- UCAS course code
- QQ10
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA English Language and English Literature
- Typical A-level offer: AAB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: ABC including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: ACC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,6,5 at HL
Overview
Course overview
- Explore more than 1,000 years of literature and culture, from medieval romance to the postcolonial and postmodern.
- Study in Manchester, a UNESCO City of Literature brimming with literary history and home to a wide range of literary events.
- Investigate the sounds, words and grammar of the English language.
- Discover the origin of English, its development and variation across the UK and beyond, and how it's used in different situations.
Open days
We are pleased to announce that we are returning to hosting on-campus open days in the summer and autumn.
Please see open days for the dates, registration, and other information.
If you're a prospective student, you can also find out more about student life by chatting with our student ambassadors at a time that suits you, and ask any questions you may have about life at Manchester.
You can also look at our virtual open day content to help you learn more about the University.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 275 3187
- ug.languages@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Compare this course
Entry requirements
A-level
AAB including A in English Literature or English Language and Literature.
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.
We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview.
For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer.
For this course it would beABB plus the Extended Project at Grade A.
Contextual offer
ABB including A in English Literature or English Language and Literature for applicants who meet our contextual offer criteria. For further information and to check eligibility visit our Contextual Offers page.
Refugee/care-experienced offer
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.
AS-level
AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.
Unit grade information
The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available.
Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application.
Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.
GCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
International Baccalaureate
35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects including English Literature
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see accepted entry qualifications from your country .
Scottish requirements
Advanced Highers English at grade A plus ABBB in four additional Highers in distinct subjects.
English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C/ Intermediate 2 grade C/ Standard Grade Credit level grade3).
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification, please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Welsh Baccalaureate
The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalentto be included within this.
The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in theA Levelentry requirements.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
European Baccalaureate
The University of Manchester welcomes applicants with the European Baccalaureate.
Acceptable on its own or in combination with other qualifications, applications from students studying for this qualification are welcome and all applicants will be considered on an individual basis.
We normally require: 80% with a mark ofat least 8.0 in English Lit (or Lang & Lit, but not Eng Language alone).
AQA Baccalaureate
The University recognises the benefits of the AQA Baccalaureate and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.
In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.
The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.
Foundation year
The University recognises a number of foundation programmes as suitable for entry to this undergraduate programme. Please contact us for further advice.
Pearson BTEC qualifications
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: we consider the National Extended Diploma for entry,preferably in a subject relevant to this course.Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades Dist, Dist, Dist,plus one A-level at Grade A in English Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone ).
Pearson BTEC Level 3 NationalDiploma: we consider the NationalDiploma for entry,preferably in a subject relevant to this course.Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full NationalDiploma with grades Distinction, Distinction,plus one A-level at Grade A in English Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone ).
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma: we consider the NationalFoundation Diploma for entry,preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full NationalFoundation Diploma witha Distinction grade, PLUS one A-level at Grade A in English Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone ), PLUSan EPQ or AS at GradeB.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate: we consider the National ExtendedCertificate for entry,preferably in a subject relevant to this course.Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full NationalExtended Certificatewitha Distinction grade, PLUStwo A-levels at Grades AA; one of which must be in English Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone ).
The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy BTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC Diploma, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and BTEC Certificate.The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new BTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification, please contact the academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
CambridgeLevel 3Technical Extended Diploma (CTEC): we do not consider the Technical Extended Diploma for entry to this course.
CambridgeLevel 3 Technical Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course.Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level at grade A inEnglish Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone ).
CambridgeLevel 3 Technical Foundation Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course.Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level/A Level at min. Grade A inEnglish Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone ),PLUS an EPQ or AS Level at grade B.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Certificate (CTEC) : we consider the Technical Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course.Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with grade Distinction, plus two additional Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels at grades AB, one of which must be inEnglish Literature ( or English Language and Literature, but not English Language alone )..
The University of Manchester will consider applications from students who have achieved legacy CTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the CTEC Extended Diploma, CTEC Diploma, CTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and CTEC Certificate.The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new CTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification, please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course.
The specific course requirements are a minimum of 39 credits with a Distinction grade, plus 6 credits with a Merit grade, all in a Humanities-related subject. Where possible, 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels.
Applicants to Languages programmes are also required to have a minimum of GCSE grade B/6 in a modern language or in English Language.
Cambridge Pre-U
We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken.
Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3, D3, M2 in the Pre-U and AAB at A level in three distinct subjects.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
T Level
We do not accept T Levels as entry onto this programme. The University does accept T Level qualifications on a number of courses. Please review our T Level information page for a full list.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.
We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview.
For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer.
For this course it would beABB plus the Extended Project at Grade A.
Core Maths
The University recognises the value of Level 3 Core Mathematics qualifications.
Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer we make.
