English Literature and Film BA

You’ll explore the power that narratives hold in our society. Develop the mixed media analytical and practical skills you need to succeed in the industry.

Approach your degree from another perspective with our BA Liberal Arts programme. This may offer you an alternative way to study modules in your preferred subject areas.

Our academics and researchers

Our English academics and researchers explore texts and ideas that span seven centuries and thousands of literary works, from medieval poems to twenty-first century digital media. In Film, learn the practice of filmmaking and enhance your creative skills with key theories and concepts guided by our award-winning, global film industry experts, including filmmakers, screenwriters and critics.

• Professor Louise Curran featured in the BBC documentary Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius. She teaches on a variety of undergraduate modules, including third-year options on Jane Austen covering her teenage writings, major novels, letters, and the afterlife of her fiction in TV and film.
• Dr Alaina Schempp teaches on a number of modules, including Filmmaking and Screenwriting. Her own screenplays have won several awards, including the Avery Hopwood Award, Leonard and Eileen Newman Prize and Peter and Barbara Benedek Award.
• Professor Nathan Waddell has recently published a biography of George Orwell, and also leads a podcast on the author. His expertise is shared in a final-year undergraduate module called ‘Orwell’s Books’, which introduces students to Orwell’s work and cultural legacies.
• Dr Catherine Lester is the Principal Investigator for the Youth & Horror Research Network. She recently published Horror Films for Children: Fear and pleasure in American cinema and teaches on the module Children’s Film and Television.

Our students

Our English and Film students embrace opportunities across the university and beyond: from pursuing careers in TV and media, to joining societies and getting involved in festivals and events.

• English Literature and Film student Leo takes you through a day in his life, including his study schedule and online gaming tournament.
• Sophie goes behind the scenes of Birmingham Literature Festival.
• Grace offers advice for securing student employment, and talks about her roles as student ambassador, content creator, and her internship.
• Alumni Elizabeth discusses her work on The Traitors, Squid Game: The Challenge and the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series.

Life in a creative city

Live and study in a vibrant city, bursting with opportunities – from arts cinemas, to film festivals to production studios, there’s plenty of culture to soak up in Birmingham. Discover our city for yourself!

• Take a tour of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter with English and Creative Writing student Zoe.

English literature and film in the city:

• Birmingham Literature Festival: Taking place every Autumn, the Birmingham Literature Festival is a leading festival in the Midlands. It brings together the very best writers, speakers, thinkers, activists and artists from the UK and across the world.
• Grab a cocktail from The Nest bar and watch a classic film or the latest blockbuster at Digbeth’s independent Mockingbird Cinema.
• Enjoy the annual Birmingham Film Festival, which celebrates professional and independent films from around the world, showcasing a wide variety of genres and topics.
• Peaky Blinders, heard of it? The Netflix film The Immortal Man was filmed at Digbeth Loc. Studios!

Department activities

Study in an English Literature department that covers a huge selection of literary specialisms across the full historical range to the present day. With Shakespearean connections and access to archives and texts, our degrees offer a wealth of resources. In film, benefit from exciting projects taking place within the department, whether it’s witnessing on-campus filmmaking or attending fancy award ceremonies.

• As part of an international team of academics and screen-focused organisations, the department’s Dr Chris Nunn helped the University of Birmingham co-produce and edit its first feature-length documentary.
• Our Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon hosts world-renowned academics and a biennial international conference, and is part of global network of Shakespearean organisations in Japan, China, Europe and North America.
• Access our exceptional resources, including the Cadbury Research Library, consisting of over 200,000 rare books dating from 1471, as well as the Library of Birmingham, Europe’s largest regional library.
• As official sponsors for the Birmingham Film Festival, the department were invited to present awards at the festival’s gala dinner and celebrate film production and creativity taking place in the city.

Enjoy dedicated creative facilities

Balance classroom-based study with hands-on creative learning in our state-of-the-art facilities. You'll find yourself working in a range of settings including studio spaces, editing suites, and language labs. It's ideal preparation for roles in sectors as varied as advocacy, the creative arts, journalism, media, marketing, and publishing.

• Lectures: These give you an insightful, expert introduction to key topics; they also provide guidance to support your reading and assessments.
• Seminars: These are small group discussions where you share and test ideas with your academic tutor and your peers. Seminars help you understand topics better and build confidence in sharing your thoughts.

Support during your studies

At Birmingham, you’ll have plenty of support to help you adjust to university life:

• Personal Academic Tutors: You'll have a tutor assigned to you who will guide and support you throughout your studies.
• Wellbeing Officers: The Wellbeing team help with extensions, disabilities, extenuating circumstances, or any personal challenges. They’ll also connect you with further support on campus or elsewhere.
• Academic Writing Advisory Service: Tutorials, workshops and support in  structuring an argument and developing your own academic voice.
• Student Experience Team: They offer research opportunities, and cultural, intellectual and social activities to enhance your university experience.

