English Literature and Ancient History (BA)
The Joint Honours degree in English Literature and Ancient History provides you with the opportunity of specialising in two university honours subjects.
The BA in English Literature and Ancient History enables you to combine a study of the past and English literature. Many students find joint honours both stimulating and rewarding as they observe both similarities and differences between the two subjects.
This course aims to develop your knowledge and critical understanding of the political, social, economic, and cultural structures of past societies and to cultivate intellectual skills such as the ability to assess evidence critically, to evaluate different interpretations of the evidence, to construct arguments on the basis of evidence, and to express opinions cogently in speech and in writing.
English Literature at Cardiff offers access to the whole span of English literature, from the Anglo-Saxon period to the 21st century. Nor is the curriculum restricted to the printed word – we are intrigued by the connections between literature and film, art, music, history, language, and popular culture, and our teaching reflects these interests.
Ancient History covers the period from the Aegean Bronze Age to the fall of the Roman Empire in the west and its survival in the east as the Byzantine Empire. There is a balance between modules covering specific historical periods and thematic modules that examine broad social and cultural topics, such as warfare, gender, religion, art, medicine and science.
The degree provides the training necessary for students who wish to either discipline at postgraduate level, and a valuable range of intellectual and transferable skills for students who enter a range of professions.
Distinctive features
The distinctive features of the course include:
- teaching across the whole chronological and geographical span of English literature, from the Anglo-Saxon period to the 21st century
- a reputation for theoretically informed reading, bringing texts from all periods into dialogue with contemporary concerns about gender, identity, sexuality, nationality, race, the body, the environment, and digital technology
- a strong tradition in creative writing, taught by writers making their mark on today’s culture
- close links with local historical sites, giving you the chance to link your academic studies to active research in the field
- an opportunity to study Latin and Greek.
Key facts
| UCAS Code | QV31 |
|---|---|
| Next intake | September 2018 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Mode | Full time |
| Typical places available | The School of History, Archaeology and Religion typically has 320 places available. The School of English, Communication and Philosophy typically has 350 places available. |
| Typical applications received | The School of History, Archaeology and Religion typically receives 1800 applications. The School of English, Communication and Philosophy typically receives 1450 applications. |
| Contact |
Entry requirements
| Typical A level offer | ABB including English Literature, English Literature and Language or Creative Writing. Please note, General Studies and Critical Thinking will not be accepted. |
|---|---|
| Typical Welsh Baccalaureate offer | The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects. |
| Typical International Baccalaureate offer | Award of the IB Diploma with 665 in 3 HL subjects including 6 at HL in English Literature. |
| Alternative qualifications | Alternative qualifications may be accepted. For further information on entry requirements, see the School of English, Communication & Philosophy and School of History, Archaeology & Religion admissions criteria pages. |
| English Language requirements | If you are an overseas applicant and your first language is not English, please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our accepted qualifications. |
| Other requirements | You will require GCSE English or Welsh Language at grade C or grade 4. Alternatively, IGCSE English First Language or English Second Language will be considered at grade C. |
This full-time course lasts for three years with two semesters per year, split between the two subjects. There are 120 credits a year. Most modules are worth 20 credits.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2018/19 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2018. You are advised to check the final module descriptions when they are available to ensure that the programme meets your needs.
Year one
Year one is a foundation year to give you the skills for advanced study and an overview of the two subjects to inform your later choices.
You will take 60 credits in English Literature and 60 credits in Ancient History from a range of core and optional modules.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Investigating the Ancient World: Skills and Evidence | HS3103 | 20 credits |
| Critical Reading and Critical Writing | SE2146 | 20 credits |
Year two
You will again take 60 credits in English Literature and 60 credits in Ancient History, choosing from a large range of genre, period and regional modules.
Year three
You will take 60 credits in English literature and 60 credits in Ancient History.
If you wish, you can write a dissertation on a topic of your choice in either discipline. This provides a chance for you to focus your interests on a particular area or period.
How will I be taught?
We offer a supportive learning environment, where you are enabled to acquire a range of skills and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Our courses foster intellectual skills, such as critical thinking, close analysis, evaluating evidence, constructing arguments, using theory and the effective deployment of language in writing and in debate. We also help you gain experience in team working, independent research and time management.
You will be taught both by lecture and seminar. Lectures provide an overview of the key concepts and frameworks for a topic, equipping you to carry out independent research for the seminars and to develop your own ideas.
