English and Journalism - BA (Hons)
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
Our BA (Hons) English and Journalism course prepares you for a career in the dynamic and fascinating world of journalism. It develops your literary studies skills to analyse texts, conduct research, and construct arguments, while gaining valuable experience working on live stories in media environments, which will teach you how to craft a story in a way that engages the audience....
- Level Undergraduate
- Study mode Full Time
- Award BA (Hons)
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subjects
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Available with Professional Placement year
Open to International Students
Overview
[00:00:01] Speaker 1 My name is Tia Cullis and I'm a third year English Literature student. If you're thinking of studying English, BCU is the place for you, and that's why my story starts here. English literature was always the thing I was going to choose to do at uni. At the open day of the talks that we had, the information that we got given really made me understand that this was what I wanted to do. My highlight has probably been the modules that I got to take and how they have really influenced and shaped who I am as a person. I took a module that was about work placements, so I got to go the Black Country Living Museum and from there in that placement, it stemmed this kind of love in me for the marketing and from the it's made me realise that that's what I want to do as a career.
[00:00:46] Speaker 2 I'm Ian Taylor, I'm in my first year of my Creative Writing degree. I sort of went from the rural countryside to Birmingham, just this massive new place. I want to tell stories that make sure that the reader knows that they're allowed to love themselves, even if they feel no one else does. And I think a creative writing degree is just going to help that. I believe in the concept of having your own sort of people, and I think by coming to BCU, I've definitely found that I've met so many people that also like reading, that also like doing the things I like doing. You can't get really much better than that when it comes to making connections.
[00:01:22] Speaker 3 My name is Kseniia Yakutina, I'm doing Foundation Year and I'm studying English and Journalism. Before in Ukraine, I lived in a small town and because Birmingham is big, there's lots to see and do, lots of opportunities, lots of new and interesting people. After the invasion of Russia in 2014, there was a programme they opened to give some opportunities for children and I won a scholarship to come to England. And from there my English journey started. I really wanted to have the skill and know what am I doing, how to write and how to do it professionally. I really liked how the programme is built because they do really relevant modules. They have like literature, linguistics and also some of journalism. And it's, it's super interesting for me.
Our BA (Hons) English and Journalism course prepares you for a career in the dynamic and fascinating world of journalism. It develops your literary studies skills to analyse texts, conduct research, and construct arguments, while gaining valuable experience working on live stories in media environments, which will teach you how to craft a story in a way that engages the audience. You will benefit from industry-standard media facilities throughout your studies, including our live newsroom, to develop a journalism specialism in news, broadcasting, features, or design.
What's covered in this course?
Taught by world-leading academics, this course brings together the study of English with knowledge of journalism practice and professional development. Combining the study of literature, language, drama and creative writing with the development of skills to become a thinking media worker, you will benefit from subject knowledge and transferable skills from both disciplines.
Through the study of English you will develop an ability to work as an independent researcher, to communicate effectively in spoken and written discourse, to critically evaluate the work of others and respond imaginatively to original briefs. Understanding how language works in practice and how language and literature engage with societies are both vital in understanding how the discipline connects with the wider world, enabling you to focus on the production, interpretation and negotiation of meaning.
These skills intersect with the journalism component, where you will publish your stories, use blogs (including the student-run Birmingham Eastside website), learn to shoot and edit news videos, and employ social media channels and other interactive media to support your work and self-development. Work experience placements on live stories in media environments will teach you how to craft a story in a way that engages the audience. Teaching for the journalism component takes place in radio, TV and photography studios, editing suites and computer suites, where you will build your skills as you begin to make contacts in the industry and make your first moves into media work.
Professional Placement Year
This course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.
If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course.
Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year.
Doing a joint honours BA English and Journalism course has doubled the perspective on my learning. The balance can be challenging but I am leaving this degree with a multitude of skills that are truly one of a kind to this course. I have learned to optimise my research and gained really strong theoretical knowledge. My favourite part is that I feel I have helped my single honours course mates as well, by being able to bring a new light to topics in class that I have gained from each subject. It has been a formative experience and I am so excited to find out where it will take me in the future
Florence Jordan
Why Choose Us?
