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"To read is to compare". The words of George Steiner ring true for students of both Comparative Literature and History.
Overview
Comparative Literature encourages you to study works from a wide range of literary traditions, reaching across national borders to encourage a truly comparative approach to literary works. You also study a wide range of history – both in terms of geography and chronology – reading a range of historical opinion and approaching differing primary sources to form a very comparative view on the past.
Both subjects follow a modular structure allowing students to tailor their studies to their own interests.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Comparative Literature at Kent was ranked 4th in the UK for student satisfaction and 96% of our students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course.
History at Kent was ranked 1st for research in The Complete University Guide 2015. In the National Student Survey 2015, 93% of History students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching is by a combination of lectures, providing a broad overview, and seminars, which focus on discussing particular issues and are led by student presentations. Lectures and seminars use a variety of materials, including original documents, films and documentaries, illuminated manuscripts, slide and PowerPoint demonstrations.
Assessment is by a 100% coursework or a combination of coursework and examination.
In addition to our regular modules, we also offer a module that is linked to our SWIPE (Student Work in Progress Exposition) conference. SWIPE is an annual one-day conference organised by Comparative Literature students: it is a platform for our third-year students who give 15-minute presentations on their final-year dissertation projects. SWIPE is a fantastic experience for students, as they learn everything about planning, organising and running a conference, as well as about the art of preparing and giving professional conference presentations. For more information on SWIPE, please consult our website: http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/complit/swipe.html
We also offer a module designed specifically for students who are planning to embark on a career in teaching: CP653 Comparative Literature and English & Linguistics in the Classroom.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- promote the study of literature within a strongly multidisciplinary, modular context
- widen participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of study routes
- produce graduates with a good knowledge of a comprehensive range literary works from across Europe and beyond, from the Classics to the present day
- teach the comparatist approach to literary studies
- produce intellectually independent and self-motivating graduates who are able to approach any text in a critical and analytical manner
- give students the skills to study in the humanities
- provide students with the opportunity to develop more general skills and competences so that they can respond positively to the challenges of the workplace or of postgraduate education.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- a wide range of authors and texts from different periods and cultures, from Ancient Greece to the present day
- the cultural and historical contexts in which literature is written, transmitted and read
- concepts such as 'genre', 'theme' or 'literary movement'
- the problems inherent in interpreting 'the translated text'
- traditions in literary criticism
- critical theory and its applications, understood within its historical contexts
- the study of literature in its relation to other disciplines.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- listen to and absorb the oral transmission of complicated data
- careful reading of literary works and theoretical material
- reflect clearly and critically on oral and written sources, using power of analysis and imagination
- to marshal a complex body of information
- remember relevant material and recall it when needed
- construct cogent arguments
- formulate independent ideas and defend them in a plausible manner
- present arguments in written form in a time-limited context, such as examinations.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- enhanced skills in the close critical analysis of literary texts
- informed critical understanding of the variety of critical and theoretical approaches to the study of literature
- the ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories relating to literary studies
- sensitivity to generic conventions in the study of literature and the problems of translation and cultural differences
- well-developed language use and awareness, including a grasp of standard critical terminology
- an ability to articulate responsiveness to literary language
- scholarly practice in the presentation of formal written work, in particular bibliographic and annotational
- understanding how cultural norms, assumptions and practices influence questions of judgement
- an appreciation of the value of collaborative intellectual work in developing critical judgement.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- communication: produce focused and cogent written presentations; summarise information and assess arguments, give presentations using visual aids where appropriate
- problem-solving: identify problems, assess the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions; defend the preferred solutions with cogent arguments
- improve your learning, identify your strengths and weaknesses, assess the quality of your own work, manage your time and meet deadlines, and learn to work independently
- work with others, participate in seminar discussions, respond to the views of others and to criticisms of your own views without giving or taking offence, engage in independent group work, including the preparation of group presentations
- IT abilities, such as word-processing essays, using online information sources receiving and responding to communications by email.
Careers
You develop excellent skills of analysis, frequently assessing multiple and often conflicting sources before condensing opinions into concise, well-structured prose. Graduates are able to demonstrate self-motivation and the ability to work independently, demonstrating to potential employers that they respond positively to various challenges and that they can work to tight schedules and manage heavy workloads.
Many graduates find employment in fields such as journalism and the media, management and administration, local and national civil services, the museums and heritage sector, commerce and banking, teaching and research, and the law.
The 2012 National Student Survey reported that 91% of our students were work or further study within 6 months of graduation.
In a report first published in 2005*, Professor David Nicholls stated: “In recent years, history graduates have become celebrated lawyers, press barons, well-known television and newspaper journalists, famous comedians and entertainers, award-winning authors, heads of advisory bodies and charities, directors of major museums, top diplomats and civil servants, chief constables, high-ranking officers in the armed forces and business millionaires.” In a recent follow-up to the report, Professor Nicholls concluded that, despite the increasingly competitive job market, History graduates continue to excel.
*The Employability of History Students by Professor David Nicholls, The Academy of Higher Education
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB including History, Classics-Ancient History or Classics-Classical Civilisation grade B |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL including History 5 at HL or 6 at SL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.