BA (Hons) English Literature · LJMUBachelor's degree · 4 years
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Liverpool John Moores University · Undergraduate

BA (Hons) English Literature Bachelor's degree at Liverpool John Moores University

BA (Hons) English Literature at LJMU. Liverpool John Moores' English Literature degree traces close engagement with texts across centuries and genres.

BA (Hons)
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
90%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

Explore hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at LJMU. One course is all it takes to shape your future. Find yours and apply today. From the provider’s course page.

BA (Hons) English Literature is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at LJMU, based in City Centre Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.

For English studies (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)

For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for English & Literature, see the sections below.

Course evidence score

The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.

8.2
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Exceptional92

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Exceptional90

Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Solid65

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 65% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Curriculum & modules

Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.

Foundation Year 4 modules
  • Preparing for Academic SuccessCore30 credits
    Module details

    This module provides you with the integrated skills required for academic success. It will enhance your knowledge and understanding of the terminology and expectations associated with higher education study and you will learn to identify, understand and demonstrate academic research, writing and referencing techniques.

  • Investigating LiverpoolCore30 credits
    Module details

    This module will provide you with the necessary skills to develop a Liverpool focussed research project from your subject perspective. You will identify and locate relevant source material; outline how this source material can be used as a foundation for your research project and write a coherent piece of academic work which evidences understanding of Liverpool.

  • War: Conflict in the Humanities and Social SciencesCore30 credits
    Module details

    This module introduces you to key themes and perspectives in Humanities and Social Science through the cross disciplinary study of representations of, and responses to, war. It will include regular assessment tasks in order to support a structured approach to learning.

  • Peace: the Pursuit of Harmony in Humanities and Social ScienceCore30 credits
    Module details

    This module aims to develop your understandings of society at peace through a multi-disciplinary approach in humanities and social science. The assessment tasks will enable you to focus on a subject area which will facilitate your selection of a pathway for Level 4.

Year 1 6 modules
  • American ClassicsCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module introduces you to a sample of American literature and key critical approaches that will be developed on your degree. You will develop the ability to articulate your response to works of literature, informed by a knowledge of historical contexts and perspectives. You will engage with debates about the role and status of reading in American culture and demonstrate a range of basic skills specific to the reading of literary texts.

  • Literary and Cultural TheoryCore20 credits
    Module details

    The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the basic strands of literary and cultural theories, such as feminism, Marxism, postcolonial theory, and psychoanalysis. It will allow you to explore and evaluate these theoretical perspectives through practical application to literary texts as well as to other primary sources.

  • World, Time and TextCore20 credits
    Module details

    World, Time and Text introduces you to texts from different periods and of different styles and genres. A primary concern of the module is intertextuality, and you are encouraged to make connections between quite different texts, to trace themes and concerns across time and space, and to discover and express intertextual relationships through scholarly analysis. The module introduces some important fields within literary studies, such as postcolonial writing, children's fiction, and feminist lit

  • Liverpool LegaciesCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module will introduce you to Liverpool as a global city with a rich literary heritage, tracing the creativity and multiculturalism which has shaped, and continues to shape, our world-famous city. You will read a range of works authored by or about Liverpudlians and consider the historical, social, and geographical contexts for writing in and of the city.

  • Environment, Culture and TechnologyCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module will introduce you to a range of texts from the late nineteenth century to the present which express vital ideas and concerns relating to the changing relationship between humanity, the natural world, and technology, including genre fiction (fantasy, speculative fiction, crime fiction, and children's fiction) as well as film and music. It will introduce you to key concepts in contemporary literary studies such as ecocriticism.

  • Critical Keywords for EnglishCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module introduces students to the study of English literature at undergraduate level, through set texts drawn from different historical periods and covering fundamental literary categories (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama). It will give students a grounding in the key terms that you will need in critical writing, such as form, narrative, character, and irony, and in the skills needed for English studies, including close reading, reading quickly and efficiently, and researching and writi

Year 2 7 modules
  • Body, Mind and Soul: Seventeenth-century Literature and CultureCore20 credits
    Module details

    The aim of this module is to introduce you to a range of seventeenth-century writings in their historical and cultural context to enable you to recognise different forms and genres used in the period. This module will also facilitate an understanding the concept of the Early Modern and issues of historical change and continuity.

  • Poetry MattersCore20 credits
    Module details

    Poetry Matters is a core module for single honours students (and optional for those taking joint honours) which focuses on how to read, understand, and enjoy poetry. Although it is mostly focused on twentieth-century and contemporary poetry in English, it is not a period-based or thematically-organized module. Neither is it a survey of modern poetry. The writers covered will assist students to appreciate some major developments in the medium over the last century, and will help them to think abo

  • AI and the HumanitiesOptional20 credits
    Module details

    This module speaks to the developing relevance and significance to the Humanities and society more generally of AI tools. It addresses both cultural, critical and creative aspects of AI alongside developing students' AI skills.

  • Modernism and ModernityOptional20 credits
    Module details

    This module focuses on the emergence of a modernist movement in Europe and America at the beginning of the 20th century and lasting until the decades after the close of the Second World War. You will be introduced to the literature, culture and politics of modernity through an engagement with a variety of modernist texts.

  • Postcolonial Writing: Power, Art and ProtestOptional20 credits
    Module details

    This module will introduce you to the field of postcolonial studies through a selection of literary and critical works. It will introduce the debates on the relationship between art, politics and culture at the heart of postcolonial literary criticism.

