Program Overview

Introduction to the English and Language Program

The English and Language program at Birkbeck is a varied and flexible course that allows students to combine studying English literature with a modern language, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Mandarin Chinese, and its associated culture.

Course Overview

This course is designed for students who are passionate about literature, culture, ideas, and writing. It provides students with the opportunity to develop their intellectual interest and follow their passion for languages. The program is taught by internationally renowned academics, researchers, and writers in a school that prides itself on multidisciplinary excellence.

Why Choose This Course?

• The study of languages allows students to better understand other people, cultures, and the worlds in which we live, while building highly valued, advanced communication skills and intercultural awareness.
• Students will be taught by internationally renowned academics, researchers, and writers in a school that prides itself on multidisciplinary excellence.
• The comparative culture and language-specific modules are open to everyone, regardless of their language level, allowing students to develop their intellectual interest and follow their passion for languages.
• The course provides an exciting and varied curriculum, giving students the opportunity to choose modules that match their interests and build their own comparative pathway.

What You Will Learn

On this course, students will be supported to become the best thinkers, readers, and writers they can be. The program focuses on three main approaches to studying English: storytelling, making stories, and understanding texts. This allows students to learn how stories are communicated, how they are created, and how texts produce meaning in the world.

Course Structure

The course is available to study full-time or part-time and follows an evening timetable. Students can choose from a variety of pathways, including a Foundation Year route, which is designed to give students extra support and prepare them for undergraduate study.

English and Language (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) BA (Hons)

• Duration: 3 years full-time, 4 years part-time
• Start date: October 2026
• Attendance: 3-4 evenings a week (full-time), 2-3 evenings a week (part-time)
• Awarding body: University of London
• UCAS code: Q321 (full-time), Q322 (part-time with Foundation Year)

English and Language (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

• Duration: 4 years full-time, 6 years part-time
• Start date: October 2026
• Attendance: 3-4 evenings a week (full-time), 1-2 evenings a week (part-time)
• Awarding body: University of London
• UCAS code: Q322 (full-time with Foundation Year)

Entry Requirements

• We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications, as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge, and previous work experience.
• This course is suitable for all language entry levels, from beginner to proficiency, including native speaker level if you choose to study French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Japanese.
• Acceptance may be subject to an admissions test and/or interview.

Fees

• Full-time home students: ｣9,790 per year
• Full-time international students: ｣18,500 per year
• Part-time home students: ｣7,335 per year
• Part-time international students: ｣13,875 per year

Teaching and Assessment

• Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials.
• Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations.
• Methods of assessment on this course include commentaries, coursework, tests, essays, examinations, and the option of an independent final-year dissertation.

Careers and Employability

• You will find BA English and Language graduates in a wide range of roles in the creative industries, as well as in education, law, the civil service, and business roles.
• Our graduates complete this course with valuable transferable skills in high-level oral and written communication, the ability to convey ideas and build an argument, and independent research.
• Possible professions include editorial assistant, newspaper/magazine/broadcast journalist, writer, academic librarian, public relations officer, translator, interpreter, secondary school teacher, and English as a Foreign Language teacher.

How to Apply

• You apply via UCAS for our full-time undergraduate courses or directly to Birkbeck for our part-time undergraduate courses.
• The first UCAS deadline is in January, but we welcome applications outside of the UCAS deadlines.
• If you are applying for a part-time undergraduate course, you apply directly to Birkbeck using the online application link.