Admissions - Subjects Admissions - Subjects|
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The Course These notes describe the admissions procedure and the teaching of English at Queens', and should be read in conjunction with the relevant sections of the Cambridge University Undergraduate Prospectus. The Cambridge English course is divided into two parts. Part I takes two years and is an historical survey of English literature from the time of Chaucer to the present day. Most of the papers in the Part I examination are therefore ‘period’ papers (Paper 4, for example, covers ‘English Literature since 1830’), with additional papers on Shakespeare, on criticism, and on language. In the third year students study for Part II, and each chooses papers from a very wide range of options, which include interdisciplinary and comparative papers, as well as papers on English literature. A dissertation may be offered in place of a paper in Part I, and one or two dissertations may be offered in Part II. Undergraduates take one paper in Part I designed to develop knowledge and awareness of the languages of literature. This can involve studying a foreign or classical language, with selected literary texts (it is possible to choose a language of which you have little or no prior knowledge – good facilities exist for language learning and support), or it can involve historical and linguistic study of literary English. Admissions In common with other courses, English does not have a fixed quota of places, but Queens' usually admits eight or nine students in the subject each year, depending on the quality of the applicants. Prior to interview applicants are asked to submit two pieces of work completed during their normal studies. During the interview candidates will be asked to discuss a short, unseen poem, and to talk about the texts they study in class, as well as the books they enjoy reading outside class. We look for a flexible and independent approach, analytical thought, imagination, and a strong motivation to study English. Applicants for English who are made a conditional offer following their interview will not be required to take any STEP or S papers. The usual conditional offer is one of A, A, A at A-level with appropriate equivalents in other examinations College Teaching In addition to the lectures he or she attends in the Faculty of English, a student reading English at Queens' will be supervised once a week on the main Tripos papers and will also take part in weekly classes on practical criticism, a foreign language or English. Supervisions, in which students are seen either individually or in small groups, provide an opportunity for detailed discussion of topics in a way which is not possible within the Faculty context, and they enable the College to keep a careful check on each student's progress. A student usually prepares an essay for each supervision. Queens' has two Fellows in English - Director of Studies, Dr Ian Patterson (whose special interests are 19th and 20th century literature, especially poetry, translation, Modernism and contemporary writing) and Dr Nigel Leask (whose special interests are in the romantic movement, travel writing and Orientalism). There is no Queens' orthodoxy in English studies: we aim to bring students into contact with a wide range of approaches, and to encourage them to judge and discriminate for themselves. All students are supervised by Fellows of other Colleges as well as by Queens' Fellows'. In the first year students will normally work on Shakespeare, medieval literature, theory and practice of criticism, and some modern topics. Queens' has a very high reputation for English, and gains very good Tripos results. For the last few years, the percentage of our students who have gained Firsts and Upper Seconds has nearly always been higher than the percentage awarded in the University as a whole, and Queens' candidates have frequently been at or near the top of the lists. The College encourages applications from all academically motivated students whatever their background. Further information can be obtained from the Faculty of English on www.english.cam.ac.uk
January 2004
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