English Literature and History

English Literature and History - BA (Hons)

Are you excited to explore different historical periods and literary works that will challenge and inspire you? English Literature and History at Keele delves into the details and impact of historical events and explores literature from Shakespeare to the present day. On this course, you will investigate the ways that people thought and lived in the past and how social, cultural and literary changes have shaped the world we live in today. You will explore these subjects on a global scale and become a confident reader, writer and researcher, equipping you with key graduate attributes.

Year of entry

2023 - for 2022 entry see here

Course type

Combined Honours

Location

Keele University campus

Subject area / School

School of Humanities

UCAS code

QV31

Duration of study

3 years / 4 years with international or placement year

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Why study English Literature and History at Keele University?

Become a skilled analyst of literature of all kinds, from poetry to graphic novels to political speeches

Gain insight into various eras, cultures, and society, building a foundation of knowledge and providing a broad interpretation of history

Learn to critically evaluate and reflect on historical events and how these have impacted the world we live in, supported by inspiring teachers

Engage in work placement opportunities that provide a rich experience, preparing you for employment after university

Opportunity to apply for an International Year at a partner university to explore diverse cultures

Course overview

English Literature and History at Keele combines the study of historical events and literature with reflections on how our modern society and culture has developed, tackling important debates around issues such as decolonisation, sustainability and the environment, gender and sexuality, and political extremism.

On this combined honours programme, you will examine literature in English from across the world, including Britain, North America and Africa, taking a truly global perspective.

Taught by expert lecturers in the School of Humanities, you will explore and interpret literary texts that will challenge your views, advance your tastes, prompt your creativity, and give you the opportunity to become a versatile graduate. Through a range of activities and assessments, this diverse course will equip you with a vast array of attributes that employers are looking for, including problem solving, creativity, emotional intelligence, and digital literacy.

History at Keele is taught by academics who are experts across a diverse range of fields and periods of history. This will enable you to trace the course of change in key areas of human history and appreciate the impact of events, forces, and processes on individual societies and the world as a whole.

You will develop your knowledge, critical thinking, and analytical skills and learn how to research diverse topics, critically interrogate evidence and reflect on pivotal moments in history. This experience will help to broaden your expertise and develop transferable skills that will prepare you for employment after university.

Work Placements

The School of Humanities hosts a ‘Work Placement in the Humanities’ module which provides you with the opportunity to apply for a placement within an organisation to further enhance your professional skills. With the guidance of module tutors, you will identify an organisation based on your interests, and will spend a semester engaging with projects and tasks set out by the employer.

You may cover areas such as heritage, education, charity, marketing and management, as well as the creative industry. Alumni have previously taken work placements in a range of settings including museums and schools. You will engage with taught sessions in addition to your time at your chosen organisation and will be encouraged to reflect upon your experiences to identify how you can apply your learnings throughout your studies and beyond.

You will have the opportunity to apply for a Work Placement Year, taken between Year 2 and 3, that allows you to practice your knowledge and prepare for employment after university. This experience will enable you to build confidence in the workplace and demonstrate your abilities in a professional environment, using the skills you have gained throughout your degree programme. You will be supported to prepare for your placement with advice on CV writing and cover letters, as well as the chance to attend Q&A workshops to discuss individual experiences with alumni and employers. This is a valuable experience where you will develop both personally and professionally.

Study Abroad

International Year

Enhance your career prospects with an International Year at one of our partner institutions. Utilising this opportunity between 2nd and 3rd year can help in your employment search to stand out from the crowd and broaden your horizons, potentially working across the globe.

On successful completion of all modules across the year, you will graduate with a degree title ‘English Literature and History with International Year’. This can be highly beneficial for your career prospects; through experiencing different cultures, you will not only grow as an individual, but you will also strengthen your knowledge and experience of the wider world. You can find more information here.

Alternatively, you may choose to study abroad for just a semester in your second year which will count towards your second-year grades. Our Global Opportunities team will support you through the process, ensuring you are able to get the most out of your international experience.

Student Support

To help you meet your academic and personal needs, we offer a multi-layered student support structure. You will have access to an academic mentor and member of staff from the Student Experience and Support team if you need any additional support, or someone to talk to, whether about your degree programme or life outside of your studies.

Societies

We have a wealth of student-led societies at Keele which cover a diverse range of interests. Joining a society is a great opportunity to continue to develop your skills away from your studies and can be beneficial when applying for graduate roles. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded people, make friends and share interests with fellow students.

Next Steps

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"I had the opportunity to meet with different people within the local museum sector and gained some really valuable knowledge on how to provide effective content for a museum and how to modernise it without spending a lot of money (as most of these collections are funded by donations only). I was also able to create a conversation between myself and the visitors of the collection and used their feedback throughout the design process to make sure that what was being produced would be enjoyed by the public. This was one of the most rewarding aspects of the placement."

Jordan, English Literature and History

Related courses

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Additional opportunities

Foundation year Learn a language Placement year International year Study abroad GCP Elective Pathways Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities available when studying this course.
Please note, undertaking one may impact upon the availability of another.

Entry requirements

Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

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 and International students.

A Level requirements

A Level requirement BBC

GCSE requirements

English at C (or 4)

BTEC

BTEC requirements DMM

International Baccalaureate

29 points

Access to HE Diploma requirements

Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 112 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction.

If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

Preparation programmes for international students

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

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

Next Steps

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Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching and assessment in English Literature

You will be taught by experienced academic staff in the School of Humanities, from a range of backgrounds, with expertise in a number of research areas. You will engage with various teaching methods including lectures, seminars, workshops and one-to-one supervision sessions. Taking part in smaller group sessions encourages you to discuss themes, books, readings and ideas with academics and your peers. This allows you to build your confidence and develop your ability to work with others as well as completing individual research.

English at Keele does not use formal exams, but other assessment types may include:

Essays
Reviews
Web projects
Podcasts
Portfolios
Presentations

This mix of assessments allows you to showcase your ability to write, present and think creatively. You will be assessed on different elements that will be valuable to your career prospects such as time management skills, organisation and adaptability to tasks.

In your third and final year, you will have the opportunity to implement your knowledge with independent study in your chosen area through a dissertation. This will involve collaboration with a supervisor to assist with research and support and will allow you to showcase your creativity, skills and emotional intelligence, gained throughout your degree programme.

Teaching and assessment in History

Through our diverse teaching styles, our aim is to equip you with the necessary skills to assist you throughout your studies and beyond graduating. You will develop key analytical and presentation skills as well as creative writing abilities and get involved with rich discussions with academics and peers.

Our teaching is delivered through various methods including lectures, small group seminars and workshops. This will be complemented by different assessment types that will allow you to demonstrate your ability to communicate information effectively and creatively.

Assessment methods may include:

Essays
Portfolio work
Podcasts
Presentations including video casts
Online examinations
Reviews
Research design projects
Digital documents

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Foundation year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

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 undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

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, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Semester one modules

In addition to the modules listed, students will study a further 15 credits in semester one. The optional modules available for students to choose from is dependent on the degree programme and timetabling restraints.

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 two modules

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

Entry requirements

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.

Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.

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