In this programme, you study half of your modules (60 credits) in English Language and half in History (60 credits)

First year

English Language: In two linked modules, Language Works, you will be introduced to a range of topics in English Language study, including the phonology (sound system) of English, its morphology (word formation) and grammar; children’s language development; discourse analysis, both spoken and written; and social issues, such as attitudes towards language and its role in education. You will also learn how to carry out research on English language topics.

History: The first year is the foundational year in an academic process that will see you progress from being a dependent to an independent learner. You will study modules spanning the early medieval to late modern periods. You can choose either Medieval History 500-1050 and Medieval History 1050-1500 or The Making of the Modern World 1500-1815 and The Making of the Contemporary World 1815-2000 (20 credits per module). These explore fundamental themes and issues focused on key periods and indicate the kinds of questions historians explore and some of the methods they employ in answering them. You will also study Practising History (A): Skills in History (Autumn semester) and Practising History (B): Approaches to History (Spring semester), which look more closely at the techniques of the historian and at the nature and evolution of key historical debates. 

Second Year

English Language: In this year you can choose to take either two linked modules, which, following on from first year work, provide a thorough grounding in technical aspects of the language, concentrating on English phonology and morphology, and then English grammar; or you can choose two modules from a range including History of the English Language; Talk and Text, which provides in-depth analyses of different kinds of spoken interaction; and Language Acquisition, Variation and Change, which studies how these processes happen and what enables them. In addition, you will take the module Research Skills in English Language, which is designed to develop your group and individual research skills by guiding you in such tasks as carrying out a literature review, collecting and analysing data, and presenting your results orally, as well as reporting on your research in writing.

History: The second year is an intermediate year that builds on the foundations laid in the first year of study. You engage in Group Research and extend your historical knowledge through two (20 + 20 credit) subject-specific modules chosen from a wide range of available from Option A in the Autumn semester and Option B in the Spring.

Final Year

English Language: You will now be able to choose from a wide range of optional modules on such topics as The Politics of English; Discourse and Society; English Language Teaching; Linguistic Theory; Narrative Analysis, Ordinary Creativity, and Words. Your degree builds to a final-year dissertation, a research project which you will carry out independently but under supervision: you will select your own topic for research, collect data, assimilate relevant literature and construct a substantial report on the project, showing judgement and persuasiveness.

History: The third year represents the culmination of undergraduate study and the final stage of your transition to an independent learner. You hone your historical skills in Advanced Option A or Advanced Option B and you also undertake an in-depth Special Subject module, which is chosen from a variety of available subjects. History/Political Science Joint Honours students only can choose to substitute the 20+20 credit Special Subject module (Pathway A) with a Joint Honours History Dissertation (20 credits) and a final year History optional module (20 credits) (Pathway B).

English Language

On this degree programme you will engage with the structure and character of the English language, including phonology, lexis, grammar, and discourse; the variation of the English language; theories and methods of linguistics; methodologies and practices of linguistic research; and the history and development of the English language.  Throughout the course you will gain a broad range of knowledge and understanding of the English language, and critical skills in the close reading and analysis of texts both literary and non-literary.  You will also have developed your skills that are valued by employers including effective oral and written communication and argument.  The course will give you a secure understanding of how different social and cultural contexts affect language norms and meaning.  You will be taught through a variety of lectures, small-group seminars, workshops, and individual supervisions.

In the first year you will be introduced to a range of topics in English Language study including the history of English Language phonology (the sound system of English), morphology (word formation), grammar, children’s language development, discourse analysis (both spoken and written) and sociological issues such as the role of language in education. You will also have the opportunity to develop your research skills by investigating a topic of your choosing, which will enable you to develop your essay writing skills in English Language. Finally you will gain in-depth knowledge of different genres, and acquire appropriate tools for genre analysis which you will then be able to employ in your own writing.

