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BA (Hons) English Literature and Media
Key information
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Typical offer:
Entry requirements -
Fees: See below
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UCAS code: Q3P7
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Institute code: H36
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Study abroad option
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Work placement option
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Entry requirements
The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.
UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB 112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points Additional requirements
GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.
UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB 112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points Additional requirements
GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.
- English Literature has a 94.2% overall student positivity* score (National Student Survey, 2023)
- Specialise in the literature genre and period of your choice
- Giving you up to date media skills and a great speaker programme
- Lewis Wiltshire, Head of Sport, Twitter UK
- Tobi Rachel Akingbade, showbusiness journalist who studied journalism and other media subjects at UH
- Ren Behan, Food blogger and journalist
- Terry Mitchinson, Welwyn Hatfield Times Editor
- Uche Amako, UH journalism alum and sportswriter
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Level 4
Module Credits Compulsory/optional Introduction to Media Communications 15 Credits Compulsory The aim of this module is to provide an insight to the various fields of media practice and communication studies. It will also introduce students to some of the key theories used in understanding media cultures. Students will learn about different economic and political structures that underlay the UK media system and engage with some of the conceptual frameworks for understanding media communications. The module is structured in three parts. In the first sessions, students are introduced to the basics of media communications. The sessions might cover topics such as the different types of media and models of communications. The second part – Audiences, Industry and Politics – takes a closer look at Media Effects and Audiences, News Values, media biases as well as industry structures. The final part will enable student to explore some of the key theorists that have written on media, for example Marshall McLuhan and Stuart Hall. Global Media and Society 15 Credits Compulsory This module considers the relationship between the media and their social context. Throughout the module students will discuss the ways in which the media reflect and shape social attitudes and challenge their own assumptions about society and the media. Through discussions of issues such as class, race and gender this module will consider how different groups are represented in mediated images. The module will also examine the public role of the media and students will be asked to think analytically and critically about concepts such as free press, media impartiality or bias, and the relationship of the media with commercial and political institutions. The module further analyses different Global media systems, organisations and institutions and allows students to make a series of comparisons between local and international media systems. It places an emphasis on the relationships between products and the socio-political construction of their different audiences. Texts Up Close: Reading and Interpretation 15 Credits Compulsory This core module aims to encourage and develop your enjoyment of the processes and practices of reading literary texts. It is also intended that the module help you transition from secondary education to university study and equip you with a strong foundation in some important skills needed throughout your university career: close textual analysis, independent learning, critical thinking, and advanced academic writing. The module aims to encourage you to think about literary genres and styles, as well as a range of approaches to literary criticism. We will focus on a small number of primary texts written at different times, as well as a selection of literary criticism. Typical examples include: Zadie Smith's Swing Time, Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9 and a range of poems. `Texts Up Close' will also complement your work on other modules in the first year, and prepare you for the next steps in your degree. Sound and Image Storytelling 15 Credits Compulsory The module covers development of both audio and video projects and is designed for students of all levels of experience. In the first half of the module students will create audio content in the form of a podcast (or similar) and will discuss how to use sound for telling stories. In the second half students will learn how to record and edit a short video stories to be distributed online. Students and lecturers will discuss a range of audio and video topics and consider how each communicates. This module provides students with computing and communication skills, which will form a basis for future study in Media and Journalism. The module content includes- 1. -production of an audio project using audio editing software; 2. -production of a video project using video editing software; 3. -consideration of ways audio and video can be used to convey ideas; 4. -planning of audio and video projects; Visual Communication 15 Credits Compulsory This module provides students with computing and communication skills which will form a basis for future study in Media. Students will create attractive, eye-catching projects using images, text and other visuals for online delivery. The module is appropriate for students with little computing or design experience but it also provides those with prior knowledge with the opportunity of enhancing and extending that knowledge. The module content includes- 1. -the production of a number of images using a graphics package; 2. -the consideration of design issues; 3. -the consideration of the way in which images convey ideas; 4. -the restrictions and potential of using images and other graphics on the web; 5. -the planning and conceptual development of a graphics project Make it New: Literary Tradition and Experimentation 15 Credits Optional This module builds on your work in the first semester and focuses on the ways in which, in the Twenty-first century, literary texts continue to undergo transformation. In studying examples from the three main genres: prose (novels), poetry, and drama. You will examine how texts either conform to, or break away from, literary conventions and traditions. The module emphasises recent material to give you a sense of the writing around us now, but we will also look at some older ~classic' texts. We will seek to question how the ingredients of different genres (character, plot, and narration in the novel; dialogue and structure in drama; language, metre and rhyme in poetry, for example) are re-examined and questioned over time. Authors studied may