English BA Hons | University of Chester

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Course Summary

The English BA course contains core modules at each level of study with increased flexibility at Levels 5 and 6.

At Level 4, you are introduced to the building blocks of language, the close analysis of literature, and the creative and practical processes involved with writing and publishing.

Levels 5 and 6 build upon this foundation with more complex learning, but you are able to tailor the course to your own interests by choosing to focus on one or two areas of study. The way our course is designed means that if you wish to continue with the study of all three areas (English Language, English Literature, and Creative Writing) you are also able to do so.

Why You'll Love It

Expert tutors

Receptive learning environment

Close community

English students using their mobile phones on an instagram hunt

What You'll Study

The BA English course contains core modules at each level of study with increased flexibility at Levels 5 and 6.

At Level 4, you are introduced to

the building blocks of language, morphology, grammar and phonetics
discourse analytical principles
the history and development of literature in a range of different forms, poetry, prose, performance and more
close reading and technical literary analyses of devices, form and style;
the relationship between author, text and the world
creative practice and workshopping of a variety of different forms; from poetry, to script-writing, to flash fiction
writing and publishing
and organising and performing at oratory events.

Levels 5 and 6 build upon this foundation with more complex learning and you can tailor the course to your own interests by choosing to focus on one or two areas of study. The way our course is designed means that if you wish to continue with the study of all three areas (English Language, English Literature and Creative Writing) you are also able to do so.

English Language modules enable students to collect and/or analyse linguistic data relating to a variety of topics which may include forensic linguistics; the history of English; child language acquisition; the power of language e.g., political speeches, charity appeals and advertisements; linguistic debates and controversies; and popular culture - TV, music and film. As part of the course, you will learn about the skills of analysis from a single text to large databases. You will also gain experience working with historical databases, specialist speech-analysis software and large-scale corpora.

English Literature modules provide you with the opportunity to undertake specialist study in particular areas of interest including the history and development of different genres of literature, from the Gothic to Science Fiction to Young Adult and Children’s Literature; specific focuses on certain authors, such as Shakespeare; as well as specific period-based study that encompasses cultural and social context, such as the Victorians or the Romantics. As well as this, you will be able to engage with interdisciplinary concepts from philosophy, history, sociology, psychology and more on modules focusing on discussion of Gender, Acts of Resistance, and Crime and Deviance. Across the course of your studies, English Literature students will learn about different modes, methods and forms of storytelling and literary writing, while developing their analytical and research skills through deployment of subject specific terminology and an engagement with relevant resources and research.

Creative Writing modules allow you to actively take part in the creation of literature. You will study, as well as create, poetry, plays, flash fiction, short stories and more. Workshops are built into these modules to ensure maximum opportunity for critical reflection and personal development, both in terms of literary voice and individual confidence. Alongside this, there are other modules geared towards publishing and ongoing professional development in this particular area.

At Level 6, you will complete a dissertation (English Language or Literature) or a writing project (Creative Writing), integrating all the knowledge and skills acquired throughout your studies.

English is an interdisciplinary subject and our course integrates aspects of history, sociology, psychology, maths, and science.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

This course is delivered in three terms of ten weeks each. In each term, you study up to 40 credits.

You should expect to spend an average of 40 hours per week on you studies which is made up of a mix of lectures, workshops, peer-led seminars, asynchronous learning, tutorial time with staff, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment and independent study.

Teaching will be delivered by experienced academics and practitioners in the subject. This will be supplemented by occasional guest lecturers and speakers.

There will be a broad range of assessment methods so you are exposed to the different types of tasks you might encounter in the workplace. These will include coursework in the form of linguistic analysis, research posters, written pieces (both long and short form), presentations (live and pre-recorded), portfolios of writing, creative and reflective pieces and artifact manufacture. We continuously review the assessment methods used in order that they adequately prepare you for graduate level employment.

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Entry Requirements

112UCAS Points

UCAS Tariff	112 points
GCE A Level	Typical offer – BCC-BBC The Department requires one of the following subjects at GCE A Level: a Humanities-based essay writing subject such as English Literature, English Language, English Language & Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, History or Classical Civilisation.
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM BTEC's are considered for entry, however the Department will also require one of the following subjects at GCE A Level: a Humanities-based essay writing subject such as English Literature, English Language, English Language & Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, History or Classical Civilisation.
International Baccalaureate	28 points including 5 in HL English
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 (including H3 in English) Scottish Highers - BBBB (including English) The Department requires one of the following Higher subjects: English Language, English Literature or English Combined (Language and Literature)
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma (must include a relevant Humanities subject at Level 3), to include 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Merit or above
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diploma: DMM
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS Points

UCAS Tariff	72 points
GCE A level	72 points overall, including grade D in A level The Department requires one of the following subjects at GCE A Level: a Humanities-based essay writing subject such as English Literature, English Language, English Language & Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, History or Classical Civilisation.
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP BTEC's are considered for entry, however the Department will also require one of the following subjects at GCE A Level: a Humanities-based essay writing subject such as English Literature, English Language, English Language & Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, History or Classical Civilisation.
International Baccalaureate	24 points including 4 in HL English
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4 (including English) Scottish Highers: CCDD (including English)
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall (including English or one of the alternative subjects above)
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diploma: MMP
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree.

Fees and Funding

£9,250per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,250 a year, or £1,540 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

The University may increase these fees at the start of each subsequent year of your course in line with inflation at that time, as measured by the Retail Price Index. These fee levels and increases are subject to any necessary government, and other regulatory, approvals.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

£14,450*per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £14,450 per year for a full-time course.

This fee is set for each year of study. All undergraduate students are eligible for international and merit-based scholarships which are applicable to each year of study.

For courses with a Foundation Year, the tuition fees for Year 1 are £10,750 and £14,200 for Years 2-4 in 2025/26.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Who You'll Learn From

Dr Joanne Close

Deputy Head of Department

Dr Richard Leahy

Senior Lecturer

Prof Melissa Fegan

Professor of Irish and Victorian Literature

Dr Graham Atkin

Senior Lecturer in English Literature

Dr Paul Flanagan

Senior Lecturer in English Language; Programme Leader for BA English Language (Single Hons)

Dr Ashley Chantler

Senior Lecturer in English Literature; Programme Leader, MA Creative Writing: Writing and Publishing Fiction

Your Future Career

Job Prospects

A single honours degree in English brings many transferable skills including written and oral communication, textual analysis, presentation, teamwork, time management and independence. These are foregrounded at our ‘Big Picture’ lecture series, where we talk students through how to maximise their skillset for future employability.  Our graduates have followed careers in a wide variety of fields including teaching, journalism, marketing, and librarianship, or advanced to postgraduate study on our MA, MRes, and PhD programmes.

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.