Seminars provide an opportunity for you to explore the ideas outlined in the lectures. Seminars usually consist of about 15 students and the seminar leader (a member of the teaching team). Seminars may take various formats, including plenary group discussion, small-group work and student-led presentations.
You will also learn through practicals and field trips, and take part in one-to-one tutorials.
How will I spend my time? (2017/18 data)
Year 1
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
19%
Guided independent study
81%
Placements
0%
Year 2
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
20%
Guided independent study
80%
Placements
0%
Year 3
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
20%
Guided independent study
80%
Placements
0%
How will I be supported?
Your scheduled contact hours will be supplemented by the opportunity for individual meetings with academic staff, by supportive academic progress meetings with your personal tutor and by the opportunity to attend research seminars and careers activities.
You will have access through the Learning Central website to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.
The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.
Feedback
We’ll provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including oral feedback during tutorials, personalised feedback on written work, feedback lectures, generic written feedback and feedback on tutorial performance.
Coursework will be marked by your module tutor and your tutor will give you written feedback on your work. You will also have a feedback class after each assessment. Students will be given general feedback in relation to examinations following the May/June examination period and you will be able to discuss your overall performance with your personal tutor as part of the monitored student self-assessment scheme.
How will I be assessed?
A range of assessment methods are used, including essays, examinations, presentations, portfolios and creative assignments.
Essays and examinations are used not only for assessment purposes but also as a means of developing your capacities to gather, organise, evaluate and deploy relevant information and ideas from a variety of sources in reasoned arguments. Dedicated essay workshops and individual advice enable you to produce your best work, and written feedback on essays feeds forward into future work, enabling you to develop your strengths and address any weaker areas.
The optional final-year dissertation provides you with the opportunity to investigate a specific topic of interest to you in depth and to acquire detailed knowledge about a particular field of study, to use your initiative in the collection and presentation of material and present a clear, cogent argument and draw appropriate conclusions.
Assessment methods (2017/18 data)
Year 1
Written exams
23%
Practical exams
0%
Coursework
77%
Year 2
Written exams
35%
Practical exams
0%
Coursework
65%
Year 3
Written exams
8%
Practical exams
7%
Coursework
85%
What skills will I practise and develop?
As a result of engaging fully with this course, you will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’, which will allow you to:
- grasp complex issues with confidence
- ask the right questions of complex texts
- have an imaginative appreciation of different views and options and analyse these critically
- identify and apply relevant data
- propose imaginative solutions of your own that are rooted in evidence
- communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech
- work to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time
- learn from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights
- work as part of a team, developing a collaborative approach to problem-solving
- use IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate
- take responsibility for your own learning programme and professional development.
SCHOOL OF ENGLISH, COMMUNICATION AND PHILOSOPHY
In 2015/16, 95% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating.
English literature graduates have excellent analytic and communication skills that fit them for a full range of professions and further training. Their cultural expertise and intellectual abilities are valued in the public and private sector, and in contexts as varied as the classroom, the law courts or the media.
SCHOOL OF HISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY AND RELIGION
In 2015/16, 94% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating.
We believe in giving its graduates the best opportunities to find employment. We organise interactive workshops with the Careers Service to help students identify their skills and attributes and have our own, in-School Workplace Placements and employability officer. Some of our graduates enter professions which make direct use of their academic expertise. The majority however compete very successfully in a wide range of other fields.
Tuition fees
UK and EU students (2018/19)
| Tuition fee | Deposit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| £9,000 | None |
The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.
Visit our tuition fee pages for the latest information.
Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.
Students from outside the EU (2018/19)
| Tuition fee | Deposit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| £15,950 | None |
Tuition fees for international students are fixed for the majority of three year undergraduate courses. This means the price you pay in year one will be the same in years two and three. Some courses are exempt, including four and five year programmes and Medical and Dental courses. Visit our tuition fee pages for the latest information.
Will I need any specific equipment to study this course/programme?
You will not need any specific equipment.
Accomodation
We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.
Ancient history may include some fieldwork.
Applying for 2018 or 2019
Get information and advice about making an application and learn more about our admissions criteria.
How to apply
Related courses
Related links
Key Information Sets (KIS) make it easy for prospective students to compare information about full or part time undergraduate courses, and are available on the Unistats website.