English Literature with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons)

Program Overview

The English Literature with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons) program at Swansea University provides a comprehensive understanding of English literature from medieval to modern times. Through a foundation year and three years of study, students develop critical thinking, communication, and research skills, preparing them for careers in various sectors, including education, marketing, and project administration. The program features a diverse range of modules, including creative writing, literary theory, and cultural studies, taught by experienced and published writers.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

English Literature with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons) is a four-year undergraduate degree program that provides students with a comprehensive understanding of English literature from the medieval period to the present day. The program is designed to cultivate sensitivity towards language and open up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping students develop transferable skills highly valued by employers. The foundation year gives students an exciting introduction to higher education, exploring the humanities and social sciences before progressing to the full degree program. It is ideal for students who need a little more support after further education or who are returning to education after a gap.

Outline:

The program covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Year 0 (Level 3):
• Academic Writing and Skills Development
• Introduction to Being Human
• Introduction to Research
• Critical Reflection and Problem Solving
• Research Essay
• Place, Memory & Identity in Literature, Film and Art
• Year 1 (Level 4):
• Monsters, Theories, Transformations
• English Essentials
• The Stage Play World
• The sound system of English
• Approaches to Gender in English Literature
• Creative Writing: Fiction Genres
• Introduction to American Literature and Culture
• Literature and Society in Medieval Europe
• Creative Writing: Styles of Fiction
• Year 2 (Level 5):
• Debating Texts: Theory in Literature
• Revolution of the Word: Modernism
• Exploring the Bloody Chamber: Medieval to Postmodern
• Fragments of Union: The Cultural Making and Breaking of Britain
• Contentious Shakespeare
• Medieval Encounters
• Year 3 (Level 6):
• Dissertation - English Literature (optional)
• Welsh Gothic / Gothic Wales
• Staging the Image: Drama and Visual Culture
• Written in Blood: Reading the Vampire
• Graphic Novel
• Beyond Shakespeare
• African American Literature 1910-1940: The Harlem Renaissance
• Chaucer
• Reading/Writing Trauma
• Stylistics
• Plato's Republic
• Crime Fiction since 1920
• Madness, Malady and Melancholia: Literature and Medicine from Genesis to Genomes
• The Swansea University International Dylan Thomas Prize Module
• Contemporary American Fiction
• Science Fiction and Media

Assessment:

Assessment methods vary depending on the module but may include:

• Essays
• Exams
• Presentations
• Creative writing
• Research projects

Teaching:

The program is taught by a team of experienced and established writers whose work has been widely published, broadcast, and performed. Academic staff are internationally recognized for their research. The program also offers the option of a semester in the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, or Singapore.

Careers:

Graduates of the program enter careers in a wide range of sectors, including:

• Education
• Marketing
• Social media
• Project administration

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

UK: £9,000 International: £17,500 Fees for full time Undergraduate UK students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government. Fees for full time Undergraduate EU/International students will increase by 3% for each subsequent year of study.