School of Humanities - application advice

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Application Advice For international applicants

School of Humanities

Contents

Contents Introduction Welcome to the School of Humanities

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Application advice for undergraduate courses Creative Writing (Joint Honours) BA (Hons) English BA (Hons) English Language (Joint Honours) BA (Hons) Creative Writing (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

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Application advice for postgraduate courses English Language Teaching MA Sports History and Culture MA Photographic History and Practice MA

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English language support Centre for English Language Learning (CELL)

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Introduction

Welcome to the School of Humanities We offer a range of exciting courses, combining traditional study with an awareness of contemporary developments that are transforming both the objects of study and the ways in which we approach them.

“All of our lecturers are active researchers, with some being recognised as ‘world leading’, ensuring that teaching is underpinned by the latest research.”

Our students are also given opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge and enhance their employability by undertaking work placements. Recent placements have included Shoestring Press, Short Fuse Fiction and Macmillan.

We hope you find the following application advice useful, should you have any questions please feel free to contact our admissions team at adh@dmu.ac.uk Best wishes, Dr Philip Cox Head of the School of Humanities

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Application advice

Application Advice Undergraduate courses

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Creative Writing (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

Creative Writing (Joint Honours) BA (Hons) Application advice In your personal statement we want to hear about what your interest in Creative Writing really is: what do you write for pleasure? (don’t feel afraid to put down for fan-fic or specific genres; we want to work with your existing passions for the writing). What prior experience of writing for an audience have you had? (do you blog? Have you performed your work anywhere? Attended any local, or school-based writers groups?

Have you published in magazines or online? Reviewed cultural events of gigs?). Writers thrive on interests in other things than just writing (we all need subject matter!). Tell us something about your obsessions – are you an avid astronomer? Have you a passion for film?

Writers need to keep reading in order to grow and develop – what do you read for pleasure? We don’t want to know how much you love your set school-texts, we’d rather hear which graphic novels you read, or of your abiding love of crime fiction. Is there anything your reading has taught you about writing?

Creative Writing is only availabe as a Joint Honours course. You should ensure that you cover both courses in your personal statement.

What are we looking for?

We want students who: • • • • •

Love writing Want to experiment with different kinds of writing Are willing to be gently pushed outside their comfort zone Are articulate and like sharing ideas Want to be part of a writing community 5

English BA (Hons)

English BA (Hons) Application advice In your personal statement we will want to hear about why you want to study English, including why you like to read and what types of literature you enjoy. This might include books you have studied at school or college but, if you want your application to stand out, you should show that you read more widely and independently. You may also like to tell us about any other cultural interests you have (such as film, music, art, theatre), especially if they complement or feed into your interest in literature.

As English students we expect you to have high-level communication skills. You will therefore want to make sure that your personal statement is not only lively and informative but that it is fluently and accurately written. Proof-read it carefully so that you can make sure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors or any typing mistakes. Most importantly, we are looking for people who are passionate about reading and good at communicating their ideas.

If you are applying for a joint honours English course, you should ensure that you cover both courses in your personal statement.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for students who: • • • • • • 6

love reading want to experience a broad range of literature are interested in the interpretation and the contexts of literature enjoy debating and discussing literature have high-level communication skills have high-level analytical skills

English Language (Joint Honours) BA (Hons)

English Language (Joint Honours) BA (Hons) Application advice In your personal statement we will want to hear about why you want to study English Language, including what interests you about the subject.

Specific examples of topics/areas you have examined in school/college would be interesting, as we want to know why this a subject you want to study at university. Can you demonstrate an interest in language outside and beyond your studies? Do you act? Sing? Write? Have you ever tried to learn another language? Above all, we want you to show us why the subject matters to you.

As an English Language student we expect you to have high-level communication skills. You will therefore want to make sure that your personal statement is not only lively and informative but that it is fluently and accurately written. Proof-read it carefully so that you can make sure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors or any typing mistakes. Show us that you know how to use language that is appropriate to this specific context, and we can go on to develop your ability to tailor your communication to any possible situation. We are looking for students who are fascinated by how language works, and who are intellectually curious about communication in all its forms.

English Language is only availabe as a Joint Honours course. You should ensure that you cover both courses in your personal statement.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for students who: • • • • • • • •

can demonstrate a genuine interest in language are interested in all forms of communication are highly intellectually curious, both about the subject and the world in which it exists want to experience a broad range of areas of study, and make connections between them are interested in the links between language, society and culture enjoy debating, discussing and presenting ideas have high-level communication skills, and want to develop them to a much greater extent have high-level analytical skills

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History BA (Hons)

History BA (Hons) Application advice Your personal statement should primarily demonstrate your interest in History and describe why you would like to study the subject at degree level. You should talk about why you are interested in History, where this interest has come from and why you want to pursue the subject at university.