include, for example: Ali Smith, Mike Bartlett, Max Porter, Simon Stephens, Terence Hayes, Ocean Vuong, Rita Dove, Sophie Meyer, Adrienne Rich. Journeys and Quests: Adventures in Literature 15 Credits Optional From ancient Greek poems about mythic heroes, to the search for the Holy Grail, and recent stories about returning home, the quest narrative has been central to literary texts across time-periods and cultures. They have been used in reactionary and revolutionary formats. This module is interested in the narrative traditions, conventions and motifs of the quest, and we will pay close attention to literary form and content. We will also think how certain narratives are recycled and re-used by writers and filmmakers. We will move from ancient texts such as Homer's epic The Odyssey to more contemporary re-writings of this story, such as Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad (2005). Students are asked to think about how adaptations of both the form and specific narratives engage with current social, political and cultural debates around identity, heroism and the notion of 'home'. Border Crossings: Modern Literature from around the World 15 Credits Optional This module focuses on literary texts from around the world. You will explore texts from a diverse range of countries and cultures (either written in English, or translated into English), helping you to think of 'English Literature' as more than just writing produced in Britain. You will study a selection of significant international works that have sparked particular debate or represent literary innovation. We will discuss themes such as: identity; belonging; migration; heritage; diaspora; indigeneity; and environment. The module will build on the work done in the first semester, continuing to help you develop ways of comparing and analysing different texts and their contexts. We will read works from countries as varied as Australia, Guyana, India, Ireland, Nigeria, Palestine and the USA. These will typically include novels, graphic novels, films, poetry and plays. Shakespeare Reframed 15 Credits Optional The work of William Shakespeare needs no introduction. Proof of its enduring appeal comes from the multiple times his plays have been adapted for film or television or repurposed for comic books and fictional retellings. This module will introduce you to a diverse range of Shakespearean drama and explores some key adaptations, allowing you to develop close-reading skills and an understanding of how contemporary concerns are reflected in adapted versions. The set texts will vary each year, but might, for example, include a comedy, a tragedy and a history or problem play. Each one will be paired with a twentieth- or twenty-first-century adaptation. These may be fictional treatments, film or television versions. By increasing your confidence in analysing Shakespeare's plays and understanding the process of adaptation for different mediums, this module provides a good springboard for further study at levels 5 and 6 of Renaissance texts and screen adaptations. Identity and Contemporary Writing 15 Credits Optional This creative and critical module explores a range of contemporary poetry and prose about identity. Broadly, the module examines material written in the late-twentieth and twenty-first-century about identity positions, from race and gender, to sexuality, dis/ability, class and so on. We will consider, both creatively and critically, how one writes about one's own life, whether marginal or otherwise. You will think about these concerns as both creative writers and literary scholars: you will be analysing poetry and prose as well as writing in these forms on a fortnightly basis. Each critical week, exploring a topic, theme or author, will be followed by a creative week, where you put into practice the things you've learned. In all, this module helps develop you as both a writer and a scholar of contemporary literature. Writers studied may include: Emily Berry, Danez Smith, Justin Torres, Mary Jean Chan, Andrew McMillan, Claudia Rankine, and others. American Voices: Introduction to US Literature and Culture 15 Credits Optional This module will introduce you to some key works of US literature, from the founding of the nation until the present day, and explore how they intersect with important aspects of American history, culture and society. We will study works in a range of forms and genres, from varied historical moments, developing your understanding of recurring motifs in American culture and your skills of critical analysis. The module will suggest different ways of conceptualising -- and making connections between -- alternative literary interpretations of the American experience. These approaches may be thematic (e.g. revolution, modernity, isolation), stylistic (e.g. Gothic, realism, naturalism) or spatial (e.g. city, plantation, frontier, small town). The module will lay the foundations for the more in-depth, period-based study of American literature at Level 5 and 6 by giving you a sense of the dazzling diversity of American writing over the last two centuries and more Romantic Origins & Gothic Afterlives 15 Credits Optional This module interrogates Romanticism's intersection with the Gothic in an era of revolution, innovation and social change. It explores a number of themes around innocence and experience, liberty and enslavement, terror and romance, together with new ways of thinking about the world, through theories of the sublime and the picturesque. The emphasis on origins invites us to investigate the development of genres and modes of writing from Romantic fragments to revolutionary feminist essays, fairy tale narratives and Gothic romances, and to give special prominence to childhood. We interrogate a range of narratives that focus on the peculiar responsiveness of children to nature and the revolutionary promise of the child. We also investigate childhood as a less than idealised state: tales of primitives, 'savages', feral children, and 'monsters'. The module will conclude with an exploration of the dark 'other' of the beautiful Romantic child through the Gothic afterlife of Frankenstein's creature. -
Level 5
