English with Philosophy

English with Philosophy is a combination that reflects the deep historical connection between literature and philosophical thought. Philosophy has always asked the foundational questions: what can we know, how should we act, what makes a life meaningful? And literature has always addressed the same questions through narrative, character, imagery and form, exploring what it means to be human in ways that no argument can quite capture.

Studying the two together allows you to bring philosophical rigour to the interpretation of literature and to bring literary examples and ways of reading to bear on philosophical problems.

At Royal Holloway, University of London, the three-year full-time degree is weighted towards English, which comprises seventy-five percent of your course, with philosophy providing twenty-five percent. You will study literature across a range of periods and genres, developing close reading skills and engaging with critical theory, alongside the major areas of philosophical inquiry, including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics and political philosophy, in both their ancient and modern forms. The degree includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and a work placement, giving you opportunities to develop professional experience and international perspectives before graduation.

Royal Holloway's campus near Windsor, with its proximity to London, gives access to a wide range of professional employers, and the university's strong research culture in both English and Philosophy enriches the undergraduate experience.

Graduates of English with Philosophy degrees work in education, publishing, journalism, the civil service, law, consultancy, the arts and the third sector. The combination of literary sensitivity and philosophical rigour is valued across many professional contexts. Postgraduate study in English, philosophy, aesthetics or education is a natural continuation.