- UCAS course code
- Q320
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA English Literature
Explore traditional English literature alongside post-colonial literatures, cultural theory, creative writing, and film.
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2026
UCAS course code: Q320 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
- Typical A-level offer: AAA including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: ABB including specific subjects
- UK refugee/care-experienced offer: ABC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL including specific subjects
Overview
Course overview
- Study at a university ranked sixth in the UK for English language and literature (QS World University Rankings 2024).
- Explore the rich literary history and current creative scene of Manchester, recently designated UNESCO City of Literature.
- Study more than 1,000 years of English writing. Engage with literary and cultural theory, study texts in their historical contexts and reflect on different cultures and traditions.
- Gain insight into a breadth of written forms, from illuminated manuscripts to graphic novels and poetry to postmodern fiction.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Telephone
- +44 (0161) 509 2871
- ug-eac@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/subjects/english/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Related courses
- Drama and English Literature BA (3 years)
- History and American Studies BA (3 years)
- English Literature and American Studies BA (3 years)
- English Literature and French BA (4 years)
- English Literature and Spanish BA (4 years)
- Art History and English Literature BA (3 years)
- English Literature and German BA (4 years)
- American Studies BA (3 years)
- English Literature with Creative Writing BA (3 years)
- English Language and English Literature BA (3 years)
- English Literature and History BA (3 years)
- American Studies BA (4 years)
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
A-level
AAA including grade A in English Literature or English Language and Literature
Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.
A-level contextual offer
ABB including grade A in English Literature or English Language and Literature.
Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.
Contextual offers are available for applicants who:
- live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
- live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
- have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.
See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
UK refugee/care-experienced offer
ABC including grade A in English Literature or English Language and Literature.
Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.
UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:
- have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
- have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).
See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
International Baccalaureate
36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects including English Literature or English Language and Literature.
Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.
GCSE/IGCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Grade 4 or C in 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 admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.
Other entry requirements
Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.
Country-specific 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
We may also require applicants to complete a short assessment, in order to make an informed judgment on your application.
For further advice please contact ug-eac@manchester.ac.uk
English language requirements
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 grade B/6, or;
IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each sub-test, 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.
If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above 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 here .
English language test validity
Fees and funding
Fees
Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.
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
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Potential candidates are expected to demonstrate why they have chosen this particular degree in their personal statement and express why the course interests them.
Applicants submitting mitigating circumstances
If you are submitting information about mitigating circumstances that have affected, or are likely to affect, your academic performance, you should include this in the referee's report.
We cannot usually take into account information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application by the admitting school.
(Examples of mitigating circumstances include family illness, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school of college.)
Home-schooled applicants
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 here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )
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.
Skills, knowledge, abilities, interests
- time management;
- team work;
- independent work;
- critical and analytical abilities.
Returning to education
We welcome applications from mature candidates. Where appropriate, mature applicants are called for interview and/or invited to submit written work. Your qualifications to date will be considered, along with the length of time since you were last studying for a qualification - applicants need to have been in education within the last five years. If it is any longer than five years since you were last in education we may require you to take an Access Qualification and invite you along for interview.
If you are on an Access course, you will be considered individually and we will ask to see some of your recent written work.
If you have other qualifications (eg Vocational A levels, Open University) you will be considered on an individual basis and you are recommended to contact our Admissions Administrator.
Overseas (non-UK) applicants
Overseas applications are welcomed and we will assess whether your qualification is of an equivalent standard for entry to our degree programme. We do not interview overseas applicants. Applicants who are made an offer may be invited to a visit day, but this is not mandatory.
Deferrals
All deferred applications are assessed on the same basis as applications for the current year of entry.
We do ask applicants to let us know as early as possible if they are intending to defer. This helps us to adjust the number of offers we make, in order to achieve the required number of students in a given year.
Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications
The University will consider applicants who have re-sat their final examinations but we may require further information in order to make an informed academic judgment on your application.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
In your first year, you will sample a wide variety of literature. This will give you the necessary knowledge and skills for Years 2 and 3. Then, you will have the chance to choose the units that most interest you.
You will join a thriving community of students, lecturers, and writers at The University of Manchester. It is in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature that has produced some of the world's greatest writers. The city has a thriving literature and arts scene, notably hosting major events like Manchester Literature Festival .