- You will benefit from student-focused and research-informed teaching in a friendly and supportive learning environment where you will be taught by world-leading academics and expert practitioners.
- Top 10 for English graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2024).
- English is a global language; its culture has an international reach. Understanding how English has been shaped and reshaped by its engagement with the world at large is a key principle of the programme. You can also apply to undertake part of your studies abroad to experience life and studying in another country at one of our exchange partner universities.
- By the time you graduate, you’ll be a thinking journalist with a specialism in news, broadcasting, features or design. You’ll also be adaptable to the changes that the industry faces. Our graduates have gone on to work for Sky, BBC, Trinity Mirror and the Express & Star. Others have scooped prestigious awards at the Midlands Media Awards while still studying, and seen their work appear on a number of national and regional outlets during this time.
- Access to state-of-the-art media and production facilities throughout your studies, and visiting lecturers from specialist areas, such as national newspapers, TV, radio, data, online and mobile journalism, offer in-depth advice on a range of topics. You also have the opportunity to be taught by undercover reporters, current BBC reporters, freelancers and mobile journalism experts.
- Our teaching staff are also expert researchers in English Language and Literature. 94% of research in English at BCU was judged to be either world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) in REF2021
Open Days
Join us for an Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Open Day: 22 March 2025
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2025/26.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
Essential requirements
- Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.
- Accelerate offer: 80 UCAS Tariff points. Find out more about BCU Accelerate.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 3 years
- £9,250 in 2025/26
- Apply via UCAS
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 3 years
- £17,690 in 2025/26
Guidance for UK students
UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
Applying through UCAS
- Register with UCAS
- Login to UCAS and complete your details
- Select your course and write a personal statement
- Get a reference
- Pay your application fee and submit your application
Guidance for International students
There are three ways to apply:
1) Direct to the University
You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.
2) Through a country representative
Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.
3) Through UCAS
If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.
Personal statement
UK / EU students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.*
The personal statement gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
- Course choice - Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
- Career plans - If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
- Work experience - Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
- School or college experience - Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
- Non-accredited skills or achievement - eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.
You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.
Worried about Personal Statements?
If you've got no idea where to start or just want to check you're on the right track, we’ve got expert advice and real examples from our students to help you nail your personal statement. You can even download our ultimate personal statement guide for free.
*Non-EU students are not required to submit a personal statement when applying for this course.
Course in Depth
First Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):
This module will introduce you to a key aspect of doing journalism – that is, telling stories about people and places. Through this, the module will help you transition into studying at the University, introducing you to how you will learn, making effective use of the university’s resources, managing your own time, and collaborating with others.
In this module you will be introduced to the core production skills of journalism. You will learn about news values and why stories are considered newsworthy before examining how stories are constructed and the different elements of an original news article. You will also explore ways to angle your story and identify the hook that draws in an audience. Learners will also develop an understanding of core newsgathering and productions skills such as finding leads, carrying out interviews and using quotes.
This module considers how we read and write prose. You will be equipped with key literary analytical
tools, including key terms and theories, which you will utilize in your analyses of prose works of
different kinds, including prose essays, short stories, and a Booker Prize-winning novel. You will also
discuss and practice your own prose writing techniques and have the opportunity to write creative
prose of different kinds. You will develop an understanding of the forms and conventions of narrative
prose, discursive styles, identify different types of prose, and differentiate between a range of
disciplinary perspectives.
‘Key Critical Concepts’ focuses on understanding and applying useful theoretical ideas and analytical
approaches to develop your close reading, interpretation, and analysis of literature. It will help you to
critically reflect on how language and literature function; on what we bring to a text when we read it;
and how to pay careful attention to form, style, and genre. The module promotes more sophisticated
readings of a variety of literary texts, including poems, plays, short stories, and extracts from novels,
ranging from the early modern period to the present day. By the end of the module, you will have
developed foundational knowledge of key critical concepts that you will be able to employ in textual
analyses throughout your degree.