Module Credits Compulsory/optional Ways of Reading: Literature and Theory 15 Credits Compulsory Ways of Reading is an introduction to literary critical approaches which call into question apparently common sense interpretative concepts such as 'intention', the 'author' and 'character'. The module will offer a survey of twentieth-century trends in critical thinking about literature, including Marxism, psychoanalysis and feminism, together with later developments such as deconstruction and Postmodernism. The emphasis will be on learning to apply concepts which are characteristic of these approaches within the context of your own critical writing about literature. This module is compulsory for students intending to take an independent project module or dissertation in Literature at Level 6. Research Methods in Media Communications 15 Credits Compulsory This module teaches the basic principles of research in media and the means by which to devise research questions and select appropriate methodologies. It will also give a detailed account of how to structure and write effective and informative research report. Students will be introduced to a range of different methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative. They will learn how to choose a research topic, conduct a literature review, and develop an appropriate research plan. The module covers all key aspects of media and communication, including analysis of media production, media texts, and audience studies. It further offers specific guidance and instruction on a systematic application of a range of research methods, and addresses methods of sampling and data collection, including interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions, as well as approaches to online research. A Nation of Readers: British Identity and Enlightenment Culture 15 Credits Compulsory This module focuses on British literature first published between 1640-1740 and is designed to build on your ongoing close-reading and analytical skills. The module considers many key cultural themes relevant to this turbulent period of history, including power and political authority, national identity, class hierarchies, print culture, gender and sexuality, and religion, and encourages students to consider texts from a historicist approach. Texts are likely to include works by Dryden, Marvell, Milton, Gay, Pope and Swift as well as lesser-known female authors such as Mary Chudleigh and Mary Wortley Montagu. Prose works are likely to include Behn's "Oroonoko" and Defoe's "Moll Flanders". You will therefore be looking at both the work of writers whose works are often identified within the canon of great English literature as well as others who have, until more recently, often been excluded from literary histories. Revisiting the Renaissance 15 Credits Compulsory This module takes a historicist approach to British literature first published between 1550 and 1642 and is designed to build on your ongoing development of close-reading and analytical skills in relation to many key cultural themes relevant to this turbulent period of history, including power and political authority, national identity, class hierarchies, print culture, gender and sexuality, and religion. Texts are likely to include plays by Shakespeare, Marlowe and Jonson, and poetry by Wyatt, Sidney, Spenser and Donne as well as lesser-known female Renaissance authors such as Whitney, Wroth and Lanyer. Prose works such as Sir Thomas More's "Utopia" and the Tilbury speech of Queen Elizabeth I will also be considered. We will therefore be looking at both the work of writers whose works are often identified within the canon of great English literature as well as others who have, until more recently, often been excluded from literary histories. Social Media and Critical Practice 15 Credits Compulsory The module explores the usage of social media in media communications and the extent to which the platforms shape the media industries, politics, culture and society. Students will gain insights into the practical use and theoretical understanding, of social media and the different contexts of its application. They will critically reflect on their own social media usage in the context of the scholarship and their own studies. These skills support career development in a range of fields such as media, journalism, public relations and marketing. Studies in Twentieth Century Literature, 1900-1945 15 Credits Optional Early twentieth century literature was a site of significant experimentation and change, laying the foundations for the 'rules of writing' that influence authors today. This module will examine some key texts published in the period 1900-1945 and offer an historical and theoretical framework in which they can be read including the importance of Modernism. The course will make clear that the chronological division indicated here does not imply that all texts of this period can be called Modernist and will include other genres, styles and modes of writing. Attention will also be given to such common thematic motifs such as urban ambience, changing social mores, the presence of the past, social class, race, nationality and sexual politics. The writers studied will include key figures such as Nella Larsen, Jean Toomer, Djuna Barnes, Virginia Woolf, May Sinclair, Jean Rhys and T.S. Eliot. American Literature to 1900 15 Credits Optional This module traces the development of American literature from the colonial period through to 1900, examining texts from multiple genres (autobiography, captivity narrative, political propaganda, novel, poetry, short story). It will examine how writers responded to the American environment and sociopolitical events to create a distinctively American literary tradition. Attention will be paid to issues such as New England Puritanism; the treatment of Native Americans; slavery; the War of Independence; America's relationship with England; Manifest Destiny, expansionism and the frontier; transcendentalism; the Civil War; industrialization and the growth of the city; gender and sexuality. Authors who may be studied include: William Bradford, Mary Rowlandson, Phylis Wheatley, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Brockden Brown, Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Edgar Allen Poe, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Henry James, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Stephen Crane, Sarah Orne Jewett. Images of Contemporary Society: British Literature and the Politics of Identity 15 Credits Optional Drawing on a wide variety of writing produced since the Second World War, this module focuses on the changing situations of both writers and readers of British fiction. At the centre of the module will be an examination of realism in post-war writing through the texts of a wide range of authors. Students will be asked to consider the cultural representations of the period as they are evinced in both fiction, drama, and poetry including those of the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time of unprecedented change in British Society. The module provides examples of this writing by investigating such authors as for example-, Sam Selvon, Pat Barker, Alan Sillitoe, Tony Harrison and Jeanette Winterson, Zadie Smith, Irvine Welsh and Kazuo Ishiguro. As well as considering the ways in which the set texts deal with such issues as class antagonisms, race and ethnicity, masculinity and femininity and differing sexualities, students will be invited to consider the extent to which the set texts can be seen to be representative of contemporary society. Video Feature 15 Credits Optional An important aspect of digital convergence is the use of video by media outlets to spark public dialogue and generate reader participation. This module is designed to give students understanding and skills to make effective videos. Students will look at current practitioners such as Mike Kepka at the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times 'Op-Docs' group and the MIT Open Documentary Lab. They will also examine the work of more traditional documentary makers, such as Errol Morris, Kim Longinotto and Nick Broomfield. There is, according to media artist Marilyn Freeman, "a digital storm that won't let up--of cat videos