Special features
Use your subject-specific knowledge in the real world through a placement in your third year of study. It will help you improve your job prospects, clarify your career goals, and build your networks.
Study abroad
You can apply to spend one semester studying abroad during the second year of your degree.
Exchange partners are offered in Europe as well as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore via the Worldwide Exchange scheme.
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.
Meet like-minded students
You can get to know your fellow students outside of your course by joining the English Society.
Learn more on our Societies page.
Teaching and learning
In Years 1 and 2, you will be taught mainly through lectures and seminars.
Lectures provide essential knowledge and identify key questions which are then discussed further in seminars.
Seminar groups usually meet once a week and numbers are kept as low as possible so that you can get to know one another and have a chance to develop and share your ideas.
In Year 3, you choose from a wide range of specialist units.
You will be taught by a leading expert in the field.
A compulsory long essay in Year 3 will give you experience of independent research and allow you to develop a personal project.
For some course units, you will join in group work and other forms of collaborative learning.
You'll also have access to our virtual learning environment, and other digital resources to support your learning.
Coursework and assessment
You will be assessed using a variety of formats, including:
- written examinations;
- coursework essays;
- research reports;
- practical tests;
- learning logs;
- web contributions;
- oral presentations;
- final-year thesis.
Your second-year work counts toward 33% of your final degree result.
Your third-year work accounts for the remaining 67%.
Course content for year 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL10021 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| ENGL10051 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| ENGL10062 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| ENGL10072 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| ENGL10171 | 20 | Mandatory |
Course content for year 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMER20481 | 20 | Optional | |
| AMER22662 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20001 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20002 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20231 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20372 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20482 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20491 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20901 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL20902 | 20 | Optional | |
| Displaying 10 of 18 course units for year 2 | |||
| Display all course units for year 2 | |||
Course content for year 3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMER30162 | 20 | Optional | |
| AMER30571 | 20 | Optional | |
| AMER30811 | 20 | Optional | |
| AMER33131 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL30001 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL30002 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL30121 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL30122 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL30261 | 20 | Optional | |
| ENGL30902 | 20 | Optional | |
| Displaying 10 of 31 course units for year 3 | |||
| Display all course units for year 3 | |||
Facilities
Home to one of the world's richest and most unique collections of manuscripts, maps, works of art, and objects.
You'll have access to the library's impressive special collections, including papyri, early printed books, key archives such as the Women's Suffrage Movement archive, and Shakespeare's first folio.
Find out more about the John Rylands Library .
The Centre for New Writing
The University boasts a writing centre with award-winning teachers. Notable names include Kamila Shamsie and Jeanette Winterson CBE, both Granta Best Young British Novelists.
Additionally, the centre runs Literature Live. This series invites novelists and poets to showcase their work at public events.
Find out more about the Centre for New Writing .
The University of Manchester Library
One of only five National Research Libraries; you'll have access to our internationally renowned archival collections which range from the medieval period to the present day.
From a miniature 'Book of Hours' which once belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, through major Victorian novelists such as Elizabeth Gaskell and George Gissing, key American writers including Walt Whitman and Upton Sinclair, and up to the present day with our Modern Literary Archives, you'll be amazed by the treasures on offer.
Find out more about The University of Manchester Library .
Cultural institutions
You'll also have access to other cultural assets on campus, including the award-winning Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum .
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants from the Disability Support Office. Email: disability@manchester.ac.uk
Careers
Career opportunities
All our courses have your future in mind - whether that's further study or starting a career.
We design our degrees to equip you with strong critical analysis skills, the ability to articulate knowledge of concepts and theories, and the ability to work and think independently, critically, and creatively, providing you with a set of versatile skills that are highly desired by a wide range of employers.
Our award-winning careers service provides a wealth of tools, advice, development opportunities, and industry links. You'll have access to dedicated, subject-specific support throughout your studies and for up to two years after the end of your course.
Our undergraduate courses are also designed to provide an easy transition into postgraduate study, if desired.
We offer a wide range of specialist master's courses within the University and even offer fast-tracked enrolment to high-achieving undergraduate students.
Our students can take part in our Stellify programme with their degrees. They will develop professional and leadership skills. Through this, they can help their local and global communities with volunteer work.
The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024).
Our graduates have gone on to work in a variety of industries, including positions with the BBC, KPMG, Deloitte, Marks and Spencer, Aviva, Accenture, and Barclays.
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.