English and Journalism with Foundation Year
UCAS Code: Q30C
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Must include English Language or Literature A-Level In lieu of English Language or Literature A Level, subjects that include an element of essay writing will be considered as an alternative, i.e History, Religious Education, The Sciences, Philosophy, Film Studies, Communication Studies & Creative Writing all include a component of this. Applicants will be required to submit a satisfactory essay set by the department. For the English and Drama course we will consider A Level in Performing Arts, Drama or Theatre Studies in lieu of English. Applicants will be required to submit a satisfactory essay set by the department. A maximum of 4 subjects are considered. These can be other A/S Levels (as long in a different subject) A-Levels or Level 3 equivalents.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Must include English Language or Literature A-Level In lieu of English Language or Literature A Level, subjects that include an element of essay writing will be considered as an alternative, i.e History, Religious Education, The Sciences, Philosophy, Film Studies, Communication Studies & Creative Writing all include a component of this. Applicants will be required to submit a satisfactory essay set by the department. For the English and Drama course we will consider A Level in Performing Arts, Drama or Theatre Studies in lieu of English. Applicants will be required to submit a satisfactory essay set by the department. A maximum of 4 subjects are considered. These can be other A/S Levels (as long in a different subject) A-Levels or Level 3 equivalents.
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at Level 3 in an English related area. Language, Literature and Culture subjects preferred but other subjects also considered. Applicants may be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department unless they are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English at grade C or above.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE’s at grade C/4 or above English Language Acceptable equivalents:- City and Guilds Level 2 Certificates in Adult Numeracy/ Adult Literacy - Adult Literacy Functional Skills/ Essential Skills level 2 - English Key Skills level 2 - Communication Scottish Credit Standard Grade - Grade 2 English grade C or above Scottish Intermediate 2 Scottish National 5 Must have been achieved at the point of enrolment
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall, must include English Language or Literature at Higher Level For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) English A - Grade 4 or above or English B - Grade 5 from the IB Diploma will be accepted Applicants may be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English.
Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 80 tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects. This must include English Language taken at Ordinary Level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) and Higher level minimum grade H1/H7 (or A-D / A1-D3 up to and including 2016
See level 3 entry under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English unless you are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English.
Achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve a minimum of grades DDD Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of DD in two Highers). Must include English Language or Literature or combined Language and Literature subject Applicants may be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English.
Achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points achieved in either five Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. Where only Highers have been taken a minimum of grades CDDDD is required. Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of DD in two Highers. Must include English Language or Literature or combined Language and Literature subject Applicants may be requested to complete an essay set by the department if subject doesn't contain any English.
UCAS Tariff
Please visit: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/offer-making-strategy for more information about contextual offers.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts Applicants will be requested to complete an essay set by the department unless they are already holding or are working towards an A-Level in English at grade C or above.
About this course
This diverse and creative course incorporating a Foundation Year is a must for anyone passionate about English, whether that be language, literature, drama or creative writing.
As part of the foundation year you will develop essential skills and knowledge which will help you succeed in your future degree level studies and which will be transferable to your future career.
You will study a variety of subjects, including language and literature, drama and creative writing, and will learn how these different aspects of English study interact with one another.
Alongside this you will develop core skills in research, critical analysis, planning and evaluation, creativity and effective communication. Understanding how English is studied in context, developing that knowledge and applying it through a range of assignments and assessments, will provide you with a strong foundation upon which to progress to degree-level study at the School of English.
The BA (Hons) English and Journalism course is ideal for anyone wishing to follow a career in the dynamic and competitive world of journalism.
The course is housed in the School of English where you will be taught by world-leading academics and practitioners offering a diverse range of modules in literary studies, linguistics, creative writing and drama. Your degree will allow you to tailor your studies to your individual interests and career aspirations with both a local and global outlook.
The programme focuses on the development of core knowledge and skills for English study and work experience placements on live stories in media environments will teach you how to craft a story in a way that engages the audience.
What's covered in the course?
The course brings together a study of English with knowledge of journalism practice and professional development. Combining the study of literature, language, drama and creative writing from the School of English with the development of skills to become a thinking media worker with the School of Media, you will benefit from subject knowledge and transferable skills from both disciplines.
Through study of English you will develop an ability to work as an independent researcher, to communicate effectively in spoken and written discourse, to critically evaluate the work of others and respond imaginatively to original briefs.
Understanding how language works in practice and how language and literature engage with societies are both vital aspects in understanding how the discipline connects with the wider world, enabling you to focus on the production, interpretation and negotiation of meaning.
These skills are transferrable to the journalism component, where you will publish your stories, use blogs - including the student-run Birmingham Eastside website, runner-up in the Guardian Student Media Awards - create wikis, and employ social media channels and other interactive media to support your work and self-development.
Work experience placements on live stories in media environments will teach you how to craft a story in a way that engages the audience.
Teaching for the journalism component takes place in radio, TV and photography studios, editing suites and computer suites in our £62 million Parkside Building, part of our City Centre Campus, where you will build on your skills as you begin to make contacts in the industry and make your first moves into media work.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Curzon Building Campus
School of English
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Journalism
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
English studies (non-specific)
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Media, journalism and communications
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
English studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
English is one of the most popular degree subjects and in 2015, more than 11,000 students graduated with English degrees - although this does represent a fall from recent years. As good communication is so important to modern business, you can find English graduates in all parts of the economy, although obviously, you can't expect to get a job in science or engineering (computing is a different matter - it's not common but good language skills can be useful in the computing industry). There's little difference in outcomes between English language and English literature degrees, so don't worry and choose the one that suits you best. More English grads took another postgraduate course when they finished their degree than grads from any other subject - this is an important option. Teacher training was a common choice of second degree, as was further study of English, and journalism courses. But many English graduates changed course and trained in law, marketing or other languages -or even subjects further afield such as computing, psychology and even nursing. This is a very flexible degree which gives you a lot of options
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Media, journalism and communications
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£21k
£24k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
English studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£15k
£20k
£21k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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