Enhance your knowledge of history and literature in English by studying them together on this English and History degree. You could study the novels of Jane Austen alongside the history of the naval wars at the time she wrote. Or, you could study African literature to gain a different perspective on the history of the modern city.
History at Southampton covers the ancient world to the present day. Our English modules explore writing from around the world and its connection to politics, the arts, identity and more.
With our advice you can shape your degree to suit your own development. You can learn to write screenplays, study Victorian sensation fiction, or take several modules on the history and literature of oceans.
Your studies will include critical analysis, presentations and group work. Through this range of study methods you'll develop your conceptual thinking, communication and research skills.
As part of this course you can:
You can deepen your links to our History community by joining the dynamic, student-run History Society, and using one of the largest Jewish document centres in Europe, the Parkes Archive.
You can also spend a semester or a summer at one of our global partner universities.
English at Southampton is a top 10 English department in the UK (Times Good University Guide, 2025).
We're also ranked:
We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.
Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).
We delve into socio-economic matters and learn about theories that apply to contemporary society. Learning a new text every week also gives more freedom with what to write assignments around and gives me a well-rounded view of literature.
This course is based at Avenue.
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.
AAB including an essay writing subject
Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: ABB including an essay writing subject, and grade A in the EPQ
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Pass, with 34 points overall with 17 points at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in an essay writing subject.
Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A in an A level essay writing subject or Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A in an A level essay writing subject or Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus A in an A level essay writing subject and A in one further A level
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus A in an A level essay writing subject or Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A in an A level essay writing subject or Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus A in an A level essay writing subject and A in one further A level
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in an essay writing subject.
Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 -including an essay writing subject
Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
D3 D3 M2 in three principal subjects including an essay writing subject
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
AAB from 3 A levels including an essay writing subject or AA from two A levels including an essay writing subject and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Not accepted for this course.
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
If English is not your first language, you must show that you can use English to the level we require. Visit our English language pages to find out which qualifications we accept and how you can meet our requirements.
If you are taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), you must get at least the following scores:
If you do not meet the English language requirements through a test or qualification, you may be able to meet them by completing one of our pre-sessional English programmes before your course starts.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
We welcome applications from learners of all ages. Students who are aged 21 and over at the start of their undergraduate course are defined as mature by the University of Southampton. We take a holistic assessment of the application looking for academic ability and commitment to study. Typical entry requirements, which may vary from discipline to discipline, includes for example, evidence of recent formal academic qualifications or professional qualifications, relevant work experience or volunteering. You may also be invited to attend an interview with an Admissions Tutor. For some degree programmes, there may also be a Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirement. We accept many different academic qualifications. For more information, please contact the Admissions Team.
ABB
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: BBB and grade A in the EPQ
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Pass, with 32 points overall with 16 points at Higher Level
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus B in an A level, or Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus B in an A level, or Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AB from 2 A levels.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus B in an A level. or Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus B in an A level, or Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AB from 2 A levels.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit.
H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
D3 M2 M2 in three principal subjects
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Essay writing subjects include: History, English Language and Literature, English Language, Drama and Theatre Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography, Sociology, Latin or any other humanities-based essay writing subjects.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
ABB from 3 A levels or AB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales.
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Not accepted for this course.
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
If English is not your first language, you must show that you can use English to the level we require. Visit our English language pages to find out which qualifications we accept and how you can meet our requirements.
If you are taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), you must get at least the following scores:
If you do not meet the English language requirements through a test or qualification, you may be able to meet them by completing one of our pre-sessional English programmes before your course starts.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
We welcome applications from learners of all ages. Students who are aged 21 and over at the start of their undergraduate course are defined as mature by the University of Southampton. We take a holistic assessment of the application looking for academic ability and commitment to study. Typical entry requirements, which may vary from discipline to discipline, includes for example, evidence of recent formal academic qualifications or professional qualifications, relevant work experience or volunteering. You may also be invited to attend an interview with an Admissions Tutor. For some degree programmes, there may also be a Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirement. We accept many different academic qualifications. For more information, please contact the Admissions Team.
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
This course is exciting and varied. In English, you’ll think about what texts do in the world while studying a wide range of writing, from the medieval period to now. You’ll choose from a selection of creative writing modules.
