English and History

English and history are disciplines that share a fundamental concern with how human experience is represented and how we make sense of the written record of the past. Literature is shaped by historical forces, and history is itself a form of writing, raising questions about evidence, perspective, narrative and interpretation that the two subjects address in complementary ways. Studying them together at degree level means you are constantly moving between close reading of texts and the broader contexts, social, political, cultural, that give those texts their meaning and urgency.

At Warwick, a university with internationally recognised departments in both subjects, this three-year, full-time combination gives you the opportunity to work with leading scholars in literary criticism and historical research. You will read widely across periods and genres in English literature, developing your capacity for close textual analysis and your understanding of how literary forms and traditions change over time. In history you will engage with primary sources, historical debates and the craft of writing well-evidenced historical argument.

The two disciplines will constantly illuminate each other: the poetry and fiction of a period become evidence for the historian, and the social and political history of an era becomes essential context for the literary critic. The programme includes a year abroad, extending your intellectual horizons and giving you experience of studying in another country and educational tradition.

Graduates of English and history from a highly regarded institution are well prepared for a wide range of careers. Common paths include journalism, publishing, law, the civil service, education, heritage and archival work, broadcasting, policy research, public relations and communications. The combination of analytical rigour, writing skill and cultural knowledge the degree develops is valued by employers across the public and private sectors, and many graduates go on to postgraduate study in either subject, in creative writing, or in professional fields such as law or journalism.