BA (Hons) English - Course overview

KEY FACTS

Title
BA (Hons) English
Course type
Full-time (Part-time route available)
Duration
3 years (no placement)
Award
Bachelor of Arts - BA (Hons)
Faculty
Faculty of Arts
School
School of Humanities and Performing Arts
UCAS codes
Institution P60
Course Q300
Location
Plymouth

BA (Hons) English

About the course

Ever wondered what or how people read in the past and how what is going on in the world impacts upon how we read and write? Combining critical and creative practice, this course gives you the opportunity to study the literatures of different periods and cultures, produce creative writing, and draw on insights from a range of other disciplines.

Course Highlights

Focus on 19th, 20th century and contemporary literature
Open choice of modules after the first year
Opportunities to study earlier historical periods and authors e.g. Shakespeare, the 18th century
Strong interest in creative writing
Ink: the student creative writing magazine
Opportunities to combine English with other Arts & Humanities subjects
Opportunities to take part in international exchanges (more information)
Opportunities for voluntary work experience
Staff publications in a range of academic areas and in fiction and poetry

Meet the staff

English and Creative Writing staff are actively engaged in academic research at a national and international level, publishing books and journal articles in a variety of fields, furthermore a number of our staff are critically-acclaimed poets and novelists. Our modules largely arise out of our research interests so that you are taught by specialists in a particular field.

Arts Careers Showcase 2012

arts careers showcase 2012.pdf

Get involved with the running of Ink, the student literary magazine. You'll be working in a team environment, managing a budget, attending editorial meetings, hitting deadlines - you'll further your literary interests but also pick up vital skills.

News

Summary
English student Charlotte Chase has written a book entitled We Love Looe as part of a new social enterprise project between the University, Groundwork South West and a team of young researchers- all pupils at Looe Community School.

Charlotte worked along side graduate Oliver Goodson, who provided the illustrations for the book, and MA Publishing student Danielle Woodbridge. This team of University of Plymouth students are finalists for the prestigious Enterprise Award, which will be presented at the Vice Chancellor's Enterprise Award ceremony on the 16th September 2010. More....

What our students say

"Choices were varying and diverse, combining taught classes with and encouragement to work independently ... I found the lecturers extremely supportive and their encouragement helped me not only through my course, but in making the decision to continue my studies at a higher level."
Dee Bettaney, BA (Hons) English graduate

"My English degree played a large part in my decision to teach. The organisational skills I developed, plus working to deadlines, gave me invaluable transferable skills that have helped me in Further Education. My time at Plymouth, with its inspirational lecturers and varied module choice, gave me a solid knowledge base which I've applied to my teaching."
Keith Ivey, BA (Hons) English graduate - working as a Further Education lecturer

Overseas study

As a student here you'll have the chance to study overseas. The most popular destination for our students is the USA: they spend time at Longwood University in Virginia, the University of Mississippi, Montana State University and Idaho State University. You can choose to go for one term or for a year. We also have European exchanges, currently with Gothenburg University(Sweden) and the University of Zurich (Switzerland). We participate in the ERASMUS European exchange programme, and also in ISEP, the global student exchange consortium, with over 100 institutions to which our students can choose to go.

So if you want directly to experience different societies and cultures, and quite literally broaden your horizons, then studying overseas could be what you're looking for.

Diversity

Students come to us from other countries as well, adding to the valuable diversity of the student body. Meeting a variety of new ideas and kinds of knowledge is one part of your degree experience. Meeting a variety of new people is another.

Related courses

Plymouth offers a range of undergraduate opportunities from single honours programmes - BA (Hons) English and BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing - to combined degrees where your major subject is English but you get to combine it with a different subject area. Among other subjects, we currently offer a combination with History.

BA (Hons) English

As an English student you'll read some of the finest and most stimulating literature but also have plenty of opportunities to study film and theatre. If you want to try your hand at creative writing you can do this as well when you choose your options. The course is flexible so you can tailor it to your interests and strengths. Our staff will steer you through your degree from day one to graduation so you get the most out of yourself and your time here.

BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing

This programme offers you the chance to develop your writing as you become a more sophisticated reader. Creative and critical efforts complement one another while you learn to move beyond simple modes of self expression and to consider your work as existing within a literary tradition. You'll study and practice a variety of forms, including poetry, fiction, life writing, travel writing and dramatic writing (for stage and screen).

You may also be interested in BA (Hons) English with Media Arts and BA (Hons) English with History

Public lectures

There is an exciting programme of public lectures by notable authors in the Peninsula Arts Literature series, which has included Blake Morrison, Don Paterson and Germaine Greer. With the Plymouth Theatre Royal close at hand, students also have the opportunity to attend a wide range of theatrical events and performance poetry.