English and History – BA (Honours)

At a glance

Make sense of past and present culture through the study literature and history, working within a truly interdisciplinary department. You study modules which combine analysis of historical and literary documents. Then look at modern history, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and literature, from the Renaissance to the present.

Key points
• Learn about past societies through literary and historical documents.• Tailor your studies to suit your interests through a wide range of optional modules in history and literature.
• Learn from renowned academics who publish ‘world class’ research.
• Gain experience with work-based projects in contexts such as museums or schools.

This course

On this course you learn about past societies, their differences from the present, and the complexity and diversity of situations, events and minds through literary and historical documents. You address and evaluate contemporary issues and literary texts by adopting a historical perspective, and gain knowledge of the history and development of English literature from the Renaissance period to the present day.

You can study the social, cultural, economic, political, imperial and global history of Britain, Europe, America, Australia and India in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Then you balance your historical knowledge with modules on literature from post-colonial countries, from America and from migrant writers based in Britain.

You can also learn about specialist areas of interest such as censorship in literature. It is also possible to tailor your studies to suit your interests through our large range of optional modules.

We also place a strong emphasis on developing your employability and career management skills. The skills developed by history and literature graduates, which are highly valued by employers include • gathering, assessing and interpreting textual evidence • evaluating arguments • presenting your findings in written and oral forms • digital fluency.

As part of the course, you can complete a work-related project working in community settings such as schools, undertaking research or writing projects for organisations, or getting involved in journalism.

During the second year, you have the opportunity to study abroad.

Throughout the course, you develop your own research skills. This leads to a dissertation or research essay on a topic of your choice in your final year, where you work with a specialist supervisor.

Key areas of study
Key areas include modern • British, European and Global history • literature 1550-present including British, American and post-colonial literature • The Great War 1914-18: literature and history research project • London: literary and historical perspectives • dissertation