Study information

Programme Specification for the 2020/1 academic year

BA (Hons) English

1. Programme Details

Programme nameBA (Hons) English Programme codeUFA3EGLEGL11
Study mode(s)Full Time
Part Time
 Academic year2020/1
Campus(es)Streatham (Exeter)
 NQF Level of the Final Award6 (Honours)

2. Description of the Programme

The English programme offers you the opportunity to study a wide and exciting range of modules literature, film and creative writing. Adopting both critical and creative approaches, the programme seeks to develop your understanding of a wide range of genres and literatures in English. Modules are taught by staff with expertise in literature from the Middle Ages to the present, in cinema throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and in creative writing practices in poetry, prose and screen-writing. The programme moves from an initial foundation year towards greater choice and a higher degree of specialisation in the latter years. You will develop to the stage where, in your final year, what you study, how you approach it, and how you communicate what you have found are closely aligned with the practices of the research-active academics who teach you during seminars.

Our programmes at Exeter encourage you to ask challenging questions about the nature of literary and other texts. When you read Troilus and Criseyde and Jane Eyre, or watch movies such as Bicycle Thieves, you will be prompted to ask not only what they mean, but also how they make those meanings. Who were they written or filmed for? How do they compare with other works of the same or different periods? How do they relate to the historical and social conditions in which they were produced? At the end of three years, you will have acquired a wide and detailed knowledge of English. You will also have developed into the sort of independent, self-motivated researcher who is ready for postgraduate study and for a broad range of graduate employment.

Advice and guidance on your programme can be sought from your personal tutor and programme director. All staff offer regular office hours that you can drop into without a prior appointment for this purpose.

3. Educational Aims of the Programme

The programme aims to:

  • engage you imaginatively in the process of understanding and analysing complex and sophisticated literary, non-literary and filmic texts.
  • involve you in a wide range of teaching programmes with broad historical coverage, content, and methodology
  • promote a sense of the complex social, cultural, and aesthetic interactions between the production and reception of literary, non-literary and filmic texts.
  • encourage you to acquire the critical tools necessary to reflect upon the production and reception of texts.
  • provide an intellectually stimulating and satisfying experience of learning and studying, whilst encouraging a sense of the distinctive social and cultural importance of English.
  • provide a basis for further study in English or related disciplines, and for teachers of English at all levels.
  • develop a range of subject specific, academic and transferable skills, including high order conceptual literacy and communication skills of value in graduate employment and to enable you to develop your career paths through these means.

4. Programme Structure

The BA English is a three-year full-time programme of study at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 6 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). This programme is divided into three stages. Each stage is normally equivalent to an academic year.

5. Programme Modules

The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.

http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/humanities/studying/undergraduates/

You may take optional modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

You may take elective modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme in any stage of the programme as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

Stage 1

90 credits of compulsory modules, 30 credits of optional modules

Compulsory Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
EAS1032 Approaches to Criticism 30No
EAS1035 Beginnings: English Literature before 1800 30No
EAS1038 The Poem 15No
EAS1040 Academic English 15No

Optional Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
EGLS S1 BA SH opt 2020-21
EAS1034 Film Studies: An Introduction 15 No
EAS1037 The Novel 15 No
EAS1041 Rethinking Shakespeare 15 No

Stage 2

120 credits of optional modules.

a You must choose at least one module from this group : you may select 30-60 credits of optional modules from this group.

b You must choose at least one module from this group : you may select 30-60 credits of optional modules from this group.

c You may select 0-60 credits of optional modules from this group (although you are not required to choose any from this group).

Optional Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
EGLS S2 BA Group 1 (pre-1750) opt 2020-1 [see note a above]
EAS2026 Desire and Power: English Literature 1570-1640 30 No
EAS2071 Chaucer and His Contemporaries 30 No
EAS2080 Renaissance and Revolution 30 No
EAS2102 Satire and the City: English Literature 1660-1750 30 No
EAS2036 Theatrical Cultures in Early Modern England 30 No
EGLS S2 BA Group 2 (post-1750) opt 2020-1 [see note b above]
EAS2103 Modernism and Modernity: Literature 1900-1960 30 No
EAS2104 Crossing the Water: Transatlantic Literary Relations 30 No
EAS2029 Revolutions and Evolutions 19C Writings 30 No
EAS2106 Romanticism 30 No
EAS2112 Empire of Liberty: American Literature, 1776 to Present 30 No
EAF2510 Adaptation: Text, Image, Culture 30 No
EAF2502 Shots in the Dark 30 No
EGLS S2 BA Group 3 (non-periodised) opt 2020-1 [see note c above]
EAS2089 Creative Industries: Their Past, Our Future 30 No
EAS2090 Humanities after the Human: Further Adventures in Critical Theory 30 No
EAS2113 Culture, Crisis and Ecology in a Postcolonial World 30 No
EAS2031 Creative Writing: Building a Story 30 No
EAS2032 Creative Writing: Making a Poem 30 No
EAS2035 Serious Play: Creative Writing Workshop 30 No
HUM HUM2000-HUM2001
HUM2000 Humanities in the Workplace 30 No
HUM2001 Humanities in the Workplace 15 No

