BA (Hons) English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation Bachelor's degree at the University of Birmingham
BA (Hons) English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation at University of Birmingham. Studying English Literature alongside Classical Literature and Civilisation at the University of Birmingham means moving between two closely connected but distinct traditions of storytelling and thought.
About this course
Course details for prospective students on our BA English Literature and Classical Literature & Civilisation undergraduate degree programme. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Birmingham, based in Edgbaston campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For English studies (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 62% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £26,000. (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.
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)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 50; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 95% (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.
Year 1 18 modules
- Project ACompulsory10 credits
- Project BCompulsory10 credits
- Greek WorldCompulsory20 credits
- Literary Worlds: From Revolution to PostmodernityCompulsory20 credits
- Literary Worlds: From Riddles to NovelsCompulsory20 credits
- The Roman WorldCompulsory20 credits
- Approaches to Children's Literature AOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Children's Literature BOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Fantasy, Sci Fi and Dystopia AOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Fantasy, Sci Fi and Dystopia BOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Medieval Literature AOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Medieval Literature BOptional10 credits
- Approaches to North American Literature AOptional10 credits
- Approaches to North American Literature BOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Plays and Performance: Shakespeare and Beyond AOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Plays and Performance: Shakespeare and Beyond BOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Critical ReadingOptional10 credits
- Approaches to Literary CulturesOptional10 credits
Year 2 9 modules
- Classical EpicCompulsory20 credits
- Imagined Worlds: Genre Fiction and Popular CultureOptional
- Aspects of ModernismOptional
- GothicOptional
- Shakespeare: ElizabethanOptional
- Egyptian LanguageOptional
- Matrons and Monsters: Women in Rome and ByzantiumOptional
- Republican and Imperial RomeOptional
- Understanding Ancient SocietiesOptional
Year 3 9 modules
- CAHA DissertationOptional40 credits
- Dissertation in English LiteratureOptional40 credits
- Joint Honours Link DissertationOptional40 credits
- Death, Burial and SocietyOptional
- Greek MythologyOptional
- SpartaOptional
- Interactivity: The Theory and Practice of Getting Stuck InOptional
- Bringing Out the Bodies: Technology, Transhumans and SkinOptional
- Last Year's NovelsOptional
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
The degree is structured to build your knowledge and skills progressively. Early study establishes core theory in both English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation, giving you a grounding in literary analysis, historical context and the critical vocabulary needed to discuss texts from very different periods with confidence. Alongside this, you'll be introduced to research and methods, how scholars in each discipline approach evidence, whether that's a medieval manuscript, a classical inscription, or a modern critical edition. As you progress, the emphasis shifts towards applied practice, where you put analytical and interpretive skills to work on primary texts, and towards specialist options such as particular periods, authors, genres or classical themes that let you follow your own interests. In the final year, an independent project gives you the chance to design and carry out a piece of sustained research on a topic of your choosing, supervised by academic staff. Professional skills are woven throughout the course, helping you translate close reading, argument-building and research into abilities that are useful well beyond the seminar room.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who enjoys reading closely and asking why a text works the way it does, whether that text is a Greek tragedy, a Roman epic, or a twentieth-century novel. If you find yourself naturally comparing stories across time, noticing how an ancient myth resurfaces in a modern poem, or wanting to understand the historical and cultural context behind what you read, this combination will feel like a natural fit. You don't need to have studied Classics before; what matters more is curiosity about the ancient world and a willingness to engage with unfamiliar material alongside more familiar literary study. Over three years you'll spend a good deal of time reading, discussing ideas in seminars, and writing extended essays, so you should be comfortable working independently and enjoy the process of developing an argument over time. Most students accepted onto the course arrive with A-levels or equivalent, typically in the 128–143 UCAS tariff range, though this reflects recent entrants rather than a fixed requirement. By the end, you'll have developed the kind of flexible, articulate thinking that comes from constantly moving between two rich literary traditions.
Careers & job market
Graduates of English & Literature courses nationally have gone on to a wide range of outcomes. Across the sector, Graduate Outcomes data shows that 85% of graduates from English & Literature courses were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with 55% of those in employment describing their role as highly skilled work or further study. Nationally, starting salaries reported at the 15-month stage range from roughly £23,000 to £30,000, with figures after three years spanning approximately £19,975 to £28,200, and after five years £24,650 to £34,800. These are national figures drawn from Graduate Outcomes and LEO data for the wider subject area, not specific to the University of Birmingham, and they should be read as a general indication of the range of outcomes rather than a guarantee of what any individual graduate will earn. The combination of literary analysis, research skills and independent project work developed on this course is the kind of grounding that has traditionally supported progression into further study or into roles where strong written communication and critical thinking are valued.
University & format
The University of Birmingham is a public, Russell Group university founded in 1900, with a student body of over 30,000 across all its programmes. This BA (Hons) in English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation (UCAS code QQ3V) is delivered full-time over three years, entirely in English, at the university's Edgbaston campus. The university holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 assessment, and was. As a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, it is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, meaning the qualification you receive is nationally recognised. The university also offers bursaries and scholarships, and prospective students are encouraged to check its funding pages for details of what may be available to them.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
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.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
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
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
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.
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.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code QQ3V). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write 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.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results 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.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Birmingham →For students who normally live in England
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.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
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.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
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
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £26,000 | £23,000 – £30,000 | 50 |
| 3 years after | £24,000 | £20,500 – £28,000 | 145 |
| 5 years after | £30,500 | £24,000 – £36,000 | 150 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 50; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in english & literature · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs English & Literature nationally
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.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 50; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. 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.
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 · 19% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 17% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 12% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 11% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
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: 50; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation worth it?
It depends. BA (Hons) English Literature and Classical Literature and Civilisation adds about +£35,630 over the first ten years vs. going straight to a job, but on these earnings the payoff is slower than average.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 20.8. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How English & Literature graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
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.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Publishers
- Media & broadcasters
- Marketing & PR agencies
- Charities & public sector
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit English & Literature graduates.
English GraduateRibbons and Reeves LimitedEnglish, Maths & Digital Skills ManagerHIT TrainingEnglish Certification Examiner (Written & Oral) – Paid TrainingPearsonEnglish Supply Teachers - Oldham and RochdaleTradewind RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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 £26,000. 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 9.1 out of 10: NSS 87.1% · in work or study 90% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Birmingham
Language and area studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Edgbaston campus
1,313 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
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 University of Birmingham from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Birmingham; 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 University of Birmingham’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 University of Birmingham and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Birmingham
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Common questions
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