English Literature and Philosophy (BA)
- Subject areas: English language and literature, Philosophy
- UCAS code: VQ53
- Next intake: September 2025
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Full time
Why study this course
Follow your interests
Choose from modules across a range of areas in English literature and different philosophical topics and traditions, and engage with new areas of research.
Think for yourself
Critically and creatively engage with different types of texts, data and difficult questions.
Shape the future
Apply philosophical research to solve real-world social problems or engage with local communities about your studies.
Adventure and exploration
Opportunities to study abroad in Europe and beyond, fostering independence and resilience.
Communicate effectively
Develop employability skills and experience in presenting your ideas in speech and writing.
How can literature and art inform our understanding of the world? What are the social factors shaping who gets heard and who gets to participate in literature and social discourse? What are the challenges facing today’s society and how can literature and philosophy help address them? You will explore these kinds of questions and many more in our BA English Literature and Philosophy degree, which will equip you to understand, analyse and articulate solutions to complex problems.
English Literature at Cardiff has long enjoyed an international reputation for its teaching and research. Our dynamic, flexible degree programme allows you to study literature from different periods and cultures, and across the range of principal literary genres. You will not be restricted to studying the printed word: we are intrigued by the connections between literature and film, art, history, technology, language, and everyday life, and our teaching reflects these interests. You will learn how literature addresses social, environmental, and economic concerns with the aim of creating a better, more inclusive world and developing sustainable solutions for the future of the planet.
In Philosophy you will develop a solid grounding in philosophy of language, will also study epistemology, philosophy of mind, and moral and political philosophy, and will have the opportunity to study areas such as aesthetics, feminist philosophy, and phenomenology. In the final year of the programme, you can specialise in your preferred areas of study. You will also come to a deeper appreciation of the implications of philosophical thought, providing you with a clear link between theories and their application.
This is emphasised in the final year of the programme, where in a core Philosophy module you will take part in a project to apply philosophical research to develop policies or strategies aimed at solving a real-world ethical or social problem. In the final-year English Literature core module, meanwhile, you will undertake a detailed examination of a single text across a whole semester and to use the experience and knowledge gained as the basis of a public-facing piece of work.
You’ll graduate with a range of professional skills, including collaboration, communication and critical thinking. You will be aware of the ethical, social and linguistic challenges that face contemporary society and industry, and have the ideas and confidence required to solve them.
Subject area: English language and literature
Subject area: Philosophy
Entry requirements
We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:
A level
AAB-ABB. Must include Creative Writing, English Language and Literature, or English Literature.
Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.
Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.
- Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
- Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.
Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.
International Baccalaureate
34-32 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects. Must include grade 6 in HL English Language and Literature, English Literature, or English Literature and Performance.
Baccalaureate Wales
From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.
Other essential requirements
You must have or be working towards:
- English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.
We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects.
We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.
English language requirements
GCSE
Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.
IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.
TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.
PTE Academic
At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.
Trinity ISE II/III
II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.
Other accepted qualifications
Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications.
Criminal convictions
You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.
If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:
- access to computers or devices that can store images
- use of internet and communication tools/devices
- curfews
- freedom of movement
- contact with people related to Cardiff University.
Other qualifications from inside the UK
BTEC
DD in a BTEC Diploma in Humanities and Social Science subjects, and grade B in A-level Creative Writing, English Language and Literature, or English Literature.
T level
Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.
Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.
Tuition fees for 2025 entry
Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.
Learn how we decide your fee status
Fees for home status
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
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.
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
Fees for island status
Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Fees for overseas status
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
Additional costs
Course specific equipment
You will not need any specific equipment.
Accommodation
We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.
Living costs
We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.
Course structure
This is a 3-year full-time degree, with 120 credits of study in each year. You will study 60 credits in English literature and 60 credits in philosophy in each year of study.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2025/2026 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2025.
Year one
The modules in year 1 introduce you to the key skills and areas of knowledge that feature throughout the degree.
In English literature, you take 3 core modules that enhance your skills in critical reading and critical writing, by examining a range of literary genres and interpretative approaches. These modules lay the foundations for your academic development in literary studies in your second and final years. They also give you key writing, reading, research, and employability skills that you will use throughout your degree and beyond.
In philosophy, you’ll consider classic texts and current debates about morality, justice, knowledge and belief, and you’ll study the nature of communication and the relationships between minds and bodies in 3 core modules.
You'll be able to choose one optional module from either English literature or philosophy.