However, if a student chooses to undertake a core mathematics qualification this may be taken into account when we consider a student's application, particularly for courses with a distinct mathematical or statistical element that does not require A Level Mathematics.
Academic Schools may also choose to take a student's performance in Core Mathematics into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
Where a course requires applicants to have at least grade 6/B or higher in GCSE Mathematics we would be likely to consider a pass in Core Mathematics at a minimum grade C or B as an alternative way to fulfil this requirement. Where an A Level in Mathematics is required then Core Mathematics will not be accepted in lieu of an A Level.
A Level and GCSE Mathematics requirements for our courses vary according to subject so we advise students to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether a student's portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry onto the chosen course.
Home-schooled applicants
If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying.
You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course.
We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.
If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you.
Non-standard educational routes
Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.
Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.
The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
Further information for mature students can be found on our How to apply page.
English language
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency.The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
- GCSE/iGCSE English Language gradeC/4 or;
- IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.
Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level.
Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found on our English Language requirements page.
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years.
Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
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
For information regarding available scholarships and bursaries, please see our funding pages.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Mitigating circumstances may be personal or family illness, other family circumstances, change of teachers during a course, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school or college.
We recommend that information on mitigating circumstances that have affected or are likely to affect your academic performance should be included in the referee's report.
We cannot usually consider information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application by our School.
If you encounter mitigating circumstances after you have submitted your application, please inform the admissions staff in our School as soon as possible.
Where mitigating circumstances have already been considered, for example by the relevant exam board, we will not be able to make further allowances.
How your application is considered
Applications are considered on the basis of an assessment of the quality of the personal statement, the reference, and past and predicted academic achievements. We encourage applicants to give details of their motivation for studying this particular subject.
Interview requirements
Returning to education
We warmly encourage applications from mature applicants and students returning to education. Allsuch applications are considered on an individual basis.Applicants are encouraged to contact the Admissions Officefor any discussion that they might find useful.
Deferrals
We welcome applications for deferred entry and feel a gap year benefits many students.
We do ask applicants to let us know as early as possibleif they are intending to defer.
This helps us to adjust the number of offers we make, in orderto achieve the required number of students in a given year.
Re-applications
If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.
In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.
We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.
If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course.
If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements.
In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.
Transfers
We will consider applications to transfer to Manchester from other universities and would normally ask for a letter explaining why a transfer was needed,relevant transcripts, a copy of the applicant's UCAS form and a confidential reference from one of the applicant's current university tutors.
We will consider applications to transfer from other degrees within the University of Manchester but applicants are required to have the A-level grades (or other qualifications) needed for entry to that degree programme.
Both of the above are subject toour having enough places to accommodate such applicants.
Enquiries should be made to the admissions administrator for the subject (see contact details).
Course details
Course description
Our BA English Language and English Literature joint honours course will enable you to delve into the science of language while exploring a wide range of texts dating from a variety of periods.
You will be taken on a broadly chronological journey of English Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period through to the present day.
In addition, you will investigate the sounds, words and grammar of the English language, and you will discover where English comes from, how it developed over time, how it varies across the UK and further afield, and how it is used in different situations.
You will acquire the skills required for analytical language study alongside the means to apply those skills to the study of historical and present-day English.
You will practise key transferable skills such as essay writing and how to give a presentation.
You can also broaden the scope of your studies to investigate the interaction between psychology and language (psycholinguistics), child language development, and explore a range of methodological approaches used in study of English Language and English Literature.
You will become part of a thriving community of students, lecturers and writers at The University of Manchester, based in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature that has produced some of the world's greatest writers and has a thriving literature and arts scene, including major events like Manchester Literature Festival.
Special features
Placement year option
Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.
Study abroad
You may apply to spend one semester studying abroad during Year 2.
Exchange partners are offered through the Worldwide Exchange scheme (eg USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore).
Literature events
Manchester Literature Festival holds literary events across Manchester throughout the year, many in partnership with the University.
The Centre for New Writing also hosts a regular public event series, Literature Live, which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to read and engage in conversation.
Unique collections
John Rylands Library on Deansgate is part of the University and offers the rare opportunity to see a Gutenberg bible, Shakespeare folios and other archival treasures.
Get involved with interesting projects
Our students are encouraged to take an active role in funded teaching-enhancement projects, whose outputs benefit them individually and collectively. For example, some of our students have developed an online atlas of dialect variation in the UK and storyboards for the use in fieldwork.
Meet like-minded students
You can get to know your fellow students outside of your course by joining the English Society or volunteering to work on the student-run Sonder Magazine.
Teaching and learning
You will be taught through a mixture of:
- formal lectures;
- tutorials;
- seminars.
You will spend approximately 12 hours each week in formal study sessions. For every hour spent at university, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
In your independent study time, you may be reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working as part of a team of students.
