School of English (Birmingham City University)
Encyclopedia
The School of English is part of the Faculty of Performance, Media and English
(PME) at Birmingham City University
. The School offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, is home to the Research and Development Unit for English Studies, and has an association with the National Academy of Writing.
.
During the 1960s, the department became the Department of English & Foreign Languages in a Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, and this became one of the constituent faculties when the City of Birmingham Polytechnic was formed in 1971.
During the 1980s, the department became the Department of English & Communication Studies in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. In 1985 the English degree was revised and renamed BA English Language & Literature. At the time this was one of the few single honours courses that allowed students to combine literary and linguistic study.
When polytechnics were given university status in 1992, Birmingham Polytechnic became the University of Central England in Birmingham. English and Communication Studies went their separate ways, Communication Studies to Art & Design, and English (now the School of English) to the Faculty of Computing & Information Studies, which was eventually renamed the Faculty of Computing, Information & English (CIE).
In 2004, the School joined the Faculty of Law & Social Sciences. Following a faculty reorganisation in the renamed Birmingham City University in 2007, the School of English found itself in the Faculty of Performance, Media & English (PME).
bookshop, the Royal Court Theatre
and the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Research has grown exponentially in recent years. The School has made a strong return to every Research Assessment Exercise
since 1996 and currently boasts scholars and writers of international renown in all its constituent fields, whether literature, linguistics, drama or creative writing. There have been major funded research projects from the Arts and Humanities Research Council
and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
, and the work of members of the School features regularly in world-leading journals and publishing houses.
The School is home to the Research and Development Unit for English Studies (RDUES). Founded by Professor Antoinette Renouf and formerly at the Universities of Birmingham and Liverpool, RDUES carries out research in corpus linguistics
and has developed the WebCorp Linguist's Search Engine.
All courses are honours degrees of Bachelor of Arts
(BA).
Postgraduate
Faculty of Performance, Media and English
Faculty of Performance, Media and English is the newest faculty of Birmingham City University, established in 2009...
(PME) at Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
. The School offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, is home to the Research and Development Unit for English Studies, and has an association with the National Academy of Writing.
History
The origins of the School of English can be traced back to the Department of English & Secretarial Studies in the Birmingham College of Commerce in the 1950s. In 1959, the department began offering the external University of London BA English degree. One of the graduates during this period was the celebrated novelist Jim CraceJim Crace
James "Jim" Crace is a contemporary English writer. The winner of numerous awards, Crace also has a large popular following. He currently lives in the Moseley area of Birmingham with his wife...
.
During the 1960s, the department became the Department of English & Foreign Languages in a Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, and this became one of the constituent faculties when the City of Birmingham Polytechnic was formed in 1971.
During the 1980s, the department became the Department of English & Communication Studies in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. In 1985 the English degree was revised and renamed BA English Language & Literature. At the time this was one of the few single honours courses that allowed students to combine literary and linguistic study.
When polytechnics were given university status in 1992, Birmingham Polytechnic became the University of Central England in Birmingham. English and Communication Studies went their separate ways, Communication Studies to Art & Design, and English (now the School of English) to the Faculty of Computing & Information Studies, which was eventually renamed the Faculty of Computing, Information & English (CIE).
In 2004, the School joined the Faculty of Law & Social Sciences. Following a faculty reorganisation in the renamed Birmingham City University in 2007, the School of English found itself in the Faculty of Performance, Media & English (PME).
Present Day
The School still offers an integrated BA degree in English Language and Literature, but it has added popular routeways in Creative Writing and Drama. There is now a postgraduate course in Writing, run in association with the National Academy of Writing, which sees the School’s work showcased in venues such as FoylesFoyles
W & G Foyle Ltd. is a bookshop at 113–119 Charing Cross Road, London, England. Foyles was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest bookshop in terms of shelf area and number of titles on display...
bookshop, the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
and the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Research has grown exponentially in recent years. The School has made a strong return to every Research Assessment Exercise
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
since 1996 and currently boasts scholars and writers of international renown in all its constituent fields, whether literature, linguistics, drama or creative writing. There have been major funded research projects from the Arts and Humanities Research Council
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Established in April 2005 as successor to the Arts and Humanities Research Board, the Arts and Humanities Research Council is a British Research Council and non-departmental public body that provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the...
and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences , mainly to universities in the United Kingdom...
, and the work of members of the School features regularly in world-leading journals and publishing houses.
The School is home to the Research and Development Unit for English Studies (RDUES). Founded by Professor Antoinette Renouf and formerly at the Universities of Birmingham and Liverpool, RDUES carries out research in corpus linguistics
Corpus linguistics
Corpus linguistics is the study of language as expressed in samples or "real world" text. This method represents a digestive approach to deriving a set of abstract rules by which a natural language is governed or else relates to another language. Originally done by hand, corpora are now largely...
and has developed the WebCorp Linguist's Search Engine.
Courses
UndergraduateAll courses are honours degrees of Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(BA).
- English Literature (Single Honours)
- English (Single Honours)
- English (Single Honours, part-time)
- English and Creative Writing (Joint Honours)
- English and Drama (Joint Honours)
- English and Media (Joint Honours)
- English and Psychology (Joint Honours)
- English Language and English Literature (Joint Honours)
- English Literature (major) with English Language (minor)
- English Language (major) with English Literature (minor)
Postgraduate
- MA in Writing, in association with the National Academy of Writing
- MA in English Linguistics (by distance learning)
- Supervision is provided for students wishing to pursue research leading to the award of MPhil and PhD degrees in English or in Philosophy.
Notable Alumni
- Frank SkinnerFrank SkinnerFrank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
– comedian - Jim CraceJim CraceJames "Jim" Crace is a contemporary English writer. The winner of numerous awards, Crace also has a large popular following. He currently lives in the Moseley area of Birmingham with his wife...
– novelist - Fiona PhillipsFiona PhillipsFiona Phillips is an English journalist, broadcaster and television presenter.-Early life:Phillips was born in Kent and Canterbury Hospital in 1961. Her grandparents ran the Duke's Head pub in Church Street St. Paul's. Phillips attended Kingsmead Primary School...
– television presenter - Deborah Leary OBE – inventor and entrepreneur