In this module you will learn about the role digital platforms play in journalistic reporting. You will develop skills to allow you to work as a reporter in the online landscape by exploring how different media elements such as text, images, video and audio can work together to tell compelling stories. You will be introduced to publishing platforms and explore the ways in which online journalists can produce content using digital tools. The skills learned will form the foundation for you to develop an understanding of how journalism has evolved to embrace online platforms. You will then work to develop stories suitable for publication on outlets such as Birmingham Eastside and develop knowledge of how journalists connect with audiences in such spaces.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:
In this module, you will explore the concept of conflict in literature, from war and revolution to social class, gender, and race, as well as at a psychological level. Through a range of genres and periods, ‘Literature and Conflict’ seeks to engage you with a focused analysis of poetry, drama, the novella and the novel as specific forms and to equip you with the scholarly tools used to investigate them. Conflict creates dramatic interest in narrative, but many forms of criticism assume that conflict should ideally be resolved. We will query this and consider how more overtly ideological criticism might explore the contradictions within a text and disclose what the text itself cannot say. This may lead to the questioning of conflict, resolution and how a historical understanding of conflict is important in our contemporary world.
This module will introduce you to a range of topics in language studies, including phonetics, sociolinguistics, corpus linguistics, and media linguistics. You will expand your knowledge of linguistic concepts and terminology and learn how to apply this knowledge to the analysis of real-life examples of spoken and written language in use. You will be introduced to the phonetic and discourse-level characteristics of English and you will analyse these phenomena in context. The module will help you develop your skills in critical thinking, in analysing different forms of data, in identifying and synthesising information from a variety of sources, and in presenting your findings in a coherent and well-organised way.
In this module, you will explore key elements of effective creative writing and the techniques used to create and control form and style, such as showing and telling, imagery, viewpoint, and narrative. You will examine each element or technique in a given text and then apply what you have learned in your own writing. Textual examples are drawn from a range of forms, such as audio drama, screenplay, poetry, monologue, the novel, short story, stage play and memoir. Each week will inform a different element of your writing technique, feeding into new pieces of writing to be submitted for assessment in a portfolio at the end of the semester. You will also write your own personal Writer’s Manifesto which sets out the intentions behind your writing and your thoughts about the social purpose of writing in your life and the wider world. In preparation for this you will study a range of manifestos written by writers and creative thinkers.
Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Second Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 60 credits):
This module examines different forms of writing that engage critically and creatively with key issues connected to ‘natural’ and ‘man-made’ environments. Each week, we will study a different literary text, period and genre informed by appropriate theories and scholarship. We will consider how writing constructs, examines and challenges ideas about nature, life in cities, technology, and animals, and in doing so engages in debates about equality, sustainability, identity and otherness. Through a chronological approach to texts from the eighteenth century to the present day, these topics will be explored in a variety of historical, social, political, and aesthetic contexts. This module will enhance your understanding of reading and writing as practices through which we develop knowledge about the world, and the place of people within it. It will prompt you to consider the importance of the environment and sustainability in relation to employability skills and future careers.
This module is designed to help you to develop an understanding of the concept of freedom of expression, and how it is balanced by the legal, regulatory and ethical constraints on news reporting and the media in general. The module is key in developing your awareness, knowledge and skills concerning media law, enabling you to protect yourself, your employers, and subjects of your work. The module approaches law and ethics from a practicing journalist’s perspective rather than that of a legal professional.
Practical reporting will explore the ways in which you will be able to take a story from concept through to publication and output. This module is unique as it offers a simulated newsroom approach, where you will work to regular deadlines. The module will introduce you to the challenges faced by journalists in newsrooms up and down the country each day. You will work to live briefs and on specific reporting tasks designed to allow you to enhance a variety of skills such as sourcing news, identifying interviewees and researching background material to support your content.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete 20 credits from the following indicative list of CORE Faculty modules.
The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop professional attributes and subject skills through experience in the work place, and to critically reflect upon your learning in that context. You will normally be expected to arrange your own placement, with support from academic staff and ADM Careers+.
The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration by enabling you to create an interdisciplinary project with students from complementary disciplines, or with academic staff. Collaboration is a vital employability skill within the Creative Industries and this module allows you to develop these skills, making use of University facilities and with the support of academic staff. Within this module framework, several kinds of collaborative opportunities are available. For example, with the approval of your supervisor, you can determine a project based on your own interests; your supervisor may set you a predetermined project to enable you to work with other students in a way that is appropriate to your subject area; or there may be opportunities for you to collaborate with staff on research projects. In all cases, you must apply your subject skills to an interdisciplinary project which will be agreed in advance with your supervisor.