and self-surveillance videos and any thing or moment imaginably filmable". To stand out from the crowd, students must develop media literacy and skills in critical reflection. As there is an art of storytelling, students will be guided towards a clear understanding of the art of digital storytelling. New Media Branding 15 Credits Optional This module is designed to give you knowledge of branding and identity from the perspective of New Media Publishing. Through the use of vector graphics and layout software you will learn to produce a collection of professional documents such as CVs and business cards which have a consistent identity across a number of media platforms. You will also learn about professional branding used by companies and produce their own style guides which apply basic design principles such as consistency, repetition, alignment and position to logos, text and other visual design elements. The module content includes- 1. -the production of brand designs using vector graphics; 2. -the consideration of design issues relating to consistency, repetition, alignment and position; 3. -the consideration of how visual identities are created and understood; 4. -the planning and conceptual development of professional visual identities; Literature at Work 15 Credits Optional This module enables you to incorporate practical experience into your study of English Literature and/or Creative Writing. It focuses on how literature (the writing process, the marketing and retailing of texts, their critical analysis, or literary history) is encountered by an audience outside academia. To take this module, you must find a suitable work placement by the end of the previous semester, with guidance from the module leader. Suitable sites for work experience might include: a school, or further education college; a heritage site associated with a writer; a literary festival; a publishing company; a bookshop; a funding body or arts organisation; a theatre. Your time spent on placement should total up to at least 24 accumulated hours, though in practice you may spend longer. In seminars, you will reflect on your experiences, explore related conceptual issues and develop a broader appreciation of how literature is engaged with outside higher education. The module will be assessed by a presentation and portfolio of materials including the development of a new curriculum vitae. Employability Skills 15 Credits Optional Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and psychometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s). Mobile Media Design 15 Credits Optional At the end of this course you will be able to research, plan, and design mock-ups of apps for mobile devices using current software. You will be able to explore the contextual relationship between apps and mobile responsive websites. During the course you will complete market and competitor research for enterprising projects, and develop an understanding of (a) current practice and (b) the user experience through the creation of visual planning for your app. Working as part of a small team, you will conceptualise and develop your own app for pitching to a potential investor. Magazine Design 15 Credits Optional There is more to magazine design than learning a software package. As well as giving hands-on systematic software training, this module unfolds various aspects of design for the page, including the use of typography, colour and images. The module builds your confidence in the design process through presenting a clear understanding of layout and visual conventions, information design and contemporary visual style. You will undertake thorough analysis and evaluation of a range of examples. They are equipped to make sound aesthetic judgements in printed and electronic material. Assessments are real-life publishing projects which engage students in a problem-solving process, building experience essential for professional work. By the end of the module students will have developed a portfolio which they can show to a prospective employer. -
Level 6
Module Credits Compulsory/optional Year Abroad 0 Credits Compulsory A Study Abroad year is an optional additional year that increases the length of the Honours degree award to a four-year full-time degree. The additional year comprises an agreed programme of study in a partner institution abroad with whom the University of Hertfordshire has an institutional agreement. The programme of study will support, supplement and extend the more usual three-year programme. Success in the third year will be recognised in the title of the award, but does not carry additional credit towards the Honours programme. A student would normally confirm the intention to study abroad during the first ten weeks of study at Level 5. This will enable a place to be negotiated at a host institution and the Study Programme and learning contract to be arranged and agreed. Placement with Study Abroad 0 Credits Compulsory Students on this unique module will have the opportunity to undertake both a semester at a partner university and to undertake a semester of placement, thus both improving their cultural awareness and employability. Students who have been on the Placement Year and Study Abroad Year, both normally undertaken after level 5 and before entering the final year, have reported high levels of satisfaction with both and many have said the Placement or Study Abroad year was one of the highlights of their university career. The Placement Year is offered by only a handful of universities offering Humanities subjects, so this module is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore both aspects of Study Abroad and Placement both here and abroad. Eighteenth Century Bodies 15 Credits Optional Gender and sexuality have histories; this module will explore some of the ways in which they were constructed in the shifting social contexts of the long eighteenth century and their intertwining with concepts of power, class, nationhood, and ethnicity. By examining a generically broad range of textual materials - plays, poems, novels, philosophical and political discourses, advice books and biographies - this module will analyse a variety of models of sexual behaviour and gendered identity, paying close attention to the historical moment in which the text was written. Possible themes and authors might include: Restoration libertinism and bourgeois sexuality; the shifting cultural position of marriage over the period from transactional economic exchange to companionate union; the cultural nexus between versions of 'fiction' and 'authenticity' in contemporary print culture as seen in novelistic forms and early journalism. Between the Acts: Late Victorian and Edwardian Literature 1890-1920 15 Credits Optional This module studies texts written between 1890 and 1920 in order to consider the period of transition between the end of the Victorian age and the end of the First World War. Students will be invited to consider ways in which the set texts challenge 'Victorian' ideas of stability and respectability as well as their engagement with such concepts as heroism, the `monstrous', suburbia, marriage and sexuality, trauma, class and nationhood. The texts studied will include