In your historical studies, you can study people and places from Ancient Egypt to Modern Russia from diverse perspectives.
Each study year contains compulsory and optional modules. In year 1, you’ll gain a firm grasp of key forms and debates in English and History. You’ll have more opportunities to specialise in years 2 and 3.
You’ll also be able to broaden your degree by:
In your first semester, you’ll take 4 compulsory modules. These modules will give you solid grounding in the literary and historical aspects of your degree.
You’ll consider how English literature has evolved throughout history from cross-cultural global exchanges, with a focus on the history of the novel as a literary form. You’ll also learn how to think about history from a global perspective, from the ancient world to now.
In semester 2, you’ll gain skills in analysing non-textual historical sources, such as buildings, artefacts, images, and visual sources. You can select three optional modules from our fascinating range.
In semester 1, you’ll take one core module, ‘Revolutions in English Literature’. This will build your knowledge in key areas of English literary study.
The rest of your modules each semester will be optional. There are different choices each year, which include various historical periods, subjects, literary forms, genres, and even creative writing possibilities in English.
You can replace one module in each semester with another one from the School of Humanities or the wider University. Or you can study for a minor in another subject.
If you choose to study abroad for a year, you’ll need to take an extra preparation module during semester 2.
In year 3, you can customise your degree according to your interests.
Choose from a variety of optional history and English modules. Some examples include:
You can also choose creative writing options, such as teaching creative writing in schools through a voluntary work placement.
In your second semester, you’ll build on your subject and methodological expertise from years 1 and 2 to conduct your own research and write your dissertation in English or History. This will allow you to explore any aspect of literature or history that interests you, including creative writing. Alternatively, you can combine your literary and historical interests.
With the help of a supervisor, you’ll:
If you choose the ‘Year Abroad’ option, you’ll spend your third year away, then return to complete your final-year modules in year 4. You’ll also need to do the ‘Residence Abroad Portfolio’ module. To pass this, you must complete a series of blogs and a final report. The grading for these modules is a pass or fail.
For your year in employment, you must complete at least 30 weeks of work (excluding holidays) during year 3 and submit a final reflective report. You’ll return to complete your final-year modules and dissertation in year 4.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our course to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Find out why, when and how we might make changes.
You must study the following modules in year 1:
English has always been on the move. As a literary language, it has not only travelled from and back to England; lines of influence between texts, authors, publishers, editors, book technologies, and readers traverse the globe in multiple directions, bet...
History is not just about studying written documents and sources; historians examine the ‘stuff’ of history, including objects, images, and buildings which were made and used by people in the past. We can also ‘read’ these sources, if we know how to appro...
‘A novel does not assert anything; a novel searches and poses questions’. The contemporary novelist Milan Kundera describes the novel as an exploratory and engaging form, a way of telling stories that involves readers both in its searches and in the quest...
In this history department, we have historians working on periods from the ancient world to the contemporary moment, covering the whole world (and beyond!) and working on themes like gender, politics, environment, and technology. This module covers a rang...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:
Reports about the growth antisemitic and Islamophobic speech and acts regularly make the headlines in Europe and globally. In the case of antisemitism, this has led to accusations that left-wing antizionism or postcolonial migration are to blame for the r...
The castle was one of the most characteristic creations and symbols of the middle ages. They were advanced military technology which supported a range of functions; they dominated populations and secured conquests; they were garrisons, centres of governme...
The 4th century CE was a time of upheaval and change. Christianity became established as the state religion of the Roman empire, the split between the eastern and western empire was cemented, and the first large group of Goths crossed the Roman border. In...
The 1979 Revolution unexpectedly established a clerical regime in Iran for the first time in its history. What were the roots and consequences of this Revolution? This module surveys this history from an anti-Shah movement initiated by university students...
This module will provide you with an overview of the key events in the reign of Henry VIII including the Field of the Cloth of Gold, the dissolution of the monasteries and war with France in 1513 and 1544. You will have the opportunity to think about what...
Biological science tells us what items in our world are potentially edible, but culture decides what constitutes food. Culture informs us as to whether a specific item is appropriate, appetising, valued, desirable, prohibited, restricted, staple or medici...
Why have some stories gripped the imagination of writers, musicians, and artists across cultures and centuries? And what does the emergence and constant re-emergence of such stories tell us about ourselves and others, past and present? What do readers and...