Stage 3

60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules

d You must select either EAS3003: Dissertation or EAS3122: Creative writing Dissertation (you cannot choose more than one module from this group).

e You must select either EAS3195: Acts of Writing: From Decolonisation to Globalisation, EAS3179: Life and Death in Early Modern Literature or EAS3234: Citizens of the World

Compulsory Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
EGLS SF BA Dissertation 2020-1 [see note d above]
EAS3003 Dissertation 30 No
EAS3122 Creative Writing Dissertation 30 No
EGLS SF BA SH comp 2020-1 [see note e above]
EAS3195 Acts of Writing: From Decolonisation to Globalisation 30 No
EAS3179 Life and Death in Early Modern Literature 30 No
EAS3234 Citizens of the World 30 No

Optional Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
EGLS SF BA SH opt 2020-1
EAS3100 Hardy and Women Who Did: the Coming of Modernity 30 No
EAS3179 Life and Death in Early Modern Literature 30 No
EAS3181 Visual and Literary Cultures of Realism 30 No
EAS3182 Encountering the Other in Medieval Literature 30 No
EAS3191 Writing for Children and Young Adults 30 No
EAS3194 Resource Fictions: Oil, Water and Conflict in the World-System 30 No
EAS3195 Acts of Writing: From Decolonisation to Globalisation 30 No
EAS3197 Sport, Literature and Media 30 No
EAS3199 Publishing Contemporary Literature: History, Practice, Theory 30 No
EAS3219 Virginia Woolf: Fiction, Feeling, Form 30 No
EAS3225 'Reader, I Married Him': The Evolution of Romance Fiction from 1740 to the Present 30 No
EAS3226 Modern Irish Literature 30 No
EAS3234 Citizens of the World 30 No
EAS3252 Poison, Filth, Trash: Modernism, Censorship and Resistance 30 No
EAS3408 Poetry and Politics 30 No
EAS3409 Ghosts, Witches and Demons: the Renaissance Supernatural 30 No
EAS3248 Against the Mainstream: Alternative Comics, Politics, and US Society 30 No
EAS3128 Writing the Short Film 30 No
EAS3177 India Uncovered - Representations in Film and Fiction 30 No
EAS3180 Literature/Anti-Literature 30 No
EAS3190 African Narratives 30 No
EAS3198 The Death of the Novel 30 No
EAS3228 Romance from Chaucer to Shakespeare 30 No
EAS3231 Spectacular Bodies: Shakespeare and Counter-cultural Performance 30 No
EAS3237 The Rise of Science 30 No
EAS3241 Harlem and After: African American Literature 1925-present 30 No
EAS3235 American Modern 30 No
EAF3501 American Independent Film 30 No
EAF3513 British Screens 30 No
EAF3515 Something to See: War and Visual Media 30 No
EAF3518 Queering British Film and Television 30 No
EAF3106 Female Screens: Representation, Agency and Authorship 30 No
EAF3233 Surrealism and Its Legacies 30 No
AHV3004 Victorian Visions: Art, Industry and the Modern 30 No
EAS3245 The 21st Century Museum 30 No

6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:		Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...
...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:

1. Identify English as a broad subject discipline
2. Identify, evaluate and appreciate the variety of approaches and critical traditions taken within the discipline
3. Demonstrate an understanding of recurring themes in the discipline, such as class, gender, ethnicity, religion and war; trace and evaluate key developments within a topic and relate them to an overall conception of the subject matter
4. Demonstrate an understanding of texts and their critical contexts, and relate them with issues in the wider context of cultural and intellectual history
5. Identify and evaluate the distinctive character of texts produced in the principal genres and traditions across the historical range of English
6. Appreciate and describe how texts produce and reflect cultural change and difference
7. Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural and socio-historic contexts in which texts have been produced, presented and consumed
8. Apply critical terminology and, where appropriate, methodological, linguistic, stylistic, and/or formal terminology to an understanding of English; utilise appropriate bibliographical style

A1-8 are acquired through lectures, seminars, workshops, study groups, tutorials and other learning activities throughout the programme. The degree of specialisation of subject knowledge increases during the programme, culminating in the dissertation. Modules at stage 4 are most closely related to the research specialism of the staff teaching the module. The precise method of teaching varies according to each module. On team-taught modules you will normally engage in both lectures and seminar groups. In smaller options you will normally spend most of your contact time in seminar groups and workshops. Your learning is further developed through engagement with assessments, following guidance from tutors and lecturers and through feedback on work submitted.

The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, log-books, web-based assessments, essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation. Essays, exams and presentations
are especially significant within the programme because they assess each of the skills, A1-A8. The assessment criteria pay full recognition to the importance of the various skills outlined.

Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:		Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...
...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:

9. Apply critical skills in the close reading and analysis of texts
10. Articulate knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories relating to English
11. Demonstrate sensitivity to generic conventions and to the shaping effects upon communication of circumstances, authorship, textual production and intended audience
12. Demonstrate responsiveness to the central role of language and visual media in the creation of meaning, and a sensitivity to the affective power of language and visual media
13. Communicate effectively and construct a coherent argument in both oral and written presentations
14. Command a broad range of vocabulary and an appropriate critical terminology
15. Apply bibliographic skills appropriate to the discipline, including accurate citation of sources and consistent use of conventions in the presentation of scholarly work

These skills are developed throughout the programme in all modules, with the emphasis becoming more complex as students move from stage to stage. They are developed through lectures and seminars, written work, and oral work (both in presentation and seminar discussion), and reinforced through the range of modules across the programme. They will culminate in the substantial and independent research skills demonstrated within the dissertation

The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, log-books, web-based assessments, essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation.

Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
On successfully completing this programme you will be able to:		Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be...
...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class):...and evidenced by the following assessment methods:

16. Apply advanced literacy and communication skills in appropriate contexts including the ability to present sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments
17. Analyse and critically examine diverse forms of material, both textual and visual
18. Acquire and interrelate substantial quantities of complex information of diverse kinds, in a structured and systematic way, and involving the use of the distinctive methodological and interpretative skills of the subject areas
19. Apply research skills for the retrieval of historical material, and develop the ability to gather, sift and organize this material independently and critically, evaluating its significance
20. Interrogate and apply a variety of theoretical positions, and weigh the importance of alternative perspectives in a critical and self-reflective manner
21. Exercise independent thought and judgment
22. Engage with others through the presentation of ideas and information in groups, and work towards the collective negotiation of solutions
23. Plan and execute written and other forms of project-work over both short and long timescales
24. Complete tasks under time-constrained conditions and effectively manage deadlines and targets
25. Employ information-technology skills, including the ability to access and assess electronic data via the internet and through other forms of interactive media
26. Adapt and transfer the critical methods of the disciplines into unfamiliar contexts, including a variety of working environments

Personal and key skills are delivered through all modules, and developed in lectures, workshops, study groups, tutorials, work experience and other learning activities throughout the programme.

The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, log-books, web-based assessments, essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation. Outcomes C16-21 are also strongly developed in the course of the portfolio of assessed essays and other written work produced through the programme. These assessments work on the principle of offering formative feedback to support the development of your written work within as well as between modules. Feedback on one assignment is intended to inform the next piece of work you undertake on the module; the next piece of work on the programme, or the future learning of graduates. Outcome C22 is associated especially with the range of group presentations taking place in modules during the programme. Group presentation assessment brings into focus an important range of skills for students, including sharing workloads, responsibility for tasks, team working, collaborative and communicative skills. Individual contributions to group work are also assessed individually, most often in the form of a reflective presentation report. C23-25 are also accomplished in the course of ‘real-time’ formal assessments such as presentations and end of module exams, which occur through the programme. C26 is particularly related to the optional module ‘Humanities in the Workplace’, and to the study abroad element of the programme.

7. Programme Regulations

Classification

Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.

8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning

All students within English have a personal tutor for their entire programme of study and who are available for at least three hours a week at advertised ‘office hours’. There are induction sessions to orientate students at the start of their programme. A personal tutoring system will operate with regular communication throughout the programme. Academic support will be also be provided by module leaders. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.

9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning

Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.

10. Admissions Criteria

Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.

11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards

Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.

The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.

(http://as.exeter.ac.uk/support/admin/staff/qualityassuranceandmonitoring/tqamanual/fullcontents/)

12. Indicators of Quality and Standards

The programme is not subject to accreditation and/ or review by professional and statutory regulatory bodies (PSRBs).

13. Methods for Evaluating and Improving Quality and Standards

The University and its constituent Colleges draw on a range of data to review the quality of educational provision. The College documents the performance in each of its taught programmes, against a range of criteria on an annual basis through the Annual Programme Monitoring cycle:

  • Admissions, progression and completion data
  • In Year Analysis data
  • Previous monitoring report
  • Monitoring of core (and optional) modules
  • External examiner's reports and University and College responses (reported to SSLC)
  • Any Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body/accrediting body or other external reports
  • Consultation with employers and former students
  • Staff evaluation
  • Student evaluation
  • Programme aims

Subject areas are reviewed every four years through a periodic subject review scheme that includes external contributions. (http://admin.exeter.ac.uk/academic/tls/tqa/Part%209/9JREVISEDPSRSCHEME.pdf)

14. Awarding Institution

University of Exeter

15. Lead College / Teaching Institution

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)

16. Partner College / Institution

Partner College(s)

Not applicable to this programme

Partner Institution

Not applicable to this programme.

17. Programme Accredited / Validated by

0

18. Final Award

BA (Hons) English

19. UCAS Code

Q300

20. NQF Level of Final Award

6 (Honours)

21. Credit

CATS credits ECTS credits

22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group

[Honours] English

23. Dates

Origin Date

06/01/2005

 Date of last revision

05/04/2019