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English BA (Hons)

Start date

  • Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
  • Typical Offer: 104 - 112 UCAS tariff points
  • UCAS Code(s): Q300
  • Start Date(s): September 2024
  • Duration: Three years full-time, four to seven years part-time
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time / Part-time
  • Campus: Clifton Campus
Information for 2024

Introduction:

  • Active engagement with contemporary cultural issues
  • Informed by cutting-edge research and developments in the discipline, including the subject’s relationship with digital technologies.
  • A highly personalised, inclusive, and supportive environment
  • Embedded employability pathways, and opportunities for practicing skills in expression and creativity in workplace settings and the wider community

Throughout the ages, the written word has been a powerful force for political action, historical documentary, creative expression and transformation. At NTU, we share your passion for English, and on this degree we bring this passion to enhancing, interrogating, and challenging  your understanding, while also developing your talents and strengths.

Why Study English at NTU?

English at Nottingham Trent University is a future-facing course that interrogates the past. We encourage our students to think creatively about real world issues and focus on how knowledge of literature matters in today’s world. Flexibility and creativity in expression and thought is central to our teaching, learning, and assessment, all of which is carried out via a range of methodologies embracing both traditional and digital formats and technologies. The course team are all active researchers and writers, whose expertise in new developments in the discipline feeds directly into your modules. You will study texts from the Renaissance to the present and be encouraged to stretch yourself intellectually and imaginatively by exploring literature both as practitioners and critics.

Our lively learning community offers a nurturing, friendly, and supportive environment, with extensive pastoral provision. Students select their own pathway through the course via a variety of optional modules which gives the flexibility and freedom to develop critical and textual specialisms and interdisciplinary connections. In the final year, students have the freedom to undertake either a traditional dissertation or an alternative industry-focused capstone project.

The English team’s links with cultural organisations and industry in Nottingham (for example, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature) and beyond directly feed into the course, offering our students opportunities to engage with the wider local community and local literary industry. Unlike many other BA English courses, our employability pathway is embedded, ensuring direct connections between studying the subject and our students’ futures.

What's Different About Us

Approachable and accessible, we are proud of our consistently high student satisfaction score and our range of modules and teaching methods. We are a relatively small course, which means that we know our students and they know us! Year One is a shop window and allows you to develop essential foundational skills; Year Two gives you a chance to explore a range of options, and to deepen your knowledge and broaden your skills; and in year 3 you will continue that process, and explore a passion in a dissertation or capstone project.

And that's not everything ...

You'll study English in a City and University that celebrates Literature: NTU is a lead partner of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, and has established a variety of extracurricular opportunities and a host of partners in the creative industries.

UNESCO City of Literature logo

In 2015, Nottingham was designated a UNESCO City of Literature – one of only 20 in the world at the time – thanks to our long and diverse literary history. From D. H. Lawrence to Alan Sillitoe, Lord Byron to J M Barrie, and now NTU graduate Helen Cooper to NTU tutor William Ivory, many wonderful wordsmiths have called. and continue to call, Nottingham home.

The University is also a key partner in the city’s Creative Quarter. Centred around the historic Lace Market and Hockley areas, is a hotbed of culture, and home to many of the city’s independent retailers, bars, restaurants, small creative companies, and artists.

What you’ll study

In Year One you’ll cover a range of methodological, critical and theoretical approaches to the study of English. You’ll explore key debates and develop your written and verbal communication skills, while enhancing your employability and graduate skills. You will take six 20-credit core modules, 2 per semester, specifically designed to introduce you to the variety and relevance of literary study and to develop your foundational skills, preparing you to engage in more specialised study as you progress through the course.

In Year Two, you'll study three 20-credit core modules in the first semester which further develop your literary, career, and digital horizons. You will then select three optional 20-credit modules to study in the second semester. There is also an opportunity to spend the second half of the year on international exchange at one of our partner universities, if you would like to do so.

In your final year, with one-to-one supervision, you will research an extended dissertation project, either on a topic of your choice, or (if you wish) as part of a staff-led project (40 credits). You will also develop your English Graduate Portfolio (20 credits) by either undertaking a work placement or responding to a project brief from an external partner, and choose a further three optional modules based on your individual interests.

