English and Sociology BA
Year of entry 2023
- UCAS code
- QL33
- Start date
- September 2023
- Delivery type
- On campus
- Duration
- 3 years full time
- Work placement
- Optional
- Study abroad
- Optional
- Typical A-level offer
- AAB (specific subject requirements)
- Typical Access to Leeds offer
- BBB at A Level including English and pass Access to Leeds.
Full entry requirements - Contact
- undergrad-english@leeds.ac.uk
Course overview
This degree gives you the chance to combine the study of very human subjects. You’ll learn about the ways in which societies are organised and structured, as well as one of humanity’s most popular forms of cultural expression – literature.
You’ll be introduced to the key principles of sociology and study English literature across poetry, drama and prose in core modules. We also offer a wide variety of optional modules, giving you the chance to explore the literary periods, authors and themes as well as the sociological topics that interest you.
Our academic expertise covers a wide range of topics in both English literature and sociology. As a result, we can offer flexible degrees with plenty of choice so you can pursue your own interests. You could explore topics such as American fiction, drugs policy, Old English, class division, digital humanities or disability studies. Whatever you’re looking for, the chances are you’ll find it at Leeds.
Facilities
The world-class Brotherton Library boasts unique manuscript, archive and early printed material in its Special Collections – valuable assets for your independent research. Our additional library resources are also excellent, and the University Library offers a comprehensive training programme to help you make the most of them.
Take a look around our libraries:
Course details
A joint honours degree allows you to study the same core topics as students on each single honours course, but you’ll take fewer optional and discovery modules so you can fit in both subjects.
In your first year, you’ll take introductory modules covering the key concepts and approaches in sociology, as well as choosing to explore poetry, drama or prose. This allows you to build a good knowledge base on which you can build in the following two years.
You’ll choose from modules covering the full range of English literature we teach, from medieval Icelandic right through to contemporary fiction, as well as optional modules on everything from children’s literature to post-Apartheid narratives and the politics of language. At the same time, you’ll select from a range of modules in major topics in sociology such as gender, racism and crime.
Throughout your studies you’ll develop analytical and research skills that allow you to form your own conclusions from the information you find. In your final year, you’ll get the chance to apply them to an independently researched dissertation in either subject.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.
Year 1 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Foundations of English Studies | 20 |
| Sociology of Modern Societies | 20 |
| Formations of Coloniality/Modernity | 20 |
Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Modern Fictions in English: Conflict, Liminality, Translation | 20 |
| Poetry: Reading and Interpretation | 20 |
| Drama: Reading and Interpretation | 20 |
| Race, Writing and Decolonization | 20 |
Year 2 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Central Problems in Sociology | 20 |
Year 2 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Power of Language | 20 |
| Language in Society | 20 |
| Medieval Literature | 20 |
| Restoration and Eighteenth Century Writing | 20 |
| Style and Authorship | 20 |
| Writing Nature: Creative and Critical Practices | 20 |
| Imaginary Friends: the consolations and consequences of story | 20 |
| Shakespeare and Global Cinema | 20 |
| African American Narrative: Eight Major Works | 20 |
| All the Single Ladies: Fictions of Female Autonomy | 20 |
| Sociology and Social Policy Research Methods | 20 |
| Crime, Law and Regulation | 20 |
| Disability Studies: An Introduction | 20 |
| The Sociology of Gender | 20 |
| Crime, Race and Ethnicity | 20 |
| Debates in Childhood and Youth | 20 |
| The Sociology of Culture | 20 |
| Sociology and the Climate Crisis | 20 |
| Sociology of Religion | 20 |
Year 3 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Contemporary Literature | 20 |
| Shakespeare | 20 |
| Current Practice in Creative Writing | 20 |
| Final Year Project | 40 |
| Digital Englishes | 20 |
| Arthurian Legend: Chivalry and Violence | 20 |
| Gender, Culture and Politics: Readings of Jane Austen | 20 |
| Milton | 20 |
| Children, Talk and Learning | 20 |
| Writing and Gender in Seventeenth-Century England | 20 |
| Tragedy: Classical to Neo-Classical | 20 |
| Sociology Dissertation | 40 |
| Quantitative Social Research | 20 |
| Disability and Development | 20 |
| Research Skills for your Dissertation | 20 |
| State Crime and Immorality | 20 |
| Contemporary Children, Young People and Families | 20 |
| Global Terrorism and Violence | 20 |
| The Social Life of Data | 20 |
| Gender, Technologies and the Body | 20 |
| Sociology of Consumerism | 20 |
| Protest and Social Movements | 20 |
| Ethnicity and Popular Culture | 20 |
Discovery modules
Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.
This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.
Learning and teaching
We use a range of teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from our tutors’ expertise. Lectures, seminars and tutorials are among the most common, but workshops are also occasionally used in some modules as well.
There’s also an important element of independent learning throughout your degree – this is where you build your research skills and learn to think critically about what you find. We have excellent library resources to help you do this, and the University Library runs training programmes to help you get the best from them.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
We use different types of assessment – normally a mixture of exams and essays, but oral presentations, dramatic performances, group projects and other practical tasks may also be used.
We also offer a wide range of support, such as extra classes on public speaking, exam technique and wider skills development which will be available throughout your time at Leeds.
Entry requirements
A-level: AAB including A in English (Language, Literature or Language and Literature).
GCSE: Grade 4/C in Mathematics.
Other course specific tests:
Alternative qualification
Access to HE Diploma
BTEC
We will consider the level 3 QCF BTEC at Subsidiary Diploma level and above in combination with other qualifications. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D2, M2, M2, including D2 in English.
International Baccalaureate
35 points overall with 16 at Higher Level, including 6 in English at Higher Level and 5 points in Mathematics at Standard Level
Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)
H2, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3 including H2 in English
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers
AB in Advanced Highers including A in English and AABBB in Highers, or A in English in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers
Welsh Baccalaureate
Other Qualifications
European Baccalaureate: 80% including 8.5 in English.
Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.
Alternative entry
We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.
Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.
Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.
International
We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.
International Foundation Year
International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
Fees
UK: £9,250 (per year)
International: £22,250 (per year)
Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2022/23 the fee will be £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.
Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students for 2023/24 have been agreed by the UK Government and will remain at the current fee level of £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.
Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 should be available on individual course pages from September 2022.
Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.
Applying
Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.
Read our guidance about applying.
International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023
This course is taught by
School of English
School of Sociology and Social Policy
Contact us
School of English Undergraduate Admissions
Email: undergrad-english@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:
Career opportunities
A degree in English and Sociology equips you with skills that are highly valued by employers.
You’ll have advanced communication skills, and you’ll be able to research a topic thoroughly and draw your own conclusions by thinking critically about the information you find. You’ll be analytical and capable of working independently or in a team. Of course, because you’ve managed two different subjects during your degree, you will also have organisational and time management skills.
As a result our graduates are attractive to a range of employers and have gone into careers in social work, the charity sector, education, journalism, law, the civil service and the creative industries. Many others have gone into postgraduate study.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Study abroad and work placements
Study abroad
On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America.
Find out more at the Study Abroad website.
Work placements
Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.
Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.