The Dead Sea fortress Masada was the last stronghold of resistance to Roman rule in Judea. Following the outbreak of revolt against Rome (66) and the fall of Jerusalem to the soldiers of the Roman emperor Vespasian (70), the fortress was finally taken in...
The 1960s are remembered in Britain as a time of dramatic change: political reforms, economic growth, social shifts and cultural freedoms. Sex, drugs, rock and roll; tie-dye, mini skirts and the Beatles. But the 1960s weren’t swinging for everyone. Some p...
The aims of this module are to introduce you to the turbulent sequence of rebellions which took place during the Tudor period, to encourage you to ponder on the causes and consequences of those uprisings, and to help you to understand why previous histori...
9/11; jihad; al-Qaeda; War on Terror; Osama bin Laden; Afghanistan; the Taliban; the Bush Doctrine; Iraq; WMDs; waterboarding; targeted killing and drones. America’s War on Terror, launched as a response to the terrorist attacks of September, 11, 2001 has...
The Crimean War (1853-56) was the most important Great Power conflict fought between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the outbreak of World War One in 1914. Yet its causes are uncertain and the way it was fought was often paradoxical: modern te...
The history of the First World War will be studied through consideration of the literature concerning its diplomatic origins, its nature as a military conflict, the social history of warfare, the nature of the home front, its impact on gender relations, i...
Where did the idea of ‘English Literature’ as we know it today come from? When and how did writers first start thinking of themselves as English authors? How did the mechanisms of book production and the material forms of books shape readers’ understandin...
The module asks big questions. What do we do when we interpret literature and culture, and how can we analyse our practices of interpretation? Can anything be a text, and if so what do we understand by ‘literature’? How does literature shape our identity,...
In this module, you will learn how to approach dramatic texts in a way that takes into consideration their place in the world as a complex political, economic, and cultural network. We will focus on questions such as: • What is the difference between r...
You must study the following modules in year 2:
This module will prepare you for study abroad and also take you through the application process for study abroad. Before you travel, you are required to take out appropriate insurance policies and engage in on-going monitoring of risk and this module will...
History has a life which stretches far beyond the ivory tower of academia and university study. This module encourages you to reflect on how historians translate academic knowledge into public history. It introduces you to the many different audiences for...
Revolutions would break, remake, and reform societies on both sides of the Atlantic from the disruptions of the English Civil War to the global conflicts of the Napoleonic Empire. Revolutions may be those sudden changes in political life that men have tra...
This non-credit bearing module is a required element for all Humanities students on a Year Abroad Programme. It builds on the Year Abroad preparation module, HUMA2012. It is taken as a long thin single module whilst on the Year Abroad with a two hour prep...
The Year in Employment (YiE) is an opportunity for undergraduate students across a range of programmes to undertake a placement year whilst remaining enrolled to the University of Southampton. Students complete their placement after their second year of s...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:
John Milton was a man so famous in his own time that French and Italian tourists tracked down his childhood home to see the chamber in which he had been born. He was even more famous after his death; indeed, his teeth, hair, fingers, and one of leg bones ...
You might watch a stunning film, hear a delightful song, enjoy a beautiful sunset, read a dreadful poem, attend an elegant dance, or see a garish building. Experiences like this can stimulate thoughts and feelings of great depth, and provide pleasure or d...
In Africa, the ideal of freedom has the capacity to evoke multiple layers of struggle and aspiration: from state decolonisation and the end of official racial segregation, to gendered, national, economic and spiritual freedoms. Historically, the novel has...
From the legendary tales of the Trojan War up to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, warfare played a central role in ancient Greek history and society. This module allows you to examine ancient Greek warfare from a range of different sources a...
This module focusses on the city of Rome and its development from its early foundation through to the third century AD. It explores the evidence for one of the most important cities of the ancient world, which at its height was home to approximately a mil...
Many writers begin with the short story. Through writing short stories they are able to experiment, learn the fundamentals of narrative composition, and have the satisfaction of completing something to a high standard in a relatively short period of time....
London is one of the most well-known cities in the world. It has a fascinating history, growing from a relatively small development along the river Thames into the sprawling metropolis we know today. In this module we will explore the history of the city ...