Literary Pasts, Presents and Futures

This module allows students to develop firm foundations in their knowledge of key authors and literary genres, from Middle English and the Early Modern period through to the present. The module places literatures from different eras in dialogue, inviting students to consider how texts ‘speak’ to one another across the ages. In doing so, it builds a critical understanding of literary heritage in which students are encouraged to reflect on fundamental issues in the study of English, such as the nature of literary ‘tradition’, and textual innovation. The module thereby reveals literary histories to be of enduring relevance to the contemporary moment and invites students to consider what the future might hold for studies in the subject.

Reading the Future

From interactive fiction and immersive environments to the digital archive and reading with big data, how are new technologies changing our understanding of literature and how we study it? On this module, you will explore the relationships between texts and technologies and the role that literature plays in the shaping of digital cultures.

Writing in a UNESCO City of Literature

Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature aims to build a better world with words. Engaging with the work undertaken by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, as well as with the wider network of UNESCO Creative Cities, this module provides students with the opportunity to connect with partner organisations in the creative and cultural industries. Exploring what it means to be a ‘literary city’ in both the local and global context, students will undertake a series of professional writing assignments developed in partnership with Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature. Engaging with a broad cultural programme in Nottingham and beyond, this module will develop students’ employability skills as well as introducing them to the thriving literary city in which they study.

Global Narratives in English

English Literature is a global phenomenon. Authors write and publish in English across many continents and contexts, offering a rich array of cultural insights and voices. The emergence of literature written in English across the world bears a difficult history, however, and invites us to reflect carefully on the dynamics that have shaped its journey. This module turns to English literatures written from a range of global locations, including America, Africa, South Asia, Australasia, Ireland and diasporas of the Middle East, in order to explore the narratives that both connect and divide English literary authors worldwide. Examining tropes such as home-making, community, power, faith, identity and hybridity alongside political narratives of colonialism, slavery, migration, imperialism and globalisation, this module equips students with an appreciation of the diversity of English literature as a global phenomenon, and with an astute awareness of its political underpinnings, as well as its constantly evolving potentials.

Ways of Reading

This module introduces students to the many different ways in which it is possible to read and interpret texts, exploring what factors influence our reading of literature, as well as what goes into the production of these works. You will explore a range of texts from different eras, which take different forms: poetry, plays, short stories, novels and graphic novels. You will also explore critical approaches to literature, and the different 'lenses' through which you might read a literary text. We will consider questions related to the writing of texts around authorship, publication and form, along with questions relating to writing and interpretation, around issues such as gender, race and the environment. This will encourage you to question what it means to read texts from particular perspectives, what assumptions we make as we read, the relationship between the text and the world, and even what it means to be human.

The Book Group

Explore four texts in depth, spending three weeks on each. This innovative module is designed to introduce you to ‘reading around the text', meaning you will also consider the historical and cultural contexts to excellent writing.

Core Modules:

Literary Practices: Writing, Editing, Publishing

Working collaboratively in project teams, you will write, edit, and publish a special issue of NTU’s open-access English student journal, Literary Cultures, and develop and publicise events including conferences, journal launch events, and author events to a public audience. Operating like a workplace, on this work-like experience module you will have the opportunity to pursue a professional role, such as Editor in Chief, Marketing Manager, or Conference Special Guest Host. Industry experts will support you with advice on careers in publishing, editing, marketing, events management, and publishing-adjacent work, such as developing book launches and author events.

Rebel Literatures

Inspired by Nottingham’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature renowned for its ‘rebel writers’, this second-year core module explores the many ways in which a spirit of rebellion has animated literary creativity over the past 150 years. From the fights for educational rights advanced by the New Woman authors of the late nineteenth century to the explosions of literary form performed by Modernist writers, and from the countercultural voices of writers speaking up from the margins in the 1980s and 90s to the voices of early twenty-first-century activist poets, you will explore how ‘rebel writers’ - including Nottingham's own - have reshaped literary and cultural history. The module includes the opportunity to visit some of the rich collections of radical literature held in archives across Nottingham.

Digital Story Telling

This module will enable you to become confident in presenting your writing online through hypertext, audio and visual means, and provides opportunities to explore how digital technologies can be used within your creative practice. It will provide you with opportunities to explore how digital technologies can be used within your creative practice, and will also provide you with a digital portfolio to show future employers. Through analysing case studies, digital platforms, and your own work, you will be able to critically reflect on the most appropriate medium for your writing.

