Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature (Optional Year Abroad)

at University of Westminster - Regent Campus United Kingdom

Our Arabic and Linguistics BA trains you to be a competent linguist ready to enter graduate employment.

Our degree offers the exciting combination of the study of Arabic language and culture alongside the wider study of the forms, structures and varieties of language itself.

You'll develop a high level of competence in oral and written communication in Arabic, proficiency in language transfer skills, and a thorough knowledge of Arabic culture. On graduation, you'll be able to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign languages skills in all areas. We teach in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between language and culture and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. 

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

The linguistics component of your combined degree will develop your understanding and knowledge of language to an advanced and sophisticated level, while fostering and enhancing your skills in using English.

The English Language and Linguistics MA aims to provide you with a thorough understanding of the linguistic features of English from a wide range of perspectives: theoretical and applied, synchronic and diachronic. It will enable you to understand and evaluate critically a wide spectrum of ideas put forward in the study of the English language (particularly in connection with linguistic variation in terms of space, time, communicative context and linguistic contact) and will equip you with the intellectual perspectives and the scholarly skills that will prepare you to conduct independent research.

The English Language and Linguistics MA is suitable for students who have taken English language and/or linguistics modules at undergraduate level, and others who have taken allied disciplines such as psychology, philosophy or TESOL. It is of particular interest to those wishing to pursue further study and those teaching English who wish to gain a further qualification and investigate recent and current developments in the field.

Our Arabic and English Literature BA will help you to become a competent linguist ready to enter graduate employment. The course places particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context of Arabic and offers high-quality teaching in all language skills, alongside an in-depth exploration of English literature.

On the course, you'll develop linguistic competence in speaking, writing, reading and listening in Arabic and you'll develop your knowledge and understanding of literary and cultural studies.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign language skills. You'll develop a high level of competence in Arabic, proficiency in language transfer skills, a thorough knowledge of Arabic culture, and the ability to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

In English Literature, you'll have the opportunity to examine literary and non-literary works of all periods from Shakespeare to the present day, taking in a wide range of authors and themes, with full and balanced coverage of dramatic, poetic and prose works.

You'll consider the wider historical and political contexts in which cultural and literary works have been produced and received, and relate the works both to intellectual history and to work in other arts and media, such as architecture and the visual arts. You'll also have the opportunity to consider the theoretical tools of textual, cultural and literary analysis in detail.

You'll have the opportunity to spend an academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, in an approved form of employment in a country where Arabic is the official language. A year abroad will not only improve your language skills but also contribute to your employability, encourage intercultural awareness, and build confidence.

Our Arabic courses are only available to beginner or 'false beginner' entrants - false beginners are students who may be able to read the Arabic script, and/or have the equivalent to one or two years' part-time study. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.

Our Politics and International Relations BA equips you to understand the comparative dimensions of politics at the local, regional, national and global level.

ou'll study political concepts, ideas, values and institutions, and explore the relationship between political theory and practice. While international relations shares these interests, it focuses on regional and global levels of political activity.

You'll also focus on areas such as globalisation, patterns of conflict and co-operation between states, and the shift from 'anarchy' in the global sphere to co-ordination through intergovernmental organisations and non-state actors (such as corporations and groups based in civil society).

Our course enables you to develop specialist knowledge of important political actors and key trends in international politics, and your critical and analytical skills in the understanding of political problems at both the national and international levels.

Top reasons to study with us

• An enhanced learning experience – Our central London location allows us to take you out of the classroom to visit places such as the Houses of Parliament, government departments, international organisations, NGOs, exhibitions and museums
• Our truly international outlook – We have been named the most diverse university in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand (source: Hotcourses Diversity Index 2018), and have students representing 170 nationalities
• A supportive community – We provide a supportive, inclusive, and dynamic environment with high student satisfaction. There are plenty of opportunities for community engagement, not least through the student-led Democratic Education Network - a runner-up ‘Student Experience’ initiative in the Guardian University Awards 2019

This course provides you with the foundation subjects required to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree along with the opportunity to spend a year of study in one of our partner universities in Europe, gaining knowledge of other legal systems, experiencing another legal culture, enhancing your European language skills and developing international links.

A law degree is seen as a valuable asset by a variety of employers, as is knowledge of another European legal system and another European legal language. When you apply, you'll need to demonstrate an aptitude for European language study, but this does not necessarily mean that you'll need to have a formal qualification. While abroad, depending on your language skills, you may study in English or in another European language.

You'll spend the third year of your degree studying at one of our partner universities in the EU, which offer a wide range of law courses, including some taught in English. We have partner institutions in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. On successful completion of your year abroad, you'll return to Westminster in Year 4 to complete your studies.

Top reasons to study with us

• International experience – our European Legal Studies course gives you the opportunity to live and study abroad with one of our European partner universities. You will gain invaluable international experience and can and learn a foreign language as a part of your studies
• Practise in a real-world environment – as part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your legal skills at the Westminster Law School Legal Advice Clinic
• Develop mastery of an area of the law – with our subject streams, developed by our research-led experts, alongside the core professional modules, you can specialise in entertainment and media law, commercial law, international law, theory and human rights law, criminal law and justice, or welfare law
• Boost your employability – skills and work-based learning modules are available in every year of the course

Our Spanish and Linguistics BA trains you to be a competent linguist ready to enter graduate employment.

Our degree offers the exciting combination of the study of Spanish language and culture alongside the wider study of the forms, structures and varieties of language itself.