Building on your first-year work, your second-year modules will provide you with a thorough grounding in the core technical aspects of the language, concentrating on English phonology and morphology and then on English grammar/syntax. You will also be able to choose from a range of options including History of English Language, which focuses on the history and development of the English Language, Talk and Text, which provides in-depth analyses of different kinds of spoken interaction, Language Acquisition, Variation and Change, which studies how these happen and what enables them, and Introduction to Teaching English as a Foreign Language. You will also take a module in Research Skills in English Language. This module is designed to develop your group and individual research skills by guiding you in such tasks as doing fieldwork, collecting data, and handling and oral presentation of results as well as a project write-up.

In the final year, you will study Linguistic Theory which provides an overview of linguistic theory, with an emphasis on data-based analysis. The module normally includes treatment of Saussure (the ‘founder’ of modern linguistics), Halliday (whose systemic model is very influential in the Birmingham School of Linguistics) and Sinclair (the Birmingham University-based founder of corpus linguistics). You will also be able to choose from a wide array of optional modules, on such topics as The Politics of English; Discourse and Society; Talk, Text and Identity; Lexicography and Word Meaning; and Narrative Analysis.

The degree builds to a final year substantial Research Project, which you will conduct independently but under supervision, on an issue of your own choice. You will be asked to select a suitable topic for research, collect data, assimilate relevant literature and construct a 10,000-word paper, showing judgement and persuasiveness. Ideally this will be of a standard which shows your eligibility for postgraduate study, or, if that is not your goal, for immediate employment.

History

Central to Learning and Teaching in the School of History and Cultures at the University of Birmingham is critical enquiry, debate and self-motivation, summed up by the term Enquiry Based Learning.

What does this mean for you?

Enquiry-based learning describes an environment in which learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors. Depending upon the level and the discipline, it can encompass problem-based learning, evidence-based learning, small scale investigations, field work, projects and research.
Enquiry-based learning places you at the centre of your own learning process so that you learn through involvement and ownership and not simply by being a passive recipient of information thrown at you.   You will spend time developing comprehension and note-taking skills. History is a subtle and complex subject and the literature you need to master can be demanding and complex. To ‘get’ it, you need plenty of thinking time. Reading, thinking and analysing for yourself are the most important parts of your degree experience.  This approach will enable you to take control of your own learning as you progress through your degree.  Moreover, it will encourage you to acquire essential skills that are highly valued by employers: creativity, independence, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving.
The overall approach we adopt is one of more heavily weighted contact hours in Year 1, but tapering off over years 2 and 3, as you begin to acquire greater confidence in discussion and writing.  We are strongly committed to small-group seminar teaching, particularly in the final two years of your degree: you will find that most of your teaching happens not in large, anonymous lectures but in smaller groups of students where you can actively participate in discussion and have the benefit of personal contact with academic staff.  In your final year, you will also have individual tuition to help you work on your dissertation. As you progress through the syllabus, you are offered an increasingly wide range of particular subject choices.

Year 1 is highly directed –  much of it lies in helping you to acquire a general overview of the medieval, early modern and near contemporary past.  The ‘Practising History’ module introduces you to the key skills needed to study History at degree level and enables you to study select historical episodes.  All this will help you make more informed decisions about subject choices in Years 2 and 3.  These topics are increasingly specialised and enable you to get to grips with them in real depth. During your first year you will undergo a formal ?transition? review to see how you are getting on and offer you help for any particular areas where you need support.

In Year 2, in each term, you have a choice of around 15 Options to study.  You will start doing preparatory work for your final-year dissertation, selecting a topic, assessing its feasibility and engaging in preliminary discussions with potential supervisors.  The module History in Theory and Practice, provides an overview of the evolution of history writing and an introduction to key issues confronting historians to-day: you will find this helps you reflect on your own historical research.  A notable feature of Year 2 is Group Research: about a dozen specialised historical topics for you to research, not, however, as individuals, but on a collective basis.  You are divided into groups of 5-6 students, to work as a team, and to produce at the end, both individual essays and a group presentation on what you have researched.   The capacity to work as part of a team, to know what it is like to have to accommodate yourself to the way others work, is a valuable asset for future employment.