Optional modules:

Pathway 1: Extended work-like experience

Get the experience you need for after you graduate, and really understand how the things you study translate into the world of work with a work placement. Your highly experienced Employability Team will help you find a placement to suit your career goals from our huge network of companies, charities, institutions, and beyond.

Pathway 2: An international exchange

Travel the world, meet new friends, and have experiences you will remember for the rest of your life.

Our flexible curriculum has been designed to allow some amazing opportunities for you. Your second year of study is divided into two semesters, giving you the opportunity to take part in an international exchange. You could study with one of international exchange partners in Australia, Europe, USA, Canada, Thailand and many, many more.

Our dedicated team will support you in finding and arranging a suitable exchange. And don't worry about the cost, they will help you apply for any grants or loans you may need, as no one should miss out on the chance to broaden their horizons.

Pathway 3: Taught pathway choosing three optional modules from:

Imagining the Sustainable World

We live in an era of significant challenges to the wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants – from global warming, water pollution and energy shortages, to poverty, inequality and conflict. This module will examine how writing from a range of eras and genres might offer insights, warnings, possibilities, sources of hope, and solutions to contemporary problems.

Women's Writing and the Literary Marketplace

On this module you will read a variety of literary works by British women writers of the 1920s and 1930s, a period of significant historical changes affecting the lives of women. The module investigates a range of topics including: education and professions for women; romance, marriage and motherhood; the home and domesticity; sexuality; class inequality, and interwar anti-fascist and anti-racist movements. Your understanding of these topics will be enriched through guided exploration of a new digital resource containing magazines and periodicals published during the interwar period. The module is also centrally concerned with the ways in which women writers have historically been marginalised through the processes of canon formation, raising questions about the ways in which gender continues to operate within the literary marketplace today, and about how we measure literary value.

Shakespeare and Co: Early Modern Drama

This module introduces you to the literature of the early modern period, allowing you to develop an understanding of the cultural interactions between drama and the other cultural forms of a period marked by rapid social change and uncertainty. Topics covered will include colonialism, religious difference, sex and gender, nation and ethnicity, selfhood.

Ethnicity and Belonging in American Writing

Racial Identity and ethnic diversity have been central to the American experience since the nation’s founding. In this module you will examine literary interactions between people of different ethnic backgrounds and see how writers use ethnicity as a tool of resistance.

Bodies and Minds: Literature, Medicine and Psychoanalysis

Consider the ways that literature enriches our understanding of health and illness by exploring historical narratives about bodies, minds, psychoanalysis and medicine in a global context.

Contemporary Working-Class Writing

What characterises ‘working-class writing’? How has the working class in Britain been represented in literature since 1950? Is there still a class structure in Britain and have circumstances been changing for the better? The texts on this module consider a variety of forms including novels, plays, short stories, poetry and non-fiction to develop an informed understanding of the intersections between social class and gender, sexuality, ethnicity and place. You will gain an understanding of modern and contemporary social and cultural history, and heritage and develop the ability to critically analyse topical debates about class in Britain.

Romantic Revolutions

This module explores Romantic literature from 1780-1840. This was the era of the French revolution and Napoleonic wars, and also a period of great social change and development in Britain. You will study fiction, poetry and other forms of writing from this era, exploring work by well-known writers such as Wordsworth and Shelley, as well as women’s writing, working-class writing and regional writing. The module will help you to develop your research skills and to engage in creative project ideas focusing on Romantic-era writing and thought. You will also explore how far revolutionary political and social change is reflected in the experimental themes and forms of Romantic writing, as well as considering the role of literature in encouraging social change, and its continued relevance today.

Black Writing in Britain

You will become familiar with many black writers writing in or about Britain from the 1950s until the present day on this module. We will discuss the scope and function of the academic field named Black Writing in Britain, and consider the limitations and opportunities presented by the idea of a Black British literary canon or tradition, by examining the texts in the contexts of consciousness, resistance, and activism, publishing and the literary marketplace, black identity, diaspora and migration, and ideas of national identity. The module encourages debate over the impact of political, social, historical, and cultural contexts on literary texts, and the impact of literary texts on political, social, historical, and cultural contexts.

