BA English Language and History

Start date
September
Duration
3 Years
UCAS code
QV31
Course Type
Undergraduate, Joint Honours combined
Fees

Annual tuition fees for 2024/25:
£9,250 (UK)
£22,860 (International)
More detail.

Our BA English Language and History programme offers the chance to explore two diverse subjects, which inform each other in surprising and fascinating ways. With this course, you’ll dive deep into culture and society from both linguistic and historical perspectives.

In your History modules, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the medieval, early modern and near contemporary past, before specialising in the area of your choice. Whatever your interests, whether cultural, economic, military, political, religious or social history, there is someone in the department teaching your kind of history.

By studying History as a Joint Honours degree with English Language, you will gain a thorough appreciation of the technical aspects of the English language and its social and political context. Finding out how a language works and how societies communicate, combines a unique intellectual challenge with significant practical potential.

At the University of Birmingham, you will benefit from internationally renowned research and teaching, as well as unparalleled resources including cutting-edge technology for real language analysis and the University Special Collections - home to over 60,000 rare and early printed books and upwards of 2 million manuscript and archive items. 

International undergraduate scholarships available in the College of Arts and Law

We are proud to offer 10 scholarships to international students in the form of £3,000 tuition fee awards for year one entry only.

Learn more about our scholarships and apply

I love studying English at Birmingham. You are taught new fields of study and apply them to texts to see them in a new light. My favourite is postcolonial criticism as you see how racial identities are portrayed across time and how they have changed.

David

Why study this course?

BA English Language and History is for you if you want to:

  • Explore a broad range of specialisms - Birmingham is internationally famous for its work in corpus linguistics, stylistics, the language of social media, figurative language and language learning and teaching. You can focus on traditional aspects of the subject such as grammar, pragmatics or historical linguistics, but you can also explore newer areas such as English used worldwide or English used in internet communication. 
  • Study a degree with present day application - We believe in history as a practical and engaged endeavour that speaks to questions of social inequality, community belonging and even climate change. As a Birmingham student you have opportunities to learn about the uses of history such as through a placement in the heritage sector on our Professional Skills module.
  • Develop your academic interests - Alongside lectures and class time, you’ll have opportunities such as working alongside members of staff on their research projects on our Undergraduate Research Scholarships. You’ll also be invited to regular guest lectures and readings from visiting writers and historians. 
  • Get a head-start in the graduate market – Kickstart your career with our employability modules, including options that provide a minimum of 70 hours' work experience within a sector you're interested in, assist organisations with developing, planning and pitching their business proposals and get involved with public engagement projects.
  • Enjoy excellent extra-curricular activities – choose to join BEDSoc (Birmingham English Department Society), the English Language Society or the History Society and get involved with a packed calendar of social events with course mates, from sports to summer balls.

Open day talks

Modules

Please note: You will take 120 credits of modules in each year of study. The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2024. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

 First year 

Compulsory English Language modules

  • Fundamentals of Language: Grammar and Discourse (20 credits)
  • Fundamentals of Language: Sounds and Words (20 credits)
  • Investigating Language A (10 credits)
  • Investigating Language B (10 credits)

Detailed descriptions of compulsory first year English modules 

Compulsory History modules 

  • Practising History: Skills in History A (10 credits)
  • Practising History: Skills in History B (10 credits)

Optional History modules 

  • 40 credits of optional History modules 

Detailed descriptions of all first year History modules

Second year 

Compulsory Modules

  • Structure of English (20 credits) 

Structure of English extends the study of two core areas of linguistics: Grammar and Phonetics and Phonology. Students will study both disciplines in detail, building on the foundational work from year one. Students will develop in-depth knowledge of how to analyse language according to its grammatical properties, and develop an understanding of how we can classify and study the sounds of a language. These skills will then be applied in many of the optional modules taken elsewhere on the programme.

Optional English Language modules

  • 80; 60 or 40 credits of optional English Language modules

List of optional second year English modules

Optional History modules

  • 80; 60 or 40 credits of optional History modules. 

As a Joint Honours student you have the flexibility to tailor your degree in terms of weightings across your two subjects as well as choosing between a wide range of optional courses. There is just one core module that all students take, ‘Topics in History’ - which includes a range of particular topics you can choose from. All students must also choose one of the optional modules within the Department of History in the Autumn term.

  • Students taking 80 credits in History will choose: an autumn option and Topics in History, plus 40 further credits of optional modules chosen from 'History in Theory and Practice', a 'Sources in History' module, or a spring option. You can also choose, if you wish, a Future or Professional Skills module which is taken in the Autumn term.
  • Students taking 60 credits in History will choose: an autumn option and Topics in History, plus 20 further credits of optional modules chosen from 'History in Theory and Practice', a 'Sources in History' module, or a spring option. You can also choose, if you wish, a Future or Professional Skills module which is taken in the Autumn term.
  • Students taking 40 credits in History will choose: an autumn option and Topics in History.

