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English Literature with Foundation

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,D

Access to HE Diploma

M:36,P:9

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

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

DMM

T Level

P

Minimum grade C in the Core Component.

UCAS Tariff

88

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

English literature

Discover how literature has shaped our view of the world, and develop core academic skills, with our BA English Literature with Foundation course.

This four-year programme includes a foundation year that leads directly into the three-year course, providing an excellent route into a degree in English literature if you do not have the typical entry qualifications.

Literature is characterised by extraordinary richness and diversity. Throughout your studies, you will explore texts from across the globe, across a range of genres and periods. Enter lively debate with others who share your passion for literature; study authors and genres that you may already know, and discover others that may be less familiar to you.

Our BA English Literature with Foundation course will provide you with:
- the creative and critical ability to examine texts in detail, and draw your own conclusions

- knowledge of a variety of literary texts — including poetry, prose, drama and film — from a range of periods

- an awareness of the ways in which literature responds to cultural context, and how texts accrue new meaning.

- You will be taught by experts from the Department of English Literature, whose expertise and research spans everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction. Our BA English Literature with Foundation is flexible, and you will be encouraged to develop your own literary enthusiasms and follow your interests through our wide variety of modules.

Your learning structure
The aim of the foundation year is to prepare you for your English literature degree. As you progress, each stage builds on your prior learning:
- Foundation year: gain a thorough grounding in study at degree level. Core modules will develop key skills to support your learning.

The Academic Skills module helps you to acquire successful study skills, including academic writing, research and referencing, critical thinking, teamwork, effective study techniques and time management. The Study for Success module enables you to develop as a successful student in this field, building on your strengths and targeting key skill areas. The Identities module explores ideas of identity under four themes: national/race identity, gender, changing identities and a sense of self. It covers a wide range of texts and objects, including film, novels and novellas, poems and plays and cultural documents.
- First year: engage in lively debate about approaches to the study of literature. You will undertake critical and research exercises, with close study of selected texts from a number of different periods.

- Second year: you will be given the opportunity to explore a breadth of English literature, delving into texts within historical periods and generic traditions.

- Third year: undertake more specialised and independent literary study, choosing your modules from a wide range of options. The dissertation module will develop your skills in research, planning and writing.

Supportive learning environment
At Reading, we believe that the study of English literature is a discursive process, in which we learn by sharing our ideas. To this end, we prioritise small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. Your learning will take place through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical classes and workshops delivered by our supportive staff.

Enhance your studies
Every year, the Department hosts a Royal Literary Fund Fellow: a professional writer whose role is to advise students on their writing technique. As well as assisting with your essays and coursework, the Fellow can offer feedback on your personal pieces.

Throughout your degree, you will have access to the University's substantial and varied collection of rare books, archives and manuscripts.

Modules

The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2024/25. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change. Core modules for this course: Reading Academic Skills; Study for Success; Theory and Practice of Writing; Introduction to Drama; Poetry in English; Prose: Writing Identities; Dissertation. The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available between May and July 2023. We suggest that you regularly revisit this webpage during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£22,350
per year
International
£22,350
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Reading

Department:

English Literature

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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.

86%
English literature

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

86%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
74%
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

70%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
76%
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
91%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

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

21%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
9%
Other administrative occupations
9%
Other elementary services occupations

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.

£18k

£18k

£25k

£25k

£29k

£29k

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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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.

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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.

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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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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

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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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