Working with Scripts

Develop your scriptwriting skills, whether for screen, stage, radio, or podcast. Learn about the working environment in which scripts are commissioned, written and produced, and develop important, exciting hands-on skills and experience.

Writing Refugees: The Politics of Representation

The refugee has emerged as a key figure of our age, and has been duly met with an explosion of cultural representations across fiction, poetry, film and theatre. Yet the act of writing refugees is far from benign. This module explores the ways in which refugees have been ‘written into being’ in this century – as figures of political controversy, media fascination and cultural symbolism – while asking how refugees’ own narratives trouble these paradigms. You will put these insights into practice through public-facing writing as part of the Nottingham Refugee Week Festival

Core Modules

English Major Project

You have the choice of writing a Critical Dissertation, or Staff-Student Research Project Pathway:

The Critical Dissertation

The Critical Dissertation represents a unique opportunity in your degree to explore a subject over a sustained period of time, and in depth. You will be able to choose a topic in which you have a special interest, whether or not it is covered by other modules on offer, to get to grips with it, to read around it and to produce an argument of your own. You will also have regular opportunities to discuss your developing ideas and writing with your dissertation supervisor.

Staff-Student Research Project Pathway

This alternative major project assigns the student to a member of staff's research project, providing them with research aims and questions. The student works with the staff member to produce original research on the topic, culminating in a written project detailing findings and analysis.

The English Graduate Portfolio

Get ready for life after graduation with this practical, professional module. You have the option to take a work placement, or to produce a creative solution to a professional commission from one of our cultural partners. Whether you are building your creative portfolio, or boosting your CV, this module will give you the evidence you need to achieve your career goals.

Optional modules - choose three from:

Contemporary Literature, Culture and Theory

Focusing on fiction and poetry published in the twenty-first century, this module will help you to develop an advanced understanding of some of the topics that define our contemporary period.  Both celebrated and less well-known writers are explored on the module, alongside wider cultural developments in recent years and key directions in contemporary criticism and theory. Reflecting on some of today’s most pressing social and cultural issues, as well your ideas about the world and your place in it, you will study approaches to national, transnational, and global identities, environmental change, technology and digital culture, and war in the twenty-first century. You will have an opportunity to extend your experience of working with digital technologies, as well as your critical skills and your ability to speak confidently about key debates in literary studies.

Poetry and the Planet

This option module considers how contemporary writers think through the relationship between the human and the more-than-human world. You will discuss topics including climate change, environmental justice, species extinction and indigenous knowledge in order to understand how the arts and humanities can help us to engage with modern challenges. Incorporating writing workshops and a field trip, students will have the opportunity to respond creatively and critically using a range of print-based and digital media.

Early Modern Poetry and Prose: Nation, Self, Other

This module studies poetry and prose from one of the most creative and turbulent periods of English history, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which laid many of the foundations for English literature as we understand and study it today. Concepts of national identity, religious conflict, the role of the state, the status and function of English poetry, gender inequality, the place of humanity in nature, issues surrounding social class, and colonial expansion, all inform the writing of this period, and all are concepts we still interrogate. The texts on this module exemplify (and in some cases define) a variety of genres, from the sonnet to satire, and the epic poem to radical writing and political polemic. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of this period in both literary and cultural terms, and develop analytical and discursive skills to enhance their understanding of ongoing debates.

Gothic Rebels and Reactionaries

Investigate the rise of the Gothic Romance in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by exploring exciting key literary texts from the period, including short stories and novels. The supernatural turn in fiction during this era marked a different way of exploring questions about being human. Gothic writing examines individual and cultural identities, deconstructing oppositions between human/monster, self/other, male/female, and nature/culture. Gothic studies is a dynamic area of research, and we will investigate new ways of engaging with research communities, including digital research methods, in order to explore the interdisciplinary aspects of gothic writing, and the literary history of the genre itself.

Modernist Writing

Modernism changed literature forever! In this module, you will have the opportunity to concentrate in detail on influential, exciting works by some of the major modernist writers of the twentieth century, including James Joyce, Langston Hughes, and Virginia Woolf.

