. |
£10-30 |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.