You will also want to consider the fact that our History course focuses on contemporary history (covering mainly the past 200 years) rather than anything before this time. The strongest applications to DMU will focus on contemporary history, although it is acceptable to cite a more general interest in different historical periods if you are also applying to universities offering more wide-ranging History courses.

You will also want to discuss any extra-curricular activities in your personal statement. These can include history-related activities (school trips, visits to sites of historical significance etc) but may also include sports or other achievements, or part-time jobs. It is essential that you link all of the experience that you discuss to the skills it has provided you with, rather than just listing the experiences one by one.

If you are applying for a joint honours history course, you should ensure that you cover both courses in your personal statement.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for students who: • • • • 8

demonstrate a genuine interest in history enjoy debating and discussing history have high-level communication skills have high-level analytical skills

Application advice

Application Advice Postgraduate courses

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English Language Teaching MA

English Language Teaching MA Application advice In your personal statement we want to hear about why you are interested in teaching, especially English language.

If you have been teaching, or worked as a classroom assistant, tell us where you taught and what age group you worked with. Any information about work experience in schools or summer schools would help support your application.

If you have not taught yet, tell us why you are interested in doing this now.

Tell us about your first degree subject – was it English (language) or a different subject? If you did not study English then let us know why you want to change subject now.

We’d also like to know what you hope to gain from the course in terms of practical or theoretical knowledge, and if there are any particular modules you are more interested in and why.

We will also be looking for personal statements to be written in accurate, well-punctuated English.

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Sports History and Culture MA

Sports History and Culture MA Application advice Your personal statement is an opportunity to introduce your interest in the Sport History and Culture MA. You should emphasise your knowledge and understanding about the course modules and how you anticipate the course will enable you to achieve your future goals. We actively encourage applicants who may have been out of education for some time and have relevant life experience, so please be sure to outline examples if this is the case. You are advised to include what knowledge you are looking forward to developing during the course and why this will be beneficial to your future career aspirations. Alternatively, many of our students study this course for personal interest, or as a step towards Doctoral research. Remember your application is part of an ongoing conversation with the course team.

Tell us about any relevant work experience relating to your MA studies or future career expectations, either as an academic researcher or in other roles.

With regard to your degree, we will be interested to know how it has prepared you for MA study. You will need to be an independent learner and take responsibility for your own performance on the course.

Your personal statement needs to be grammatically correct, with attention to punctuation and syntax. At Masters level, good presentation is taken as a basic skill.

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Photographic History and Practice MA

Photographic History and Practice MA Application advice Students with an interest in photographic history are sought with diverse backgrounds in photography, history, archives, museums and all other relevant fields. There is no right or wrong background. Applicants will be required to submit a writing sample of no more than 5,000 words, in English, with their application. Your essay should demonstrate your ability to research and present a photographic history topic that interests you. For more information, please see our website: http://www.dmu.ac.uk/photographichistory

Final research methods poster (by James Boulton)

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Photographs of Michaelangelo’s ‘David’ at the Kunsthistorisches Institute, Florence (photograph Kelley Wilder)

Exhibition Installation, George Eastman House, Rochester 1996 (photograph by Kelley Wilder)

Student looking at paper negatives (photograph by Kelley Wilder)

English language support

English language support Our Centre for English Language Learning (CELL) offers a number of courses throughout the year to help you achieve the level of English required for your course. We also offer language support to students once they arrive at DMU with weekly English classes and workshops.

• Accredited by the British Council - ensuring quality and high standards of teaching with regular monitoring and inspections • A member of English UK, the National Association of Accredited English Language Centres • A member of the British Association for Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP) Intensive General English Course (IGEC) By the end of the course you will be able to communicate effectively in English within everyday situations, read and write simple essays and be able to organise your studies and work on your own.

English Language Preparation Programme (ELPP) This programme is divided into three courses, A, B, and C. Each course improves your skills and abilities in English for academic purposes up to a level suitable for degree level study.

Pre-Sessional English course We run a Pre-Sessional course for five weeks from mid-August each year to prepare you for the start of your degree in September.

Which English language courses do you need to take?

The School of Humanities requires all students to have achieved the necessary IELTS standard before they start their course. For full details visit the Centre for English Language Learning website http://www.dmu.ac.uk/englishlanguage