This module explores the development of celebrity in Britain 1888-1952, focusing particularly upon the influence of technologies and mass media. The years between the late 1880s and early 1950s saw a massive expansion in printed and visual media, and this...
Cold War is a peculiar conflict. Often seen as a confrontation between the Socialist East and Capitalist West, the Cold War is typically depicted as a bloodless standoff. In such interpretations, the Iron Curtain isolated Western from Eastern Europeans. ...
In this module, we introduce corpus linguistics as an approach to and method for analysing large-scale text data. We will develop an understanding of building and curating datasets, annotating data, and using quantitative and statistical measures for lang...
Data is material. It is produced by people, it is made possible by resource extraction, it needs power to survive, it inhabits and resculpts the landscape. The use of data, then, contributes to climate catastrophe, but that role can be hard to see, hidden...
Data organise our present and shape our future. Those data are never neutral because they are the product of human labour, of choices made by people about what data to record, how to record it, and who is best equipped to do that recording. Drawing on wor...
Literary history is often told in epochs. In particular, it can be useful to understand the world in relation to some or other idea of “modernity”: for example, English literary studies is often organised through conceptions of the early modern, the mode...
‘Prisons don’t work’ exclaimed author Will Self to the BBC in 2011 reflecting significant public concerns regarding issues such as cost, reoffending and overcrowding through to the perception of ‘gilded lifestyles’ led by inmates. In this module we will e...
This module will introduce you to some of the principal realist and documentary movements, asking how the simple aim to ‘show things as they really are’ has resulted in a range of creative and wildly different cinematic forms. It will consider the issue a...
Hip-hop is one of the most ubiquitous, lucrative and popular musics in the world. Although it emerged in the South Bronx (New York City) in the 1970s, the history of hip-hop goes far beyond the USA and includes myriad transnational exchanges. Hip-hop has ...
Many writers have penned essays about fiction and memoir: E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Edith Wharton, Italo Calvino, Vladimir Nabokov, Milan Kundera, A.L. Kennedy, A.S. Byatt, to name just a famous few. Indeed, it seems essential at some p...
How are the arts getting back to work again after Covid-19? This is a critically important question for everyone who cares about them, artists and audiences alike. If you’re a student considering a career in the arts you’ll want to know where fresh opport...
What developments led to the headscarf and the so-called ‘burka ban’ in France? Why has ‘multiculturalism’ been a taboo subject? To what extent have anti-racism associations been a success in combating racism? This module offers you the opportunity to gai...
This module will discuss Chinese history from its mythical beginnings to the 19th century (the time when China encountered the West). We will encounter famous figures like the philosopher Confucius, discuss the origins of the Silk Road and the Great Wall,...
The historical memory of the West has always dissociated religion from the revolutionary ideal, from the Enlightenment principles that opposed it. From a Western perspective, Islam denoted tradition, while revolution represented change. However, in many I...
German-Jewish history has often been regarded as ‘leading up to the Holocaust’. In this module we will explore the life and culture of Jews in Germany from the late C18th until the eve of the Nazi takeover in 1933. Starting with the Jewish enlightenment, ...
The ability to understand Latin enables direct access to a wealth of primary source material across a vast chronological span, from the ancient world to the early modern period, on subjects ranging from history and literature to philosophy and science. ‘L...
‘Latin 2’ is designed to build on the knowledge acquired by students who have taken ‘Latin 1’, but may also be appropriate for those with some previous alternative experience (e.g. a GCSE). The module will equip you with the ability to read, comprehend, a...
‘I have here in my hand a list of 205 names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in that State Department.' With these words, asserting both the exi...
What are myths and what do they do? In “Myth and the Ancient World” you will explore how the Ancient Greeks used myths to make sense of the world and their position in it. The module covers a time span of some 900 years, from the time of Homer and Hesiod ...
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) may have been a tyrant in life but he proved to be a surprisingly malleable figure after death. This module traces the emergence in France and Britain of Napoleon’s reputation, whether as tyrant, martial hero, saviour of the...
In 1948, Daniel Malan’s National Party took power in South Africa. Malan’s election victory over the Jan Smuts-led United Party and Labour Party alliance was only a slender one, and few of the National Party’s opponents could have envisaged that it would ...
