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Programme Specification for English Literature BA (Hons)

Final award

BA (Hons)

Intermediate awards available

Cert HE, Dip HE,

UCAS code

Q200 - Level 1 entry (3 Year full time route)
Q321 - Level 0 entry (Extended 4 year full time route)

Details of professional body accreditation

N/A

Relevant QAA Benchmark statements

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (all categories)

Date specification last up-dated

March 2012

Profile

The summary - UCAS programme profile

BANNER BOX:

As Jessamyn West wrote, 'fiction reveals truths that reality obscures.' UEL's interesting and exciting programme offers a strong foundation in British literature, alongside modules focusing on varied themes and national literary traditions. An exciting programme, focusing on literatures in English in their historical and cultural contexts

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The minimum requirements for entry for Level 1 entry is  240 UCAS tariff points fromA/AS level (Including 2 A2 passes), GNVQ, AVCE, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, relevant access course or successful completion of UEL’s New Beginnings 2 or  Level 0. Other qualifications, including overseas, may be considered.

Applicants who do not fulfil the admission requirements for Level 1 may be considered for entry into Level 0. Applicants should have 120  UCAS tariff points from GCE A2 or equivalent.

We also welcome applications  from mature students who do not have formal qualifications but may have relevant experience; these are considered on a case by case basis.  Students applying to this programme will be expected to demonstrate a specific interest in this area of study and should have a commitment to engaging with the subject.  Applicants may be invited for interview.

Overseas Qualifications

The number of overseas qualifications which are accepted for entry are too numerous to list, but you can get advice from the British Council or our admissions unit on 020 8223 2835. You must be able to understand and express yourself in both written and spoken English.  For Level 1 entry we require a TOEFL score of 550 or an IELTS score of 6.0 (no skill level below 5); for Level 0 entry an IELTS score of 5.5 (no skill level below 5) is required.   

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

What is English Literature?

When we read, we learn not just about others, but about ourselves.  English Literature has been at the centre of debates about culture, education and interpretation for more than a century.  As specified in the national benchmarks for the subject, UEL’s programme provides a strong foundation in British literature, beginning in the early modern period and moving through to contemporary writing.  Alongside this chronological strand of the degree, students have the opportunity to select modules with varied themes, including postcolonial literature, Latin American fiction, the self in literature, popular fiction and literatures of slavery.  We see literature not in isolation, but as part of culture as a whole – located within a complex web of ideas, values and histories.  Because we view literature in this way, students are expected to select at least one module outside our area, in subjects including History, Creative Writing and Film Studies. 

London is an exciting place to study literature, and access to an unparalleled range of libraries, archives, institutes, museums, galleries, theatres and cinemas make the city itself an important resource for students.  We study novels, poetry, plays and short stories from different historical periods and cultural traditions.  This introduces students to a variety of writing, both familiar and unfamiliar, to extend their cultural, critical and historical horizons.  Students learn to view literature through many lenses: historical, cultural, biographical, linguistic, psychological, structural and political.  As part of this exploration, we examine the impace of issues such as gender, class, sexuality, race, nation and national identity and empire. 

Our course is designed to encourage students to make the connections between creative, critical and historical practices.  These skills – of analysing and contextualising texts of all kinds, along with the skills in research and presentation required in the work – will not only make students specialists in literature, but will also provide a more general foundation for understanding our world and for communicating effectively in it.  The value of our discipline lies not just in the skills our graduates have developed, but in the knowledge and understanding of cultural traditions, values and human experience that literature communicates.

If you have the potential, commitment and enthusiasm to study for a degree but are unable to meet the entry requirements for your chosen degree programme you can apply for the Extended Degree programme route.  An Extended Degree includes a Level 0 year, making the period of study 4 years or 5 years if the Extended Degree programme is taken on a part-time basis.  The programme provides a supportive learning space for students to experience academic studies at university and helps develop confidence and academic skills in preparation for Levels 1-3.  The programme is also highly rated by students who successfully complete the programme.   Successful completion of the programme guarantees entry to a range of Single Honours programmes or a Combined Programme of study within the School of Arts and Digital Industries.

More details of the Extended Degree programme can be found here

English Literature at UEL

This programme offers:

  • An opportunity to engage with a popular and culturally important field of knowledge
  • A range of modules examining literature in its historical and cultural context
  • Important transferable skills in research, analysis, clear and cogent communication and critical engagement

Programme structure

This programme is available  on a full-time or part-time basis. The full-time programme lasts for three years. Part time students can expect to complete the degree in four or five years, depending on the number of modules taken in an academic year.  Students take a mixture of compulsory and optional modules throughout thedegree.

