A dynamic degree that offers students the chance to study in the heart of London, and engage with its literary and visual history. Our teaching is of the highest quality and our modules cover the global history of literatures in English. Film Studies modules provide the conceptual tools for understanding how society is mediated by cinematic and electronic images.
KEY BENEFITS
English:
- One of the oldest English departments in the country, with an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research.
- Personal attention given to each student, creating a vibrant intellectual atmosphere and a network of support.
- Offers a wide range of modules and diverse approaches.
- Central location offers access to Shakespeare’s Globe, and countless other sites and buildings with literary associations.
- Graduates develop transferable analytical and communications skills making them highly desirable to employers across a range of sectors.
Film Studies:
• The best department for the study of film in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2012, 2013).
• The leading dedicated film studies team in central London.
.• Recognized in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise as a world-leading and internationally excellent research centre, the department was ranked one of the top five of its kind in the UK.
• Friendly and supportive learning environment.
• Central location offers exciting possibilities for further access to film, most notably King's close proximity to the British Film Institute Library, and the new BFI Southbank.
• Provides a grounding for pursuing careers in the media arts and related activities.
UCAS code
Q3P3
Programme type
Major/minor honours
Duration
Three years
Location
Strand Campus
Year of entry 2014
Offered by
School of Arts and Humanities
Department of English
Department of Film Studies
Closing date
Please refer to the
UCAS website for application deadline dates, or contact the relevant Admissions Office for further advice
Fees & funding
For information on fees and funding for undergraduate programmes at King's go to
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ug/funding/ CONTACTS
Address
Department of English
King's College London
Strand Campus
Strand
London WC2R 2LS
Email
Tel
020 7848 2350/2374
Fax
020 7848 7200
PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION
English is the world's primary language of international communication and our Department therefore has a special responsibility not only to provide skills in the use of the English language at the analytical level but also to develop the process of thinking itself through a critical examination of its literatures. We pride ourselves not only on the range and diversity of the modules we offer, from medieval literature to modern poetry and women's writing, but also on the diversity of the approaches we employ, from contemporary literary theory to close textual examination and historical scholarship. We aim to offer the best of teaching on the classic English texts together with open and imaginative approaches to newer and less familiar developments in the discipline.
Your first year modules provide a basis for modules taken in your second and final years. Second year modules are chosen within a banding system, designed for a balanced structure of study, whilst in the third year a wide choice is available, allowing you to specialise in your particular interests. Your close study of English literature will encourage and develop a clear critical thinking and succinct expression of ideas that are concrete and valuable assets in today's job market.
Your modules in Film Studies will provide you with the conceptual tools for understanding critically how society is mediated by cinematic and electronic images, and to give a background for careers in the media arts and related activities.
For more information about the Department of English Language & Literature and the Department of Film Studies, follow the contact links.
ABOUT THE Department of English
CAREERS
English is a flexible and adaptable subject that equips you with a wide range of transferable skills appropriate to many different occupations. Graduates in English possess skills in written and spoken communication, independent thought and judgement, critical thinking and research, all of which are highly valued by employers. Applicants may be interested in a career in journalism, publishing and the creative industries, or in education and research. Many graduates also go into general management, consultancy and the public services.
Recent graduates have found employment as….
• Lecturer, King’s College London
• Librarian, London Borough of Barnet
• Marketing Executive, Ensphere
• Charity Fundraiser, Gogen
• Content Editor, Thomson Reuters UK Professional
• Corporate Affairs Intern, Cadbury Plc
• English Teacher, St Giles College
• Graduate Management Trainee, Sotheby’s
• Junior Script Reader, Altered Image
• National Events Executive, Fundraising & Marketing, cancer research uK
• Recruitment Consultant, Michael Page International
• Website Administrator, Walkopedia.ne
TEACHING STYLE
The department attaches great importance to the personal attention it gives to each student. All modules involve seminars, and on a typical module your time is equally divided between these and more formal lectures. We have an effective personal tutor system and a staff-student committee. The department has an international reputation for the quality of its scholarship and all members of staff are actively involved in research. Tutors aim to connect research and teaching, both in the classroom and at the many extra research seminars, poetry readings and literary events held in the department. Individual staff members are frequently called upon to contribute their specialist knowledge to newspapers and other media.
The Arden Shakespeare is edited from King’s, and there are major recent publications on medieval literature and visual culture, early modern drama, 18th-century and Romantic cultural history, Victorian literature and culture, urbanism, 19th and 20th-century American literature, Australian literature and postcolonial literature and textual editing.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT
Your final degree classification is determined by the marks you obtain in each of the three years of the degree. Second- and third-year modules may be chosen from a wide range of options. The department makes use of a variety of assessment methods including both essays and examinations.