Late Antiquity can be narrated as a period of powerful emperors, domineering bishops, and barbarian warlords. In this module we will be looking, instead, at the lives and agency of women during the same period. We look at women’s legal and social status a...
During his lifetime Charles II was described as charming, indolent and a womaniser, while his court was seen as far more informal than that of his father, Charles I. This module will seek to assess the validity of this view and it will consider the challe...
Both individuals and society attach great importance and value to certain works of art, including poems, novels, films, plays, symphonies, and paintings. Most of us spend a considerable amount of our limited time and resources acquiring, creating, experie...
Early modern England is a period associated with Elizabeth I and the Tudor court, the plays of Shakespeare, blood and violence on the Jacobean stage, the discovery of new worlds, and the persecution of witches and heretics. The diversity and vitality of t...
In this module, we will investigate and reflect on the various entanglements between Queerness and digital technologies. Drawing from foundational concepts in Queer theory and gender studies scholarship, this module deconstructs and reconceptualises domin...
For the United States, the turn of the twentieth century was a turbulent, transformative time: an age of embattled political parties and insurgent Populists, mass immigration and overseas war, millionaire capitalists and impoverished farmers, all set to t...
This module will explore contemporary and post-war responses to the Holocaust more than 75 years after the liberation of Auschwitz. We will explore a range of responses to the genocide and look at: diaries, oral histories, literature, film, museums and mu...
We are all, in one way or another, participants in the consumer society. Whether we buy for necessity - life essentials such as food - or view it as an enjoyable leisure activity, our purchase of goods is part of a wider cultural movement pushing us to ‘s...
In 1831 the philosopher John Stuart Mill struggled to define the ‘Spirit’ of the nineteenth century. ‘It is’, he wrote, ‘an age of transition. Mankind have outgrown old institutions and old doctrines, and have not yet acquired new ones.’ If the nineteenth...
How did people in early medieval England think, feel, and write about the world they inhabited? In what sorts of ways did literature and other forms of texts shape their engagements with landscapes, environments, and the beings – real and imagined – with ...
How do writers activate and amplify the sonic properties of language? Why do artists use vocal performance of text in video art? How can text ‘perform’ on the page (or onscreen), and what does it mean for language to be performative? What does writing for...
What can the voices and narratives of sex workers and asylum seekers depicted in world literature and visual culture tell us about the conditions and pressures of life in the contemporary world? How might considerations of narrative technique, genre, and ...
In this module, students will explore a wealth of different texts and different discourses, from the literary to the scientific, on humanity and the human body in the early modern period. Starting with a glimpse of ancient and modern visions of the body, ...
At the outset of the nineteenth century the Russian Empire appeared to be at the zenith of its power. Hundred years later, the autocracy had collapsed, overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the 1917 revolutions. The emergence of new ideas and movements in Russi...
By the middle of the eleventh century, the various nations of the British Isles were characterised by quite distinct cultures and political and economic systems and elites. Yet the relationships between the various nations were entirely redrawn between ab...
It is a cliché to say that football is a global game. But in the West the ‘beautiful game’ is still commonly engaged with as a primarily Western sport, dominated by the comings and goings of the Bundesliga, La Liga and, in particular, the English Premier ...
Whether "living out" or "sitting in", Southampton students have been making their own history since the university was founded in 1862. In this module we will be bringing the stories of the young women and men who attended the University of Southampton to...
Blood, violence, terror, raids, pirates, rape and pillage are just some of the words associated with the Vikings in both the medieval and modern imagination. Their fearsome reputation is underlined by nicknames such as ‘Blood Axe' and ‘Skull-splitter', bu...
India as we know it today did not exist before decolonization in 1947. During British imperial rule, India was a collection of British colonial territories and loosely colonized Princely states. And, for almost three thousand years before colonial rule, ...
Since the mid-nineteenth century, new modes of transport and communication, commerce and violence, have remade the world. As empires expanded and contracted, and as the relationships between states and individuals were repeatedly reconfigured and tested, ...
This module will introduce you to the social, political and cultural history of Vienna and Berlin in the 20th century, German using a wide range of sources which will include literature, film and architecture. Topics covered may include the following:...
This module offers you the opportunity to study the history of witchcraft in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (the period during which the great majority of prosecutions and executions for that supposed crime took place). On the modu...