This module provides an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills to an external, professional brief. The brief will be set by or in discussion with an external client/agency/community and could be a ‘real life’ problem to be solved, or a simulation. It is an opportunity for you to engage in a responsive, imaginative and professional manner with an aspect of your subject area, which contributes to the development of employability skills within the supportive infrastructure of the University.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
This module introduces you to some of the principal works of one of the most dynamic and exhilarating periods in English literature, the cultural legacy of which has influenced the creative arts and the history of ideas ever since. The texts studied on this module raise profound and lasting questions, and you should approach them in a spirit of adventure and enquiry. Can literature act as an agent of revolution? What is the creative imagination? What is liberty? How should we conceive of the natural world? What is the significance of feeling and empathy? What is the relationship between language, society and authority? What do we mean by ‘Romanticism’? Of what is humankind capable? As such, the module also requires you to think about the relationship between literature and history, and how literary texts in any era respond both to the present and the past. Authors and their works are examined in their social, political and economic context, as well as the intellectual, religious and spiritual traditions in which they participate.
This module will deepen your knowledge and understanding of the core foundations of the English language and allow you to research intellectually challenging concepts using a variety of methodological approaches. You will focus on the description of English grammar, morphology, syntax and style as well as analyse linguistics phenomena in context. You will develop your analytical skills and capacity to be reflective and critical when synthesising complex information. The module will build your linguistic skills and thus promote graduate employability.
In this module, you will explore key elements of writing short stories and the distinctive ways they are used. You will discover themes, ideas, and approaches that are appropriate for use within a shorter form, and learn techniques used to create and control style and effect in this context. You will develop your skills learnt in year one, such as showing and telling, the use of detail and description, imagery, viewpoint and narrative structure. Your reading will take in both collections of short stories by a single writer and individual stories by a wider range of contemporary and classic writers. You will examine each element of style in a given short story and then expand and experiment with what you have learned in your own writing. You will write flash fiction and micro fiction as well as more traditional length short stories.
This module offers a survey of key 20th and 21st century texts and movements in western theatre. You will engage with the artistic movements that developed in Europe from the early 20th century and identify key playwrights and practitioners that brought significant changes to the stage, both on the continent and in Britain. Through studying a range of plays from this period, both as written texts and in performance, you will consider the ways in which innovations in the early 20th century continue to influence theatre writing and practice today.
This module covers the poetry and prose of the Victorian period, through which you will learn about the formal properties and trends of literature of the period and the innovations which arose, as well as the historical context including social change, gender roles and religion. You will be encouraged to read widely, and to look backwards and forwards through literary history to enable you to situate the literature of the period in context. There will be a strong emphasis on the close reading of texts and on the importance of research and reading relevant works of criticism; you will be encouraged to develop your research and writing skills and to work independently, which will support your work across this and other modules. We'll also think about Victorian culture and how this remains an important determining factor within modern society.
This module will introduce you the study of language and society and outline how language can vary based on a range of social factors. Over the course of the module, students will explore key concepts and terminology, as well as a range of topics such as language variation and change, language and social class, language and gender, language and race/ethnicity, language contact and bilingualism, language and education, language and the media, research methods in sociolinguistics, the role of language in wider contemporary society, and how sociolinguistic research can be utilised in non- academic contexts.
This module will teach you the essential skills of, and principles behind, the writing of films. While we will focus on short films, many of the principles we learn apply to screenwriting for film and television more generally. You will study a number of freely available short guides to screenplay layout and formatting and be trained in the practical application of screenplay formatting software. You will write several short scripts, given as fortnightly writing exercises, and receive detailed formative feedback on one of the scripts, which you can use to improve and develop your work for your final portfolio. You will focus on visual storytelling, layout conventions, and the issue of writing to scale (budget). You will also be encouraged to analyse, but also critique, dramatic construction in terms of character function, motivation and genre.