Learning environment

The programme is taught through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and independent study.

Assessment

Most assessment is by coursework (essays, presentations, research exercises).  There are three exams, one in each year of study. 

Work experience/placement opportunities

-

Project work

In their final year students will work with a member of staff to research and write a dissertation on a topic of their choice, giving them the opportunity to develop their own ideas and interests.  The dissertation demonstrates graduate skills in research and analysis, project development and management and independent work. 

Added value

Students will be able to draw on the resources of the Writing Centre, which offers support in both creative and academic writing, along with a regular programme of readings by guest authors and other events.
Students have the opportunity to participate in an international exchange in the second year of study.

IS THIS THE PROGRAMME FOR ME?

If you are interested in...

  • Contemporary literature and culture and how they have developed and continue to change
  • How writers have employed different techniques to create their desired effects, and the role of the reader in the creation of a literary text's meaning
  • Thinking and asking questions about what you read

If you enjoy...

  • Being challenged to think critically
  • Working in an innovative and stimulating intellectual environment
  • Engaging with new ideas and concepts
  • Reading and discussing literature

If you want...

  • A special focus on this important and popular aspect of modern life
  • A chance to follow up your own interests, with support from specialist staff
  • A flexible interdisciplinary programme

Your future career

Students taking degrees in English are equipped for a wide range of careers and postgraduate opportunities. Our students go on to work and study in many different fields, including teaching, journalism, publishing, corporate communications, arts and media, local government, administration and business. Our graduates are skilled critical thinkers and fluent writers; they understand how to locate, evaluate and communicate information, manage their time effectively and work both collaboratively and independently. In a 'knowledge economy,' particular skills are required, especially the ability to think critically and creatively and the capacity to understand and communicate complex ideas clearly and cogently. The English Literature degree develops these transferrable skills throughout the course of study. Students graduating in English Literature will have the skills and specialist knowledge to follow a range of different reading and writing-related careers. They will also be equipped to pursue further research, or to go on to teacher training. Flexible skills in communication, presentation and expression, as well as critical thinking and analysis, developed through the programme, will enable graduates from the programme to work in a range professions.

How we support you

  • Personal support from personal  tutors, programme tutors and module leaders
  • Individual tutorials from module leaders and seminar tutors
  •  Skills development in academic research and writing,  including IT and learning resources
  • A university-wide support network, including residential, student finance and careers advice

Bonus factors

  • A flexible programme allowing students to shape a path of study to reflect  their own interests
  • Good staff-student ratio ensuring personal attention and support
  • Exciting new campus (Docklands) in a rapidly developing area of east London, with excellent  links to both central London and outlying areas
  • Opportunity for international exchange in the second year of study

Outcomes

Programme aims and learning outcomes

What is this programme designed to achieve?

This programme is designed to give you the opportunity to:

  • Introduce students to a growing body of work in a popular and significant intellectual field
  • Enable students to engage directly with the major aspects governing the production and consumption of literature
  • Encourage students to situate literary texts in relation to other forms of cultural representation
  • Equip students with the critical and conceptual tools to analyse and evaluate literary materials

What will you learn?

Knowledge

  • You will encounter a wide range of literary and critical texts, broadening your knowledge of the field
  • Through literary theory and textual analysis, you will be introduced to key debates about how different forms of textual representation create their meaning. .
  • You will gain familiarity with theoretical debates about the relationship between literature and society, and the changing modes of literary representation over the last four hundred years

Thinking skills

  • Analytic: you will learn to apply specialist techniques and vocabulary in order to analyse textual forms
  • Evaluative: you will reflect critically on a range of different texts, and will learn to express and support your critical judgments
  • Conceptual: you will learn to locate your own and others' arguments in a critical intellectual map, and to understand the implications  of different interpretative strategies

Subject-Based Practical skills

  • Research: you will conduct guided and independent research in libraries and on the internet
  • Analysis: you will learn how different literary forms have been defined and judged in the past, and learn to formulate your own opinions in a critically informed way
  • Presentation: you will develop the ability to summarise and present your ideas both orally and in written forms

Skills for life and work (general skills)

  • Self-management: you will learn to organise your study and research time in order to prepare for classes and meet assessment deadlines
  • Communication and discussion: you will gain experience and confidence through   listening to and working alongside others, and expressing your own opinions in group debates
  • Organisation of written ideas: you will learn to structure arguments and explain points of view fluently and cogently  in written form

Structure

The programme structure

Introduction

All programmes are credit-rated to help you to understand the amount and level of study that is needed.
One credit is equal to 10 hours of directed study time (this includes everything you do:  lecture, seminar and private study).
Credits are assigned to one of 5 levels:

  • 0 - equivalent in standard to GCE 'A' level and is intended to prepare students for year one of an undergraduate degree programme
  • 1 - equivalent in standard to the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
  • 2 - equivalent in standard to the second year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
  • 3 - equivalent in standard to the third year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
  • M - equivalent in standard to a Masters degree

Credit rating

The overall credit-rating of this programme is 360 credits.

