BA English

Creative_Writing_and_English

Undergraduate Available in Clearing

BA English

Explore language and literature through teaching that's been developed from internationally excellent research.

Key information

Study mode

Full-time

Course length

3 years

Entry requirements

120 points

A Level grades: BBB

UCAS code

Q300

Choose an option

Start date

Course overview

Hull has a remarkable literary legacy that has seen it called the country's "most poetic city". Poets Andrew Marvell and Philip Larkin lived here, while the University counts the likes of Douglas Dunn and Roger McGough among our alumni.

Literature affects how we think about and communicate with the world around us. It informs our understanding of ourselves and other cultures, past and present.

Explore literature from the medieval era to the 21st century. Our modules cover (among many other things) English and American poetry, short fiction, modernism, drama, children's literature, Gothic, horror and crime fiction.

Apply now through clearing

01482 466100 Apply online

6 reasons to study English at Hull

  1. 96% graduate employability rating#
  2. 24/7 term-time access to Brynmor Jones Library
  3. Thriving literary scene in the city
  4. Study under published authors of novels and poems
  5. 100% overall satisfaction in NSS 2019†
  6. Visits from internationally renowned authors

What you'll study

The course consists of 120 credits per year. Most modules are 20 credits, meaning you’ll study six modules each year. Some longer modules, such as a dissertation, are worth more (e.g. 40 credits). In these cases, you’ll study fewer modules - but the number of credits will always add up to 120.

First year modules

  • Compulsory

    Literature Lab

    In this practical module, you'll acquire essential skills for the study of literature, as well as general academic skills. In a relaxed workshop environment, you'll practise close reading of poetry, fiction and drama for example. You'll also develop your skills in essay writing, presenting, academic research and referencing.

    Reading Fiction

    This module explores the techniques, conventions and developments of the novel from the 18th century to the present day. You'll engage with relevant social, historical and political contexts and focus particularly on authors ranging from Austen to Ondaatje.

    Travels in Text and Time

    Time-travelling across three centuries of English literature, this module introduces you to key English writers and works, from Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale, and the late medieval play, Everyman, to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Breaking down barriers between Medieval and Renaissance literature, it groups texts according to theme and explores how these themes develop in plays and poems written centuries apart.

    Classics of British Children’s Fiction

    This module introduces you to the academic study of children's literature based on texts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to Harry Potter.

    Reading Poetry

    This module introduces you to different forms of poetry from the Renaissance to the present day, via a combination of lectures, workshops and seminars.

    Drama and Performance

    You'll be introduced to a range of plays, ancient and modern, each of which is a theatrical and cultural landmark. Often a provocative one. The selected plays helped shape not only theatrical practice but also our understanding of what it is to be human, both now and in the past.

Second year modules

In Year 2 you will be encouraged to expand and deepen your knowledge of literature chronologically and thematically. You choose six modules, including at least one from each of four specified strands.

  • Medieval and Renaissance Literature and Culture

    The Age of Chivalry and Romance

    You'll learn about, and evaluate, the courtly medieval culture of chivalry and courtly love, then see how it was received in the 'real' world of later medieval England. Our guides for this are Sir Thomas Malory's Arthurian epic Morte Darthur and Geoffrey Chaucer's less respectful The Canterbury Tales.

    Love and Desire in Renaissance Literature, c. 1530 - 1633​

    You'll study the development of the most passionate and erotic representations of love and desire in English poetry and drama over a century, from the 1530s to the 1630s, learning how English writers, such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, Sidney, Spenser and Donne, responded to and developed formal and thematic conventions from earlier European poetic traditions.

    Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama

    This module returns Shakespeare to the vibrant theatrical milieu of late 16th and early 17th-century London, where we encounter him as one among a number of inventive and influential playwrights of the time. It introduces groundbreaking plays of exceptional emotional reach and imaginative daring, written in a range of popular genres during a golden age of English theatre.

  • Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture

    Sentiment and Scandal: Literature of the Long 18th Century

    Explore sentiment and satire, sensibility and scandal in a module which focuses upon the diversity, innovations and influence of 18th-century poetry, drama and fiction.

    Visionaries and Rebels: Romantic Poets from Blake to Tennyson

    You will study Romanticism, a movement which gave birth to some of the greatest poetry in the English language. You'll be introduced to the different genres of Romantic poetry while learning about the political and philosophical background from which the poetry emerged.

    Brief Encounters with the Victorians

    This module examines shorter narratives of the Victorian period, written by some of the most influential authors of the 19th century. It also addresses key issues of the period relating to industrialisation, class, gender and imperialism.

  • Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Literature and Culture

    British and American Modernism

    Explore a diverse, fascinating and radical period in English and American Literature, considering authors on both sides of the Atlantic who were committed to revolutionary change. Featured writers include T S Eliot, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, D H Lawrence, F Scott Fitzgerald, Katherine Mansfield and Hilda Doolittle.

    Voyage Out: Travel, Empire and Cultural Encounters

    You'll examine cultural encounters between travellers and the cultures they visit through a study of the literature of travel, including fictional accounts and visual representations, including such as art and film.

  • Themes in Literature

    The Child in British and American Literature and Culture

    Develop insights into the ways in which the contradictory image of the child has been represented in literary texts in Britain and America from the 19th century through to the present day.

    Written on the Body: Rethinking Gender and Sexuality

    This module takes a fresh look at contemporary human relations with a focus on sexuality, gender and the body. You'll study novels, poetry and films dealing with abuse and enslavement (Beloved, and The Handmaid’s Tale), new masculinities (High Fidelity and Locke), lesbian and gay writing (Fun Home and Thom Gunn’s poetry), religion and the effect on the body (Minaret), as well as trans and intersex identities (Middlesex and The Passion of New Eve).

Final year modules

Our Year 3 modules are designed to allow you to explore particular topics and genres in greater depth. These modules often develop from the research interests of individual members of staff. You will write a Dissertation, on a topic of your choosing, with the support and guidance of an appropriate supervisor.

You also choose four optional modules, including at least one from List A and one from List B.

  • Compulsory

    Dissertation

    You will make an original contribution to research by designing, carrying out and writing up your own project on a topic you choose, supported by your dissertation supervisor.

  • List A

    Playing God: Late Medieval Drama, from Page to Stage

    This module explores the vibrant drama of late medieval England, focusing on the street plays performed in cities like York and Chester, on morality plays performed indoors before paying audiences, and on political plays performed in the households of royalty and nobility. Alongside study of the text of each play, you'll have the opportunity to reimagine the plays in performance, using theatre workshops, field trips and play archives to bring the era's drama to life.

    Unruly Subjects and Renaissance Texts

    Our subject is unruliness - how it was defined, represented, attacked and, on occasion, defiantly celebrated in later 16th and early 17th-century English literature. The focus is on how writing, which was regarded with suspicion by the authorities, treats controversial issues of the day such as rebellion, sexual misconduct, cross-dressing and witchcraft and incorporates socially marginal figures whose irreducible and unruly humanity challenges us to reflect on their marginalisation and on those who are similarly marginalised in our times.

    Authorship and Identity in Renaissance Literature

    You will study how English writers from the Renaissance period (1579 to 1645), both male and female, canonical and more obscure, deliberately fashion themselves as ‘authors’, in relation to previous writers and works from both Classical and Early Modern European literary traditions. The module will introduce you to important techniques such as imitation and translation, and will provide an overview of significant European writers and sources. It will then focus on the following English authors: Edmund Spenser, Samuel Daniel, Lady Mary Sidney Herbert, Aemilia Lanyer, Lady Mary Wroth, Elizabeth Carey, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, and John Milton.

    Special Author: Shakespeare

    You will study plays from the whole range of Shakespeare's dramatic career, from the early 1590s to around 1610, with a selection of comedies, histories, tragedies and tragicomedies chosen for study each year.

  • List B

    Gothic

    You will analyse the Gothic, from the conception of the genre in the 18th century to its manifestation in contemporary literature and film, focusing on the genre's convergence with contemporaneous social and cultural preoccupations.

    Crime Fiction: Reading the Body, Reading the Signs

    To explore this wide-ranging and unique genre, you will first investigate the two main crime fiction traditions, classical (Poe, Doyle and Christie) and hardboiled (Ellroy). Next, your seminar group will analyse four novels chosen from among the many subgenres that have developed more recently, such as the forensic detective novel, black hardboiled crime, true crime and many others.

    Secrets and Lies: Victorian Decadence and Degeneration 1860-1901

    Explore the development of new forms of writing which focus on the darker alternative or hidden aspects of Victorian society, such as the new woman, the homosexual man, the foreigner, and the poor, in the context of degeneration theory.

    Childhood Trauma and Its Aftermath in Contemporary Fiction

    Explore ways in which contemporary novels and 'misery memoirs' present childhood trauma that impacts on adolescence and adulthood. You'll discuss a range of characters with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of early bereavement or mistreatment in the domestic sphere, in conjunction with psychological and medical studies of child development.

All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

How you'll study

Throughout your degree, you’re expected to study for 1,200 hours per year. That’s based on 200 hours per 20 credit module. And it includes scheduled hours, time spent on placement and independent study. How this time’s divided among each of these varies each year and depends on the course and modules you study.