a range of different genres and styles, from the so-called `problem play' of the 1890s and 1900s, to the horror story; from the best-selling exotic romance to the literature of World War One. Authors studied may include Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Robbins, E.M. Forster, Ford Madox Ford, Rebecca West, Henry James, Elinor Glyn and Rudyard Kipling. Children's Literature:Growing up in Books 15 Credits Optional This module critically analyses works of children's literature published since 1950. Primary texts will range from picture books designed for very young children to works of cross-over fiction which aim to bridge the gap between the child and the adult reader. This will enable us to consider the ways in which children's literature works on the page and in culture to interpret the process of ~growing up' in modern society. We will engage in close critical analysis of the primary material (considering, for example, questions of genre, narrative conventions and the relationship between words and illustrations) - and this will be linked at to a consideration of the ways in which literature for children interacts with wider cultural and historical contexts. Authors studied might include Maurice Sendak, Judith Kerr,Tom Percival, Ibthihaj Muhammad, Dr Seuss, Roald Dahl, C. S. Lewis, Michael Morpurgo, J.K.Rowling, Malorie Blackman and Philip Pullman. Texts and Screens: Studies in Literary Adaptation 15 Credits Optional Literature and film have had a close and complex relationship since the beginning of the twentieth century when silent cinema adopted the novel as a fruitful source for its own stories. The cinema is still one of the most frequent ways by which we first encounter literary texts. By using a number of case studies this module aims to introduce you to some of the key issues involved in adapting literary texts for the cinema, including questions of narrative technique, concepts of genre, questions of representation and notions of 'fidelity' and 'authorship'. As well as close readings of the set texts (both written and cinematic) the module will also engage with recent theoretical approaches to film and literary studies. The texts chosen for study will vary from year to year but might include such notable examples as Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare; Zeffirelli; Lurhmann); Goldfinger (Flemming/Hamilton) and Trainspotting (Welsh/Boyle). African-American Literature 15 Credits Optional This module will introduce you to some key works of African-American literature, from the late nineteenth century to the present day. You will study a range of genres, such as fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography, and nonfiction. We will trace how a unique African-American literary voice relates to a number of important modes of expression: oral culture, 'signifying', folklore, the visual arts, and music (such as spirituals, blues, jazz, work songs, gospel, and hip hop). We will identify several key themes and preoccupations in the work of African-American writers: freedom, identity, mobility (both geographical and social), and self-expression, amongst others. These will be mapped against historical events and developments, including slavery and abolition, segregation and the Jim Crow laws, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, the feminist movement, and the election of Barack Obama as President. We will also explore how issues of gender, sexuality, and class specifically inform these works. Generation Dead: Young Adult Fiction and the Gothic 15 Credits Optional All over the country in the world of young adult fiction teenagers who die aren't staying dead. This module will interrogate the new high school gothic, exploring the representation of the undead or living dead (werewolves, vampires and zombies) in dark or paranormal romance. Texts range from Twilight, Vampire Diaries and Daniel Waters's zombie trilogy to Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies and Eden Maguire's The Beautiful Dead. We'll also look at examples of werewolf fiction (Shiver) and at the folklore inspired novels of Marcus Sedgwick. Y.A.F. has attracted some of the most gifted writers who address these themes as a means of confronting death or discrimination or to engage with Christianity or Mormonism and embrace the enduring power of love. We will be theorising folklore, investigating the ethics of writing for young adults, and grappling with undead issues such as the notion of free will, damnation and redemption, the sexualisation of early teens, the effects of prejudice and the politics of difference. Advertising 15 Credits Optional This module will look at advertising and the ways in which it attempts to construct desire for specific products. It will analyse the social function of adverts in relation to certain social categories such as gender, race and sexuality. Moreover, we will look at the placing of advertising in specific media and students will be asked to consider why adverts for certain types of products are placed in specific locations. This will include a consideration of market segmentation and TV scheduling. Students will then be encouraged to create their own advert based on a specific brief in order to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical way. Finally, this module will consider the relationship between advertising and other media forms, especially film and television as well as new media, to consider the degree to which advertising relies upon codes that are produced in other cultural products. Corporate Communications 15 Credits Optional This module provides a detailed understanding of the principles, techniques and strategies that underpin corporate communications, with particular emphasis on Public Relations and brand management. It is designed to reflect the current awareness of, and the benefits that organisations can derive from, adopting an integrated approach to communications. This module adopts a strategic approach to the study of corporate communications and builds an understanding of the variations in consumer behaviour, and how communication strategies and programmes can be developed, organised and implemented. The course also addresses critical issues relating to recent developments in the field and includes a strong practical component that aims to equip students with the skills necessary for working in this field. Twenty-first Century American Writing 15 Credits Optional This module will survey contemporary American literature from the twenty-first century. We will investigate key literary texts and cultural movements from the period alongside historical contexts and new theoretical frameworks. Examining works of narrative, drama and poetry, we will look at a variety of textual strategies that contemporary authors use to investigate the contemporary world. Structured through key themes, for example, the transcultural, sexuality and race, the module will provide students with the change to explore new and diverse literary material that attempts to explore America in today's globalized world. Texts studied will vary but typically will include novels (Philip Roth's The Human Stain), poetry (Claudia Rankine's Citizen) and drama (Moises