Typical duration

The typical duration of this programme is three years full-time or five years part-time. It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments. Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact on the overall duration of their study period.

How the teaching year is divided

The teaching year begins in September and ends in June, but some programmes also allow students to join at the start of Semester B, in February. A  full-time student will study three modules each semester, three days a week, to complete   120 credits over the year. A  part-time student will study for one or two days per week  and will complete 60-80 credits in each academic year.

What you will study when

This programme is part of a modular degree scheme. A  full-time student will take six 20-credit modules per year to complete six modules at Level One, six at Level Two and six at Level 3.        
It is possible to bring together modules from one subject with modules from another to produce a combined honours programme. Subjects are offered in a variety of combinations:

  • Single - 120 credits at levels one, two and three
  • Major - 80 credits at levels one, two and three
  • Joint - 60 credits at levels one, two and three
  • Minor - 40 credits at levels one, two and three.

Modules are defined as:

  • Core - Must be taken
  • Option - Select from a range of identified modules within the field
  • University wide option - Select from a wide range of modules across the University

The following are the core and optional requirements for the single and major pathways for this programme

Extended Route (Level 0 entry)

LEVEL TITLE CREDITS STATUS
SINGLE

0

Studying in Higher Education

40

Core

0

Understanding the Media and Cultural Industries

20

Core

0

Society and Self

20

Core

0

Creative Production

20

Option

0

Writing Practices

20

Option

0

Introduction to New Media

20

Option

0

Introduction to Film and Video Studies

20

Option

0

Understanding Cities and Communities

20

Option

0

Understanding the IPOD Generation

20

Option

0

Globalisation and Social Movements

20

Option

0

Reading and Writing for Academic Studies

20

Option

0

Multimedia Advocacy

20

Option

120 credits from Level 0 Modules (including all cores) must be passed in order to progress to level 1

Level 1 entry

LEVEL

TITLE

CREDITS

STATUS SINGLE

STATUS MAJOR

STATUS JOINT

STATUS MINOR

1

Critical Approaches to Humanities

20

Core

Core

Option*

n/a

1

Forms and Texts

20

Core

Core

Core

Core

1

Making the Modern Self *

20

Core

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

Ways of Reading+

20

Core

Core

Core

Core

1

Popular Fiction

20

Option^

Option^

Option^

n/a

1

Approaches to Shakespeare *

20

Option^+

Option^+

Option^+

n/a

1

Creative Imagination

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

Reading Cultures

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

Patterns in Imperial History

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

Early and Silent Cinema

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

The Writer’s Voice

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

London History

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

Britain in the Long 19th Century

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

Media and Gender

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

Culture, Knowledge, Power

20

Core

Core

Option#

n/a

2

Origins of the Novel

20

Core

Core

Core

Option>

 

2

 

Early Modern Literature

 

20

 

Core

 

Core

 

Option#

 

Option>

2

Nineteenth Century Literature **

20

Core

Core

Option<

Option>

2

Literatures of Slavery **

20

Core

n/a

Option<

Option>

2

Cultural Change/Cultural Anxiety

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

Story and Myth”

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

Popular Pleasures

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

Youth Cultures

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

Film and Critical Theory

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

3

Dissertation ***

20

Option

Option

Option¬

n/a

3

Dissertation ***

40

Core

Core

Option¬

n/a

3

Modernity, Literature and Culture

20

Core

Core

Core

Core

3

Postmodern Fiction

20

Core

Core

Core¬

Core

3

Latin American Fiction, Culture and Society

20

Option

n/a

Option¬

n/a

3

Postcolonial-ism to the Present ****

20

Option

n/a

Option¬

n/a

3

Life Writing

20

Option”

n/a

n/a

n/a

3

History and Memory

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

3

Enlightenment and Modernity ****

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

3

World Cinema

20

Option

n/a

n/a

n/a

* Students on English major programmes take one or other of these two

** Students on English major programmes take one or other of these two

***Students take either the 20-credit (single module) dissertation plus two options, or the 40-credit (double module) dissertation plus one option

****Students taking English Single Honours must take at least one of these modules. Please note you may take level 3 modules while you are in level 2 so long as you have satisfied any prerequisite requirements.

