English and History: University of Southampton

Course overview

English at Southampton offers a course which covers a broad timespan, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and also defines its subject broadly, including creative writing and film studies. Characteristic features of our teaching are an emphasis on the relationship of literature to its historical and cultural context, and an interest in theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches.

Like English, History has a strong research basis, with specialist library collections including the Parkes Library, with its extensive resources on Jewish history, the Wellington papers, the Palmerston papers, and the Nuremberg trial papers. It offers a chronologically wide-ranging and theoretically and methodologically sophisticated course.

The increasing emphasis on historical and cultural context in English studies has led to increasingly strong links between History and English, particularly but not only in the area of Jewish studies, and students taking this combination often find that their work in History makes a significant contribution to their studies on the English side.

This wide-ranging programme draws on the growing emphasis on historical and cultural context in English studies, which has led to increasingly strong links between the two subjects, particularly in the area of Jewish studies and the eighteenth century.

Career Opportunities

A high proportion of our graduates go on to postgraduate study; the first step is normally a one-year taught MA, which may be followed by a three-year doctoral degree (both can be taken part-time over a longer period). This often leads to a teaching career at University or college level.

A substantial group take the one-year PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education), with a view to a teaching career at primary or secondary level, or a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language.

Other graduates go on to a wide variety of careers - in the media, publishing and advertising, in law, accountancy or banking, or in management, library work or administration.

Course content

• Narrative and culture
• Introduction to stage and screen
• Critical theory
• Poetic language
• Film studies
• Creative writing
• Postcolonial literature
• Medieval and Renaissance literature

Entry requirements

• A levels: AAB, including grade B in English Literature or English Language and Literature; and grade B in History
• IB: 32 points, including 16 at Higher Level, with 6 in Higher Level English and 6 in Higher Level History

Main University Contact

• Postal Address: University of Southampton
  University Road
  Southampton
  SO17 1BJ
• Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 5000
• Fax: +44 (0)23 8059 3131
• Email: admissns@soton.ac.uk
• Website: http://www.soton.ac.uk/