History and Linguistics

History and linguistics is an unusual but genuinely illuminating combination, pairing the study of how human societies have changed over time with the scientific study of language and how it works. History gives you the frameworks and methods to understand the past: the interpretation of sources, the analysis of cause and consequence, and the situating of events and processes in their social, political, and cultural contexts. Linguistics approaches language as a systematic object of scientific inquiry, examining its structure, its variation across communities and individuals, its change over time, and the cognitive and social processes that underlie it.

The two disciplines connect directly in the study of historical linguistics, the history of the English language, and the analysis of how language has shaped and been shaped by historical change.

At Nottingham Trent University, this programme is offered in part-time mode and includes a sandwich placement and a work placement, giving it a practically oriented dimension alongside the academic content. The part-time structure makes the degree accessible to students with existing professional or personal commitments, and the placement opportunities develop your professional skills and your understanding of how historical and linguistic knowledge is applied in real contexts, whether in archives, heritage organisations, publishing, education, or communications.

You will study historical periods and themes across both British and world history, developing skills in primary source research, historical argument, and analytical writing. The linguistics component will cover phonology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, and the history of the English language, developing systematic analytical skills and the ability to apply linguistic frameworks to real language data. The combination trains you to think carefully about both what language means and why it has changed.

Graduates in history and linguistics work in education, the civil service, publishing, heritage and archives, journalism, communications, the legal sector, and language-related roles in public and private organisations. The placement experience gives graduates a professional record to complement their academic qualification. Postgraduate study in history, linguistics, applied linguistics, archival studies, or education is a natural continuation for those who want to specialise further.