English and History

English and history is one of the most natural and intellectually rewarding combinations in the humanities. Both disciplines are concerned with the interpretation of texts and evidence from different times and places, and they develop closely related skills of close reading, critical argument and historical contextualisation. English literature examines how writers have used language to create meaning, represent experience and imagine different possibilities across the full range of periods and genres.

History investigates what happened in the past and why, developing rigorous methods for assessing evidence and constructing accounts of events and their significance.

At Queen's University Belfast, this three-year full-time programme explores literature, language and history in the widest possible sense. You will engage with texts from the earliest Anglo-Saxon writings through to contemporary Irish, British and global literatures, reading English in its linguistic, historical and ideological circumstances. In the history component, you can choose modules that focus on gender, social and cultural history, colonial history, politics, religious change and economic transformation, engaging with periods from ancient Greece and Rome to modern Irish, European, American and Chinese history.

With a typical entry tariff of 152 UCAS points, this is a demanding programme that attracts students with broad cultural curiosity and strong analytical ability.

Graduates from English and history programmes pursue careers in education, academia, journalism, publishing, broadcasting, the civil service, the law, heritage management and the cultural sector. The combination of literary sensitivity and historical rigour makes graduates versatile and competitive across any role that requires the ability to research, interpret and communicate about complex subjects. Many go on to postgraduate study in English literature, history, cultural studies or creative writing, and the degree provides an excellent foundation for careers in the humanities more broadly.