BA History and English Literature
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UCAS code
QV31 -
Typical offer
BBB -
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 3 Years
-
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 3 Years
Our joint honours BA History and English Literature course allows you to explore the richness of English literature alongside the rich history and variety of human experience.
Discover a thousand years of history whilst experiencing all the specialist areas on offer at the University of Reading. The History Department's expertise covers a wide range of regions, from Europe and Africa to America, South Asia and the Middle East. Module choices cover diverse periods and topics, from the Crusades to Cold War Berlin and from Medieval Magic to the Rwanda Crisis.
In your first year, your core History modules will explore people, politics, and revolution – finding out how people struggled for power in past societies – and the culture and concepts those societies developed. We will teach you the skills you need to study and research history through an individual project of your choice. In 2022, we achieved a 94% satisfaction score for BA History (National Student Survey 2022).
In your English literature modules, you will read more of authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). But you will also encounter aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction.
As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised: you can do archive work on Studying Manuscripts, or look at the politics of literature in Writing Global Justice. Everyone in the Department of English Literature, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree: this gives you the benefit of our expertise and makes you part of the conversation about our research and its impact outside the classroom. We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. In your first and second years, you will have a mix of lectures and seminars.
You can study abroad for a term in your second year at one of the University's partner institutions, including those in Europe, the USA, and Australia. The University also offers all students the chance to learn a modern language alongside their core subjects.
This course is flexible and enables you to shape your study to match your interests. Taught in small interactive seminar groups, you will regularly be able to discuss and debate topics with teaching staff and fellow students.
Placement
Placements are a prominent feature of our degree courses and highly encouraged. Placements are a good way to show you how you can use the skills acquired through studying history in the real world. In History we ensure that placements are incorporated into your core learning. In the second year, we offer opportunities for short group placements in museums and heritage and media organisations, and encourage students to reflect on what they have learned from previous employment or voluntary work experience. For third years, two optional modules offer placements of 10 working days in local archives and secondary schools.
Through our links with the Careers Centre, you can source potential employers and help with CVs and letters of application. Staff in the department also have close links with the university’s Institute of Education, Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) and Special Collections (archives), and with external organisations such as the Berkshire Record Office.
In English literature, you can take a placement module on languages and literature in heritage, in education, and in the media. Students on our Literature, Languages and Education module also undertake a short placement to explore the ways in which the skills and knowledge gained in their studies have direct application to the workplace.
You also have the option to study abroad for a semester in the second year. Some of the universities we have links with include University of Ottawa, Canada; University of Maastricht, Netherlands; University of Georgia, USA; and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
For more information, please visit the Department of History website.
Overview
Our joint honours BA History and English Literature course allows you to explore the richness of English literature alongside the rich history and variety of human experience.
Discover a thousand years of history whilst experiencing all the specialist areas on offer at the University of Reading. The History Department's expertise covers a wide range of regions, from Europe and Africa to America, South Asia and the Middle East. Module choices cover diverse periods and topics, from the Crusades to Cold War Berlin and from Medieval Magic to the Rwanda Crisis.
In your first year, your core History modules will explore people, politics, and revolution – finding out how people struggled for power in past societies – and the culture and concepts those societies developed. We will teach you the skills you need to study and research history through an individual project of your choice. In 2022, we achieved a 94% satisfaction score for BA History (National Student Survey 2022).
In your English literature modules, you will read more of authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). But you will also encounter aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction.
As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised: you can do archive work on Studying Manuscripts, or look at the politics of literature in Writing Global Justice. Everyone in the Department of English Literature, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree: this gives you the benefit of our expertise and makes you part of the conversation about our research and its impact outside the classroom. We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. In your first and second years, you will have a mix of lectures and seminars.
You can study abroad for a term in your second year at one of the University's partner institutions, including those in Europe, the USA, and Australia. The University also offers all students the chance to learn a modern language alongside their core subjects.
This course is flexible and enables you to shape your study to match your interests. Taught in small interactive seminar groups, you will regularly be able to discuss and debate topics with teaching staff and fellow students.
Placement
Placements are a prominent feature of our degree courses and highly encouraged. Placements are a good way to show you how you can use the skills acquired through studying history in the real world. In History we ensure that placements are incorporated into your core learning. In the second year, we offer opportunities for short group placements in museums and heritage and media organisations, and encourage students to reflect on what they have learned from previous employment or voluntary work experience. For third years, two optional modules offer placements of 10 working days in local archives and secondary schools.