The period 1770-1900 was a pivotal time in the history of women’s writing in Britain. Writers like Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë established their place in the literary canon, while their contemporaries struggled against conventions that suggested dome...
You must choose your modules from the following modules in year 3:
The history of exploration takes us to the further reaches of human endeavour and beyond. From the wide expanses of the ocean to the frozen depths of the polar regions and even outer space, humans have always been fascinated by the prospect of exploring t...
Science has become an indispensable component of our modern world and scientists are often held in a place of unquestioned privilege. From electrical power to space travel, to artificial intelligence, scientific developments have radically altered the way...
The resurgence of the far right is one of the most striking and challenging features of the 21st century political landscape. Attitudes and practices that were marginal and unrespectable just decades ago have gained considerable traction, whether measured...
As the world responds to the global financial crisis, populist leaders have come to dominate political debate in countries across the world - from India to the United Kingdom to the United States. In engaging with this phenomena, we are faced with a conun...
You might watch a stunning film, hear a delightful song, enjoy a beautiful sunset, read a dreadful poem, attend an elegant dance, or see a garish building. Experiences like this can stimulate thoughts and feelings of great depth, and provide pleasure or d...
The module offers a history of American cinema since 1965, covering the decline of the Hollywood studio system and the moment, from 1968 to 1975, when a new wave of directors produced a number of key films sometimes known as constituting the Hollywood art...
As the Puritan colonialist John Winthrop said at Holyrood Church in Southampton before embarking for Boston, American was to be ‘as a city upon a hill’, a beacon of progress and enlightenment for the world. But from the beginning, America has been shadowe...
Where does the idea of a stateless person come from? Why did France become one of the foremost nations for refugee reception? How were refugees fleeing from persecution in other parts of Europe treated in France? Why did France establish a system of ‘conc...
What can animals teach us about the human and non-human? What do the creative forms we use to describe them show us about human form and the other? In this module, you will read a range of poetic and critical material which explores the porous boundaries ...
The figures of King Arthur, Guinevere, his knights and court have exercised a powerful hold over the minds of readers for many centuries. But have you ever wondered about where this legend came from, how it developed, and about the enduring nature of its ...
Jane Austen’s global appeal in the twenty-first century has been shaped by the ways that she has been read in the 200 years since her death. In this module, you will read Austen's novels, letters, and unpublished juvenile fiction, and explore some of the ...
Modern Chinese history can arguably not be understood without considering China’s role in the Cold War. Even China’s foreign relations today – for instance its relationship to Russia and to North Korea – are shaped by it. Vice versa, in understanding the ...
After having explored the political chronology of China’s role in the Cold War in the first semester, we will turn to central themes in the second semester. Among the topics we will talk about are China’s policies regarding the atomic bomb and the arms ra...
Are you interested in helping young people study English? This module will introduce you to teaching creative writing in secondary schools by providing training in effective classroom management and guidance on designing lesson plans for studying fiction ...
Ancient History goes beyond Greece and Rome. The ancient world was incredibly diverse, inhabited by different cultures, religions, and societies which were closely connected and left their mark on each other, through interaction, conflict, and exchange. I...
This module explores the Roman Empire, but from the perspective of those who resisted it, fought it, and rebelled against it. The study of the ancient world, throughout its different periods, is greatly influenced by Rome. Starting from its expansion duri...
Data is material. It is produced by people, it is made possible by resource extraction, it needs power to survive, it inhabits and resculpts the landscape. The use of data, then, contributes to climate catastrophe, but that role can be hard to see, hidden...
Data organise our present and shape our future. Those data are never neutral because they are the product of human labour, of choices made by people about what data to record, how to record it, and who is best equipped to do that recording. Drawing on wor...
Undertaking independent research into an aspect of literature or creative writing which particularly interests you is a cornerstone of your degree. A dissertation gives you the opportunity to study a subject in much greater depth than usual and, with gui...
There is now an overwhelming scientific and political consensus that climate change is occurring as a result of human activity and that there is an urgent need for action to address the causes and effects of this. This module will consider the place of f...
John Milton was a man so famous in his own time that French and Italian tourists tracked down his childhood home to see the chamber in which he had been born. He was even more famous after his death; indeed, his teeth, hair, fingers, and one of leg bones ...
