Skip navigation
You are viewing our beta course page.

English Literature and Philosophy

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 28/09/2026
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Main Site

Course summary

Investigate and analyse universal themes like love and morality through literary texts and philosophical problems.

You’ll learn to combine persuasive expression in the study of literature with different philosophical perspectives, as you discover how literary culture and society have influenced each other.

By studying both, students can explore questions about human existence, identity, and values through diverse lenses: literary texts often dramatise philosophical questions, while philosophy provides a structured way of interrogating those themes.

Why study this course?

  • Choose to combine complementary modules, like Gender and Sexuality in literature with Feminist Philosophy.

  • Go beyond the printed book - take advantage of the wide-ranging expertise within our academic community and delve into the study of social media, marketing, textual production, video games, comics, art, music and film and TV.

  • Explore Birmingham’s literary scene and get involved with the numerous on-campus writer’s groups, including our very own newspaper, radio and TV stations.

  • Delve into the various city-wide literature festivals and take advantage of our exceptional resources, including our special collections and archives in the Cadbury Research Library and the Library of Birmingham, Europe’s largest regional library.

Top 15 for English in the Complete University Guide 2025

11th for Philosophy in the Complete University Guide 2025

Modules

First-year modules cover a broad base of the subject and are designed to introduce you to ways of studying at university. By the final year the modules you take will become more specialised and reflect the research expertise of the academic staff. More detailed module information can be found on the course page.

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
QV3M
Institution code:
B32
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff - Not accepted

A level - AAB

To include A Level English Literature or A Level English Language and Literature

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM

BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, plus an A at A-level in the required subject/s mentioned above. BTEC Diploma: DD, plus an A at A-level in the required subject/s mentioned above. BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D, plus AB at A-level, including an A in the required A-level subject/s mentioned above..

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 32 points

6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects, to include Literature or Literature and Language.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

Accepted in place of a non-required A level with the equivalent grade.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

Accepted in place of A levels with the following grade equivalencies: D2 = A*; D3 = A; M2 = B. Combinations of A levels and Principle subjects are accepted. NB required subjects must be offered (see A level Section)

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

The most common grades on entry for this course are above our standard offer. This does not mean that you need to achieve higher grades than our offer to be admitted.
We make alternative offers through our contextual admissions schemes which are typically 1 or 2 grades lower. You can find information on these schemes using the link below.
You can check your eligibility to receive an offer for this course using our Offer Calculator using the same link.

Learn more on the University of Birmingham website

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England£9790Year 1
Northern Ireland£9790Year 1
Scotland£9790Year 1
Wales£9790Year 1
Channel Islands£9790Year 1
Republic of Ireland£9790Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

For details of the annual tuition fee for International Students please see the course web page listed in the 'course details' section above.
If you are made an offer to study by the University, the yearly tuition fee will be stated in your offer letter.

Like this page