This module explores two concepts central to our understanding of what makes us ‘modern’: gender and sexuality. We will challenge ‘common sense’ understandings of gender and sexuality by interrogating cultural identities, such as queer, heterosexual, homosexual, gay, lesbian, straight and trans. It will introduce you to gender studies and sexuality studies as theoretical, social, cultural, political and historical fields of investigation.
‘Multicultural Literature’ focuses on the history of British multiculturalism in literature from the 1950s up to the present day. Exploring a range of British Caribbean, Asian, African, and other multicultural writing, we explore powerful stories of new beginnings, the search for belonging, diverse identities, and complex communities. You will develop a critical awareness of how writers deal with questions of race and nationhood, colonial discourse, cultural hybridity, migration and asylum. The module develops your aesthetic, critical, and historical awareness that will inform your independent thinking about contemporary multiculturalism. It spans a diverse set of literary texts (novels, short prose, poems) produced primarily by ‘minority’ writers in Britain since the post-war era (Caribbean, Asian, African and other less established immigrant groups). You will study these texts alongside relevant histories of migration, theories of representation, and critical debates about multiculturalism.
Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Professional Placement Year (optional)
In order to qualify for the Professional Placement Year, a student must successfully complete the following Level 5 module:
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 40- week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Undergraduate Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.
Final Year
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete the following CORE module (totalling 20 credits):
Knowledge of advanced reporting techniques has become increasingly important for both journalists and publishers as the journalism industry changes in response to widespread access to information and a more competitive publishing environment. This module will equip you with the advanced techniques to find exclusive stories and to ethically and accurately report those for an identified audience within professional contexts.
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete one module from the following list of CORE-OPTION modules (worth 20 credits)
The ‘Major Project Preparation’ module focuses on creative thinking and initial research to develop a proposal and plan for the delivery of your Major Project. You will be introduced to the skills, techniques and processes required to identify, articulate, and organise a project that can be successfully realised. It aims to ensure that you judge the appropriateness of a variety of critical and analytical approaches to developing a major project and that you create a plan that is within scope and can be delivered successfully to a high standard.
In this module you will develop a plan for the delivery of your Major Project. You will build further on project management skills, techniques and processes introduced elsewhere on your course, enabling you to bring together a project plan that can be successfully realised. You will synthesise your existing knowledge of your subject specialism and formulate your own approach to addressing a specific problem, question or topic. The module will look at how to evaluate the usefulness of primary and secondary source material in relation to your project and ensure you consider ethical issues in your project plan design. The module aims to ensure that you judge the appropriateness of a variety of critical and analytical approaches to developing a major project and ensure that you create a plan that is within scope and can be delivered successfully to a high standard.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete one module from the following list of CORE-OPTION modules (worth 40 credits)
The Major Project: Dissertation module is where you will put into practice the creative thinking, initial research, proposal, and plan developed in the Major Project Preparation module and wherein you will undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you and which represents the culmination of your studies.
The Major Project - Production module is where you will put into practice the creative thinking, initial research, proposal, and plan developed in the Major Project Preparation module and wherein you will undertake a sustained, in-depth production media project exploring an area that is related to an area of personal interest to you and wider audiences. Completion of the Major Project represents the culmination of your studies. You can produce a single media product or portfolio of products either individually or as part of a group.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
In this module we focus on modernism – the defining artistic movement of the twentieth century – to analyse a range of literary texts that we hope you will find challenging and rewarding. Together, we explore what literary modernism was but we also consider an active claim: that literary modernism continues to influence post-war and contemporary authors and that, in various ways, it persists well into late twentieth century and twenty-first century literature. We cover central modernist writers who are considered key formal innovators, such as Joseph Conrad, Ezra Pound, Virginia Woolf, and D. H. Lawrence. We then explore how later writers, such as Samuel Beckett, Jean Rhys, Muriel Spark, J. M. Coetzee, and Zadie Smith, handle the legacies of the modernist movement. You will be encouraged to engage closely with issues of form and style in significant modernist and postmodern texts. At the same time, we will situate these texts in their historical contexts, considering key themes and categories such as tradition, colonialism, industrialisation, culture, gender, time, and ethics.