List of optional second year History modules

Year Abroad

You can apply to study abroad for a year in an approved university around the world. If you achieve a grade of 2.1 or above in your first year, you will be eligible to apply for a Year Abroad in your second year. If your application is successful, you will go abroad in your third year and return to us for your final year.

More about a Year Abroad

You can also apply to study Computer Science for a year during your third year, before returning to us for your final year.

Final year

Compulsory module

  • Dissertation or Language Dissertation

The Dissertation is an extensive (10,000 word) research project where students will investigate a topic of their choice, in either English Language or History. They will work with a supervisor in the relevant department to design and carry out their project, demonstrating all of the skills in research and analysis that they have developed throughout the programme.

Optional English Language modules

  • 80; 60 or 40 credits of optional English Language modules

List of optional final year English modules 

Optional History modules

  • 80; 60 or 40 credits of optional History modules

List of optional final year History modules

 

Joint Honours flexibility

Every degree programme at the University is divided into 120 credits of study for each year of the programme. In the first year of a Joint Honours programme, you will study 60 credits in each subject as you learn the core elements of the disciplines. We recognise that students on Joint Honours programmes might come to favour one subject slightly more than another. To account for this, we have added more flexibility into the second and final years of our programmes. In the second year, you can stick with the 60-60 split between the two subjects or shift to a 80-40 credit weighting, effectively a major/ minor combination. You can either go back to 60-60 in the final year, maintain the same 80-40 split or reverse the major and the minor and go to a 40-80 weighting.

Fees

For UK students beginning their studies in September 2024, the University of Birmingham will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. The fees for your first year of study will therefore be £9,250. Visit our tuition fees page for more information.

Fees for 2024/25 are as follows:

  • UK: £9,250
  • International: £22,860

Eligibility for fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students.

For further information on tuition fees, living costs and available financial support, please see our pages on undergraduate fees and funding.

Tuition fees when studying abroad

For those spending a whole academic year abroad (where available):

  • Students who are classed as UK for fees purposes are required to pay 15% of their normal annual tuition fee
  • Students who are classed as International for fee purposes are required to pay 50% of their normal annual tuition fee

For those studying abroad for just one semester (where available), normal annual tuition fees apply.

Note - Study abroad opportunities vary between courses; please see the course description for details of study abroad options offered.

How To Apply

 

Standard offer

International Requirements



Number of A levels required:
3
Typical offer:
AAB

A Level History, Medieval History or Ancient History is preferred but we welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate an interest in and an aptitude for the study of history and english language. Acceptable subjects include: Ancient History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Business Studies, Classical Civilisation, Drama and Theatre Studies, Economics, English Language, English Language and Literature, English Literature, Environmental Studies, Geography, Government and Politics, History, History of Art, Law, Medieval History, Modern or Classical Languages, Music, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Sociology. If you are not studying one or more of the above then please contact us to discuss your application.

If you are not taking A level History then we will require GCSE History grade 7 and at least one humanities subject at A level or equivalent.

An A level in English Language, English Literature, English Language and Literature or a Modern Foreign Language is preferred. We also welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate an interest in and an aptitude for the study of language, so other combinations of complementary Humanities and Social Science subjects will be considered. Please contact us to discuss. 

IB Diploma:
6,6,5 in Higher level subjects, plus 32 points overall, including:

Higher level in English Language / English Literature & Language / English Literature / Modern Foreign Language  + 2 Higher level subjects from Psychology / Sociology / History / Geography / Philosophy / Law / Maths 

BTEC qualifications:

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

Other qualifications are considered - learn more about entry requirements.

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

We welcome applications from international students and invite you to join our vibrant community of over 4500 international students who represent 150 different countries. We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

Woolf is fascinating as a pioneer of feminist literary criticism in the 20th century. She was hugely preoccupied throughout her writing with the relationship of women and fiction and the role of women in history and the history of literature.

Dr Deborah Longworth

Support

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to higher education when you start at Birmingham. 

Personal tutors – You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.

Wellbeing Officers –You will also have access to dedicated wellbeing officers who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or to talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond if you need it.

Our Academic Skills Centre helps you to become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) provides guidance on writing essays and dissertations if you need it. You can receive individual support from an academic writing advisor and meet with postgraduate tutors who specialise in particular subjects too.

Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They offer research opportunities, study skills support, and help you prepare for your post-university career. They also organise social events, including trips.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

learning-teaching-english

 

Contact Hours

All Birmingham degrees are set within a credit framework designed to measure your academic achievements. We expect all students to accumulate 120 credits in each full year of study which is equivalent to 40 hours of learning a week. Learning is considered to include contact learning (lectures and seminars), private study, revision and assessment.

For this programme, those 40 hours are estimated to be broken down and split into lectures, seminars and other guided teaching opportunities and then independent study. This is a general rule across the entire academic year and may change week by week.

  • Year 1: 20% Lectures, seminars or similar and 80% Independent study
  • Year 2: 15% Lectures, seminars or similar and 85% Independent study
  • Year 3: 10% Lectures, seminars or similar and 90% Independent study

Assessment Methods

Assessments - you will be assessed in a variety of ways to help you transition to a new style of learning. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. Assessments methods will vary with each module and could include:

  • coursework, such as essays
  • group and individual presentations
  • and exams

Feedback - you will receive feedback on each assessment within three weeks, so you can learn from each assignment. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take. If you should fail an exam, we will ensure that particularly detailed feedback is provided to help you prepare for future exams.

The principal means of assessment for English are coursework essays and written exams.

English Language and History graduates have a range of skills that are highly-valued by graduate employers.

These include:

  • Strong communication skills (both in writing and orally)
  • Understanding and appreciation of the past
  • Critical thinking skills
  • The ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information
  • Leadership and teamwork
  • Forming concise and articulate arguments
  • Time management
  • Workload prioritisation.

Some of the companies our graduates have gone on to work for include:

  • Capita
  • Deloitte
  • Birmingham Children’s Hospital
  • Explore Learning
  • JP Morgan
  • Ministry of Justice
  • National Trust
  • Teach First
  • Thames Water
  • Birmingham Repertory Theatre
  • Brooklyn Museum
  • Hodder & Stoughton Publishers
  • ITV
  • Macmillan Cancer Support
  • National Citizens Service

Roles include:

  • Charity Engagement Assistant
  • Communications Assistant
  • English Teacher
  • Human Resources Business Partner
  • Major Gifts Officer
  • Management trainee
  • PR and Media Relations Intern
  • Researcher
  • Strategy Analyst
  • Social Media & Website Officer
  • Cultural Intern
  • PR Client Executive
  • Research Assistant
  • International Sales & Digital Executive
  • Schools Co-ordinator
  • Editorial Quality Executive

Examples of further study include:

  • NCTJ in Multimedia Journalism
  • MA Magazine Journalism
  • MA Medieval Studies
  • MRes Modern History
  • PGCE (various)
  • PgDipEd Early Years
  • MA Antiquity
  • TESOL Certificate in English Language Teaching
  • MA Medieval & Renaissance Literary Studies
  • MA Writing for Performance and Publication
  • MA Creative Writing
  • Graduate Diploma in Law

You will benefit from organised events in both departments whereby our graduates return to campus to talk to current students about their careers, how to find opportunities and the variety of roles available. Recent speakers include authors, writers and graduates that hold positions at companies such as the Guardian, Network Rail, Capital One and the National Trust.

Developing your career

The University of Birmingham is the 3rd most targeted university by the country’s top graduate employers according to The Graduate Market 2023 report [PDF - 1.4MB]. Our Careers Network are here to offer you tailored, expert advice on your career plans and support you with finding and applying for jobs, internships and further study. There are hundreds of events to help you meet potential employers and learn more about the breadth of opportunities and career sectors available to you.

Support will be offered to you covering the whole job application process, including CVs, LinkedIn, application forms, interviews and assessment centres.  You can also email our experienced Careers Advisors and College Teams to review your applications or answer any careers related question, alongside our on campus and online 1:1 appointments.

We have a number of exclusive Internship Programmes such as our Cultural Internships, which will give you paid, professional experience to set you apart in the graduate market. We also offer work experience bursaries, which allow you to apply for funding to support you during any unpaid internships. 

First years can take part in The Birmingham Project, with themes including celebrating arts and culture and shaping a global society. There’s also a successful Mentoring Programme, where you can gain access to experienced Mentors who can empower, inspire and inform you about their experiences.  As a University of Birmingham student you will also be given access to LinkedIn Learning giving free access to real world training courses to kick-start your careers.

If you want to earn money WorkLink advertises convenient part-time job opportunities on campus to fit round your studies.  

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you may want to engage in extra-curricular activities to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. Our employer-endorsed, award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme.

There are more than 500 student groups and volunteering opportunities offered by the Guild of Students (our Students’ Union) so you’re bound to find activities that you want to be involved in whilst meeting friends who share your interests.