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BA Joint Honours Theology and English (UCAS Code: QV36)

English

School of English

Degree Selected

BA Joint Honours Theology and English (UCAS Code: QV36)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For course information
Dr Eamonn Hughes
School of English
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3320
E: english@qub.ac.uk
W: http://www.qub.ac.uk/english

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Entrance Requirements

BA Single Honours
English 3 yrs (Q300)

BA Joint Honours
Drama and English 3 yrs (WQ43)
English and Film Studies 3 yrs (QW36)
English and French 4 yrs (QR31)
English and History 3 yrs (QV31)
English and Irish 3 yrs (QQ53)
English and Linguistics 3 yrs (QQ31)
English and Philosophy 3 yrs (QV35)
English and Politics 3 yrs (QL32)
English and Social Anthropology 3 yrs (QL36)
English and Sociology 3 yrs (QL33)
English and Spanish 4 yrs (QR34)
Theology and English 3 yrs (QV36)

 

Entrance Requirements
A-level:
ABB including A-level English for Single Honours and Joint Honours with History, Linguistics and Politics. BBB including A-level English for other options.
Note: AS-level English (grade A) would be acceptable in lieu of A-level English.

Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2B2B2/AB2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grade B2 in English for Single Honours and Joint Honours with History, Linguistics and Politics.
B2B2B2B2CC/B2B2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grade B2 in English for other options. 

All applicants
If you plan to study English as a Joint Honours degree you should refer to the subject requirements for the other course.

For students whose first language is not English
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 are an international student and you do not meet the English Language requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will develop the language skills you need to progress. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses. For a full list click here

 

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The Subject

English Studies at Queen's brings together a variety of specialist approaches under a single subject heading. 

Our literature modules encourage students to look at a writer's works in the context of the historical period, the cultural background, and the literary genres to which these works belong. They also introduce students to critical theories such as feminism, structuralism and post-structuralism, which are now a significant part of literary studies. 

Our language modules (also available on the Linguistics pathway) encompass the study of language structure and function, including the day-to-day use of the language and the major influences which have shaped it over the last millennium and a half.

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Course Content

Stage 1 
There are six English modules in Stage 1, including English Language and Creative Writing. Joint Honours students take three English modules, whilst Single Honours students take six English modules. 

Stage 2 
In the second year, students choose from modules in: 
18th-Century and Romantic Literature 
Discovering the Earliest Writings in English 
History of English: Studying Language Change 
Introduction to American Writing 
Introduction to Renaissance Literature 
Irish Literature 
Late Medieval Literature 
Literature and Society 1850-1930 
The English Language: Language and Power 
The English Language: Patterns of Spoken English 

Stage 3 
In the third year, students have a choice from a range of specialist modules: 
19th-Century Irish Writing 
American Fiction 1945-1960 
Chaucer's London Poetics 
Comic Fiction: Fielding to Austen, 1740-1820 
Contemporary Indian Literature in English 
Contemporary US Crime Fiction 
Corpus Linguistics 
Critical Fictions 
Critical History: Reading the Classics of Literary Criticism 
Irish Fiction in the 20th Century 
Language and Narrative Style 
Language in the Media 
Literature and Science in the 19th Century 
Marvels, Monsters and Miracles in Anglo-Saxon England 
Premodern Cultures of Performance 
Reading Contemporary Irish and British Poetry 
Shakespeare on Screen 
Shakespearean Genres 
Speech Worlds 
Televising the Victorians 
The Mock Epic in the Long 18th Century 
Women's Writing 1660-1820

Dissertation on an English Language topic 
Dissertation on an English Literature topic

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Learning and Teaching

The Institute of Theology works in conjunction with theological colleges recognised by Queen's University Belfast. All students in the Institute are Queen's University students but they receive tuition provided by subject specialist staff in the colleges. Each of the colleges offers a warm and friendly community,  ideal for personal enrichment. Although some of these colleges may be associated with a particular religious denomination, all Institute courses are non-denominational in character and are open to all students. The Institute welcomes all suitably qualified students without regard to personal religious viewpoints.

From the outset, Theology students enter a variety of learning environments:

  • Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments.
  • E-Learning technologies:   Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online.
  • Seminars/tutorials:  Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students).  These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions and to assess progress and understanding with the support of peers.  Students are expected to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
  • Self-directed study: This represents a very important part of life as a Queen’s student; private self-directed reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation are the foundation of academic achievement.
  • Youth ministry projects and placements: These offer Theology students the opportunity to reflect upon the practical dimension to their studies and are a valuable introduction to the world beyond the university.
  • Supervised projects:  In their third year of study Theology students are invited to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic chosen by themselves.  Supported by a supervisor, students are guided through the processes of independent research and the scholarly presentation of their results.
  • Personal Tutor:  Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during Levels 1 and 2 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.

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Assessment and Feedback

Assessment (general):  The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module.  Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments.  Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback (general):  As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and your peers.  University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

 

  • Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that students, as individuals or as part of a group, have submitted. 
  • Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when students make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help address a specific query.
  • Placement employer comments or references.
  • Online or emailed comment.
  • General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
  • Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which students can review in their own time. 
  • Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
  • Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

 

Once students have reviewed their feedback, they are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of their work. 

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Careers

Some Theology and English graduates wish to pursue their study of the subject further and proceed after graduation to postgraduate study. Some undertake the life of Christian ministry. Most, however, successfully enter the world of secular employment and bring with them much-valued skills and adaptability, so important in the world of work after university.

 

Among the successful careers, QUB Theologians are to be found in public service as:

 

  • Social and community workers
  • Teachers (primary and secondary)
  • Civil servants
  • Lawyers
  • Journalists and media commentators

 

The Prospects website provides further information concerning the types of jobs that attract Theology graduates.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plusin particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies. These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

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Special Features

English Studies at Queen's represents one of the most diverse areas of study and research in the Humanities, one that already has a worldwide reputation in some of its specialist fields of interest. 

The Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry, under the auspices of the School of English, is the first Centre of Excellence for poetry in Ireland and its director is the internationally renowned poet Ciaran Carson. It provides resources for emerging and established poets, researchers and critics, and serves to link creativity to criticism and academic scholarship. The Centre ensures that the dynamic tradition of poetry at Queen's extends to a wide audience and is of benefit to students, writers, and the community. 

 



Last updated 11.09.13

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