English and History

English and history is a degree grounded in the relationship between two disciplines that have long engaged in dialogue with each other. Literary critics are often concerned with how historical forces shape poems, plays and novels, asking what a text reveals about the society and moment that produced it. Historians, meanwhile, are interested in how literary texts shape cultural and political history, recognising that stories, myths and imaginative writing are themselves historical forces.

Studying both together develops a richer understanding of each, and produces graduates who can read carefully, think historically and write with precision and depth.

At Bristol, this three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing an extended route into the degree that is particularly well suited to students who want additional academic preparation. Bristol's English and History departments are both internationally regarded, and the combination programme is taught by scholars who work across both disciplines. You will read widely in English literature, from medieval writing through to contemporary texts, and you will develop your understanding of British, European and global history across a range of periods.

The skills you develop, including close reading, archival research, argument construction and sustained analytical writing, are among the most transferable produced by any humanities degree.

The foundation year allows you to build your academic foundations thoroughly before engaging with the full depth of the joint programme, and the combined degree develops a level of critical and historical literacy that is highly valued across professional contexts.

Graduates of English and history programmes go into publishing, journalism, the civil service, law, education, museums and heritage, arts administration, public affairs, research and writing. Further study in literature, history, journalism, law or education is a natural next step.