Fantasy film and fiction spans a wide range of texts, from Gothic 'classics' and feminist fairy tales, to Utopian literature and musicals. Analysing fantasy texts alongside psychoanalytic and cultural theories will enable you to engage with questions conc...
What are the origins of Britain’s long relationship with Asia? How did a trading company become a territorial power, with its own army and navy? What did people in Britain make of this phenomenon, and how did it influence their views of Britain’s global e...
What are the origins of Britain's long relationship with Asia? How did a trading company become a territorial power, with its own army and navy? What did people in Britain make of this phenomenon, and how did it influence their views of Britain's global e...
This module explores cinema’s relationship to the past, whether distant, as in that of ancient Greece, Rome or Egypt, or from a more recent history.
This module provides an introduction to early Stuart England and explores the troubled reign of King Charles I before the English Civil War.
This module investigates the events of the English Civil War of 1642-46 and explores the effects which that conflict had on the ordinary people of England and Wales.
Hip-hop is one of the most ubiquitous, lucrative and popular musics in the world. Although it emerged in the South Bronx (New York City) in the 1970s, the history of hip-hop goes far beyond the USA and includes myriad transnational exchanges. Hip-hop has ...
The dissertation is a key component of your degree; in it you have a chance to show the skills of analysis and research you have learned during the three years of your course.
How has the Holocaust been represented? We will examine a range of responses to the Holocaust from the 1940s to the present day, including memoirs of camp survivors and experimental texts. Focusing on the limits of representation we will approach question...
How are the arts getting back to work again after Covid-19? This is a critically important question for everyone who cares about them, artists and audiences alike. If you’re a student considering a career in the arts you’ll want to know where fresh opport...
There are over 35 million people of Indian origin who form the global Indian diaspora. This vast number of people are part of deeply entrenched and influential communities in countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sing...
There are over 35 million people of Indian origin who form the global Indian diaspora. This vast number of people are part of deeply entrenched and influential communities in countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sing...
One of the socially and culturally most significant consequences of transnational mobility is that urban populations in particular are increasingly multilingual: in global cities such as London, New York and Berlin there are speakers of hundreds of differ...
The ability to understand Latin enables direct access to a wealth of primary source material across a vast chronological span, from the ancient world to the early modern period, on subjects ranging from history and literature to philosophy and science. ‘L...
‘Latin 2’ is designed to build on the knowledge acquired by students who have taken ‘Latin 1’, but may also be appropriate for those with some previous alternative experience (e.g. a GCSE). The module will equip you with the ability to read, comprehend, a...
The towns in which the Romans lived are some of the most familiar features of the Roman world. Although they seem to look and feel like modern towns, they actually worked in quite different ways, a reflection of the fact that ancient Roman society was dis...
In this module, we will investigate and reflect on the various entanglements between Queerness and digital technologies. Drawing from foundational concepts in Queer theory and gender studies scholarship, this module deconstructs and reconceptualises domin...
Between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries a powerful new idea emerged in the West: race. According to this ideology, human beings could be divided into biological groups - ‘races’ - determining both moral character and intellectual ability...
Between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries a powerful new idea emerged in the West: race. According to this ideology, human beings could be divided into biological groups - ‘races’ - determining both moral character and intellectual ability...
The culmination of your history degree at Southampton will be the completion of your final year independent research dissertation (HIST3021 for History programmes or HIST3210 for Ancient History programmes). In this module you will learn how to apply the ...
Has Shakespeare aged well? From the boys in wigs on the Elizabethan stage to the digital wizardry of the twenty-first century, the technology as well as the ideology that informs Shakespearean performance keeps evolving—sometimes in unexpected ways. This ...
How did people in early medieval England think, feel, and write about the world they inhabited? In what sorts of ways did literature and other forms of texts shape their engagements with landscapes, environments, and the beings – real and imagined – with ...
An early flute sits silently behind glass in a museum, grouped with others of its type to show changes in instrument manufacture through the ages. Fans flock to the childhood house of a former Beatle, hoping to achieve a new form of intimacy with a legend...
