Course summary

English and History are natural complements for each other. History provides a vital framework for understanding literary texts in their contexts while the written word provides a substantial part of the material with which historians work. This course presents students with English and History in combination, providing learners with both subject-specific knowledge and the additional intellectual enrichment that comes from an inter-disciplinary approach. To make that learning effective, we have developed a strong philosophy of encouraging appreciation of the contemporary relevance of both subjects. Teaching patterns will support students with a wide range of abilities, needs and interests. English on this course is designed to represent literature from as wide a range of periods, cultural contexts and global varieties as possible. It will balance poetry, prose and drama. The History on this course is designed to develop students’ understanding of historical processes through the study of a range of periods and geographical contexts. Modules will span the early modern period to the present and embrace three identifiable strands: British Social and Cultural History; Family and Community History; and Comparative European and Imperial History. Over the course of study, students experience key varieties of history with their own distinctive focus, theoretical underpinning and methodological vogues.