University of Derby

United Kingdom (UK)

ENGLISH AND HISTORY | BA(Hons)

About Program

Course description

The best bits

Combining two subjects boosts your employability and gives you the opportunity to develop knowledge and expertise in two subject areas, making you a more versatile graduate
Explore the broad sweep of British, European and global history from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century and undertake fieldwork at historical locations ranging from country houses to industrial cities
Share your passion for the past by organising and marketing a high-profile public conference where you present your research
Benefit from the support of a dedicated and enthusiastic teaching team who are published experts in their field
The course’s distinctive core of engagement with literary, critical and cultural theory will enable you to develop a highly nuanced and sophisticated approach to the analysis of literature, language and culture
You will explore fascinating aspects of the subject, including the evolution of fantasy, the representation of crime, the legacy of Empire, cultural politics, existentialist writing, classical myth and the 19th-century realist novel
This degree will change the way you think: you will encounter a wide range of literature from across the globe, studied in the context of perspective-altering theories concerning identity, desire, cultural politics and the nature of reality itself

English and History at Derby

You could not have a better backdrop to your studies of English and History than Derbyshire. One of the centres of the British Enlightenment during the eighteenth century, the county has a strong literary heritage and inspired many great writers including Jane Austen, Walter Scott, Charlotte Bront?, George Eliot and Henry James.

Derbyshire is the ideal location to study history - with its rich industrial past and thriving heritage industry, including a UNESCO World Heritage site, we offer study visits and fieldtrips to bring your learning to life. You will explore the practical and intellectual applications of history in museums, art galleries, country houses, parks and heritage sites.

English and History is an exciting, diverse and challenging course that not only incorporates the close analysis of historical sources and literature, but also considers the situations in which those materials were produced and read. This means your studies will include the intellectual and cultural history of art, film, philosophy, linguistics and sociology, as well as contemporary cultural politics. You will be introduced to a range of cultural expression from across the globe and from diverse historical periods.

As a History and English student you will be able to use your ability to analyses literary sources and to interpret the past for the benefit of the wider community. We provide exciting opportunities for projects involving international arts and heritage organisations. Among recent initiatives, our students have worked with Derby Museums in thinking about the communication of the past to a wider public.

Tailor your degree

With a range of optional modules across English and History (covering various themes and theories in literature as well as the history of different nations and time periods) you’ll be able to tailor your studies to your area of interest and your career goals.

Choose your pathway

Studying an English and History Joint Honours degree allows you to choose whether you major in one subject or study them both equally.

You begin this degree by studying both subjects equally in your first year. By the end of your first year, you will then decide whether you would like to major or minor in a chosen subject or continue to study them both equally.

How you will learn

You will learn through lectures, seminars, self-directed study, tutorials, study visits, workshops, and work-related learning. We also use digital learning materials to support you in your studies. We encourage discussion and debate through all our modules, and in individual research projects and student-led presentations, you will have the opportunity to shape your own learning.

English is a subject based upon discussion and interpretation, and your English classes will reflect this, with great emphasis placed upon student contributions and presentations in addition to lectures.

How you are assessed

Our assessment strategy is designed to produce confident, articulate graduates with a broad set of skills. There are no exams and forms of assessment include seminar debates, group presentations and conference papers alongside essays and longer research projects. We place great emphasis on developing your research skills, with independent projects playing a key part in the second and third year of the course.