Nuclear Literature: Culture in the Atomic Age

This module gives you an exciting opportunity to study the cultural and social impacts of nuclear technologies since the invention of the atomic bomb in 1945. Studying nuclear literature from a wide range of genres – science fiction, literary fiction, the short story, feature journalism poetry, and film, amongst others – you will learn about and discuss the strange mix of dystopian and utopian energies released by the nuclear age. Writers often use nuclear themes and images to explore the complex relationship between humans, their technologies and the planet. By studying nuclear literature, you will engage with pressing twenty-first century issues of the environment and security.

Writing Justice: Changing Worlds

This option module focuses on decolonial texts (fiction, poetry and film) and explores the relationship between acts of representation and the politics of anti-colonialism and decoloniality. It introduces students to the historical, political and cultural contexts of marginalised literary traditions that seek justice and challenge the dominance of coloniality. Attention will be given to the diversity of aesthetic forms, and you will further develop close reading skills and the ability to relate textual readings to wider questions concerning literary activism and intersectionality.

Nineteenth Century American Literature and the Civil War

How did writers of the American Civil War (1861-1865) respond to and participate in abolitionism, military conflict, Reconstruction, and national reconciliation? On this option module, you will read famous voices such as Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson, as well as less familiar but influential writers such as Frances Harper, Harriet Wilson, and Albion Tourgée, and consider what new insights they bring to bear on a conflict that still roils the American nation.

Further information on what you'll study

Jenni Ramone

Dr Jenni Ramone, Associate Professor, explains what she loves about English at NTU

"We’re a community here, and I feel that’s what makes English at NTU so special. It’s not a relationship that ends with graduation. A former student of mine got in touch recently because he’d read a book that reminded him of a module he’d taken with me. He left the University four years ago, but this book really inspired him — it took him right back to his time here, and I was so happy that he’d taken the time to approach me for more recommendations. That kind of thing that happens all the time, and it’s what makes us a place to call home." Read more...

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Henna Khan

English

The environment is positive; you can’t really make any mistakes. It’s all an opportunity to learn.

Aimee Eaton

The different modes of teaching and assessments provide a helpful aspect in widening my skills for my future career.

Laura Clancy

From my experience, NTU has pushed me to be the best I can be.

Priya Kudhail

I feel that NTU really hears the students’ voices and tries to act on it; I have seen evidence of modules being changed due to student feedback.

Kyle Daly

This course is designed to allow students to discover the texts that truly resonate with them and enjoy exploring the vast field of literature out there. It also caters to so many different skills making students attractive to employers in so many different fields.

Qiong Wu

I know more about how a UK University works now and I’ve made many good friends. I now have experience in studying more than just English, which gives me more courage to try new things.”

Tanika Stanley

I really enjoyed my experience because I got to explore new cities and make new friends.

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How you’re taught

  • Workshops
  • Seminars
  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Study Group
  • Student-led learning

How will I be assessed?

English module assessments are varied and engaging. Modules are mainly assessed through a combination of essays, blogposts, portfolios, podcasts, presentations (digital and in-person), creative responses and outputs, critical responses to digital resources, textual analysis, reviews, project proposals, and digital media exercises, helping you to hone a wide range of work-ready skills and attributes.

Who will teach me?

As well as being internationally recognised for our outstanding research, the English team is friendly and approachable. The course is informed by the latest thinking and you'll learn from people with a real passion for their subject. We'll help you find your feet when you first arrive, and stretch you as you become more confident. We look forward to expanding your interests and helping you to realise your ambitions.

Industry Partners and Opportunities

NTU is a lead partner of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature (NUCoL), and the department offers volunteer opportunities in which students can help NUCoL deliver its mission to 'build a better world with words'. Previous students have had placements with NUCoL in marketing, social media and event management roles.

We work collaboratively with many regional and national groups and organisations, including:

  • BBC
  • Broadway Media Centre
  • Bromley House Library
  • New Art Exchange
  • Nottingham Black Archive
  • Nottingham Contemporary
  • Nottingham UNESCO World City of Literature
  • Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum
  • Science Museum, London

Networking and Extracurricular Opportunities

Our students are part of the research community at NTU, and have the opportunity to take part in a variety of exciting extracurricular and networking events. Our research centres and societies regularly bring high profile writers to Nottingham to deliver talks and workshops. Recent guests have included Maggie Nelson, Michael Rosen, Marion Coutts, Georgina Wilding, and Derek Owusu.  Recent creative writing workshops have focused on Writing Statues, Writing the Breastfeeding Body, The Hero’s Journey, and landscape writing.