Through our links with the Careers Centre, you can source potential employers and help with CVs and letters of application. Staff in the department also have close links with the university’s Institute of Education, Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) and Special Collections (archives), and with external organisations such as the Berkshire Record Office.
In English literature, you can take a placement module on languages and literature in heritage, in education, and in the media. Students on our Literature, Languages and Education module also undertake a short placement to explore the ways in which the skills and knowledge gained in their studies have direct application to the workplace.
You also have the option to study abroad for a semester in the second year. Some of the universities we have links with include University of Ottawa, Canada; University of Maastricht, Netherlands; University of Georgia, USA; and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
For more information, please visit the Department of History website.
Entry requirements A Level BBB
Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.
Typical offer
BBB, including grade B in A level History, Ancient History, or Classical Civilisation and grade B in A level English Literature or related subject.
Related subjects include: English Language, English Language and Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, or Creative Writing.
International Baccalaureate
30 points overall, including 5 in English and History, both at higher level.
Extended Project Qualification
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDM (Modules taken must be comparable to subject specific requirement)
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.
Pre-sessional English language programme
If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
EN1GC | Genre and Context | DR Chloe Houston |
EN1PE | Poetry in English | PROF Steven Matthews |
EN1RC | Research and Criticism | DR Nicola Abram |
HS1JH1 | Journeys through History 1:Power and People | DR Daniel Renshaw |
HS1JH2 | Journeys through History 2: Culture and Concepts' | PROF Anne Lawrence |
HS1RSO | Research Skills and Opportunities in History | DR Ruth Salter |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
EN2BB | The Business of Books | DR Nicola Wilson |
EN2CF | Contemporary Fiction | PROF Bryan Cheyette |
EN2CMN | Chaucer and Medieval Narrative | DR Aisling Byrne |
EN2CRI | Critical Issues | DR Stephen Thomson |
EN2MOD | Modernism in Poetry and Fiction | DR Mark Nixon |
EN2OEL | Introduction to Old English Literature | DR Eleni Ponirakis |
EN2RP | The Romantic Period | DR Matthew Scott |
EN2RTC | Renaissance Texts and Cultures | PROF Michelle O'Callaghan |
EN2SH | Shakespeare | PROF Lucinda Becker |
EN2VIC | Victorian Literature | DR Lucy Bending |
EN2WA | Writing America | DR Sue Walsh |
EN2WGI | Writing, Gender, Identity | DR Cato Marks |
EN2WPS | Writing in the Public Sphere | DR Mary Morrissey |
HS2GPP | Going Public: Presenting the Past, Planning the Future | PROF Kate Williams |
HS2HAD | Historical Approaches and My Dissertation | MISS Liz Barnes |
HS2INT | Intellectuals and Society in Twentieth Century Italy | PROF Daniela La Penna |
HS2O10 | The Colonial Experience: Africa, 1879 to 1980 | DR Heike Schmidt |
HS2O12 | Belief and Unbelief in Europe: Religion, Science and the Supernatural c.1400-1800 | PROF Joël Félix |
HS2O14 | Rebel Girls: The Influence of Radical Women 1792-1919 | DR Jacqui Turner |
HS2O16 | ‘The brightest jewel in the British crown’: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1757-1947 | DR Rohan Deb Roy |
HS2O19 | Europe in the Twentieth Century | DR Daniel Renshaw |
HS2O21 | Utopia: the Quest for a Perfect World | DR Jeremy Burchardt |
HS2O3 | People, power and revolution: political culture in seventeenth-century England | DR Rachel Foxley |
HS2O53 | The American Civil War | MISS Liz Barnes |
HS2O55 | American Century: United States history since 1898 | DR Mara Oliva |
HS2O56 | Medieval Medicine | DR Ruth Salter |
HS2O57 | Encountering the Atlantic World, 1450-1850 | DR Richard Blakemore |
HS2O7 | Kingship and Crisis in England, c.1154–1330 | DR Elizabeth Matthew |
HS2STA | Society, Thought and Art in Modern Europe | DR Veronica Heath |
HS2UNR | Unity, Nationalism and Regionalism in Europe | DR Athena Leoussi |
AR2M8 | Medieval Europe: power, religion and death | DR Gabor Thomas |
LS2LLE | Literature, Language and Education | MRS Suzanne Portch |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
EN3AGN | American Graphic Novels | PROF David Brauner |
EN3AH | Hitchcock | DR Neil Cocks |
