English with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Birkbeck, University of London

Are you fascinated by literature and its cultural and political contexts? Our BA English offers you the chance to study the full range of English literature and to develop valuable new skills in writing, reading and critical thinking.

Based on our historic campus in the heart of London, you’ll gain a detailed knowledge of literary works from the medieval period to the present day and discover authors from a variety of places and cultures.

Foundational modules introduce you to key techniques in literary analysis, and show you how theoretical approaches such as feminism, post-colonialism and psychoanalysis can transform the ways in which you read and think. You'll build key skills in:

• close reading
• academic and professional writing
• using literary theories
• undertaking research.

You can then choose from a range of option modules that allow you to focus on single authors, genres and literary periods.

You’ll read texts by writers such as Dickens, Zadie Smith, Shakespeare and Plath, encounter genres such as science fiction and romance, and explore literary forms from the novel to comics and beyond. The course’s flexible structure allows you to shape your degree according to your own literary and critical interests.

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

Highlights

• You will be taught by world-leading scholars. The Department of English, Theatre and Creative Writing is ranked 2nd in the UK for its research excellence.
• Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery, the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space.
• Based at the heart of one of the world's most exciting cities, we combine lectures, seminars and workshops with visits to theatres and other cultural and artistic institutions, and we frequently collaborate with leading arts, cultural, theatre and dance and performing arts organisations, allowing you to ground your studies in real-world practice.
• If you opt for the three-year full-time or four-year part-time course, you can apply to take part in a competitive industry placement module, which offers you the opportunity to spend a term working in an arts-related organisation or arts-related role.

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in writing and journalism, publishing, editing or research. Possible professions include:

• editorial assistant
• newspaper/magazine journalist
• writer
• academic librarian
• public relations officer.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.