LOCATION
More than any other capital, London is a city of words, and to study English at its centre is to be reminded continually of the power of language to shape our sense of history and of place. Within 20 minutes’ walk of the Department of English at King’s Strand Campus are Shakespeare’s Globe and the site of the Tabard Inn, where Chaucer’s pilgrims started out on their journey. Even closer at hand are the Inns of Court, Covent Garden, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (London’s oldest working theatre) and countless other sites and buildings with literary associations.
ABOUT THE Department of Film Studies
CAREERS
Film studies graduates may work in a range of jobs, some directly connected to their studies at King’s, others more removed from them. Some pursue graduate work in filmmaking, acting and other creative aspects of the film and media industries. Others move on to film studies at graduate level. The study of film can also lead to exciting careers in print and media journalism, arts and other cultural management positions, film preservation and curating.
Recent graduates have found employment as….
• Broadcast Assistant, a media company
• Adjunct Assistant Professor of communications, a university
• Location Manager, film production company
• Producer, production company
• Researcher, production company
TEACHING STYLE
King’s has made a major commitment to the study of film and related media. This includes building up a significant collection of print and audio-visual material (DVD and VHS), new facilities for 35mm screening, and important information technology resources. All modules are taught in well-equipped rooms through a combination of screening, lecture and/or seminar.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT
Assessment is through a combination of coursework, in-class presentations, in-class tests and written examinations.
LOCATION
We are fortunate to be located in the heart of London’s arts and media district, offering many exciting possibilities for further access to film. We are close to the British Film Institute Library, the premier film research library. Just across Waterloo Bridge is the South Bank arts complex, including the IMAX Cinema, as well as the new BFI Southbank (three screens), which contains the BFI Mediatheque, a studio cinema, and a gallery among other facilities.
A sample of the current modules offered is shown below. We review our modules on a regular basis, in order to continue to offer you an innovative and exciting programme. Please check here for updates.
YEAR 1
Students take six of the modules in English plus the two compulsory modules in Film Studies.
YEAR 1 CORE
English Language & Literature:
Language in Time
Classical & Biblical Contexts of English Literature
Introducing Literary Theories
Medieval Literary Culture
Reading Poetry
Renaissance Literature
Writing London
Film Studies:
Introduction to Film Studies: Forms
Introduction to Film Studies: Contexts
YEAR 2
Students will take six of the options listed plus two options in Film Studies. The English Department operates a banding system for its second year modules, to ensure a balanced programme of study. The following options may be offered in a given year.
YEAR 2 OPTIONS
A Mad World, My Masters: Performing Culture in Jacobean London
Australian Literature & Film
Creative Writing: the Novel
Cultural Encounters: Literature & Language in Anglo-Saxon England
Early Modern Sexualities
Eighteenth-Century Travel Writing
First World War Literature
History, Politics & the Elizabethan Imagination
Irish Literature & Culture
English Language & Literature
Language of Dance
Modernist Fiction
Rise of the Novel
Narrating the Nation
Performance in Medieval Culture
Romanticism, Revolution & Representation 1776-1832
Shakespeare in London
Subjects of Desire in Medieval Religious Writings
The Fin de Siecle
Theatre Capital
Victorians & Social Change 1840-1870
Film Studies:
Asian Popular Cinema
Cinema & Spectatorship
Film Authorship
Film Forms (eg Documentary Film)
The French New Wave
Italian Cinema
Spanish Cinema
Topics in European Cinema or Topics in World Cinema
YEAR 3
Students will take six of the English options listed plus two options in Film Studies.