In Year 3, there are some 20 Special Subjects for you to choose from, ranging from the early medieval period almost up to the present day, and covering a wide range of British, European and non-European areas.  You approach the particular subject not only through reading but also by intensive study of original documents.  In addition, there are around a further 14 Final Year Options to choose from in each of the autumn and spring terms.  The real centre-piece of the Final Year, however, for most students is their dissertation – a piece of extended writing on a subject of your choice and which requires significant use of archival and other primary source materials.  You will have done extensive preparatory work for this in Year 2.  In Year 3, you will have a calibrated set of one-to-one consultation sessions with an academic supervisor, who will comment and advise on your drafts.  This will be real academic writing and the results are often impressive.

Support

Personal Tutor

From the outset, you will be assigned your own Personal Tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies, providing academic and welfare advice, encouraging you and offering assistance in any areas you may feel you need extra support to make the most of your potential and your time here at Birmingham. Your Personal Tutor is assigned to you at the start of your course and will usually remain with you until graduation, helping in supporting your academic progress, developing transferable skills and helping with welfare issues. All academic staff will also provide 'Office Hours' each week in term time, during which you are free to contact and discuss any issues you wish with the tutor involved.

Student Mentor and Buddy Scheme

Within the College our enthusiastic current students act as mentors to our new students. This will provide new students with a friendly face to help you settle in. 

Academic Writing Advisory Service

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) will provide you with individual support from an academic writing advisor and postgraduate subject-specialist writing tutors. You'll receive guidance on writing essays and dissertations at University-level which can be quite different from your previous experiences of writing. Support is given in a variety of ways, such as small-group workshops, online activities and feedback through email and tutorials.

Learning settings

Lectures explore a particular text, topic or context, often involving brief factual descriptions and outlining major questions and interpretations. Their main purpose is to challenge and stimulate, encouraging you to come to your own conclusions based on further reading and seminar debates.

Small-group seminars run alongside the lecture course, addressing any individual problems you may have and allowing you to consolidate lecture material. Options and special subjects in years two and three are also taught in small seminar groups. When you attend seminars we expect you to deliver short papers and presentations, and to contribute to the sessions through argument and questioning. We want you to develop the confidence to put your own point of view across in complex situations and not to be afraid of challenging the views of others. It's an essential part of History: once you stop arguing about the subject, it becomes dead.

Group research is one of the main features of your second year, with around a dozen specialised historical topics for you to research on a collective basis. Divided into groups of five to six students, you?ll work as a team to produce individual essays and a group presentation on your research findings. The capacity to work as part of a team, and to know what it is like to have to accommodate yourself to the way others work, is a valuable asset for future employment.

One-to-one tutorials become increasingly important as you progress through your course. This is particularly the case in your final year, when a major part of your programme will be a dissertation on a topic of your choice. Tutorials enable you to discuss your research with your project supervisor in depth.

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an excellent tool for supporting our academic courses, allowing you to share thoughts on assignments with other students via the discussion group facilities, and even submit your work electronically.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) means that learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors and it's central to our approach. EBL places you, the student, at the centre of your own degree: you learn through involvement and ownership, not simply by being a passive recipient of information thrown at you. It can encompass problem-based learning, evidence-based learning, small scale investigations, field work, projects and research. We believe that this is the best way of learning while you're at Birmingham as it's very effective in enabling you to acquire the key skills and attributes that are valued by employers: creative and independent thinking, self-motivation, self-organisation, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving. 

English Language

[Image above - Department of English Graduation July 2012]

Studying for an English Language BA at Birmingham is an unparalleled opportunity, not only to engage with a diverse cultural, textual and linguistic discipline, but also to develop skills in intellectual analysis, critical thinking and articulate expression – skills that last a lifetime and qualify you for many possible careers. You’ll also be encouraged to acquire practical skills that you’ll find just as useful in your future career, including oral presentation, professional documentation, group work and the uses of information technology.

