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English Literature and History - BA (Hons)

Year of entry: 2021
Course type: Combined Honours
Duration of study: 3 years/ 4 years with International Year

Location: Keele University campus
Subject area / School: School of Humanities
UCAS code: QV31

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Course overview

Are you excited to learn about historic events such as the English Civil War? Do you have a passion for exploring literary works that challenge your views and prompt creativity? Are you excited to explore global social and cultural changes that have revolutionised and shaped human's relationships with the environment? Covering a broad range of historical and literary topics, our dynamic and stimulating programme embeds creative teaching and assessment methods. Our degree equips you with the desirable skills of many employers with recent graduates securing positions with the Home Office and Local Government.

Keele Undergraduate Enquiries Form

Please submit your question in the form below and a member our enquiries team will be in touch with you shortly.

Your Name

Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy)

Please provide a contact telephone number *

Country of Residence

Year of Entry

Please Select a Course

Are you interested in a Foundation Year

YesNo

Please enter your question below:

Your Preferences

Please keep me informed using email

YesNo

Please keep me informed using phone

YesNo

Please keep me informed using messages/texts

YesNo

What we’re going to do with your data and why?

We will securely store your data and send you essential information (examples include updates on an application or booking confirmations for events such as Open Days).

How long are we keeping it?

We will keep your data for the year that you first enquire with us plus 6 subsequent years. This is to ensure that you are legally protected should you have any issues with the use of your data.

Unsubscribe

What to do if I change my mind?

92%

overall student satisfaction for History National Student Survey, 2017-19

Work Placement

available as an optional module for 2nd year Humanities students

100%

score for 3* impact in History Research Excellence Framework, 2014

Student testimonials

Charlotte Smith

"Throughout my time at Keele and by throwing myself into as much as possible, I feel like I grew in confidence from being quite shy, and my view of the world opened up a lot." Read more

Sam Taylor

"During the second year of my degree, I spent an exchange semester in the United States where I met a leading Kennedy historian whom I later interviewed for my History dissertation" - read more about Sam Taylor

Jordan Ori-Orison

"My placement provided me the opportunity to gain valuable experience working within the museum sector that I can apply to a similar role in the future" Read more

Zahra - English Literature

"I really enjoy how versatile the module choices are for English Literature. There are plenty of options depending on your reading preferences and there is flexibility within modules, as various texts are explored."

Jacqueline Fradley

"I've been able to tailor my History degree to choose modules in the things I'm really interested in. I've worked on volunteer history projects, learned a new language and attended a summer school in Russia! " - read more about Jacqueline Fradley

Louisa Grocott, MA Creative Writing Graduate

"The course has supported the development of my writing style, creativity and probably developing my personal ‘voice’ and confidence, too." Read more

Katie Barker

"To receive a First Class Degree at the end of my three years was the icing on the cake. I had the opportunity to study a professional qualification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and I also got to be a part of the Swimming Team and represent Keele at various British University competitions. " - read more about Katie Barker

Course content

Studying English Literature and History at Keele will enable you to develop your appreciation of various global histories and literature, whilst enjoying the rich history of our local area. In your spare time, you might find yourself exploring the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon metalwork most likely deposited in the 7th century in the then Kingdom of Mercia. The Staffordshire Hoard provides a window to England in the 6th and 7th centuries and also to the warrior elite that existed during these times and now rests less than 5 miles away from Keele.

The History element of the programme will carry you chronologically from the medieval period to the present, and span the globe. You will be introduced to a wide range of history – from political, social, economic and cultural history to the history of gender, health, sexuality and religion. Throughout your first year, you may engage in modules that encourage you to explore topics such as how European rulers tried to strengthen their authority with the increase of military power between the late fifteenth and late seventeenth centuries, or some of the key defining moments in History which may include the 1720 South Sea Bubble in Britain, the 1791 Haitian Revolution or the 1933 Bauhaus movement.

Throughout the degree you will explore and interpret literary texts that will challenge your views, advance your tastes, prompt your creativity. You'll be encouraged to delve deep into a range of literary works, which may include authors such as Emily Bronte, Aphra Behn, Tsitsi Dangarembga and J M Coetzee. Our intellectually stimulating and engaging approach to exploring novels, poetry, drama, graphic novels and other types of literature produce intelligent, perceptive, socially aware and compassionate individuals who are able to make a real impact. You'll tackle a range of issues and unprecedented challenges of our cultural moment, which could include decolonisation, sustainability and the environment, gender and sexuality, migration, political extremism, or the role of literature as an arbiter of truth in an era of information overload and fake news.

Through a range of activities and assessments, our diverse course will equip you with a wide array of attributes that employers are looking for, including problem solving, creativity, emotional intelligence, and digital literacy. You will pursue your passions, grow in confidence, and gain a unique set of transferable skills that will be invaluable for your future career in a variety of sectors.

