English and History BA at Royal Holloway, University of London

This exciting and challenging course offers the opportunity to combine the study of English with the study of History, allowing you to explore and reflect upon the relationships between literary texts and their historical contexts. From Beowulf to the Booker Prize, English offers you the opportunity to study the full historical range of literature in English as well as the latest developments in the field, and even to pursue your own creative writing.

Department: English  |  Duration: 3 years full time  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Egham, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Core modules: Year 1: Encountering Medieval Literature: From Beowulf to Chaucer, Shakespeare, Literature and Crisis, History in the Making. Optional modules: Year 1: Gods, Men and Power: An Introduction to the Ancient World, from Homer to Mohammed, Republics, Kings and People: The Foundations of European Political Thought from Plato to Rousseau, From Renaissance to Revolutions: Europe and the World, 1500-1800, Conflict and Identity in Modern Europe, c. 1770 to 2000, From Mao to Bin Laden: Twentieth-Century Leaders in the Non-Western World and others; Year 2: Middle English Poetry, Tolkien's Roots, Medieval Dream and Vision, Strange Fictions: Romance in the Middle Ages, Renaissance Literature and others; Year 3: Ideas in Contemporary Fiction, On Murder, Advanced Shakespeare: The Problem Plays, Literature and Philosophy, Brexit, Literature and Discipline of English and others.

Career pathways

Choosing English and History at Royal Holloway will give you the skills and qualities that employers are looking for; it demonstrates that you enjoy being challenged and are able to understand complex issues. You will be well-informed, culturally-informed and alert, with strong skills in problem-solving, organisation and planning, research, critical and analytical skills and the ability to craft an argument.

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