You'll develop a high level of competence in oral and written communication in Spanish, proficiency in language transfer skills, and a thorough knowledge of Spanish culture. On graduation, you'll be able to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign languages skills in all areas. We teach in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between language and culture and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. 

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

The linguistics component of your combined degree will develop your understanding and knowledge of language to an advanced and sophisticated level, while fostering and enhancing your skills in using English.

Between Years 2 and 3, you'll have the opportunity to spend a full academic year abroad at one of our partner institutions, or undertake an approved form of employment in a country where Spanish is the official language. You may work as a paid language assistant in a foreign school or undertake a work (or volunteering) placement, both of which give you a valuable opportunity to boost your employability while improving your language competence. 

Our Spanish courses are only available to beginner or intermediate entrants. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point. 

Our English Language and Global Communication BA develops your understanding of the English language and the complexities of global communication in order to help you thrive in a professional global context.

You'll achieve a thorough knowledge of culture through comparative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches and via the analysis of the forms and practices of cultural transmission. You'll develop the linguistic resources, strategies and intercultural awareness and flexibility essential for effective communication in global professional environments.

Our combination of disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning will ensure that you graduate with an array of important transferable skills including cultural insight, the ability to evaluate and apply theory, undertake research and utilise creative and precise analytic capabilities. Engagement in small research projects and the associated ethical issues ensures that you'll have experience of considering and complying with ethical requirements.

Top reasons to study with us

• Enhance your communication skills abroad – You'll have the option to immerse yourself in another culture by spending a full academic year abroad. You can spend one or two semesters at a partner institution in Europe, the USA, Canada, or Australia
• Interdisciplinary learning – Our course enhances your written and spoken English skills while developing your knowledge of the English language and your understanding of communication within cross-cultural settings
• Become a global citizen – Studying our degree, you'll gain a high degree of linguistic and cultural autonomy, and develop the skills and international outlook to thrive in intercultural settings
• Learn transferable skills – Our degree will prepare you for a variety of careers by helping you to build your communication, research, critical and analytical skills

Our Chinese and International Relations course focuses on questions of governance, democracy and human rights while training competent Chinese linguists ready to enter graduate employment.

You'll have the opportunity to study language, culture and international relations in an integrated way, exploring the connections between them and the broader geopolitical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. You'll also gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

Top reasons to study with us

• Combine language skills with a knowledge of global affairs – develop your language skills against a backdrop of political and social understanding
• Learn Chinese in context – our authentic teaching, which focuses on language in a cultural context, equips you for real-life situations in the Chinese-speaking world
• Practise your language skills abroad – spend a year abroad perfecting your communication skills in a Chinese-speaking country
• Benefit from an expert teaching team – you'll learn from internationally recognised experts and benefit from the significant amount of contact time allocated to language learning on the course

Law is an interesting and challenging discipline that impacts at every level, from people's individual daily lives to the operations of government on the international stage. Increasingly the international dimension to legal study has become more important, across a wide range of legal areas, as the influence of European and international organisations has become so significant.

The Law LLB Honours offers you an exciting and dynamic educational experience, while also providing you with the core subjects required by the professional legal bodies. The legal profession requires graduates to possess both intellectual and practical skills, and the course explicitly addresses these requirements with a structured programme of skills development. It will equip you with the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

You can also add an international dimension to your studies through a further year of law study abroad in one of the School's partner institutions in Europe and overseas.

Top reasons to study with us

• Practise in a real-world environment – as part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your legal skills at the Westminster Law School Legal Advice Clinic
• Develop mastery of an area of the law with subject streams developed by our research-led experts – you can specialise in entertainment and media law, commercial law, international law, theory and human rights law, criminal law and justice, or welfare law
• An international outlook – the Law LLB has several international law options, the chance to study abroad, the option to learn a foreign language alongside your studies and is supported by our International and European Student Law Societies
• Boost your employability – skills and work-based learning modules are available in every year of the course
• Personalise your learning – with a vast range of optional modules to choose from

Our Creative Writing and English Language BA combines the opportunity to improve your writing skills with the development of a thorough knowledge and understanding of the structure, history and usage of the English language.

In addition to studying how the language works in its spoken and written forms, and the different kinds of English that exist today, the course provides structured support and guidance in the development of writing skills in various genres (the novel, the short story, poetry, drama, and non-fictional writing). Your knowledge and understanding of English will be enhanced by focusing on its aesthetic possibilities.

This particular combination is suitable for those interested in pursuing a career in any field that involves the highly skilled use of language, such as publishing or journalism, professional writing, or teaching. You could also go on to a career that includes teaching related to language or creative writing.

You'll have the opportunity to study an optional module from a range of different topics across the University in each year of study. The course will also equip you with the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

Top reasons to study with us

• Fantastic location for the creative industries - London has unrivalled access to publishing houses, film production companies, theatre and poetry networks, and other literary opportunities
• Writer-led workshops - all of our creative writing tutors are either practising poets, dramatists or novelists
• Gain valuable industry contacts - you’ll have the opportunity to make writing contacts through our talented creative writing tutors, our expert guest speakers and our industry links
• Get experience before graduating – you’ll have the option to do a work placement as part of this course
• Personalised support - you’ll get individually focused academic support and career planning through our tutorials
• Opportunities to gain international experience - our students have been on regular field trips and have had amazing opportunities to travel, work and study abroad. Previous destinations have included Miami, Hong Kong, Cuba, Berlin, Morocco, Washington and Paris.