Course Summary

What does it mean to study comparatively? Our BA Comparative Literature and Culture gives you the opportunity to explore connections across national boundaries and different periods from the Renaissance to postmodernity, and to consciously reflect on your critical approach. You will be able to study the literature, thought, history, film and visual culture of the French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Latin American worlds through a number of comparative modules focusing on specific themes across time and place, as well as through more in-depth modules focusing on a single culture. You will explore transnational phenomena and you can also pursue an interest in other forms of comparison, for example, between text and image - we offer modules focusing on literary adaptation across media and many other types of encounter between literature and visual culture. There is no language learning requirement for this programme, and all texts will be taught in English translation, but you can develop your language skills to a higher level as part of the degree programme if you wish. You have the option of studying up to three language modules, including starting at beginner level. **Highlights** - Our Department of Cultures and Languages prides itself on research-led teaching in French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish, making it an outstanding multidisciplinary department. - Ours is a community of scholars with shared interests in interdisciplinary topics and cross-cultural research. Our affiliated research centres, Birkbeck Research in Aesthetics of Kinship and Community (BRAKC), the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies (CILAVS) and the Birkbeck Eighteenth-Century Research Group, provide a vibrant and dynamic platform for this exchange. - Entrance requirements are flexible, and you can develop an interest in language learning from beginner level if you choose, and opt for a year abroad if you apply for Comparative Literature and Culture with International Experience, depending on your language level. - You have a broad range of options to choose from, and you are able to take up to 60 credits of modules outside the Department to pursue interests in English literature, film and media, and history of art, for example. - Our teaching is in our Central London location in Bloomsbury, a stone’s throw from research libraries and all the cultural richness that London has to offer by way of theatre, museums and galleries. - You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group - now home to our School of Arts. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery, the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space. The School of Arts also hosts the Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI) and is an official partner of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. Opportunities for students have included a year’s free membership of the ICA, private views, discounts on all talks and events, free members' screenings and £3 cinema tickets on Tuesdays, up to 25% off ICA Artists' Editions and a monthly e-newsletter.

Course Details - Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Course Details – Assessment Method

Assessment is via substantial end-of-term assignments. Some modules also have in-class tests and/or assessed presentations, critical reviews or bibliographies.

Course Details – Professional Bodies

Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.

How to Apply

26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application Codes

Course code: P902

Institution code: B24

Campus Name: Main Site

Campus code:

Points of Entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.

International applicants

Standard Qualification Requirements


We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential. If you wish to study French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish, this programme is suitable for all language entry levels, from beginner to proficiency, including native speaker level. Please state which language you would like to study on your application. After you have submitted your application, we may contact you to determine your proficiency in your chosen language and ask you to complete a written test, or a language entry test, to allow us to place you on an appropriate course. FOUNDATION YEAR DEGREES If you need extra support before starting an undergraduate degree, we offer a BA Comparative Literature and Culture with Foundation Year degree, which provides two extra years of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. Once you successfully complete the Foundation Year, you will automatically advance onto the main degree.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/2022/undergraduate/programmes/UBALITCS_C/#entry-requirements

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Minimum Further Information are not listed for this Course.

English language requirements

Test Grade AdditionalDetails
English Language Entry Requirement Information are not listed for this Course.

Unistats information

Student satisfaction : 0%

Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs): 0%

Go onto work and study: 0%

Fees and funding

England 6935.0 Year 1
Northern Ireland 6935.0 Year 1
Scotland 6935.0 Year 1
Wales 6935.0 Year 1
International 10920.0 Year 1

Additional Fee Information

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their programme. Tuition fees for students continuing on their programme in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.

Provider information

Malet Street
Bloomsbury
London
United Kingdom
WC1E 7HX

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