YEAR 3 OPTIONS
English Language & Literature:
Ancient Lyric & Poetry
Autobiography & Modern Self-Representation
Beowulf: Heroes & Other Monsters
British Literature & Film
Court Cultures in the Age of Elizabeth I
Creative Writing: Drama
Critically Queer: Literature, Culture & Queer Theory
Elizabethan Shakespeare
Gender and Performance
Imagined Worlds
Jacobean Shakespeare
James Joyce & Ulysses
Jane Austen in Context
Literature & Impressionism
Medieval Body in Pain
Medieval Romance
Memory & Time in the 19th Century
Performance Philosophy
Post Colonial Australian Literature
Post Colonial Perspectives
Film Studies:
American Underground Cinema or American Independent Cinema
Film & Trans-nationalism
Film Genre, Style & Ideology
Film Noir or The European Crime Film
Representation & Identity in Film
Stardom & Performance
Third Cinema & Beyond
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Australia
Tertiary Entrance Ranking
97+ ATR or an OP of band 2 for Queensland with high marks in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Austria
Reifezeugnis (Matura)
Reifezeugnis with 1 including 1 in English (Literature or Language).Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Belgium
Certificat D
Certificat D’Enseignement Secondaire Superieur/Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs with 8 or 18 including 8 or 18 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Brazil
Brazil
High School Leaving Certificate (Certificado de Ensino Médio) with 8 OR B OR Muito Bom PLUS at least one year of Bacharel/Licenciado at a Brazilian University with a GPA of at least 8.0 OR the King’s College London International Foundation Programme OR 3 A-levels with grades of AAA. Including A in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Bulgaria
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie with the majority of subject marks of 5.5 including 5.5 in English (Literature or Language).Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Canada
Secondary School Certificate/Diploma
High School Certificate/Diploma with 90% OR Ontario University Preparatory Course with 90% at five grade 12 4U subjects. The sixth subject may be at 4U or 4U/C level. Including A grade English (Literature or Language) at A-Level. OR the Quebec CEGEP Cote R with an overall R score of 33. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Chile
Chile
Licencia de Educación Media with 6 PLUS at least one year of the Licenciatura at a Chilean university with a mark of 5 OR the Kings College London International Foundation Programme OR 3 A-levels with grades of AAA. Including A in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
China
Gao Kao (University Entrance Examination)
University Entrance Examination with high marks in English (Literature or Language) plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Chinese university with at least 80%. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Cyprus
Apolytirion
Apolytirion (School Leaving Certificate) with 19 includng high marks in English (Literature or Language) plus at least an additional foundation/Access year. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Czech Republic
Maturita
Maturita with 1 including 1 in English (Literature or Language).Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Denmark
Studentereksamen or Hjere Forberedelseseksamen
Studentereksamen or Højere Forberedelseseksamen with 11 including 10 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Estonia
Gmnaasiumi lputunnistus (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with majority marks of 5,(including grade 5 in English (Literature or Language)) and an attestation of success in the state entry examinations (Riigieksamitunnistus). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Finland
Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamen (National Matriculation)
Ylioppilastutkinto with 6 including 6 in English (Literature or Language).Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
France
Baccalaureat (including the option internationale baccalaureat)
Baccalaureat with 14 overall and 13 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Germany
Abitur
Abitur with 1.3 overall including 1.5 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Ghana
School Leaving Certificate
the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC/WASSCE) PLUS 3 international Cambridge-board A levels at AAA including A in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Greece
Apolytirion
Apolytirion with 19 including 18 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Three elective subjects at minimum Levels 5, 5, 5 to include Literature in English plus Level 4 in each of the four core subjects. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Hungary
Erettsegi
Erettsegi with 5 including 5 in English (Literature or Language).Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
India
School Leaving Certificate
School Leaving Certificate with 85% overall OR School Leaving Certificate with 75% with at least a foundation/Access year or year of undergraduate study at an Indian university (High marks in English (Literature or Language) required for both). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Iran
School Leaving Certificate
Pre-University Certificate (Peeshdaneshgahe) OR the National Entrance Exam (Kunkur) with 16 OR 3 Cambridge International A levels at AAA (All require A grade English (Literature or Language) at A-Level). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Ireland
Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level unless otherwise stated)
A1 A1 A1 A2 B1 B1 with Grade A in English. Two Arts subjects at Higher level , and a Modern or Ancient Language at least at Ordinary level preferred
Italy
Esame di Stato
Esame di Stato with 90 with high marks in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Japan
School Leaving Certificate
Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho) PLUS 3 Cambridge Board International A-levels at AAA OR an Associate degree or Diploma from a Junior College (Jun-Gakushi) with a GPA of 3.3 or B+ or 4 OR a foundation year. Including high marks in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Latvia
Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitibu (Certificate of General Secondary Education)
Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitibu with 9 including high marks in English (Literature or Language) with at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Latvian university. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Lithuania
Brandos Atestatas (Maturity Certificate)
Brandos Atestatas with 90 including high marks in English (Literature or Language) with at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Lithuanian university. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Luxembourg
Diplome de Fin D
Diplome de Fin D’Etudes Secondaires with Tres Bien including Tres Bien in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Malta
Matriculation Certificate - Advanced level
Matriculation Certificate with AAA including A in English (Literature or Language).Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Mexico
Mexico
The Bachillerato with a mark of 8 PLUS the King’s College London International Foundation Programme OR at least one year of the Licenciado study with an overall average mark of at least 8/10 OR A-levels with grades of AAB. Including A in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Moldova
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma de Bacalaureat with 9 including 9 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Netherlands
