English Language

BA Hons

  • UCAS code Q304
  • Entry year 2025
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 3 years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 3

    3rd for Linguistics

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)

  • World top three for Linguistics (QS World University Subject Rankings 2024)

  • 4th for Graduate Prospects (Linguistics) Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

We are one of the largest departments for the study of language in the country and one of the most highly rated in the world (3rd for Linguistics in the QS World Rankings, 2024).

Why English Language?

English remains the most widely spoken language in the world. English is used every day at work, at home, in conversations with friends, in schools, hospitals and courtrooms, in the news, on social media and in reading great works of literature. Understanding where English came from, how it works, how it is used and how it is changing is key to understanding our society, its identities, institutions and practices, and its creative ideas.

In this fascinating subject, you will study fundamental issues including:

  • The history and development of English
  • The sounds and structures of English
  • The accents and dialects of English in the UK and beyond
  • Varieties of English connected to social variables like gender and ethnicity

Our extensive catalogue of optional modules also gives you the chance to look at the way English is used in a broad range of contexts, including advertising, politics, media, literature and the law. You will also learn how technology can be harnessed to study patterns in the structures and use of English across large databases.

English Language is not just a fascinating area of study, you will gain a skillset that opens doors to a range of exciting and rewarding careers. Transferrable skills include a capacity for critical thinking, an ability to gather, organise and analyse large quantities of data, and an aptitude for developing new and innovative ideas. You will have the chance to develop specialist skills including in the lexical and grammatical analysis of English, the use of technology to track trends in the way English is used, and crafting language for creative industries.

Why Lancaster?

We are one of the largest departments for the study of language in the country and one of the most highly rated in the world (3rd in the QS World Rankings, 2024). Studying linguistics at Lancaster means you will be able to:

  • Explore a wealth of English language-related topics – You can focus on core areas of English Language studies like English phonetics, English grammar, and varieties of English as well as explore English as it is used in different contexts by studying discourse analysis, forensic linguistics, stylistics or the language of advertising.
  • Learn from the experts – Our staff are world leaders in their respective fields but they are also all involved in teaching to bring you the latest topics and developments in English language research. Our staff are famous for their work on figurative language, language in politics and the media, language and identity, forensic linguistics, the language of Shakespeare, and the use of corpus linguistic methods when investigating English.
  • Benefit from our world-leading facilities: As a student at Lancaster, you will gain hands-on experience of research in English Language through our cutting-edge labs which are furnished with the very latest equipment. These include a phonetics lab, an eye-tracking lab, a perception and learning lab, and an EEG lab.
  • Experience the world: Whether it be through our Schools Volunteering modules, our Work Placement schemes, or our Study Abroad options, our degree programme offers you the chance to gain valuable experiences which will stay with you for life.
  • A supportive environment: Our friendly staff are here to support you throughout your studies. All students are assigned an academic adviser who is there to get to know you personally and provide guidance on a range of issues.

Careers

A degree in English Language gives you access to a range of exciting and rewarding career paths. To provide just some examples, our graduates have gone on to become:

  • marketing professionals in large corporations and small businesses
  • journalists for national outlets as well as local newspapers
  • teachers from primary level to university level
  • copy-editors for publishing houses

English Language graduates in the future workforce

Our increasingly digital world means that there are work opportunities in digitising historical resources, analysing online harms, and managing social media policy. A degree in English Language could put you at the forefront of these societal developments.

Career-focused modules

Through all our modules you will develop key analytical skills that will enable you to excel in a variety of careers. You will also have the opportunity to take some of our more career-focused modules. For example, our Schools-Volunteering Module gives you the chance to spend time in a local school gaining first-hand experience of teaching. You can pursue other career aspirations through our Placement Module in which you spend time working in a sector or area of your choice.

Internships

Each year, the Department of Linguistics and English Language invites current students to apply for a research internship. These are paid opportunities in which students work closely with academic members of staff on active research projects. Students gain advanced research skills that are valuable to a variety of employment settings. Recently, our students have worked as interns on the following projects:

  • Accent variation in historic north Lancashire
  • Discourses around vaccinations during the Covid-19 pandemic
  • En Clair: Forensic Linguistics, Literary Detection, and Language Mysteries podcast

Entry requirements

Grade Requirements

A Level AAB

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.

Other Qualifications

International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects

BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Distinction

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

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Fees and funding

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.

Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2025/26 are:

Home International
£9,250 £24,700

Fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

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We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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