Requirements for gaining an award

In order to gain an honours degree you will need to obtain 360 credits including:

  • A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
  • A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
  • A minimum of 120 credits at level three or higher

In order to gain an ordinary degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 300 credits including:

  • A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
  • A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
  • A minimum of 60 credits at level three or higher

In order to gain a Diploma of Higher Education you will need to obtain at least 240 credits including a minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher and 120 credits at level two or higher

In order to gain a Certificate of Higher Education you will need to obtain 120 credits at level one or higher.

In order to gain a Foundation Degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 240 credits including:

  • A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
  • A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher

(A foundation degree is linked to a named Honours degree onto which a student may progress after successful completion of the Foundation degree.)

Degree Classification

Where a student is eligible for an Honours degree, and has gained a minimum of 240 UEL credits at level 2 or level 3 on the programme, including a minimum of 120 UEL credits at level 3, the award classification is determined by calculating:

The arithmetic mean of the best 100 credits at level 3

×

2/3

+

The arithmetic mean of the next best 100 credits at levels 2 and/or 3

×

1/3

and applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to the nearest whole number, to the following classification

70% - 100%

First Class Honours

60% - 69%

Second Class Honours, First Division

50% - 59%

Second Class Honours, Second Division

40% - 49%

Third Class Honours

0% - 39%

Not passed

Assessment

Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching and learning

Knowledge is developed through

  • independent and guided reading
  • independent and guided research in various media (including electronic)
  • lectures, seminars and workshops

Thinking skills are developed through

  • essay-writing, including tutorial guidance and feedback on assignments
  • critically informed analysis of texts and theories
  • seminar discussion
  • self-evaluation

Practical skills are developed through

  • group discussion and seminar presentations (oral communication skills)
  • preparation for seminars and assignments and  the dissertation (independent research skills)
  • essay and dissertation writing, and presentation summaries and evaluations  (writing skills, including the ability to organise and explain points clearly and accurately)
  • the process of research for seminars and assignments (IT skills, including the use of search engines, databases and other tools)

General skills

  • The programme will encourage the development of time management and planning skills, both in relation to assignments and seminar preparation

Assessment

The following forms of assessment are used on this programme:

  1. Class presentations
  2. Textual Analyses
  3. Research Exercises
  4. Essays
  5. Exams
  6. Dissertations

Students will demonstrate knowledge in these assessments through their ability to identify, assimilate and communicate relevant information; to summarise different arguments; and to understand and compare different intellectual positions and their implications.

Students will demonstrate thinking skills in these assessments through their ability to evaluate and analyse a range of information and material, and to organise and present it coherently.

Practical skills developed and demonstrated in these assessments are both research-based (the ability to conduct library and internet searches; textual analyses; independent research projects; essay and dissertation writing) and communicative (oral presentations).

General skills are assessed by:

  • Working to deadlines
  • Presentation and communication of ideas
  • Working in small groups
  • Analytical thinking
  • Information handling and processing

Quality

How we assure the quality of this programme

Before this programme started

Before the programme started, the following was checked:

  • there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
  • adequate resources would be in place;
  • the overall aims and objectives were appropriate;
  • the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements;
  • the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements;
  • the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms.

This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions.

How we monitor the quality of this programme

The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating:

  • external examiner reports (considering quality and standards);
  • statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate);
  • student feedback.

Drawing on this and other information programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation. The process is monitored by the University's Quality Standing Committee.

Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists. The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions. The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed.

The role of the programme committee

This programme has a course  committee made up of  all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (such as library or technicial staff). The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality. The programme committee plays a critical role in the University's quality assurance procedures.

The role of external examiners

The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner. External examiners have two primary responsibilities:

  • To ensure the standard of the programme;
  • To ensure that justice is done to individual students.

Listening to the views of students

The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme:

  • module evaluations
  • Student/Staff consultative committee (meeting twice each year)

Students are notified of the action taken through:

  • circulating the minutes of the programme committee
  • making available the Annual Quality Improvement Report

Listening to the views of others

-

Further Information

Alternative locations for studying this programme

LocationWhich elements?Taught by UEL staffTaught by local staffMethod of Delivery

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Where you can find further information

Further information about this programme is available from:

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