The NTU extra-curricular WRAP programme offers Writing, Reading and Pleasure, with a range of book clubs, writing workshops and events each term. English students have published their work online, written blogs and taken part in international showcase events, creating friendships across the University and an online profile.

English students are also encouraged to attend informal English Research Seminars to hear papers by guest academics, English staff, and English postgraduate students, and field trips are optional on various modules, including to theatre productions, stately homes, and archives.

Find out more about our ground-breaking research in our Centre for  Research in Literature, Linguistics and Culture.

International exchange

You’ll also have the option to take part in an international exchange at a partner university. Or you could source work placements abroad. These options will enable you to gain impressive international experience, and broaden your perspective and career ambitions.

You’ll experience other cultures, travel the globe and open your eyes to a world of opportunities. Our exchange partnership with a number of international universities enables you to live and study in another country in your second year.

Learn a new language

Alongside your study you also have the opportunity to learn a new language. The University Language Programme (ULP) is available to all students and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have. Learning a new language can enhance your communication skills, enrich your experience when travelling abroad and boost your career prospects. Find out more about the University Language Programme.

Volunteering Opportunities

NTU English students have the opportunity to engage with a variety of voluntary roles, both ‘in house’ and in the community. You can become a student representative for your course, a student ambassador representing the university’s student body, a WRAP ambassador, volunteer with NUCoL, or a CERT mentor mentoring your peers on the course. Other opportunities could include voluntary work in local schools on a literacy project, with one of our community partners, internationally, or as a sports volunteer supporting lessons in local schools, after-school or local sports clubs.

Student academic prizes

At the end of your course, your work could be recognised with a prestigious award. At present four prizes are awarded annually to graduating students (these may vary from year to year):

  • The Michael Klein Prize for the best performance in American texts modules
  • The English Subject Prize
  • The Carcanet/PN Review Prize for Creative Writing
  • The HopeRoad Prize for Postcolonial Literary Studies

Contact hours

  • Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops (25%), independent study (75%)
  • Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops (22%), independent study (78%)
  • Year 3 lectures/seminars/workshops (21%), independent study (79%)

All Arts and Humanities Students will complete a minimum of 240 hours of work like experience over the three years of the course.

Staff Profiles

Sarah Carter - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Sarah Carter

Rory Waterman - Associate Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Waterman is the author of three books of poetry, an editor, a press and academic critic, and Associate Professor in Creative Writing and Modern & Contemporary Literature at NTU,…

Sarah Jackson - Associate Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Sarah Jackson

Jenni Ramone - Associate Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Jenni Ramone is Associate Professor of Postcolonial and Global Literatures and a director of the Postcolonial and Global Studies Research Group: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/groups/postcolonial-and-global-studies-research-group Her research has focused on global literature,…

David Belbin - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

David Belbin

Nicole W. Thiara - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Nicole Thiara is Senior Lecturer in English literature. Her research interests are in the field of postcolonial studies and South Asian literature, in particular Dalit and Adivasi literature.

Catherine Clay - Associate Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Clay is Course Leader for the MRes in English Literary Research postgraduate degree programme. She also teaches widely across the undergraduate curriculum, including modules on the Gender and Sexuality

Andrew Taylor - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Taylor is a published poet, critic and an editor. He is a member of NTU’s Centre for Travel Writing Studies and a member of the NTU Critical Poetics Group

Daniel Cordle - Associate Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Daniel Cordle is Associate Professor in English and American Literature at Nottingham Trent University. He is an expert in nuclear culture and is the author of Late Cold War Literature…

Amy Rushton - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Amy Rushton's research interests with postcolonial criticism, world-literature, and queer theories, with a literary focus on contemporary North American and Sub-Saharan African fiction and memoir. Their current project considers…

Anna Ball - Associate Professor

English, Communications and Philosophy

Anna Ball is Associate Professor of Postcolonial Feminisms, Literatures and Cultures. She specialises in postcolonial, gender, world literary and refugee studies, and focuses particularly on the Middle East as an…

Phil Leonard - Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Phil Leonard

Anthony Cropper - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Anthony Cropper is a lecturer in Creative Writing at both postgraduate and undergraduate level. He has published two novels, a collection of short stories and a non-fiction writing guide.