This module will introduce you to the field of Applied Sociolinguistics and how sociolinguistic research can contribute to improving human well-being. You will learn to critically evaluate the role of sociolinguistics in addressing linguistic and social inequalities and how language shapes all aspects of social life. You will work with an external partner and investigate the application of sociolinguistic research to the solution of practical, educational and social problems of all types. You will learn how evidence-led sociolinguistic research can be applied in a variety of settings, including healthcare, law, tourism, the workplace, and other non-academic contexts. The module will develop your skills in leveraging sociolinguistic research to produce demonstrable changes in practice and teach you to how to engage a variety of external stakeholders and end-users in your research.
This module will enable you to build upon your current reading and writing of poetry, and to develop your range, technique and sophistication as a contemporary poet and thinker on poetry. As well as cultivating your ability to read poetry sympathetically and critically, you will learn how to nurture the poetic imagination and what Ted Hughes called its ‘psychic disciplines’, with a view to strengthening and emboldening the intuition and sensitivity upon which poetic technique depends. You also will acquire practical knowledge of publishing and performing your own work.
This module focuses on literature in the gothic tradition from its inception through to the present day. During the module, the development of the gothic form will be traced from its origins through to recent manifestations of the genre. Gothic literature often reflects social and cultural trends as well as providing a space to manifest cultural anxieties, expressing a society’s suppressed desires and fears in an acceptable literary form. Such texts can therefore be read not only as escapist, but as serious texts which seek to express often radical, socially unacceptable or psychologically-submerged ideas. The module will enable you to identify these undercurrents as well as to explore the major themes and aesthetics of the genre. You will be encouraged to interrogate texts with an eye to these issues, including those of gender, race and class, and to contextualise the texts in order to analyse and understand the changing concept of Gothic.
‘Moral Philosophy’ enables students to explore ethical issues concerning, for example, animal rights, abortion, euthanasia, inequality, and the environment. So doing, it offers the opportunity to practise research, writing, and critical thinking skills in a discipline adjacent to English. Students begin by reviewing a range of key philosophical frameworks from Aristotelian virtue ethics to Kantian duty-based ethics through to contemporary utilitarianism. Core concepts such as personhood and the nature of social contracts provide the basis for a series of applied case studies. The module equips students with practical skills in evaluating the ethics of particular choices, encouraging good citizenship, compassion and an understanding of global issues.
Media Activism is a practice-based research module for students who wish to study media activism, and engage in media activist work in practice within social justice, community media and voluntary sectors. This module will examine the role of media in political campaigns and social movements, with a focus on the role of digital communications. It will draw on a range of interdisciplinary literature from media studies, social movement studies and political theory, and examine case studies of political campaigns and social movements in the UK and globally. The first half of the module will introduce students to broader theoretical and political debates around media activism, while the second half will focus on the application of the principles to real-world examples.
This module will enable you to look towards the future innovations occurring within the fields of digital media. Starting with a history of digital emergence, considering concepts such as remediation, convergence culture, and the post-digital, we will then begin to unearth some of the more experimental and emerging practices, and consider their viability for a digital future. We will ask why some mediums prevail and others pass us by and to question what is really “new” about new media, and how we might escape certain structures and practices that constrict our developments. This module will also engage critically with ideas of utopian and dystopian predictions of the future and engage with concepts such as posthumanism and transhumanism to ask what the long-term impact of digital media usage might mean, from AI to cyborgs and beyond.
This module is for students wishing to further their creativity and provides the opportunity to develop a unique visual style as a photographer in line with appropriate professional practice. You will engage with a variety of creative photographic approaches and explore innovative practice, informing your own photographic style and enabling you to work professionally within specific fields of photography.
Audience and user experience design is the reference point for meeting audience and user needs for most media products. User experience is the understanding of who your audience is, what motivates them, what frustrates them, and how to add value to their lives. User experience enables the designer of experiences and media products to meet their audience’s needs on an emotional level through a creative process called "design thinking" and encourages repeated use. In an increasingly user-focused world, user experience design is an area that transcends its home of digital media design and can be applied to any field that requires an audience and consumer interaction, with many employment and further education opportunities to consider.