Contact hours

Your degree is designed to help you achieve 120 credits per year, which equals about 40 hours of learning each week. This includes lectures, seminars, workshops, independent study, revision, and assessments.

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed in different ways to suit each module. At the start of a module, you’ll be told how and when you’ll be assessed. Methods will vary but may include coursework (e.g., essays), group or individual presentations and projects, exams, reports or computer-based assignments.

Feedback: You will receive timely feedback on each assessment, so you can learn from it and improve your performance in future assessments.

The optional module information listed for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available, we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.

Professional Skills module

Intercalated opportunities

In the College of Arts and Law, we're committed to helping you become career-ready. With our intercalated options, we offer undergraduate students the opportunity to take an additional year and dive into industry, language and more.

To secure a place at Birmingham, you'll need to meet our general entry requirements as well as those specific to your course.

Number of A levels required: 3

A levels

We prefer applications from students with at least one A level in an Arts, Humanities or Social Science subject.

If an applicant is not taking either A Level English Literature or A level English Language and Literature, then we require at least a grade 7 in GCSE English Literature.

BTEC qualifications

BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
BTEC Diploma: DD, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D, plus AB at A level, including the required subject/s mentioned above.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Applicants who take the EPQ and meet our offer criteria will be made the typical offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus a grade B in the EPQ. This offer would apply if you make Birmingham your firm choice.

Core Maths qualification

Applicants who take the Core Maths qualification and meet our offer criteria will be made the typical offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus a grade B in Core Maths. If you are also taking A-level Maths, you will not be eligible for an alternative offer through studying Core Maths. This offer would apply if you make Birmingham your firm choice.

Music performance

Applicants who have achieved (or who will achieve) any level 3 graded examination in music performance at grade 8 or above (e.g. ABRSM, Rockschool, Trinity College London) and outline that on their UCAS application will be made the typical offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus the Music qualification. This alternative offer would apply if you make Birmingham your firm choice.

High-level sports

Applicants who play sport at county level or above will be made the typical offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower. This alternative offer would apply if you make Birmingham your firm choice. If you have already received a one grade reduction through one of our performance athlete schemes (e.g. our Elite Dual Career Athlete Pathway programme), then you will not receive an additional reduction - we will apply a maximum one grade reduction on an offer.

English language requirements

If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification or a Presessional English course.

• TOEFL iBT tests taken before January 2026: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing.
• TOEFL iBT tests taken from January 2026: 4.5 Overall with no less than 4.5 in two skills and 4 in two skills
• IELTS: 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any band.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): PTE 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills.
• Cambridge English(exams taken from 2015): Cambridge English: Advanced Minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
• Language Cert ESOL SELT (UKVI): B2 ‘Communicator’ with no less than 33 in each skill
• Trinity ISE II: Not applicable
• Trinity ISE III: Pass in each Skill

Presessional English courses

If you have a conditional offer for Birmingham where English is a requirement, you can take a Presessional English course as an alternative to retaking IELTS or a similar qualification. We offer on-campus courses all year round starting from September, including additional online courses in the summer term. Teaching takes place in small classes with no more than 18 students to maximise class participation.

Undergraduate loans

To help with the cost of studies, undergraduate students from the UK can apply for student finance through the Student Loans Company. The support available is made up of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan which helps to cover living costs.

Scholarships, grants and bursaries

At Birmingham, we believe that financial worries should not be a barrier to accessing higher education. That’s why we offer a range of additional financial support for students through scholarships, bursaries and other awards.

View further information on how to apply for undergraduate courses, including advice for UK and overseas applicants.

These skills include critical thinking skills, the ability to think creatively and generate new ideas and teamworking skills.

• Intellectual analysis
• Critical thinking
• Articulate expression
• Oral presentation skills

Our English Literature students have gone on to secure roles such as 'Founder', 'Marketing Executive', and 'Project Manager', working for organisations such as:

• Penguin Random House
• BBC
• Amazon
• NHS

Our Film students have gone on to secure roles such as Content Coordinator, Social Media Executive, Blogger, and Project Manager, working for organisations such as:

• Netflix
• ITV
• Paramount
• Apple TV
• Royal Shakespeare Company
• Channel 5

The University has commissioned Cturtle as our data partner for tracking our alumni destinations. The data above is a subset from 43,666 alumni who completed their course up to 31 July 2024.

Careers Network

Our aim is to make sure that success in your studies leads you on to a fulfilling career. Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offer support to help you identify your options, develop your skills and gain access to opportunities that propel you towards your career goal.

Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community, and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.

Flexible programmes to suit you

Not sure what you want to study?

Explore your options for combining subjects and shape your degree around your interests, whilst developing key skills for the world of work. 

Intercalated years

Our intercalated opportunities offer the chance to take a year out from your existing course to study within another field. This takes place usually between year 2 and year 3 of your programme.