English and Politics

English and politics is a combination that brings together two disciplines concerned with how ideas are expressed, contested, and acted upon. Literature and political thought are deeply intertwined: novels, poems, and plays have been among the most powerful vehicles for political argument, and political ideas have always been expressed and challenged in and through literary texts. A joint degree in these subjects develops both close reading skills and the analytical frameworks for understanding how power, institutions, and social structures work.

At the University of York, this three-year full-time BA gives you access to an extensive range of modules across both departments. On the English side, you will choose options covering literature from ancient classics to the present day, across a global range of traditions, and you can also select from film and creative writing options. In politics, you will explore the principles of power and learn to think politically about contemporary issues including poverty, debt, conflict, and environmental change.

The breadth of options available across both subjects allows you to tailor the degree to your own developing interests. The programme also includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you professional and international experience that enriches both disciplines. With a typical entry tariff of 152 UCAS points, this is a competitive programme at a leading research university.

Graduates from English and politics programmes are well placed across a wide range of careers. Journalism, publishing, the civil service, public affairs, policy research, think tanks, NGOs, education, broadcasting, and the creative industries are all natural destinations. The combination of communication skill and political understanding is particularly useful in any role where you need to engage with ideas and their public consequences.

Postgraduate study in English, politics, international relations, or media and communications provides a natural continuation.