Kaufman's The Laramie Project). Euro-Crime on Page and Screen 15 Credits Optional The twenty-first century has seen a resurgence of interest in crime fiction, and screen dramas ranging from renewed interest in the "who-dunnits" of Agatha Christie to the more explicit violence of contemporary "Nordic Noir". This module examines European crime writing from popular detective fiction in the early twentieth century before looking at how successive European writers have modified the form, often using the crime at the centre of their narratives as a starting point for exploring questions of national and cultural identities. The written and filmed texts studied will take us to different European countries (read in translation). Typical examples include, but are not limited to, stories from Britain's "Golden Age" (1920s and 1930s), novels and film adaptations of work by Graham Greene (Brighton Rock), Leila Slimani (Lullaby; France), Stieg Larsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sweden), and films such as Marshland (Spain) and Dance with a Stranger (UK). Representation and Identity in Contemporary Media 15 Credits Optional Using different theories of political communication, you will examine the subject of media representation, mediatization and the politics of cultural identities in the twenty-first century. You will engage with key theories and concepts of representation and media framing to illuminate an understanding of identity as a political concept. Professional Media Practice Project 30 Credits Optional This is an independent project designed to help you develop the skills needed for the professional world. You will produce a professional quality media package in response to a client brief or case study. The module is built around active learning and you will develop your design, self-management, production and communications skills which will be invaluable in your professional life. You will evaluate other media products to help formulate your ideas and will work to a schedule in the same way as a media professional. Professional Practice Publishing Project 30 Credits Optional This is an independent project designed to help you develop skills and knowledge of current professional practices in a specialised area of the professional publishing world. You will produce an effective and appropriate media package in response to a client brief or case study. The module is built around active learning and you will develop your design, self-management, production and communications skills which will be invaluable in your professional life. You will evaluate other media products to help formulate your ideas and will work to a schedule in the same way as a media professional. Music, Celebrity and Media 15 Credits Optional This module closely looks at emergent forms of media, particularly the influence of digital technologies on traditional forms of media, such as film and journalism. We will critically analyse the impact of the digital revolution, from HDTV to virtual realities, from citizen journalism to Wikileaks and cyber-criminality, from music downloads to E-books. Using a range of critical theorists, we will discuss the challenges of these developments for old media as well as the creative opportunities new media forms provide. Creating a PR Campaign 15 Credits Optional The module introduces you to a number of specialist fields within the communications industry and illustrates the value of specific communication skills across different sectors. During the module we will explore specialist areas, such as political PR, social campaigning, film marketing, non-broadcast filmmaking, sport, events and sponsorship. You will also learn how to deal with the press from a corporate point of view and how to create promotional material. The module further allows you to engage with the academic and practical content in a very hands-on manner and provides space for reflection on and critical engagement with the theories behind important transferable and subject specific skills, such as pitching ideas, presenting concepts and managing successful teams. Web Design for Media Professionals 30 Credits Optional Students will develop their knowledge and understanding through a series of lectures, online presentations and problem solving exercises, gradually building their design skills within the framework of a redesign of a real web-based project. You will be encouraged to create a unique and refreshing alternative for an existing publication and your documentation and project planning will be guided by real-life examples. This module will develop and extend your understanding of visual and interactive communication skills and introduce you to a range of techniques for creating engaging publications for specific audiences. In the second part of this module students will move onto the development of their own project, working with a real life client or case study and a brief in order to create a unique and attractive new online publication. In this second project you will develop an understanding of how design frameworks enhance a wider range of commercial publications. The Literary Professional 15 Credits Optional This module enables you to incorporate practical experience, and critical understanding of the workplace, into your study of English Literature and/or Creative Writing. It focuses on students' understanding of how 'literature' (the writing process, the marketing and retailing of texts, their critical analysis, or literary history) is encountered by a non-academic audience. You must find a suitable work placement by the end of the previous semester, with guidance from the module leader. Placements should be for a minimum of 24 accumulated hours. Please note a) students must source their own work placement with the assistance of the module leader; b) students may not take this module at Level 6 if they have already completed the Level 5 ~Literature at Work' module. -
Study abroad
An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.
This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.
If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.
Find out more about Study abroad opportunities
Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme.
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Work placement
Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.
This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.
Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.
If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.
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What if I need support?
You’ll get a personal tutor to guide you through your course, all the way to graduation.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our LRCs (Learning Resources Centres) run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.
Why choose this course?
Would you like to grow from passionate reader into a critical thinker and literary scholar, and become a creative communicator in your own right? In a fast-paced, multifaceted media world, people with the ability to write, design and harness innovative technologies are in high demand. On this course you’ll gain real-world skills, learning how to create and publish content.
