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English and Irish (BA)

Queen's University Belfast

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The award
BA

How long you will study
3 years

Domestic course fees
find out

How you will study
full-time

Course starts
September

International course fees
find out

All study options

About English and Irish at Queen's University Belfast

Students undertaking English and Irish at Queen's explore the literatures and languages of both traditions in the widest possible sense. From the earliest writings in Anglo-Saxon to contemporary Anglo-Irish, British, and 'global' literatures, students study English in its historical, linguistic, cultural, material and ideological circumstances. The Irish language forms an integral part of Irish cultural life as a medium for education, music, literature, drama and television. Spoken for over 2,000 years, Irish boasts a vast early literature of world significance.

English and Irish Degree highlights

English Studies at Queen's has an extraordinary heritage, as represented by its globally esteemed writers, such as Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney and T.S. Eliot Prize recipients Paul Muldoon and Ciar��n Carson, among others.

Global Opportunities

  • English at Queen's offers a range of Study Abroad opportunities, from the Erasmus programme with a range of European partners, to the chance to study at a number of partner institutions in the United States.We welcome applications from European students who would like to attend Queen's under the Erasmus programme. This programme enables students who are already enrolled at a university in Europe to take time out from their own institution and spend either one semester or a full academic year at Queen's. Additionally, the Study Abroad programme is particularly popular with students from North America, Canada and Australia.
    http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Studyabroad/StudyAbroad/

Industry Links

  • We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, BBC Northern Ireland.

World Class Facilities

  • The Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry is named after our illustrious alumnus and recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Literature. Today, it is the hub for creative writing and poetry at the University and is staffed by some of the most highly-regarded practitioners in poetry, scriptwriting and prose in the UK and Ireland, such as Professor Ciar��n Carson, both recipients of the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry.Our state-of-the-art multimedia language centre provides students with learning facilities unparalleled elsewhere in UK and Ireland, and includes a Language Lab with the latest language learning and translation software (including SDL Trados suite).

Internationally Renowned Experts

  • Professor Mark Burnett is a leading scholar of the place of Shakespeare in the contemporary arts and is director of the Kenneth Branagh Archive.
  • Dr Marilina Cesario is an expert on Anglo-Saxon science and collaborates widely with astrophysicists in reassessing our understanding of pre-modern scientific thinking.
  • Dr Edel Lamb is an international expert on early modern child theatre companies and is currently developing a project on theatre rivalry and riots in Shakespeare's London.
  • Dr Gail McConnell explores the interface of literature and voice in her role as co-director of the AHRC-funded 'Listening to Voices: Creative Disruptions with the Hearing Voices Network' project.
  • Dr Alex Murray's monograph on the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben (2010) has been translated into Turkish, Japanese and Chinese and his latest book Landscapes of Decadence: Literature and Place at the Fin de Si��cle appeared in 2016 from Cambridge University Press.
  • Dr Glenn Patterson is the Rooney Prize and Betty Trask Prize-winning author of ten novels. He writes regularly for BBC Radio Three and Four, The Guardian and has made a number of documentaries for Irish and British television. His co-authored screenplay for Good Vibrations was nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Student Experience

  • From Personal Tutors to peer mentoring, we work closely with students to ensure they are supported at every stage of their degree.
  • A thriving cultural scene organised by our undergraduate and postgraduate communities, from the English Society and Poetry and Pints to the Lifeboat and the Yellow Nib, makes studying English at Queen's a unique proposition.
    http://www.lifeboatbelfast.co.uk/
  • Students can work with our visiting Fulbright Scholars, leading US academics who spend a semester at Queen's each year.
 'On starting English Literature degree in 2015, I never thought that I'd be dreading final year just for the fact I wouldn't be a part of English at Queen's anymore. I've had the chance to study such a breadth of prose, poetry and drama across all sorts of periods under some of the most fantastic lecturers. Probably my favourite aspect of studying at Queen's is the community and friends that I've made within English. From being able to attend my lecturers' research seminars to peer mentoring first years, it feels like a (fantastically literary) family and I feel I couldn't have made a better choice.'

Micheal McCann (Stage Two)

Careers

Career Prospects

Introduction
Studying for an English and Irish degree at Queen's will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen's are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, including English. In particular, employers value the initiative, imagination, creativity and independence of thought fostered by the English degree.
http://www.prospects.ac.uk

Employment after the Course
The following is a list of the major career sectors that have attracted our graduates in recent years:
Publishing, Media and Performing Arts
Public Relations
Advertising
Librarianship
Fast Stream Civil Service
Management Consultancy

Many of our former graduates have risen to the top of their fields and include many famous figures; for example:
Seamus Heaney, Nobel prize-winning poet;
Paul Muldoon, academic and poet;
Stephen Rea, actor;
Helen Madden, writer and actor;
Annie Kelly, journalist and writer;
Annie Mac, radio presenter.