This module examines key issues, concepts and debates relating to race, culture and the media, and how the diversity of lived experience is represented in the media. The module takes an intersectional perspective, considering race in relation to gender, sexuality, citizenship, etc. It engages with literature from Media and Cultural Studies, and also draws on Postcolonial Studies, Critical Race Theory and other aspects of Humanities scholarship. A range of media examples will be considered, ranging from film and television to digital media platforms. Students will have the opportunity to explore their own personal and research interests in relation to the module themes, and explore methodological approaches for doing so. Students are encouraged to consider their own positionality and identity as media workers/scholars in relation to the module themes and their own work.
Communication in Action takes a critical look at how organisations operating across a wide variety of sectors use communications techniques to achieve operational goals. It examines the PR strategies and practices they use to enhance their credibility and reputation with a range of stakeholders through effective messaging.
Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Download course specification
Download nowHow you will learn
Your learning will be through a mixture of lectures, practical workshops and seminars. Your course also provides an opportunity to undertake work-based learning through a placement. We embed flexible opportunities for you to access your curriculum including recorded lectures, blended learning, on-campus delivery and intensive delivery of some modules. We recognise that students progress to higher education from a variety of educational experiences and that university is a completely new educational environment for most of you. For that reason, you will find that in your first year with us there is a focus on supporting your transition which places an emphasis on developing both the confidence and the competencies required for being successful at your university assignments. Where appropriate, we will bring in external speakers or arrange visits relevant to your specialism. These may be from industry or be focused on a particular specialist academic interest. We have excellent links with industry, community and scholarly partners which we draw on to enhance your learning experience.
How you will be assessed
All our assessments are designed to ensure that you meet the learning outcomes of your modules and thus of the course overall. Assessment types may include written research reports, essays, case studies, practical work, portfolios and presentations. There is one exam, taken online, in an optional module in the second year of your course. You will be assessed as an individual but there may be times when you will be asked to work within teams and submit assessments as groups. All modules offer chances for formative assessment, that is, informal assessments that are used to assess your understanding before the final submission of your work. Formative assessments also help inform the teaching strategy within a module, identifying areas where we can offer extra help and guidance. We will offer tutorials and a chance for you to discuss your draft assessments before you submit them. Once marked, we will give formal feedback and ‘feed forward’ on all work submitted, aimed at helping you improve future submissions.
Teaching and learning activities
Teaching and learning activities may include lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips and guided independent study. You will also have access to a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, including seminars by prestigious guest speakers and published authors, and a programme of scholarly and creative events. Online facilities, such as the University’s Virtual Learning Environment Moodle, are used to guide, support and enhance your learning experience. You will benefit from tutorial support and spoken or written feedback on your learning and preliminary work to help you in preparing for and reflecting on your assignments. A wide range of assessment methods are used in the programme, including essays, presentations, exhibitions, conferences and creative portfolios, giving you the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills.
We pride ourselves on giving students real journalism experience through practical activities. These have included reporting live on breaking news stories, as well as planning and implementing coverage of major sporting, cultural and political events alongside professional outlets.
You will also get the chance to see your work published on the award-winning Birmingham Eastside website which is run by students on our Journalism modules.
Learn from industry experts
The school regularly organises talks and visits that will provide you with the chance to learn from industry experts with guest masterclasses and visiting authors.
Novelist Jim Crace delivered a series of workshops with students, giving feedback on their work and an insight into the world of professional writing and the publishing industry. Student Nabiyah Saddique said: "It was beneficial to students like me who want to write and be an author by career, to see how his experiences have shaped him and how he has created such beautiful pieces of work from these experiences."
Jim also enjoyed the chance to work with the students: "Everybody tried their hands at pitching an idea, writing the opening paragraphs of a novel, and line editing. It was testing and daunting but nobody fell short. The level of commitment and ability was astounding. London publishers should be beating a path to the School of English; it houses writing talent in abundance."
Student work
A partnership with other local news organisations has seen students create and run live blogs on issues such as local and general elections.
Students are using virtual reality and 360 degrees technology to tell stories in innovative ways – work which has led to coverage on a leading industry website.
Multiplatform reporting is allowing our students to create unique and powerful ways of telling real stories using a range of skills and different types of media.
