(BA) Bachelor of Arts
English and Comparative Literature (Including Foundation Year)
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
English
BA Q218
10/05/2023
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
UK and EU applicants:
All applications for degree courses with a foundation year (Year Zero) will be considered individually, whether you
- think you might not have the grades to enter the first year of a degree course;
- have non-traditional qualifications or experience (e.g. you haven’t studied A-levels or a BTEC);
- are returning to university after some time away from education; or
- are looking for more support during the transition into university study.
Standard offer:
Our standard offer is 72 UCAS tariff points from at least two full A-levels, or equivalent.
Examples of the above tariff may include:
- A-levels: DDD
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: MMP
- T-levels: Pass with E in core
If you are unsure whether you meet the entry criteria, please get in touch for advice.
Mature applicants and non-traditional academic backgrounds:
We welcome applications from mature students (over 21) and students with non-traditional academic backgrounds (might not have gone on from school to take level 3 qualifications). We will consider your educational and employment history, along with your personal statement and reference, to gain a rounded view of your suitability for the course.
International applicants:
Essex Pathways Department is unable to accept applications from international students. Foundation pathways for international students are available at the University of Essex International College and are delivered and awarded by Kaplan, in partnership with the University of Essex. Successful completion will enable you to progress to the relevant degree course at the University of Essex.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 5.5 overall. Specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels required. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications
If you are an international student requiring a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Additional Notes
Our Year 0 courses are only open to UK and EU applicants. If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to your chosen degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College.
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
Dr Doug Haynes
Reader in American Literature and Visual Culture
University of Sussex
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
- To offer a varied, flexible and distinctive curriculum focused on the study of comparative literature in theoretical contexts.
- To enable students to exercise their own judgements across a range of genres and literatures.
- To acquaint students with a range of theoretical and comparative frameworks.
- To enable students to think critically about their own reading and writing.
- To provide the knowledge and skills (creative and intellectual development, critical inquiry and argument, imaginative understanding, written and spoken communication and presentation) to stand students in good stead for more specialised academic study, as well as enhancing their graduate careers.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: A range of literatures, from the early modern to the present day, including the understanding of a variety of modes (poetry, fiction, drama)
A2: A range of key approaches to writing from Anglo-American to Caribbean to European.
A3: Major literary and theoretical figures in the field and major literary tendencies or movements
A4: The relationship between literature and culture and an awareness of the writers role in creating cultural change
A5: Key methods of literary analysis and research and writing skills
A6: The function of influence and diverse traditions in understanding comparative literature
A7: Specialised study in the final year in the form of an independent project
Learning methods
1-7 are acquired through lectures, classes, workshops and continually assessed coursework. Classes focus on textual examples and give emphasis to student discussion and/or presentation, preparing argumentative and analytical skills for formal assessment. In addition, students extend and enhance knowledge and understanding of writings they study in classes by independent research.
Assessment methods
Formal assessment of student skills, knowledge and understanding (1-7) takes place through coursework essays, presentations, portfolios and group projects.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Show an ability to engage in the practice of comparative criticism and critical writing
B2: Show an ability to reflect critically on their own work and that of others
B3: Read complex texts and comment cogently on them
B4: Reason critically and argue coherently
B5: Think independently and creatively
Learning methods
Learning methods
Intellectual and cognitive skills are initiated through lectures, classes and workshops in year 1 and 2, as well as one-to-one tutorials where appropriate. The seminar- based work of year 3, like that of Years 1 and 2, encourages critical discussion arising from the analysis and interpretation of set texts with an emphasis on being able to reason cogently, argue coherently and present one's own viewpoint persuasively. Year 3 students are guided towards the acquisition of a reflective understanding of their comparative judgements, and the critical positions they and others employ. This is done through in situ feedback (formally and informally, as appropriate) in oral and written presentations, group based critical discussions and the analysis and interpretation of texts.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by coursework essays, presentations, writing assignments, portfolios, and group projects.
C: Practical skills
C1: A vocabulary and a critical and analytical terminology for the analysis of writing
C2: An ability to write on a variety of literatures and modes and genres
C3: A capacity for working independently and under guidance
C4: The use of accepted conventions of presenting essays, references and bibliographies, and an ability to challenge these conventions
C5: An effective style or range of styles to convey a range of responses as readers of literary texts
C6: A range of methods to research projects
Learning methods
Practical writing skills are developed through practice in workshops, group activities and the development of writing skills through peer review and reflective practice and research
Assessment methods
Assessment is by coursework essays, writing assignments, portfolios, group projects and capstone project
D: Key skills
D1: Clear, focussed, relevant and effective written communication and oral communication
D2: Use appropriate IT to research and present material
D3: Basic grasp of numeracy as it relates to literary form eg. sestina
D4: Management of projects and timetables, finding, understanding, organising and creatively processing information
D5: Ability to read an argument in seminar discussion, engage in workshopping constructively, engage in collaborative projects, ability to work in group contexts
D6: Receptivity to feedback
Learning methods
The six relevant key skills are implicit throughout the degree, and are supported in their development by seminar work, feedback on essays, and key skills packages
Assessment methods
Key skills are assessed through coursework and through the participation mark