Overall workload

204 hours

Scheduled study Scheduled hours typically include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, and supervised laboratory and studio sessions.

996 hours

Independent study Independent study is the time outside your scheduled timetable, where you’ll be expected to study independently.

Indicative assessment proportions

5%
95%
  • Practical

    Practical is an assessment of your skills and competencies. This could include presentations, school experience, work experience or laboratory work.

  • Coursework

    Coursework typically includes essays, written assignments, dissertations, research projects or producing a portfolio of your work.

Overall workload

204 hours

Scheduled study Scheduled hours typically include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, and supervised laboratory and studio sessions.

996 hours

Independent study Independent study is the time outside your scheduled timetable, where you’ll be expected to study independently.

Indicative assessment proportions

16%
8%
76%
  • Examination

    Written assessment typically includes exams and multiple choice tests.

  • Practical

    Practical is an assessment of your skills and competencies. This could include presentations, school experience, work experience or laboratory work.

  • Coursework

    Coursework typically includes essays, written assignments, dissertations, research projects or producing a portfolio of your work.

Overall workload

144 hours

Scheduled study Scheduled hours typically include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, and supervised laboratory and studio sessions.

1056 hours

Independent study Independent study is the time outside your scheduled timetable, where you’ll be expected to study independently.

Indicative assessment proportions

13%
5%
82%
  • Examination

    Written assessment typically includes exams and multiple choice tests.

  • Practical

    Practical is an assessment of your skills and competencies. This could include presentations, school experience, work experience or laboratory work.

  • Coursework

    Coursework typically includes essays, written assignments, dissertations, research projects or producing a portfolio of your work.

Ellie-Williams-UNI-6509-flipped2
Ellie Williams English

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Entry Requirements

During Clearing we look at all of your qualifications and experience, not just your academic grades – you’re more than just letters on a page!

Some courses still do have requirements such as previous study in your subject area, or specific GCSE grades. Others have additional requirements such as an interview or a satisfactory DBS check.

Please call us now on 01482 462236 to find out if we have a course that’s suitable for you.

If you require a Tier 4 student visa to study or if your first language is not English you will be required to provide acceptable evidence of your English language proficiency level.

This course requires academic IELTS 6.0 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each skill. See other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by this University.

If your English currently does not reach the University's required standard for this programme, you may be interested in one of our English language courses.

Visit your country page to find out more about our entry requirements.

Our teaching staff

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Take a tour of the facilities

Our English students enjoy 24/7 access to the recently restored Brynmor Jones Library which boasts more than a million books.

Explore the virtual tour

Fees & funding

Home / EU

£9,250 per year*

International

£14,000 per year

*The amount you pay may increase each year, in line with inflation - but capped to the Retail Price Index (RPI).

UK and EU students can take out a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their course, and UK students can take out a maintenance loan of up to £8,700 to cover living costs.

Substantial discounts are available for International students.  

More information on fees can be found in the Money section of the website.

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme (including registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examination).

There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make. The list below has some examples, and any extra costs will vary.

  • Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the library, but you may want to buy your own copies
  • Optional field trips
  • Study abroad (including travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
  • Placement costs (including travel costs and accommodation)
  • Student visas (international students)
  • Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and PC’s on campus, but you may want to buy your own)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Professional-body membership
  • Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel and food – to name just a few. 

Attainment
Scholarship

If you achieve

112 UCAS tariff points

from three A levels or equivalent, you could receive a reward of

£1,200

Find out more

An affordable city for students

From bills, to meals, to pints – you’ll find that your money goes a lot further in Hull.

Your future prospects

  • Teacher
  • Journalist
  • Librarian
  • Publisher
  • Writer
  • Civil servant

This programme trains you to analyse, research and communicate at a very high level - giving you skills that are prized in many professions.

With this kind of grounding, you will have acquired the adaptability to flourish in many arenas.

These may include more obvious paths, such as teaching or library and archive work. They will also prove useful in any field requiring research skills and the ability to translate concepts into written or spoken forms, such as those needed by managers in any industry.

Open Day at University of Hull

Ready to apply?

You can apply for this course through UCAS. As well as providing your academic qualifications, you’ll be able to showcase your skills, qualities and passion for the subject.

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This. Is. Hull.

A place where we stand up to kings, do deals with the world and take a wrecking ball to the slave trade. A place where culture stands out and the phone boxes are a different colour. A place where we're free-thinking, independent and proud of it.

#Percentage of students from this subject area in work or further study within six months of graduating: UK domicile full-time first degree leavers; Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey for the academic year 2016/17, published by HESA 2018

†University of Hull analysis of unpublished NSS data