You’ll learn how to write to academic and professional standards, and practise and develop the skills that are essential to the degree.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Reading and Critical Writing | SE2146 | 20 credits |
| Mind, Thought and Reality | SE4101 | 20 credits |
| Moral and Political Philosophy | SE4103 | 20 credits |
| Critical Thinking | SE4107 | 20 credits |
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Drama: Stage and Page | SE2139 | 20 credits |
| Star-cross'd Lovers: the Politics of Desire | SE2140 | 20 credits |
| Transforming Visions: Text and Image | SE2142 | 20 credits |
| Creative Reading | SE2144 | 20 credits |
| Creative Writing | SE2145 | 20 credits |
| Transgressive Bodies in Medieval Literature | SE2147 | 20 credits |
| Ways of Reading | SE2148 | 20 credits |
Year two
There are no core modules in English literature in year 2. Instead, you have the freedom to choose your modules from two different ‘baskets’ that have been designed to give you a coherent experience across periods, genres, and thematic areas. Basket A (‘Literary Periods’) covers the range of English literature from the medieval era to the present moment. Basket B (‘Themes, Forms, and Genres’) includes modules that address literature and the environment; film and visual culture; the history and future of the book; race and colonialism; feminisms; and the gothic. You will choose 2 modules from one basket and 1 from the other, with either 20 or 40 credits per semester, depending on the fit with your other subject. These second-year English literature modules build upon work undertaken in Year 1 and continue our commitment to allowing you to study literature alongside other forms of culture (such as film).
In philosophy, you’ll take a core module (20 credits) in Philosophy of Language. If you prefer to study in the medium of Welsh, this module can be replaced by a module taught in the Welsh medium on philosophical and political ideas from key figures in Welsh history. You’ll choose one or more modules (up to 40 credits) from a basket covering topics in moral and political philosophy. This prepares you for modules in the final year that often combine different areas of philosophy. You can explore other areas of philosophy through optional modules (up to 20 credits).
You’ll also have the opportunity to further practise the key skills of communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, become more independent in your studies, and better able to reflect on your own work in order to reach your potential.
Year three
In your final year, you are challenged to think more deeply about topics across English literature and philosophy, and gain a deeper understanding of how current research can have an impact upon the world.
In English literature, you take a single 20-credit core module that will give you the opportunity to undertake a detailed examination of a single text across a whole semester and to use the experience and knowledge gained as the basis of a public-facing piece of work. Your remaining 40 credits of optional modules engage with current issues in research and scholarship in relation to literary and cultural texts, and historical topics and areas both well-known and possibly less familiar to you.
In the core 20-credit philosophy module, Philosophy in Practice, you’ll discover the valuable contribution that philosophical skills and philosophical knowledge can make in a range of professional organisations and roles. In this module you learn how to apply philosophical research currently undertaken at Cardiff University to generate workable policy recommendations in response to a contemporary concrete real-world problem.
In the remaining 40 credits of optional philosophy modules, you’ll further engage with the latest research in our areas of philosophical expertise. These modules often explore connections between different areas of philosophy and focus on problems of contemporary societal concern.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Literature for All | SE2639 | 20 credits |
| Modern Utopia/Dystopia | SE2653 | 20 credits |
| Philosophy in Practice | SE4447 | 20 credits |
The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.
Learning and assessment
Throughout the degree, our aim is to support you to become an independent thinker. You will learn through a wide range of teaching methods including interactive lectures, lively discussion-based seminars and workshops. Seminars and workshops offer a rewarding experience to engage critically with the key ideas and readings on a topic. They provide a valuable opportunity to explore ideas and work closely with your lecturers and to learn from other students. You’ll have access to course materials through our electronic learning environment.
In this supportive environment, you’ll develop your abilities to closely analyse texts and arguments, evaluate evidence, collaboratively work through problems, construct your own arguments, hone your critical skills, and present your ideas clearly to others.
How will I be supported?
Your main sources of support are your module leaders, your Personal Tutors and our in-house Writing Development Centre. Your module leaders are available during teaching weeks if you have any questions about course materials or assessments. You’ll also be allocated a personal tutor in both English Literature and Philosophy and you'll meet them regularly during the academic year. Personal Tutors can advise you on academic matters, including study skills, careers, and your academic progress, as well as on pastoral matters. You will be invited to meet your Personal Tutor regularly throughout the degree, and they are available for additional meetings as needed.
The School’s Writing Development Centre provides specialist support for academic writing across the programme. You can access online materials, workshops and one-to-one meetings about any aspect of academic writing to support you with your assessments.