EN3BBF | Black British Fiction | DR Cato Marks |
EN3CL | Children's Literature | PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein |
EN3DD | Decadence and Degeneration: Literature of the 1880s and 1890s | DR Lucy Bending |
EN3DIC | Dickens | PROF Andrew Mangham |
EN3DIS | Dissertation | DR Stephen Thomson |
EN3HT | Holocaust Testimony: Memory, Trauma and Representation | PROF Bryan Cheyette |
EN3LMH | Literature and Mental Health | DR John Scholar |
EN3MAT | Margaret Atwood | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN3MCP | Modern and Contemporary British Poetry | PROF Steven Matthews |
EN3MO | Medieval Otherworlds | DR Eleni Ponirakis |
EN3OW | Oscar Wilde and the World of Art | DR John Scholar |
EN3PC | Publishing Cultures: Writers, Publics, Archives | DR Nicola Wilson |
EN3PSY | Psychoanalysis and Text | PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein |
EN3RF | From Romance to Fantasy | DR Mary Morrissey |
EN3SHF | Shakespeare on Film | PROF Lucinda Becker |
EN3TBS | The Bloody Stage: Revenge and Death in Renaissance Drama | DR Chloe Houston |
EN3UTD | Utopia and Dystopia in English and American Literature | DR Chloe Houston |
EN3VW | Virginia Woolf and Bloomsbury | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN3WWP | Writing Women: Nineteenth Century Poetry | DR Lucy Bending |
HS3CCO | Crisis, Change, Opportunity: Italy from 1968 to the Present | PROF Daniela La Penna |
HS3DAC | Discovering Archives and Collections | DR Jacqui Turner |
HS3HED | History Education | DR Elizabeth Matthew |
HS3HLD | Dissertation in History | DR Heike Schmidt |
HS3SAU | Anarchy in the UK: Punk, Politics and Youth Culture in Britain, 1976-84 | PROF Matthew Worley |
HS3SCW | Cold War Berlin: Politics and Culture in a Divided City, 1945-89 | PROF Patrick Major |
HS3SEU | Eugenics from 1865 to the Present Day | PROF David Stack |
HS3SHP | Heretics and Popes: Heresy and Persecution in the Medieval World | PROF Rebecca Rist |
HS3T100 | Sexual Politics: Gender, Sex, and Feminism in Britain after 1918 | DR Natalie Thomlinson |
HS3T101 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Empire, Slavery, and Society, 1550-1750 | DR Richard Blakemore |
HS3T102 | Melancholy Medicine: Healing the Body and Mind in Early Modern England, 1570-1730 | MS Amie Bolissian McRae |
HS3T25 | Medieval Magic and the Origins of the Witch-Craze | PROF Anne Lawrence |
HS3T88 | The Romantic Revolution: Culture, Environment and Society in England, c.1790-c.1900 | DR Jeremy Burchardt |
HS3T89 | Africa from European Settlement to Nelson Mandela | DR Heike Schmidt |
HS3T90 | Poor Law to Hostile Environment: Repatriation, Deportation and Exclusion from Britain 1800-2016 | DR Daniel Renshaw |
HS3T91 | Politics and Popular Culture: Post-Arab Spring Egypt | DR Dina Rezk |
HS3T92 | Policing the United States | MISS Liz Barnes |
AR3HCP | The Anthropology of Heritage and Cultural Property | DR Alanna Cant |
AR3M7 | The Archaeology of Crusading | DR Aleks Pluskowski |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*
New international students: £20,300
*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Flexible courses (price per 10 credit module)
UK/Republic of Ireland students: £750
International students: £1275
Careers
Throughout your degree you can select career and skills related modules, encouraging you to think about what career you would like and what skills you will need. If you would like a career in teaching, or in archives or records management, try our optional third-year modules, History Education and Discovering Archives and Collections. We have had a high success rate from students who have completed History Education, with many of our graduates gaining places for Initial Teacher Training. Additionally, these modules develop a wide range of interpersonal, organisational, presentational and research skills readily transferable to other areas of employment.
Overall, 92% of graduates from History, and 89% of graduates from English Literature, are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. [1] As a graduate you will have a broad range of transferable skills, including the ability to think clearly and critically, to communicate with confidence and work effectively both individually and as part of a team. Recent employers have included The British Museum, The Football Association, The House of Commons, Marks and Spencer, MI5, Morgan Stanley and Siemens Financial Services.
You may also wish to consider postgraduate study.
[1]Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20; includes first degree History responders and first degree English Literature responders.