Coursework and assessment
Our courses are assessed in various ways, for example, written examinations, oral presentations and different types of coursework.
Coursework may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research.
In your final year, you can choose to write a dissertation.
Course content for year 1
In English Language, you'll study the foundations of English grammar and will be introduced to the history of English and the variations of English in the UK and further afield.
You may also choose additional optional units, including those in which you learn about the study of meaning or of sounds, or learn how to investigate English using corpus methods.
In English literature, you will sample a wide variety of literature and cultural theory and develop a solid basis of knowledge and skill which you'll build on in your second and third years.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Reading Literature | ENGL10021 | 20 | Mandatory |
English Word and Sentence Structure | LELA10301 | 20 | Mandatory |
History and Varieties of English | LELA10342 | 20 | Mandatory |
Study Skills | LELA10601 | 0 | Mandatory |
Mapping the Medieval | ENGL10051 | 20 | Optional |
Theory and Text | ENGL10062 | 20 | Optional |
Literature and History | ENGL10072 | 20 | Optional |
Language, Mind and Brain | LELA10201 | 20 | Optional |
The Sounds of Language | LELA10322 | 20 | Optional |
Study of Meaning | LELA10331 | 20 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 11 course units for year 1 | |||
Display all course units for year 1 |
Course content for year 2
You will tailor your degree to suit your interests in both areas.
While studying two compulsory units in subjects like language change, sociolinguistics, stylistics or pragmatics, you may additionally choose from a wide range of optional units tapping into academic expertise in specialist fields such as phonology and experimental phonetics, and psycholinguistics.
In English Literature, you can tailor your studies by selecting from a wide range of options: from medieval and early modern literature to Victorian, 20th century and contemporary writing and film.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Chaucer: Texts, Contexts, Conflicts | ENGL20231 | 20 | Optional |
Shakespeare | ENGL20372 | 20 | Optional |
Gender, Sexuality and the Body: Theories and Histories | ENGL20481 | 20 | Optional |
Writing, Identity and Nation | ENGL20492 | 20 | Optional |
Medieval Metamorphoses | ENGL21022 | 20 | Optional |
Renaissance Literature | ENGL21151 | 20 | Optional |
Old English: Writing the Unreadable Past | ENGL21162 | 20 | Optional |
Satire and Sentiment: British Literature, 1680–1820 | ENGL21181 | 20 | Optional |
Modernism | ENGL21192 | 20 | Optional |
Romanticism (1776 - 1832) | ENGL21521 | 20 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 27 course units for year 2 | |||
Display all course units for year 2 |
Course content for year 3
You will have complete freedom of choice among a wealth of different course options in both subjects.
In English Language, you can choose options spanning subjects as diverse historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, child language development, formal semantics and syntax, and forensic linguistics.
You will also have the option of writing a dissertation, where you explore and write about a particular topic in depth.
For the English Literature component, you may wish to enrol on to the long essay unit (if you haven't opted for the dissertation above), and then you will choose the remaining units from the optional list.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Climate Change & Culture Wars | AMER30572 | 20 | Optional |
American Hauntings | AMER30811 | 20 | Optional |
The Uncanny and the Undead: Gothic American Literature and Culture | AMER33151 | 20 | Optional |
Long Essay | ENGL30001 | 20 | Optional |
Long Essay | ENGL30002 | 20 | Optional |
Creative Writing: Fiction | ENGL30122 | 20 | Optional |
Narrative Theory and Victorian Fiction | ENGL30172 | 20 | Optional |
Culture and Conflict: Neoliberalism and Cultural Production | ENGL30261 | 20 | Optional |
Creative Writing: Poetry | ENGL30901 | 20 | Optional |
Irish Fiction Since 1990 | ENGL30941 | 20 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 53 course units for year 3 | |||
Display all course units for year 3 |
Facilities
You will access resources to enhance your learning, including an extensive collection of linguistics texts and our psycholinguistics and phonetics laboratories, with facilities for:
- signal analysis;
- speech synthesis;
- laryngography;
- electropalatography.
In addition, you will have access to a wide range of other facilities to enhance your studies at Manchester, including the University Library and John Rylands Library.
You will also have the opportunity to enjoy Manchester's many other cultural assets for both study and recreational purposes, including the Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum.
Find out more on the facilities pages for English Language and English Literature .
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Study English Language and Literature with us and you will develop a range of analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the transferable skills needed to succeed in a wide variety of roles and industries.
Often dealing with granular and complex data, your combination of humanities and scientific understanding will allow you to make connections across multiple fields of employment, including the media, marketing, speech and language therapy, lexicography, and teaching.
Our graduates have pursued successful careers at The Guardian, L'Oreal, Universal Music Group, and Vodafone.
Others go on to pursue postgraduate study.
The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.
At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .
Find out more on the careers and employability pages for English Language and English Literature .