Diploma Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO)
VWO with 8.0 including 7.5 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
New Zealand
National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 3 (NCEA)
the NCEA level 3 with E in the majority of standards/modules in four subjects,including Excellent in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Nigeria
School Leaving Certificate
The Senior School Certificate (SSC/SSCE) OR the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC/WASSCE) PLUS 3 Cambridge International A levels at AAA including A in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Norway
Vitnemal-videregaende opplaering (Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate)
Vitnemal-videregaende opplaering grade 5 including grade 5 English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Pakistan
High School Certificate (HSSC)
High School Certificate with A1 with high marks in English (Literature or Language) plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Pakistani university. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Poland
Matura
Matura with 85% in extended level subjects including high marks in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Portugal
Diploma de Ensino Secundário
Diploma de Ensino Secundário with 18 with high marks in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Romania
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma de Bacalaureat with 9 including 8 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Russia
Attest o (Polnom) Srednem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Attest o (Polnom) Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii with an average of 4.5 including 5 in English (Literature or Language) plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Russian university. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Saudi Arabia
School Leaving Certificate
College of Technology Diploma OR Higher Technical Institute Diploma OR Junior Health College Diploma OR Undergraduate Diploma with 85% OR 3 Cambridge International A levels at AAA (All require A grade English (Literature or Language) at A-Level. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Singapore
Singapore A Level
AAA in three content-based H2 subjects (including English Literature or Language). Knowledge and Inquiry is not considered as part of the offer. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Slovakia
Vysvedcenie Maturitnej Skuska/Maturita
Vysvedcenie Maturitnej Skuske/Maturita with 1 including 2 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Slovenia
Maturitetno Spricevalo (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Maturitetno Spricevalo with 5 including 5 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
South Africa
South African Senior Certificate/National Senior Certificate with Matriculation endorsement
The National Senior Certificate with Matriculation endorsement with AAAAB including A in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Spain
Titulo de Bachiller
Titulo de Bachiller with 9 overall including 8 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Sweden
Fullständigt Slutbetyg (School Leaving Certificate)
Fullstandigt Slutbeytg with MVG including MVG in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Switzerland
Federal Maturity Certificate
The Federal Maturity Certificate with an overall mark of 5 including 5 in English (Literature or Language). Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
Turkey
Lise Diplomasi (High School Diploma)
Lise Diplomasi with an overall mark of 4 with high marks in English (Literature or Language) plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Turkish university. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
United Kingdom
A levels
AAA
Compulsory subjects
Grade A at A-level English (Literature or Language). Two Arts subjects at A-level preferred. GCSE: modern or ancient language preferred.
12 unit A level in vocational subjects
Not acceptable
General Studies and Critical Thinking - College policy
Please note that AS/A level General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted by King's as one of your A or AS levels. However, if offered the grade achieved may be taken into account when considering whether or not to accept a candidate who has just fallen short of the conditions of their offer
Access to HE Diploma
Access to HE Diploma study of English (Literature or Language) at Level 3 required with 36 Level 3 credits from units awarded at Distinction, with the remaining credits at Merit. Supplementary information and achievement e.g marks for certain credits/subjects may be required depending on course content. Subject combinations balanced more towards the arts are preferred. GCSE: modern or ancient language preferred.
Cambridge Pre-U
3 Pre-U Principal Subjects with grades of D3 D3 D3 including D3 in English. Two arts subjects as Principal subjects preferred. GCSE: modern or classical language preferred.
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
Considered on an individual basis
Scottish Highers & Advanced Highers
AAAAB in Highers and AA at Advanced Higher, with grade A in English .Preferred other subjects: arts subjects, modern/ancient language.
International Baccalaureate
35 points and HL 666 including 6 in English (Literature or Language) . Two Arts subjects at HL preferred. GCSE: modern or ancient language preferred.
European Baccalaureate
85% overall including 8.5 in English, and two other 'arts' related subjects. Study of a modern or ancient language also preferred.
USA
Advanced Placement Tests and/or SAT/ACT (SAT/ACT acceptable only where stipulated)
Three AP subjects with 555 including 5 in English (Literature or Language) at grade 5. Or SAT with a total score of 1900 with at least 600 in each section or the ACT with a score of 28 plus 3 SAT-S including English with a score of 600 in each. Study of another arts subject and a modern or ancient language also preferred.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Aptitude testing
No test required
If you are interested in coming to King’s, you should apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and apply online via the UCAS website (click on 'apply'). If you are applying through a school or college, you will need to obtain a 'buzzword' from the centre you are applying through. Alternatively, you can apply as an individual, independent of a school or college. Please see the UCAS website for instructions. The UCAS institution code name for King’s is KCL, and the institution code is K60.
There are a few programmes which require direct application to King's, this will be stated above
The majority of our admissions decisions are made on the basis of information provided on the UCAS form. We aim to interview the majority of mature applicants (with relevant life experience) who apply by the UCAS deadline and who can demonstrate a commitment to English by engaging in recent study (eg Access). We also interview a proportion of other candidates who we consider borderline when considered alongside our standard entry requirements. Interviews will draw upon information provided in the interviewee’s personal statement; interviews may also be structured around a discussion of a short literary text. Any candidate offered a place will be given the opportunity to attend an open afternoon at which presentations are made on various aspects of the BA programme, and to tour the campus. As we receive a large number of applications each year, entry is highly selective.