Employability
Enhancing Employability skills
Employability is embedded across our programme, from sector and industry-specific skills in creative writing, drama, linguistics and literature, through to transferable skills that hold real value regardless of your employment direction.
These skills include literacy and numeracy, time management and organisation, oral and written communication, team work, initiative and enterprise, creative and analytical thinking, self-direction and discipline, independence, information gathering and interpersonal skills.
You will have multiple opportunities to engage in problem solving and problem-based learning, particularly through individual assessments and collaborative practice modules, and to reflect on your own career development needs through participating in the Graduate+ scheme and other employability schemes over the course of your degree.
The course will equip you with first-hand practical expertise and provide you with the rigorous academic knowledge you’ll need to fulfil a career in your chosen communications and journalism field.
As one of our graduates, your skills will be very highly sought after because we teach valued transferable skills, in addition to providing solid academic grounding and practical skills in real-world application.
Our modules regularly adapt to cover live news events as they happen. For example, our students have covered general election counts across the region through the night alongside staff and professional journalists.
Because we use industry-standard software and equipment, and focus on creating content for a modern world, you’ll be capable of covering a story for any outlet and have the adaptable skills necessary to thrive in this fast-paced industry.
Placements
The university is committed to developing strong links with employers in Birmingham and the West Midlands. Several language and creative writing modules have explicit employer and industry engagement, where you work in collaboration with employer and external partners over the course of the semester, and are encouraged to adopt industry-standard practices to facilitate connections and links independently with external partners.
In the case of the work placement module, you will have the opportunity to develop skills and abilities in a sector-specific context, while ensuring that academic aims and objectives are met as part of your wider learning journey.
You’ll be expected to undertake at least two placements during your course, a two-week placement in your first year and a three-week placement in your second year. You’ll identify which placement will suit your needs – some of our previous students have chosen to work at newspapers, while others have opted for magazines and independent online publishers.
Placements should reflect the broadening horizons of journalism through such organisations as hyper local publications, or websites and specialist publications.
Links to industry
We regularly seek out opportunities to build further links with partner organisations in the region, including Creative Black Country, Birmingham Literary Festival, Birmingham Museums Trust (including Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery), Black Country Museum Trust, Arvon Creative Writing Foundation, Flatpack Film Festival, West Midlands Screenwriters' Forum, and other Schools within the University, in addition to publishers, charities, third sector organisations, and more, in Birmingham and beyond.
Regular guest speakers and visiting lecturers from newspapers, broadcast, magazines and online publications will provide you with an insight into the modern journalism industry. By working with specialists in their field you will be able to learn how to bring stories to life.
You’ll also get the chance to engage directly with industry through activities such as hack days and projects with the likes of the BBC, The Times and Trinity Mirror. We have excellent links with a number of national, regional and local outlets, with students regularly taking up placements with the likes of Sky and the BBC.
International
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
When you join Birmingham City University, the first thing you will notice is the high standard of our campuses. With an investment of over £400 million across our buildings and facilities, we are committed to giving you the very best learning environment to help shape your experience.
Our English courses are based at both Millennium Point, and at our £63 million development the Curzon Building, located on our City Centre campus in the vibrant second city that is Birmingham.
Discover your bright and open learning spaces, your 24 hour (during term time) library, drama, media and radio studios, along with state of the art lecture theatres, and a variety of sociable break-out areas, all adding to your unique learning experience.
Our staff
Professor Diane Kemp
Professor of Broadcast Journalism
Diane Kemp is Director of the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, which launched in March 2020, and Professor of Broadcast Journalism in CoEM. Before joining the university, Diane worked in commercial and BBC radio before moving into BBC television news and current affairs. She was also Deputy Chair of the Broadcast Journalism Training...
More about DianeDr Rachel-Ann Charles
Course Director & Lecturer
Rachel-Ann is a Course Director on the MA in Global Media Management and she lectures across undergraduate courses within the School of Media. She is also a Researcher at the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR), Birmingham City University (BCU) and has made contributions to the study of social action community media within a...
More about Rachel-AnnDave Harte
Head of the College of English and Media (interim)
Dave Harte is Associate Professor in Journalism and Media Studies. His research is focused on local and community journalism, and he has published widely on these topics.
More about Dave