50% of vacancies advertised for new and recent graduates don’t specify a degree subject, and English Language graduates enter a wide range of careers including advertising, journalism and media, government, law, publishing and teaching at every level. About 25% of English graduates pursue postgraduate study to specialise in an academic area or prepare for careers such as law and teaching.

English language graduates from the University of Birmingham have excellent prospects after graduation. 90% of our English graduates go into work or study within six months of graduation. This is above the national average and puts the University of Birmingham well into the top ten universities for graduate employability in this subject. Our graduates have started careers with employers including media companies, educational institutions, local councils, publishers, charities and a wide range of large commercial organisations, in roles such as marketing coordinator, editorial assistant, creative advertising account executive, recruitment consultant and parliamentary caseworker.

Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal. This is a unique careers guidance service tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team (in each of the five academic colleges) who can give you expert advice. This includes individual careers advice and events to give you insight into the professions and employers of interest to arts graduates. Our ‘Creative careers’ series is always popular with our students, and features events with employers and professionals from areas such as advertising, PR and communications, careers in journalism, publishing and writing, and careers in the theatre.

As a School, we also hold events covering careers in teaching, event management, marketing and working with charities; we’re developing links with local arts organisations to create some amazing opportunities for students; and you can even apply for our ‘Global Challenge’ to work overseas on an expenses paid placement during your summer vacation. We also encourage all our students to apply their skills in the workplace by undertaking internships in the summer; the work experience bursary scheme enables students to apply for funding for those career areas where placements are often unpaid.

Our English alumni profiles

History

History graduates have a range of general skills that are highly prized by graduate employers: they can research and analyse complex information, work independently and as part of a team and communicate judgments and arguments articulately. University of Birmingham history students are enquiry based learners, able to take control of their own learning as they progress, to learn through involvement and ownership and to reflect on their learning through feedback. This means that by the end of the degree, they have developed self management skills which are very attractive to employers.

History graduates often go on to pursue highly successful careers in professions such as accountancy, charity work, housing, human resources, international development, law, marketing, media, publishing, politics, retail management and teaching. Central and local government and the public services also attract history graduates, notably the civil service, NHS management, the police and armed services. About 30% of history graduates pursue postgraduate study to specialise in an area of history and cultures of interest to them, or to prepare for careers such as law and teaching.

History graduates have started careers with a wide range of employers from Government departments and local councils to charities and companies in many business sectors. Notable employers which have recruited history graduates include the BBC, the House of Commons, KPMG, Oxfam, and Nestle. They have taken up jobs including Assistant Literary Agent, Assistant Expedition Leader, Journalist, Librarian, Management Consultant, Marketing Assistant, Programmes Officer and Project Manager.

The School of History and Cultures works together with the University's Careers Network to provide a comprehensive service to our students from answering initial questions to in-depth career guidance. Last year around 200 employers visited the university, enabling students to meet them and to learn about skills through employer-led workshops. Outside the business world, our students can also hear from employers working in media, film, communications, publishing and museums and heritage. Throughout the academic year we hold a number of alumni events, careers talks and other initiatives that are designed for our students to answer their careers questions and help them forge useful contacts outside the university. You can find more about careers support at College of Arts and Law Careers.

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you will need to think about engaging in some extra-curricular activities while you're at university to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. This can include the many societies at the Guild of Students and also the many voluntary opportunities offered with local arts organisations. Our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Our College of Arts and Law undergraduate research scholarship scheme enables interested students to work on a current academic research project being run by one of the College's academic researchers. Undergraduate research scholars gain work experience over the summer after their first or second year and have the chance to develop skills in both collaborative and independent research.

Cultural Internships

Our innovative Cultural Internships offer graduates the opportunity for a six month paid internship at a leading cultural institution in the West Midlands. These internships are a unique opportunity to learn fundamental, transferable business and interpersonal skills, through experience of real work in an established cultural institution. Our current partners include Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham Royal Ballet, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust and the Library of Birmingham. We have plans to expand the scheme to include our own major cultural assets, such as Winterbourne House, the Lapworth Museum, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. This scheme will give you professional experience to set you apart in a competitive graduate market.