BA English Literature and Philosophy

at Durham University

Year 1
You will take three modules in English literature and three modules in Philosophy. The three first-year compulsory English modules introduce you to representative works in the major literary genres (novel, drama, and poetry), including knowledge of a range of writing before 1800. In the three first-year compulsory Philosophy modules, you will encounter the ideas and arguments of some of the major philosophers in the history of the subject, in their own writings; some central theories and arguments in the fields of Logic, Metaphysics, Epistemology, or Philosophy of Mind, broadly understood; some central theories and arguments in the fields of Moral, Political, or Social Philosophy, broadly understood.

Compulsory modules:
In the first year, you will take the following English Literature and Philosophy modules:

• Introduction to Drama
• Introduction to the Novel
• Introduction to Poetry
• Ethics and Values
• Knowledge and Reality
• Reading Philosophy.

Year 2
Subject to your choices of modules within the course, you will acquire and be able to demonstrate broad and detailed knowledge within the disciplines of Philosophy and English, together with an awareness of an increased variety of the ideas, concepts, and contexts relating to these disciplines.

Compulsory modules:

• Theory and Practice of Literary Criticism
• Moral Theory
• One of: Philosophy of Mind
• Language, Logic, and Reality
• Modern Philosophy I.

Optional modules:
Another two optional modules from English Literature and one optional module from Philosophy.

Examples of optional lecture modules in English (taught by weekly lectures and four one-hour tutorials):

• Chaucer
• Old English
• Old Norse
• Old French
• Renaissance Literature
• Victorian Literature
• Literature of the Modern Period
• American Poetry.

Examples of optional seminar modules in English (taught by fortnightly two-hour seminars):

• Jane Austen
• Arthurian Literature
• Germanic Myth and Legend
• Toni Morrison: Texts and Contexts
• The Brontës
• Evelyn Waugh
• Shakespeare’s History Plays
• Romantic Plays and Players (a maximum of one may be selected).
• Examples of optional modules in Philosophy:
• Biomedical Ethics Past and Present
• Science and Religion
• Political and Social Philosophy
• Philosophy of Religion
• Theory, Literature and Society
• Philosophy of Science
• The Philosophy of Economics and Politics: Theory, Methods and Values

Year 3
Subject to your choice of modules within the course, you will acquire and be able to demonstrate comprehensive and accurately detailed knowledge within the disciplines of Philosophy and English, exploring particular areas of specialisation in depth, as well as developing an awareness of the limitations of knowledge in each subject

The final year includes a compulsory 12,000-word Dissertation. In English this will be on a subject of your choice related to English literature. In Philosophy it will be an extensive study or survey of a philosophical problem or author.

Compulsory modules:

• Dissertation in English
• Dissertation in Philosophy (40 credits).

A level offer – A*AA including English Literature (or the combined English Literature and Language or equivalent) is required.

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – D*DD and English Literature/Language (or equivalent) are required.

IB Diploma score – 38 with 666 in higher level subjects, including English Literature or English Literature/Language.

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

• We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or from those who may have had a break in their study.
• We welcome enquiries regarding applications for deferred entry which may be considered in special circumstances. Please contact our Admissions team.
• If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take an International Foundation Year pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

The tuition fees shown for students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

• 85% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

• 83% are in a professional or managerial job
• Average salary of £25,000