Our Professional Services team provides academic and student support and is there to help you with information and guidance if you have any queries. Beyond the school, the university offers a range of support services and events to help you plan your career, manage your emotional, mental and physical health, support you with financial issues, and provide assistance for students with disabilities. These services are co-located at the university's Centre for Student Life. Libraries, study spaces and other resource centres will all be available to you.
How will I be assessed?
Your assessments are designed to cumulatively develop key skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking and reflection. These can include critical analyses of texts, essays, exams, critical reviews, presentations, group work and group discussion assessments, and reflective assessment of your own skills. In the final year, you will take part in a large collaborative philosophy project that involves writing and presenting for a professional audience, while in English literature you will collaborate with others to produce a public-facing piece of work.
Optional modules can offer a wider variety of assessments, including writing for a public audience, commenting on an artwork or a media piece, or creative assignments.
You’ll receive regular feedback on your progress as you move through the degree. Oral feedback in lectures, workshops and seminars will help you assess your understanding of the course material and your critical responses to it. You’ll receive formative comments on essay ideas and draft work, and detailed feedback on all marked coursework.
What skills will I practise and develop?
The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop. They will also help you to understand what is expected of you.
On successful completion of your Programme you will be able to:
Knowledge & Understanding:
- Systematically comprehend literature from different cultures and periods (including pre-1800) and the range of principal literary genres across prose, poetry, and drama
- Critically assess some of the central theories and arguments, and their applications, in moral, social, or political philosophy, and in epistemology, philosophy of language, or philosophy of mind.
- Critically examine theories and arguments from contemporary philosophical research, which may come from the intersection of different areas of philosophy or from interdisciplinary research.
- Apply philosophical research to draft policy or strategy documents, or action recommendations, in response to a real-world ethical or social problem of contemporary societal concern.
- Systematically comprehend the relationship between literature and other cultural forms and analyse how culture, language, technology and economics affect the production and reception of texts.
Intellectual Skills:
- Examine different kinds of literary and cultural materials closely and critically.
- Develop standard techniques of philosophical analysis to critically evaluate philosophical claims and arguments.
- Develop independent and innovative responses to literary, critical, cultural, and creative material, in writing and in speech, and for different audiences.
- Develop independent and innovative responses to complex and specialised philosophical claims and arguments, in writing and in speech, and for different audiences.
- Construct and organise arguments that respond creatively to literary and critical sources or support claims in response to philosophical questions.
Professional Practical Skills:
- Compile and systematically evaluate complex information and diverse evidence with accuracy.
- Communicate complex information and arguments in different formats appropriate to different purposes.
- Develop group discussions and team projects in a collaborative manner.
- Articulate and assess your own academic and professional skills.
Transferable/Key Skills:
- Assess and solve problems independently, taking the views of others into account in a systematic and evaluative way.
- Apply advanced knowledge and skills to unfamiliar or wider world challenges or contexts.
- Develop initiative by taking responsibility for structuring and time-managing a research task, working in teams when appropriate.
- Develop positive and effective working relations with others in teams, especially through constructive and collaborative dialogue and feedback.
- Develop resilience, adaptability and creativity, actively reflecting on your own studies and achievements.
Careers and placements
Career prospects
Our graduates are versatile, collaborative, and critically independent individuals who are able to communicate complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences. They demonstrate personal and professional integrity, reliability, and competence, and they have the ability to motivate themselves and others in meeting agreed responsibilities.
Our graduates have the ability to independently analyse complex problems and identify workable and innovative solutions, to work effectively with others on large projects, to communicate effectively to different audiences, and to use reflection and feedback to further develop your skills. You’ll also acquire a broad knowledge base enabling you to understand and respond to a range of contemporary ethical or social problems. During your degree, you will gain experience of professional research, policy, and strategy roles by working on a large collaborative policy project. This project showcases to employers how not only your skills but also your knowledge can be of huge value in the workplace.
University services and schemes are also available to you, providing additional ways to increase your professional skills and confidence. The Cardiff Award provides a framework through which to develop your employability further, and Student Futures is on hand to provide career advice and support in gaining placements specific to your degree. You can also take advantage of programmes like Languages for All to improve your foreign language skills, while support from the Enterprise and Start Up team to bring your ideas to life.
Due to the depth and breadth of their skills and knowledge, our graduates can be found in a variety of sectors, including the civil service, local government, charitable organisations, small businesses, consultancy firms, and schools and colleges. They work in journalism, law, teaching, finance, marketing, human resources, public relations, and many other professions.
Placements
We encourage you to undertake placements off-campus through Student Futures in order to enhance further your employability.
Studying in Welsh
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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.