Tim Youngs - Doctoral Supervisor

School of Arts & Humanities

Tim Youngs is Professor Emeritus of English and Travel Studies. He continues to research and publish, deliver guest talks and conference papers, undertake peer review, and to collaborate with scholars

James Walker - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

James Walker

Eve Makis - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Eve Makis is a writer and lecturer on our MA in Creative Writing. She has published four novels and one non-fiction writing guide titled 'The Accidental Memoir'.

Annalise Grice - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Annalise Grice is Senior Lecturer in English Literature in the department of English, Linguistics and Philosophy.

Andrew Thacker - Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Andrew Thacker

Pete Smith - Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Pete Smith Nottingham Trent University Renaissance Literature Shakespeare

Nicola Bowring - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Nicola Bowring is a Lecturer in English Literature, with a focus on Gothic and Romantic Literature, and Travel Writing through the related themes of space and place.

Sharon Monteith - Distinguished Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Sharon Monteith is Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Cultural History at Nottingham Trent University and a Fellow of the British Academy.

How you’re assessed

  • Year 1 coursework (100%)
  • Year 2 coursework (100%)
  • Year 3 coursework (100%)

Careers and employability

Your career development

As one of our graduates you will possess a wide range of academic and transferable skills.

Academically, you’ll have an extensive knowledge of a wide range of literary texts. You’ll gain an understanding of the complex nature of literary languages, and the ability to evaluate and debate theoretical viewpoints, which is an important life skill as well as being of benefit to a whole range of employment activities.

Another major transferable skill of all English graduates is the ability to communicate effectively both in speech and in writing. These skills are invaluable for a wide range of occupations and settings.

BA English at NTU is a highly versatile degree, and our graduates forge careers in an impressively wide range of industries. Graduates have gone on to develop careers within large well-known organisations (such as Marks & Spencer, BBC etc) or have forged successful careers in small to medium-sized companies. Graduates frequently go on to work in publishing, marketing, PR, retail, finance and recruitment, among other career pathways.

Some students choose to progress to further study, either continuing their research within English, or going on to gain vocational postgraduate qualifications in areas such as journalism, teaching, law and social work.

Employability

Our friendly and experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the Internet. You will find consultants on all three campuses. Find out more about our Careers Service.

Campus and facilities

Here are some of the free services, student discount and benefits you'll get studying at NTU

We've carefully considered what benefits and services you need for your studies, so when you join NTU you'll get free printing and materials credits, access to our free WiFi, a copy of Microsoft Office, and even borrow a laptop if yours is out of commission.

For life outside your lectures, you'll enjoy access to over 60 sports clubs and 130 student societies, discounted travel and bike hire, free language learning, award-winning student support and an entertainment programme which is second to none.

See all the benefits and free services you will enjoy as an NTU student.

Books and library resources

In our library you’ll have access to an extensive and diverse range of books including those on your reading list.

The library's online resources and NTU Online Workspace (NOW) also provides digital access to the core resources for your modules and a wide range of specialist collections, texts, and databases

Nottingham Trent University has its own Blackwell’s Bookshop which stocks relevant academic texts plus a wide range of bestselling novels.

IT Resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the campus, with PCs providing access to: Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage and high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student). Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.

Societies

Current students run societies in a range of Humanities and Arts subjects including History, Medieval, Film, Filmmaking, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations, and the Book society.

There are also a number of media channels which our students get involved in such as the NTU radio station FlyLive, our student magazine Platform, and TV station TrentTV.

Find out more about student societies at the Student Union website.

Entry requirements

  • Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
  • Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.

Contextual offers

A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.

Other qualifications and experience

We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.

Meeting our entry requirements

Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS tariff points attached to specific grades, including A levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

You will need the equivalent to:

  • 112 UCAS tariff points from four A-levels or equivalent qualifications

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

English language entry requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)

If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:

Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)

You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Fees and funding

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.

Getting in touch

For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Additional Costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.

Library books

Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Print and copy costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.

Please see our fees page for more information.

Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Scholarships

We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:

Paying fees

Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

How to apply

Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can.

For the full-time route just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow our step-by-step guide.

If you're applying for the part-time route please apply online using the NTU Applicant Portal.

Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

Writing your application and personal statement

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.

Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You've got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.

Keeping up-to-date

After you've applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!

Need help with your application?

For admissions related enquiries please contact us:

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4200

Ask us a question

You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

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