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English Literature

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-Time
  • 28 September 2027
  • Undergraduate
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Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Immerse yourself in the fascinating literature of diverse cultures, past and present.y diverse audiences.

Go beyond books and immerse yourself in reading art, comics, film, marketing materials, music, social media, theatre, TV and video games. Study the literature you love with a personalised degree suited to your passions and interests.

Enjoy huge module choice and the flexibility to study the areas you're most keen on. Interested in Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf or George Orwell? Or in comics, video games, and interactive performance? You can enjoy all of these topics and plenty more, with additional options to study modules in Creative Writing, Film Studies and Linguistics and Communication.

Why study this course?

  • Study literature from across the globe, spanning from some of the first works in English language to last year’s most exciting novels.

  • Explore your literary interests and passions with stimulating modules such as ‘Gender and Sexuality,' ‘Fantasy and Fandom,’ and ‘The Gothic.’

  • Live and study in the city that raised and inspired writers from J.R.R. Tolkien to Benjamin Zephaniah. Birmingham values literature as much as you do, and is home to events like the Birmingham Literature Festival as well as the biggest public lending library in Europe.

  • Discover diverse career paths in areas such as the culture and media sectors with our exciting work placement opportunities.

Top 15 for English in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025

Top 30 for English Language and Literature in the QS World Subject Rankings 2025

Modules

Course 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.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) • Full-Time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 28 September 2027

Apply by
13 January 2027

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
Q300
Institution code:
B32
Campus name:
Main Site
Points of Entry:
Year 1

University of Birmingham has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
13 January 2027

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:
Q300
Institution code:
B32
Campus name:
Main Site

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
AAB

We prefer applications from students with at least one A level in an Arts, Humanities or Social Science subject.

If an applicant is not taking either A Level English Literature or A level English Language and Literature, then we require at least a grade 7 in GCSE English Literature.

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Offer: 32

6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects, to include an Arts, Humanities or Social Science subject at HL5.

If an applicant is not taking either Literature or Language and Literature at higher level, then we require at least a grade 7 in GCSE English 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..

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

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 below our standard offer. These include students admitted with alternative offers through our contextual admissions schemes. These are typically 1 or 2 grades below the standard offer. 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

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course 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

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland£10050*

* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

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

The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. For the 2027 year of entry, we expect that the tuition fee for your first year of study will be £10,050. If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay.

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.

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