BA (Hons) English and American Literature
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- TQ7B
- Entry Requirements
- AAB
- Course Length
- 4 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2023
Course Overview
The Atlantic Ocean does not mark a barrier when it comes to literary traffic. In fact, it is impossible to understand British Literature in the modern period, or American Literature in any period, without knowing something of the other nation’s culture.
At UEA, you’ll be able to focus on Anglo-American interchanges. You’ll also explore the many aspects of English and American literature which lie beyond that interchange, such as English Literature prior to the 19th century, and Native American and multi-ethnic writing.
Under the tuition of our world-leading scholars of English and American literature, culture and history, you will study the wealth of both countries’ literatures. Your studies will reach back to Chaucer, Julian of Norwich and beyond, and forwards to the likes of Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan and Ali Smith. You’ll study writers as different from one another as Walt Whitman and Sylvia Plath, Brett Easton Ellis and Edith Wharton. After a firm grounding in your first year, you’ll launch yourself into more specialist areas of study, like contemporary fiction, journalism or comics.
You’ll even have a chance to cross the Atlantic yourself and study abroad in North America. All those experiences will enrich your final year, during which you will take a series of advanced classes and write a dissertation on a topic of your choice.
The writers of Britain and America are deeply connected. Often, they employ the same language, address the same readers, and share the same cultural reference points. But at the same time, the two traditions differ sharply in their typical values and tones of voice. This programme allows you to experience these continuities and distinctions.
In your study of English literature, you’ll have the chance to discover a wealth of writers from Chaucer to the present day – from medieval romance via Shakespeare, Milton, Austen, the Brontës, and James Joyce, to novelists and poets who are still writing now. You’ll explore diverse traditions from across the globe and tackle a heady mix of genres, which currently range from epic to children’s literature, crime writing to lyric poetry, tragedy to biography. You might find yourself honing the perfect essay, experimenting with new forms of critical writing in one of our creative-critical modules, or gaining experience of careers like journalism or publishing which draw on your literary training.
You’ll also be studying the landmarks of American literature, exploring how Americans formed their sense of identity through their literary traditions from the 19th century to the present. Alongside writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville and Emily Dickinson you'll read abolitionist works by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass. Towards the end of the century, you'll discover contemporaries of Mark Twain, Henry James and Edith Wharton such as Charles Chesnutt and Pauline Hopkins. You'll explore the vibrancy of American modernism – from Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald to the Harlem Renaissance. If you choose to explore further in the twentieth century, you'll reach the dizzy heights of postmodernism all the while keeping up with the radical decolonising work of writers like Leslie Marmon Silko and Nobel-prize winner Toni Morrison. You’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in both the big canonical American classics and in areas that are unique, contemporary, interdisciplinary, or cutting-edge.
You’ll be studying in a UNESCO City of Literature with a vibrant contemporary writing scene. You will also have the opportunity to spend your third year studying in America or Canada with an option to spend a semester in Australia, New Zealand, or Hong Kong.
Entry Requirements
- A Levels
- AAB including English Literature
- T Levels
- Not accepted
- BTEC
- DDD excluding BTEC Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration. A-level grade B also required in English Literature, or one of the subjects listed below: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law
- Scottish Highers
- AAAAA alongside Advanced Higher grade C in English Literature, or one of the subjects listed below: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law
- Scottish Advanced Highers
- BBC including English Literature, or one of the subjects listed below: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law
- Irish Leaving Certificate
- 4 subjects at H2, 2 subjects at H3, including English Literature, or one of the subjects listed below: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law
- Access to HE Diploma
- Access to Humanities and Social Sciences pathway accepted. Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 36 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 9 credits at Level 3
- International Baccalaureate
- 33 points including HL5 in English Literature, or one of the subjects listed below: English Language and Literature, English Language, History, Ancient History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilisation, Classical Studies, Politics, Government and Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Drama, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Psychology or Law
- GCSE
- You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
-
IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) for year 1 entry
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
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- Interviews
- Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time.
- Deferred Entry
- We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Intakes
- This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake is in September each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
If you do not have an A-Level or equivalent qualification in one of the subjects listed above, once you have submitted your UCAS form we may then contact you to ask you to submit a short analysis of a passage of a literary text in support of your application.
If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes
Important note
Once enrolled onto your course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include your eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
You are eligible for reduced fees during the year abroad. Further details are available on our Tuition Fee website.
There will be extra costs related to items such as your travel and accommodation during your year abroad, which will vary depending on location.
View our information about Additional Course Fees.
How to Apply
Apply for this course through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), using UCAS Hub.
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information:
Employability
After the Course
On graduation you could go on to work in the arts, media, publishing, politics, charities and NGOs, teaching and the commercial sector. You’ll be equipped with sought-after skills of critical reading, independence, time management, teamwork, and many more. You’ll also be well placed to study for a postgraduate degree.
Our Careers Service is here to support you in launching your career by advising about CV writing, internships, and much more. Every year we run an event, Working with Words, which gives current students the chance to meet and hear from successful UEA alumni from across the creative industries.
UEA also has its own in-house student publishing project, Egg Box, along with many other exciting initiatives that give you opportunities to turn your love of literature into a foundation for your future career.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Examples of careers you could enter include:
- Media
- Marketing
- Finance
- Publishing
- Events management
- Journalism