English Language and Literature (BA)
- Subject area: English language and literature
- UCAS code: Q300
- Next intake: September 2025
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Full time
Why study this course
Follow your interests
A wide variety of modules from both English language and literature allow you to explore your interests and discover new ones.
Develop research skills
Analyse data and communicate findings to a range of audiences.
Future-focused
Develop in-demand employability skills, enhancing your career prospects in a wide range of fields.
Adventure and exploration
Opportunities to study abroad in Europe and beyond, fostering independence and resilience.
In combining studies in English Language and Literature, you will pursue a Joint Honours programme that will equip you with the skills and knowledge to understand, analyse and articulate solutions for the complex problems facing society today.
In English Language we’ll look at how language is structured and used in the social world. There are two key aspects to doing this: First, knowledge of the relationships between linguistic structures, individual identity, and social organisation. Second, the acquisition of skills for analysing language, not just as it can be used but as it is used in context. In Literature, you will 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.
Acquiring career-enhancing skills, you’ll have the opportunity to analyse and produce different types of texts and work with specialised software. You’ll gain skills from analysing real-world examples of language and learn how to construct arguments and communicate ideas to different audiences.
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.
Our community is welcoming, supportive, and student-centred. We’re diverse in outlook and home to the globally respected Centre for Language and Communication Research.
Subject area: English language and literature
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.
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
In year 1, you’ll take 100 credits of core modules which introduce you to the key skills and areas of knowledge that feature throughout the degree.
In English language, you take 2 core modules which cover all the essential tools of linguistic analysis, introduce you to the key skills needed for your studies.
In English literature, you take 2 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 addition to these core modules, you'll also take the ‘Writing at University’ core module, which will equip you with the necessary academic writing skills you’ll use throughout your degree and beyond.
Alongside these core modules in both disciplines, your remaining 20 credits will be chosen from options available in English language and English literature.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| How Language Works 1 | SE1113 | 20 credits |
| How Language Works 2 | SE1114 | 20 credits |
| Critical Reading and Critical Writing | SE2146 | 20 credits |
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language and the Mind | SE1111 | 20 credits |
| Reading and Writing in the Digital Age | SE1112 | 20 credits |
| Developing English: History and Society | SE1115 | 20 credits |
| Understanding Communication | SE1116 | 20 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
In year 2, you choose 2 modules from a choice of 3 in English language, which build on topics already introduced during the first year and further develop the skills you’ll need as you refine your specific research interests. You’ll then choose another module from a selection covering a variety of topics, enabling you to explore your particular interests.
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'll 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).
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Sound, Structure and Meaning | SE1411 | 20 credits |
| Style and Genre | SE1416 | 20 credits |
Year three
In your final year, you are challenged to think more deeply about topics across English language and literature, and gain a deeper understanding of how current research can have an impact upon the world.
You’ll take one core module in English language, and one core module in English literature. In English language your core module equips you with relevant employability skills and the opportunity to analyse data in a real-world context, presenting your findings for different audiences. In English literature, the core module 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.
You’ll choose from a wide variety of optional modules to cover the remaining credits. This includes the opportunity to undertake a dissertation in either English language or English literature.
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, creative and critical thinker.
First year teaching provides carefully structured support through lectures and seminar discussions to help you develop key skills and gain confidence. Teaching in Years 2 and 3 is lecture- and seminar-based and moves gradually in the direction of specialisation and independent research. By the final year you’ll learn through guided independent reading and smaller interactive workshops and seminars, discussing new research with internationally recognised academics who are currently working in that area. You’ll have access to all course materials through our electronic learning environment.
In this supportive environment you’ll develop your abilities to closely analyse texts and arguments, collaboratively work through problems, construct your own arguments, and present your ideas clearly to others. You will also develop skills in communication and collaboration that you can transfer to the world of employment.
How will I be supported?
Your main sources of support are your module leaders, your Personal Tutors and the School Writing Development Centre. You’ll have one Personal Tutor in English Language and one in Literature. Your module leaders have drop-in sessions during teaching weeks that you can attend if you have any questions about course materials or assessments. Personal Tutors can advise you on academic matters, including study skills, careers, and your academic progress, as well as on pastoral matters. You’ll be invited to meet with your Personal Tutors regularly throughout your degree, and they are available for extra meetings as needed. Welsh-speaking students will be offered a Welsh-speaking personal tutor.
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 is 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, analytical tasks, weekly tasks, and reflective assessment of your own skills. In the final year, in English Language, you will work on analysing data and presenting your findings for diverse audiences, while in English literature you will collaborate with others to produce a public-facing piece of work.
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:
- Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of core areas of English language and linguistics, including phonetics, grammar, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse.
- Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of how language works in the social world.
- Systematically comprehend literature from different cultures and periods (including pre-1800) and the range of principal literary genres across prose, poetry, and drama.
- Systematically comprehend the relationships between literature and other cultural forms, such as film, art, music, and material/digital cultures.
- Systematically comprehend how culture, language, technology, and economics affect how, where, and by whom texts are produced and received.
Intellectual Skills:
- Apply descriptive terminology relevant to English language and linguistic phenomena.
- Analyse various types of linguistic data.
- Develop and explain complex and specialised arguments that support claims in response to the conventions of the genre.
- Evaluate the impact of language use in a range of contexts.
- Examine different kinds of literary and cultural materials closely and critically.
Professional Practical Skills:
- Systematically comprehend and explain ideas, arguments and empirical research with accuracy.
- Show critical awareness of different writing conventions and writing tools, and have the ability to use and adapt them successfully.
- Assess and solve problems independently, taking the views of others into account in a systematic and evaluative way.
Transferable/Key Skills:
- Organise and communicate complex ideas and arguments in different formats suitable to different audiences, using appropriate referencing conventions.
- Develop initiative by taking responsibility for structuring and time-managing a research task, working in teams when appropriate.
- Reflect on and respond to constructive feedback.
Careers
Career prospects
We’re committed to helping you achieve your professional ambitions and will encourage you, and work with you, to consider and explore your career or other post-graduation options early.
Degrees in English language and literature combine the best of humanities skills (flexibility, communication, critique) and social science skills (technical analysis and systematic method). This combination of specialist and transferable skills, alongside your powers of expression and critical thinking, will be valued by employers.
During your degree, you’ll benefit from the university’s range of careers support. The Cardiff Award provides a framework through which to develop your employability while our Students Futures service can provide opportunities to develop or increase your professional experience through placements or internships and maximise your skills and preparation with careers workshops and one-on-one advice sessions. Equally, you could work with the Enterprise and Start Up team to bring your ideas to life, grounding you with the know-how to succeed. Alternatively, you can take advantage of initiatives like Languages for All and Welsh for All to gain new (or improve existing) language skills, enhancing both your CV and your personal experiences.
With the breadth of academic and professional skills, as well as personal development opportunities, open to them in Cardiff, our graduates can be found in a variety of roles and sectors. These include marketing and PR, sakes and advertising, media and broadcasting, education and teaching, speech and language therapy, the civil service and public administration, among many more.
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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.