We’ll introduce you to writers and thinkers who will open doors to contemporary worlds and cultures remote from your own, and help you explore more familiar literature in ways that challenge your preconceptions. This means you’ll study literature written in English by writers from all parts of the globe, whose voices are relevant and important in our modern world. You will also learn how to apply these skills of analysis to other representations of the world, through cinema, television, magazines, the internet, and we will develop your critical awareness of how the media reflects and influences the world around us. You will study the ways in which people communicate, the channels used and develop the practical skills that foster your confidence and creativity in working with emerging media technologies.
Whatever your taste in literature, there will be something to interest and provoke you. From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to Jane Eyre, from Paradise Lost to Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, we’ll broaden your literary horizons and hone your critical thinking. We’ll also sharpen your practical skills enabling your career to get off to a flying start.
You’ll be taught by academic staff who bring fresh thinking to our accessible, engaging courses. Some are active researchers of international standing, who bring their own passion for their discipline into the classroom; others are dynamic teachers with extensive industry experience.
The course nurtures hands on technical skills, original creativity, agility, critical thinking, effective communication skills, confidence, and entrepreneurial attitudes, enabling our graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing industry. Careers in film, TV, radio, and journalism are obvious career pathways but our graduates also go into employment in public relations, advertising, and teaching.
Applying for this course is easy. Simply add us to your UCAS account by using the institution and course code mentioned in ‘Key information.’ There is no interview for this course. We’re just interested to hear why you want to study this subject at degree level. If you haven’t done either or both of these subjects before, that’s fine. You’ll likely have hobbies or extracurricular experience that show what skills you already have that you can bring to the University.
What's the course about?
You’ll benefit from a flexible programme of study, which introduces you to the methods and approaches of different disciplines, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
Teaching methods vary according to the characteristics of each module. Many are taught via weekly lectures and weekly seminars. Workshops are used in English Literature to discuss subjects in more depth and encourage independent analysis, and in Media for modules where the degree of practical skills taught is enhanced by the supervision of experts in their field.
In your first year, a core Literature module will equip you to read and interpret both traditional and contemporary literary texts critically as a scholar of English literature. Alongside this you can choose to revisit Shakespeare and consider his cultural relevance today through fictional, cinematic and TV adaptations; or to deepen your understanding of Gothic writing by tracing its origins back to the Romantic era. Core media modules introduce you to media and visual communications. You’ll gain an understanding of the basic processes and technical skills of media production. This includes key concepts and theories of media cultures, including media bias and media effects and learning how to use text and graphics to reach key audiences using different types of software.
In your second year, your ability to work as an effective and confident researcher is honed across both disciplines. In Media you’ll learn about research methods in the communications industry. Plus, there are practical opportunities to learn about publishing, and radio. You get to follow your own interests while you are conducting interviews or focus groups, writing blogs, articles, features or copy, creating magazine layouts or putting together a podcast or video. This might be food, film, travel, politics, lifestyle, or sports. You are encouraged to be creative and think independently. In your English Literature modules you’ll focus on period-based literature from the Renaissance onwards and gain an understanding of literary history, from Elizabethan verse and drama, via Augustan poetry and the emergence of the novel in the 18th century, to the radical transformations of the Victorian age, and the emergence of modernity in the twentieth century. You’ll also have the opportunity to consider ways of reading that go beyond textual analysis or historical context, such as understanding literature through the political or ideological lens of Marxism, feminism and post-colonial theory. You can choose a work experience module, Literature at Work, which explores English in the classroom and aspects of the literary heritage industry. The module is centred around a six-week work placement where you’ll gain valuable transferable skills. Our students have worked as school classroom assistants, in publishing houses or attractions such as London’s Charles Dickens Museum and Dr Johnson’s House.
Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too. You’ll decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.
Your final year gives you the chance to specialise. In English Literature you can tailor your literary study to reflect your own interests. Themed options include children’s literature, young adult fiction, Renaissance tragedy, European crime fiction, literary adaptations, and the culture of print in the 18th century. In Media, specific skills from pitching to business, campaigning for a cause or to advertise a product or service, content creation, web design, film or magazine production, all help hone skills transferable to the world of work.
Your study of English Literature will enhance your ability to analyse and synthesise complex ideas, and to express yourself clearly in both written and spoken English. These skills will be hugely beneficial to your study of Media, especially when coupled with practical skills which help to prepare you for your future career. Design your own app proposal, create a hard-hitting ad campaign, build a brilliant website, and craft an inspiring feature article, all whilst being supported by our industry experienced team. Working across different platforms and for different audiences, you’ll develop a packed portfolio that will demonstrate your skills, adaptability and ambition.
But you’ll need more than practical know-how to get published. So, we’ll develop your understanding of the global media industry, its influence on society, the legal and ethical contexts of your work and the impact of emerging technologies.
To see all your modules, see the ‘What will I study?’ section below.
'Media Matters' Guest Lecture series
Each year the School of Humanities hosts the Media Matters Guest Lecture Series featuring a range of industry professionals, giving talks on their experience in the industry. These lectures are recorded by our final year students and available on our Media Hub. Some of our previous speakers have included:
Your main campus is College Lane
This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.