Alumni Success
Hannah Webb
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/StudentsandGraduates/ImproveYourEmployability/StudentCareerStories/HannahWebb/

Professional Opportunities
Teaching in Irish-Medium education is a popular option for our graduates, who enter the profession after a postgraduate conversion course (PGCE) in education at Queen's. Irish at Queen's has links with a number of employers including the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), the BBC, Irish Language Broadcast Fund and other media companies. An G��m, Foras na Gaeilge and other schools and community groups in Belfast provide opportunities for placements for students.

Additional Awards Gained(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Prizes and Awards(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

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Study options for this course

Notes about fees for this course

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

The tuition fee rates for undergraduate students who first enrol at the University in the academic year 2018-19 have not been agreed. Tuition fees for 2019-20 will be based on 2018-19 levels, normally increased by inflation and these are set out below.

Northern Ireland (NI)£4,160England, Scotland or Wales (GB)£9,250Other (non-UK) EU£4,160International£15,550

Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student's tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.

Additional course costs

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library.

If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. A programme may have up to 6 modules per year, each with a recommended text.  

Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.  

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a final year includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

English and Irish costs

Joint Honour Irish students are required to spend 2 periods of residence in the Gaeltacht between Years 1 and 2 and between Years 2 and 3. The trips are subsidised by the School but each student is required to pay £150 per residency i.e. £300 in total. Students have to pay their travel to and from the Gaeltacht and this will vary according to distance. In Year 2 students can apply for a number of optional exchanges with institutions in the USA. The cost will vary depending on the institution and length of exchange and can range from £500 - £6,000. Students who undertake a period of study or work abroad, are responsible for funding travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. These costs vary depending on the location and duration of the placement. Students should be aware that placement and internship modules do not normally involve payment or financial support from either Queen's or the placement/internship provider.If the placement is undertaken under the European Erasmus programme, students are normally eligible to receive a top-up grant to contribute towards these costs. Current Erasmus grant rates are approximately €300 per month. A limited number of Erasmus grants are available.

How do I fund my study?

There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.

Information on funding options and financial assistance for undergraduate students is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/Fees-and-scholarships/.

Scholarships

Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/International-scholarships/.

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

Entrance requirements

A level requirements
ABB including A-level English and Irish
Note: for applicants who have not studied A-level English then AS-level English (grade A) would be acceptable in lieu of A-level English.

Irish leaving certificate requirements
H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in English and Higher Level grade H3 in Irish

Access/Foundation Course
Not normally considered as Access Courses would not satisfy language requirements.

Selection Criteria

In addition, to the entrance requirements above, it is essential that you read our guidance notes on 'How we choose our students' prior to submitting your UCAS application.

How we choose our students

Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.

Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form, which is considered by the Selector for that particular subject or degree programme along with a member of administrative staff from the Admissions Service. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.

For last year's intake, applicants for this BA programme must have had, or been able to achieve, a minimum of five GCSE passes at grade C or better (to include English Language). Performance in any AS or A-level examinations already completed would also have been taken into account and the Selector checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects can be fulfilled.

Offers are normally made on the basis of three A-levels. Two subjects at A-level plus two at AS would also be considered. The offer for repeat candidates is set in terms of three A-levels and may be one grade higher than for first time applicants. Grades may be held from the previous year.

Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of performance in individual BTEC units rather than the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.

Applicants offering other qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate, Irish Leaving Certificate or an Access course will also be considered.

Candidates offering Access/Certificate in Foundation Studies courses will be considered individually on their own merits, provided the subject requirements for entry to Irish can also be met. Where offers are made, these are conditional on both achieving an average of 70% in the Access course (including an average of 65% in Literature modules) and meeting the entry criteria for Irish.

BTEC Extended Diplomas, Higher National Certificates, and Higher National Diplomas can be considered, provided the subject requirements for entry to English and Irish are also fulfilled.

The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but, in the case of BA degrees, these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.

A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking four A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.

Candidates are not normally asked to attend for interview, though there are some exceptions and specific information is provided with the relevant subject areas.

If you are made an offer then you may be invited to an Open Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.

If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements

An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - FOUNDATION AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR ONE PROGRAMMES

INTO Queen's offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare international students for undergraduate study at Queen's University. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre on campus, and will have full access to the University's world-class facilities.

These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry.

INTO - English Language Course(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Foundation and Pathway Courses at other institutions

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