  • RomanticismsOptional20 credits
    Module details

    In this module, you will develop an understanding of the manifestations of Romanticism in nineteenth-century literature to assess the cultural afterlife and importance of Romanticism and its modes. You will explore the connections between politics, social history, and literary culture in Britain during a period of social instability and intense and rapid changes in many areas of life at home and abroad.

  • Short Cuts: Writing in BriefOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The aim of this module is to analyse a wide variety of short writing from the post-Second World War era to

Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.

Course in depth

What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.

What you'll study

You'll study close reading, critical thinking and literary analysis across poetry, prose and drama. A course like this normally begins with foundations in critical theory and literature set in historical contexts, from medieval to Renaissance writing through to Enlightenment, Romantic and Victorian texts. You'll usually progress to modern and contemporary literature, including global anglophone writing, alongside workshop-based creative or applied writing. In your final years, you'll choose specialist options such as Creative writing, Shakespeare & early modern, Contemporary fiction, Critical theory, World literature, or Publishing pathways, combined with advanced seminars and an independent dissertation project that lets you pursue your own literary research interests at depth.

Who it's for

This course suits you if you read widely and think carefully about how language shapes meaning and culture. You'll thrive if you enjoy discussion, can construct sustained written arguments, and want to understand literature not as isolated texts but as responses to their times and ours. You should be comfortable with close textual analysis and independent research, the programme asks you to develop your own critical voice rather than simply absorb set answers.

Careers & job market

Across English and Literature courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after leaving. Starting salaries (at 15 months) typically fall between £23,000 and £30,000 nationally; after 5 years, this ranges to £24,650–£34,800. Around 55% of working graduates progress into highly skilled roles or further study. Typical career paths include publishing, education, cultural policy, and communications, though graduates also move into law, business, and public service.

University & format

This degree is studied full-time over 4 years at Liverpool John Moores University, a public university located at its City Centre Campus. The course is taught in English and leads to a BA (Hons) award. Liverpool John Moores is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and the university holds a Silver award for teaching quality from the Office for Students' TEF 2023.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
94%
Learning opportunities
91%
Assessment and feedback
92%
Academic Support
98%
Organisation and management
92%
Learning resources
95%
Student voice
85%

Share of students responding positively.

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Applicant information

The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

Open daysOpen days

See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent91% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 96 - 111 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check LJMU's official course page for the current offer.

Who gets in

What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.

UCAS tariff of entrants

Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.

Qualifications held on entry

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent91%
an Access course4%
another higher-education qualification3%
Other2%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Accessible entry

Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.

Will you get in? Plot your grades

Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.

Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.

How to apply

Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesBCCA-level equivalent admitted students held
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write your personal statement

    A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results day & confirmation

    On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask LJMU whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Homeup to £9,790 / yr
Internationalset by the university

Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.

Check fees at LJMU →

For students who normally live in England

illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 4 years

2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.

Starting on or after 1 January 2027?

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.

Paying for it

  • Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
  • Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
  • Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All LJMU funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.

We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.

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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What English & Literature graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate earnings: this course

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£24,000£23,000 – £25,50015
3 years after£21,000£16,500 – £25,000190
5 years after£25,500£20,000 – £30,500190

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

90%
in work or further study 15 months on
55%
in highly skilled work or study
65%
continue past their first year
55%
find their work meaningful
40%
say work fits their future plans
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in english & literature · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs English & Literature nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£24,000
£23,000 – £30,000
After 3 years LEO
£21,000
£19,975 – £28,200
After 5 years LEO
£25,500
£24,650 – £34,800
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £18,500 – £36,000

National figures for English & Literature graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.

Work out your pay

Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.

What happened to 100 students?

Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.

90 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

75% working5% working and studying10% in further study55% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Value compared with similar courses

How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with English & Literature courses at the same study level.

This course £25,500Peer median £29,000Middle 50% £25,500–£31,500
24th percentile

Compared with 1,436 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.

UK occupations graduates enter

Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.

  • Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
  • Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
  • Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006

Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 55; response rate: 50%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.

Job market & outlook

How English & Literature graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across English & Literature courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
90%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

How AI is changing the work

AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.

What AI takes off your plate

  • Routine information gathering
  • First-draft writing and summaries
  • Standard analysis and admin
  • Repetitive processing tasks

More human than ever

  • Judgement and original thinking
  • Working with and leading people
  • Owning and sense-checking AI output
  • Ethics and accountability

The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.

Roles & employers

Where English & Literature graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.

Where they work

  • Publishers
  • Media & broadcasters
  • Marketing & PR agencies
  • Charities & public sector

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.

📈

Where graduates go

90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.

🎯

Your entry chances

Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.

Official-data snapshot

Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.2 out of 10: NSS 92.4% · in work or study 90% · continued 65%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Liverpool John Moores University

All students25,650
International8.3%
Aged 25+23.8%

Language and area studies across the UK

Students75,355
Aged 25+23.7%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Local crime-data context

A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.

Around City Centre Campus

5,301 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Violent Crime 1579Drugs 980Shoplifting 562Anti Social Behaviour 514Public Order 476

Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.

Is English & Literature right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to LJMU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is set per course by LJMU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.

English language

Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.

Student visa

You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.

Scholarships & funding

Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check LJMU’s funding pages.

Living costs

Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.

Working while you study

A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.

Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with LJMU and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 96 - 111 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by LJMU. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For English studies (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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