What will I study?
Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6. These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study. Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.
Check out our student blogs
Alumni Stories
Kate Stephenson
Meet Kate Stephenson who has excelled in the publishing industry since graduating. She currently works as the Education Editor at National Geographic Kids magazine.
Read more stories BA (Hons) English Language and Media| Current job role | Education Editor |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2013 |
| Course of study | BA (Hons) English Language and Communication with Journalism and Media Cultures |
University experience
Kate always knew that she wanted to work in the media and her unique degree gave her the flexibility to understand the logistics behind magazines as well as develop her writing and communication skills. The variety of topics and modules covered in her course enabled her to understand a lot about her dream career and enable her to develop valuable skills for working in the industry.
While studying, Kate took every opportunity offered to her. Her lecturers gave her opportunities to network with their colleagues for the industry enabling Kate to secure work experience and explore different career opportunities upon graduation.
She also worked as part of the Students’ Union student media, called Triden Media, writing regularly for their newspaper and magazine. Kate says, ‘Take advantage of every opportunity while it’s on offer and dive in as much as possible.’
The future
In the future, Kate hopes to further develop and grow the project she is working on at National Geographic and their educational content. One of her recent projects was launching their Primary School resource service by writing the curriculum.
Alumni Stories
April Wilson
Meet April Wilson, who used the diversity of her course to gain new experiences and learn. She is currently an Alumni Relations Coordinator at the University of Sussex.
Read more stories BA (Hons) English Literature with Film| Current job role | Alumni Relations Coordinator |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2017 |
| Course of study | BA(Hons) English Literature with Film |
| MA Journalism with Media Communications |
University life and experience
April initially decided to go to the University of Hertfordshire due to our close proximity to London. She liked that it was easy to commute into the city for shopping and concerts, but that Hatfield wasn’t as expensive to live in!
While studying, April gained valuable experience which helped her develop essential skills for her current role which meant she was able to start ‘armed with the knowledge’ she needed.
However, the most useful thing she learnt from her postgraduate course was having confidence in herself and her ideas, especially when presenting. She credits this to ‘the support of my peers and lecturers who made me feel more confident in my abilities.'
She adds that her undergraduate degree helped her develop the writing and research skills which she applies daily to her current role and her approach to work.
Not only did April gain experience from her studies, but the extra-curricular activities she took part in also helped develop her skills. She says, ‘The writing and video editing experience I was able to gain from my time volunteering for societies at the University was also essential in helping me to have the skills that are valuable within my role.’
Future aspirations
April is also willing to try new experiences to help her gain valuable work experience in a variety of roles. She has previously, done everything from fundraising for charity to running my own online magazine.
In the future, April hopes to continues her studies and complete a PhD in Film Studies. She is particularly interested in looking at representation in films and how this is interpreted through social media.
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What's next for my career?
Employability is central to everything we do. Our courses equip you with transferable, intellectual and personal skills and experiences that are valued by employers in a wide range of industries. We ensure our programmes are relevant to the world of work through active links with regional employers across a range of industries and professions.
Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment in media, publishing, teaching and information management where their skills in analysis, communication and evaluation are highly valued.
There are just under one million people employed in the UK media industry, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Opportunities for employment can be found in:
- advertising
- marketing
- film
- interactive media
- radio
- television
For those interested in teaching, all Humanities graduates are guaranteed an interview with our School of Education.
Many of our graduates go on to higher levels of study, engaging in research in their chosen fields.
Employability is central to everything we do. Our courses equip you with transferable, intellectual and personal skills and experiences that are valued by employers in a wide range of industries. We ensure our programmes are relevant to the world of work through active links with regional employers across a range of industries and professions.
Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment in media, publishing, teaching and information management where their skills in analysis, communication and evaluation are highly valued.
There are just under one million people employed in the UK media industry, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Opportunities for employment can be found in:
- advertising
- marketing
- film
- interactive media
- radio
- television
For those interested in teaching, all Humanities graduates are guaranteed an interview with our School of Education.
Many of our graduates go on to higher levels of study, engaging in research in their chosen fields.
- View our Alumni profiles
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Further information - includes assessment method
Course fact sheets BA (Hons) English Literature Download Programme specifications BA (Hons) English Literature Download BA (Hons) Media Download Additional information Sandwich placement or study abroad year
Optional
Applications open to international and EU students
Yes Course length
- Full Time, 3 Years
- Sandwich, 4 Years
Location
- University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
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How to apply?
International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK
Apply through our international/EU application portal
Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK
Apply using the links below:
2023
Start Date End Date Link 23/09/2023 31/05/2024 Apply online (Full Time) 23/09/2023 31/05/2024 Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich) 23/09/2023 31/05/2024 Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich) -
Fees and funding
Fees 2023
UK Students
Full time
- £9250 for the 2023/2024 academic year
EU Students
Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
International Students
Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.
View detailed information about tuition fees
Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet
Other financial support
Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students
Living costs / accommodation
The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.