English and History
| Award | Attendance | Study | Duration | Start | Domestic fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA (Hons) | On-Campus | Full-time, Sandwich | 3 - 4 years | September | find out | find out |
About English and History, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth
Overview
With expert-led teaching, archival research, and hands-on analysis, this BA (Hons) English and History degree equips you with the critical tools to question, interpret, and engage with the world around you.
Explore the ideas and events that have shaped societies across time. Investigate power, identity, and conflict through the lens of history and the written word.
Examine how narratives shape our understanding of the past and present—and how you can challenge them to build a better future.
Course Highlights
- Explore how literature and historical events shape culture, identity and society – and how they continue to influence the modern world
- Analyse a wide range of texts and sources, from novels and newspapers to archival records and political speeches
- Investigate representations of race, gender and class, and learn how to challenge misinformation and ‘fake news’ with evidence-based thinking
- Develop critical skills that employers value – including problem solving, communication, project management and independent research
- Be taught by passionate, expert researchers in English and History, and study as part of the School of Education, Languages and Linguistics
- Study in a unique coastal city with a rich literary and historical heritage – walk the same streets as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, H.G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle
- Have the opportunity to do a work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree - we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
- Graduate with the skills and insight to pursue socially valuable careers – from teaching and journalism, to heritage, the NHS, policy, law and more
- Be equipped to engage with major global challenges, including those set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Choose to learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, from a selection of Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish
Careers and opportunities
You’ll graduate with specialist expertise in English Literature and History, along with highly transferable skills that employers value across a wide range of sectors. These include:
- critical thinking and problem solving
- communicating clearly and persuasively
- constructing evidence-based arguments
- resilience, adaptability and independent learning
If you decide to pursue a career directly related to your degree, you could apply your skills in sectors such as publishing, heritage, education or journalism. Or you might choose to build on your research and analytical expertise with postgraduate study in areas like law, history, literature or interdisciplinary studies.
This degree allows you to follow your interests and shape your own path. You’ll be equipped to engage with big global issues, from sustainability to social justice, and contribute meaningfully to careers in both the private and public sectors.
What areas can you work in with an English and History degree?
Previous English Literature and History graduates have gone on to work in roles including:
- teacher
- researcher and writer for TV
- museum curator
- archivist
- political researcher
- NHS manager
- development editor in publishing
- barrister
- assistant to a Member of Parliament
- senior policy advisor (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)
- communications officer (House of Commons)
- civil servant (Department for the Cabinet Office)
They’ve worked for employers such as:
- British Council
- National Trust
- Office for National Statistics
- Serco
- West Midlands Police
- Government of Jersey
Many graduates also continue their studies with postgraduate degrees – including Master’s and PhD programmes in English, History, or interdisciplinary areas – or progress into specialist fields such as law, publishing or public policy.
Placement year (optional)
After your second or third year, you’ll have the option to do a paid work or self-employed placement year. This gives you the chance to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting, develop new skills, and explore possible career paths – all while enhancing your CV.
We’ll help you find a placement that fits your goals, whether in the UK or abroad, and you’ll receive full support from careers advisers and placement staff before, during and after the experience.
Previous placement destinations have included:
- Shrewsbury Museums
- Darton Law Ltd
- Freedom from Torture (human rights charity)
- Narrativia (independent production company)
- Kings Theatre Portsmouth
- Ghent City Council, Belgium
- Centerprise International (IT solutions)
- local schools and legal firms
Both the placement year and in-course experience are assessed through reflective portfolios, helping you recognise how your skills and confidence have developed and how your learning connects to your future career.
Entry requirements for this course
Contact University of Portsmouth to find course entry requirements.
View all courses at University of Portsmouth