Supporting Your Employability

Opportunities to enhance your employability are at the heart of the English Literature and History programme - we want you to graduate not only as a confident historian and literary critic, but also with a highly-desirable set of skills. Our second-year optional module "Work Placement in the Humanities" allows you to engage with potential future employers whilst being supported by academic and career advisors to design and complete a programme of work in partnership with the workplace. Previous work placements have included charities, museums, schools and archives. We also recognise that as your knowledge and appreciation develops, so will your career aspirations. Our Careers and Employability advisors run excellent workshops and offer tailored, individual guidance throughout the course.

Learn a Language and Study Abroad Opportunities

Studying English Literature and History at Keele also gives you the chance to learn a language. Whether you are a complete beginner or already have a foundation of knowledge we offer a flexible and guided route to enhancing your skills. We currently offer British Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Upon successful completion of a series of elective language modules, you will have the opportunity to gain an enhanced degree title. You may also look to study abroad at one of our partner institutions enabling you to broaden your knowledge while experiencing a new culture. Our Global Opportunities team will support you throughout the process, ensuring you are able to get the most out of your international experience. Recent Humanities students have studied in Canada, Australia and the USA. Keele University is partnered with many institutions across the world enabling you to further develop your appreciation and awareness of other cultures and societies.

RELATED COURSES

COURSES IN RELATED SUBJECT AREAS

Variations to 2020/21 courses

Foundation year

Foundation Year Overview

If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into our BA (Hons) English Literature and History course, our Foundation Year can provide an alternative route into your degree.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years’ experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you’ll study on campus, joining our community from the outset, and you will have access to a range of support.

Read on to find out about:

Foundation Year indicative modules for the September intake
Foundation Year entry requirements
How to apply
UCAS code for this course

The information within this page is for students wishing to start their studies in September. If you would like to start this course in January, please visit our January pages for further details.

Course Content

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

The Keele Foundation Year is a two semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the BA (Hons) English Literature and History degree. For example, the Foundations of Humanities 1 module introduces you to the broad range of source material across the Humanities disciplines – from music to media – which enable us to analyse political, social or economic perspectives and attitudes to individuals, marginal groups and ‘mainstream’ society. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

The information within this page is for students wishing to start their studies in September. If you would like to start this course in January, please visit our January pages for further details.

Course Content

The module details given below are indicative and will give you a good idea of the range of subjects that we teach. We regularly review our teaching to ensure that the modules we offer are up-to-date; therefore, the modules available to study are liable to change.

Semester One Modules

FYO-00247	Foundations: Breaking the code - Understanding Academic Writing	15 credits
FYO-00257	Foundations of Humanities - 1	15 credits
FYO-00259	Foundations of Humanities - 2	15 credits

Semester One Option Modules

FYO-00253	Foundations of Business (Option)	15 credits
FYO-00267	Foundations of Social Sciences (Option)	15 credits

Semester Two Modules

FYO-00261	Advancing Humanities	30 credits
FYO-00271	University Research Portfolio	30 credits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate’s application. Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom, European Union and International students.

Between 40-48 UCAS points from at least 1 A level/level 3 qualification or equivalent, or
Relevant work experience

AND

GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C), or Level 2 Functional Skills, or
IELTS 5.5 (with 5.5 in all subtests)

How to Apply

Combined Honours students will need to apply for BA (Hons) English Literature with Foundation Year (UCAS code: Q3VA) through UCAS at www.ucas.com. You will then be contacted to confirm your second subject by a member of our team.

Direct Entry Students

If you already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

International Entry

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course may have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year stand-alone programme.

Please visit the International Foundation Year pages for information on how to apply, entry requirements and course details.

Career prospects

96% of Keele graduates were in a job or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE, 2017)

You will be able to communicate complex ideas effectively to different kinds of audience, producing persuasive arguments informed by careful research. Our graduates have gone on to work in teaching, journalism, media, the civil service, the heritage and museum sector, local government and management. Around a quarter of our graduates go on to take higher degrees and the degree opens the doors to many other higher education opportunities with many choosing to stay at Keele. If you are thinking of travelling the world after graduation or teaching abroad, Keele’s Language Centre offers a variety of language courses. You may graduate with an enhanced degree with foreign language competency or an internationally recognised qualification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Recent employers

Apple
Primary, Secondary and Higher Education
Barclays
NHS
Marks and Spencer
HSBC
Santander
Memiah
Vodafone
Home Office
National Railway Museum
Prospero Teaching
Capita
Cooperative Bank
Higher Education
RBS
Local Government
Tesco

Jobs that a graduate of this course could go on to do:

Academic Librarian
Advertising Copywriter
Editorial Assistant
Journalist
Public Relations Officer
School Teacher
History Teacher
Academic Librarian
Archivist
Museum Curator
Heritage Manager
Researcher
Information Officer
Records Manager

Regardless of which career you pursue after Keele, employers will want evidence of the range of skills and personal qualities you possess and which are required for the job. Your degree is clearly important in this respect but don’t forget the extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility, jobs and voluntary work you may have been engaged in while studying at Keele. These activities allow you to demonstrate the skills and personal qualities required by employers and will be vital in your attempts to secure graduate employment.

It is estimated that 60% of jobs are open to graduates of any discipline. This demonstrates the flexibility of many graduate employers when setting out their academic requirements and that students are not necessarily restricted to careers related to their degree.

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.