Narrative non-fiction is one of the most exciting areas of contemporary writing. After many years of being seen as having lower artistic status than fiction, a hugely diverse range of memoir, autofiction, essay collections, and historical writing has draw...
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was an international exhibition which took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1st May to 11th October 1851. It was arguably the greatest of a series of international ‘expositions’ run throughout ...
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was an international exhibition which took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1st May to 11th October 1851. It was arguably the greatest of a series of international ‘expositions’ run throughout ...
This special subject explores the development of the ‘precision ethos’ across the American military, and its representation within political rhetoric, cable news and print media, legal architecture, films, video games, and social media posts. Following th...
This special subject explores the development of the ‘precision ethos’ across the American military, and its representation within political rhetoric, cable news and print media, legal architecture, films, video games, and social media posts. Following th...
Blood, violence, terror, raids, pirates, rape and pillage are just some of the words associated with the Vikings in both the medieval and modern imagination. Their fearsome reputation is underlined by nicknames such as ‘Blood Axe' and ‘Skull-splitter', bu...
In this module, you will cover, the rise of national socialism in Germany, the nature of the Nazi regime, and the relationship between the regime and German society.
This module examines the foreign, occupation and racial policies of the Nazi regime, along with experiences on the Home Front during the Second World War, resistance and the collapse of the regime.
Most of current crises and conflicts have their roots in the history of empires – from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia to the wars in the Middle East. This module will introduce you to the ways in which empires shape our understanding of the ‘Other,’ th...
Most of current crises and conflicts have their roots in the history of empires – from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia to the wars in the Middle East. This module will introduce you to the ways in which empires shape our understanding of the ‘Other,’ th...
From Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia to Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale and Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America, utopias have always been haunted by the spectre of the dystopian. If utopias imagine alternative ways of organizing society, dy...
The conflict that raged between the Plantagenet and the Valois kings from 1337 to 1453, and spread over the whole of Occidental Europe, turned out to be the longest military struggle in history. In this module, you will explore how the Hundred Years War s...
The conflict that raged between the Plantagenet and the Valois kings from 1337 to 1453, and spread over the whole of Occidental Europe, turned out to be the longest military struggle in history. In this module, you will explore how the Hundred Years War s...
Once upon a time, no one called themselves queer; now it names everything from a kind of person to a type of weather. Queerness seems necessary, ubiquitous, paradoxical – but why? Ranging from the eighteenth century to the present day, this module will ex...
The essential elements of writing a novel include crafting beginnings and endings, constructing characters, manipulating structure and plot, and developing an intimate relationship with language. Writing exercises and discussions of work in progress will ...
The learning activities for this course include the following:
How you'll spend your course time:
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:
Year 1:
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:
Year 2:
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 3:
Year 3:
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Alice Hunt is the course leader.
This degree will allow you to develop and evidence subject-specific and targeted employability skills. This includes the required skill set for a range of future careers, further study, or starting your own business.
The skills you can expect to focus on and gain from this course include:
The employability and enterprise skills you'll gain from this course are reflected in the Southampton skills model. When you join us you'll be able to use our skills model to track, plan, and benefit your career development and progress.
Download skills overview
Graduates commonly work in a range of organisations or sectors including:
Book sellers and publishers,
Local Council Libraries,
universities,
Education Providers,
museums,
media groups,
magazine and newspapers,
local and national government.
*Example graduate job titles and job prospect statistics taken from The Graduate Outcomes Survey, which gathers information about the activities and perspectives of graduates 15 months after finishing their course.
You can apply for a year in employment placement on this course. This is a great way to improve your employability and confidence in your career prospects. Recommended by 100% of students who've taken part, you can apply for a UK or global placement in any sector.
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Your career ideas and graduate job opportunities may change while you're at university. So it is important to take time to regularly reflect on your goals, speak to people in industry and seek advice and up-to-date information from Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise professionals at the University.
Fees for a year's study:
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and standard exams.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.
Explore:
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £36,200 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.
The Student Hub offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
We will assess your application on the strength of your:
We'll aim to process your application within 2 to 6 weeks, but this will depend on when it is submitted. Applications submitted in January, particularly near to the UCAS equal consideration deadline, might take substantially longer to be processed due to the high volume received at that time.
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
English and History (BA) is a course in the English and History subject areas. Here are some other courses within these subject areas:
