Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

English Literature and Philosophy

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:36,M:9

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects

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

DDD

UCAS Tariff

136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

English literature

Philosophy

**Why Lancaster?**
- Learn to see the world in different ways, as you build a degree from diverse module choices covering literature and philosophy from around the globe

- Hear from visiting authors and scholars at our many literary events on campus, online, and in Lancaster’s historic Castle Quarter

- Broaden your perspective with a decolonised curriculum led by experts in non-Western philosophy and world literature

- Sharpen your thinking in regular small-group seminars, where you’ll debate and critique philosophy and literature under the guidance of our expert tutors

- Develop skills in critical thinking, analysis and persuasion that will prepare you for a range of exciting graduate careers

Investigate the ways in which both literature and philosophy grapple with fundamental human questions – such as right and wrong, freedom and restraint, and what it is to lead a good life. Learn to read literature with attention to philosophical themes and philosophy with attention to literary themes.

**An intellectual landscape without boundaries**
Through studying both literature and philosophy, you’ll develop a unique toolkit to interpret, analyse, and critique the ideas that shape our world. You might study the idea of liberty in both, say, Utilitarianism and the Harlem Renaissance; or explore the concept of the self in both the work of the British Romantics and in philosophers of the same period.

You’ll have the freedom to build your degree from a large and diverse range of modules. In philosophy we have experts in both Western and non-Western traditions, meaning you’ll be able to explore everything from Kant to feminist philosophy to Islamic ethics and Indian philosophy. Likewise in literature we have experts in both English and world literatures, offering modules in everything from Medieval theatre to contemporary Palestinian fiction.

**Applying your skills in practice**
You’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills in a real-world context by getting involved with one of our four student-run literary journals: Cake, Lux, Flash and Errant. In your first year of studies, you’ll choose from mini-module options designed to enhance your professional skills, like Creating a Literary Tour. You’ll also have the chance to attend our literature-specific careers workshops.

Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for an internship with the Richardson Institute for Peace Studies, based in our department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, which could see you contribute to a real-world research project with organisations such as think tanks and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The Uni


Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

English Literature and Creative Writing

Read full university profile

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.

88%
English literature
87%
Philosophy

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.

Literature in english

Teaching and learning

92%
Staff make the subject interesting
96%
Staff are good at explaining things
90%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
81%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
97%
IT resources
91%
Course specific equipment and facilities
78%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
21%
Male students
79%
Female students
100%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

Philosophy

Teaching and learning

83%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
48%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
95%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
67%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
50%
Male students
50%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

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.

Literature in english

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

17%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
17%
Other elementary services occupations
10%
Welfare and housing associate professionals

Philosophy

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

16%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
14%
Teaching and educational professionals
11%
Other elementary services occupations

Although there aren't a lot of jobs around for professional philosophers, philosophy degrees are a relatively popular option, with more than 2,000 students graduating in a philosophy-related subject in 2015 - a little down on previous years, but still healthy. Nearly a quarter of philosophy graduates take a postgraduate qualification, and it's a relatively common subject at both Masters and doctorate level — so if you think academic life might be for you, think ahead about how you might fund further study. For those who go into work, philosophy grads tend to go into teaching, accountancy, consulting, journalism, PR, housing, marketing, human resources and the arts while a few go into the computer industry every year, where their logical training is highly rated.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Literature in english

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£23k

£23k

£27k

£27k

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.

Philosophy

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£25k

£25k

£24k

£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.

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here