- UCAS course code
- Q1Q3
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA English Language
Explore the science of language and how this everyday phenomenon impacts our lives.
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: Q1Q3 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
- Typical A-level offer: AAB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBB
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £26,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
- Find out more from student finance
- Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
- Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
- Many students work part-time or complete a student internship
Course unit details:
Dissertation
| Unit code | LELA30000 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 40 |
| Unit level | Level 3 |
| Teaching period(s) | Full year |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This course unit is a guided research module, in which the student submits a 10,000-word dissertation on a subject of their own choosing. A dissertation supervisor provides guidance on the research methods, writing skills and analysis of data. The student is expected to identify and develop a dissertation topic appropriate to the scale of the project. The project will have a specific research question which will be explored on the basis of empirical data and a critical analysis of relevant literature. Thus, this course unit gives students the opportunity to design and undertake their own research project with an expectation that they will study independently and produce a significant result. The first three lectures will address important training issues and the technical aspects of writing a dissertation.
Aims
Independent research in an area of the student’s choice (subject to supervision expertise), involving:
- Design of a research project of appropriate scale and methods
- Critical discussion of relevant research literature
- Analysis of empirical data
- Presentation of results
Teaching and learning methods
As this is a research module, there will be three one-hour lectures in weeks 1, 2 and 3 of Semester 1 only.
Supervision methods must be agreed between the supervisor and the student on an individual basis. The student can expect five one-to-one face-to-face supervision meetings: three in semester 1 and two in semester 2. In cases in which a supervisor has more than one student working on similar topics, group supervision sessions may be offered.
Students will submit three pieces of formative work at specific times in the year and receive comments on these from their supervisor.
On Blackboard, students will find: slides for the introductory lectures; the dissertation guide; information about ethical approval; guidance documents on dissertation presentation and referencing. Submission of formative and summative pieces of work will be via Turnitin on Blackboard.
Knowledge and understanding
After successful completion of this unit, students will have:
- Increased their knowledge and understanding of the chosen research area
- Identified research methods and analytical skills relevant to their chosen research area
Intellectual skills
After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Develop an extended written argument of depth and complexity
- Evaluate and synthesize a substantial body of primary research literature
- Most students will collect, describe, and analyse substantial data sets using the appropriate methodologies and theoretical frameworks
Practical skills
After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Design and manage an independent research project
- Identify and access relevant primary sources and critical literature
- Analyse data sets using the appropriate methods for a given topic
- Present a 10,000-word piece of writing with a standard of scholarly presentation appropriate to Level 3 study
Transferable skills and personal qualities
On successful completion of the course the student will have acquired:
- The ability to communicate a coherent and critical argument of depth and complexity in written form
- The ability to engage in significant independent research and design a large research project
- Plan a long-term task with appropriate time-management
Employability skills
- Other
- This course is especially relevant to students who plan to pursue a career that involves research skills. It prepares students for postgraduate study, but the skills acquired will also be relevant for careers that involve non-academic types of research, for example, journalism or law. The experience of managing a project independently will be an asset for many careers across different sectors
Assessment methods
Assessment Task | Formative or Summative | Weighting |
Expanded Research Proposal | Formative | 0% |
Dissertation-specific piece (to be agreed with supervisor) | Formative | 0% |
Draft Chapter | Formative | 0% |
Dissertation | Summative | 100% |
Feedback methods
Feedback Method | Formative or Summative |
Feedback in this module will consist of comments made by your supervisor during individual or group meetings throughout the academic year. Students will receive written and/or oral feedback on the formative pieces of coursework via Turnitin and in face-to-face meetings. Please note that different arrangements may be made by different supervisors. | Formative |
Individual written feedback will be provided in Turnitin on the dissertation. | Summative |
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 3 |
| Project supervision | 5 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 392 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Eva Schultze-Berndt | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Enrolment procedure: Students must submit their dissertation topic proposal form to the discipline area Undergraduate Support Officer in May preceding the academic year in which they want to start work on their dissertation. It is expected that students will have already thought about a potential topic before beginning the course module. Only students who average at least 60% in their second year will be allowed to register for a dissertation (special provisions will be made for students who take first sits during the August resit period). Students are allowed to submit a first and reserve proposal, which must be clearly marked as such. Students have to specify a potential supervisor for each proposal and are encouraged to contact potential supervisors before submitting a proposal. Each member of staff provides a list of areas in which they are willing to supervise and dissertation topics are subject to the availability of a staff member with relevant expertise. The course convenor will coordinate distribution of proposals and allocation of supervisors. Staff consider the proposals they have received, and decide which of them they wish to accept, interviewing students if necessary. Students whose dissertation proposals are rejected will have to register for other course units.