English and History BA
3-4 years
Start date:
Course information
Typical offer ABB
UCAS code VQ13
International fee £19,700
Institute code L34
Taught by English
Top 10 in the UK for English (The Guardian University Guide 2025)
Top 12 in the UK for History (The Guardian League Table 2025)
Ranked 13th in subjects aligned to History for ‘overall positivity’ in the NSS 2024 (according to Times Higher Education NSS 2023 methodology applied to the NSS 2024 data).
Course description
Course description
The disciplines of English and History are inseparable. Major historical events affect authors, works, literary and cultural movements, even language itself, in important and complex ways, from the Norman Conquest to the Reformation, and from the Civil War to the Cold War and beyond. The English and History BA brings together these two naturally complementary subjects by grouping modules in such a way that they support and enrich one another.
You will explore English Literature and History from every period, and encounter a broad range of approaches and methodologies. A variety of option modules will allow you to deepen your understanding of those subjects that you find most fascinating. Our graduates leave Leicester with an unrivalled breadth of knowledge and skills.
This course will help you to understand how writers have been influenced by their wider contexts, how they have represented the world around them, and how to read and interpret texts in light of their history.
You will have access to library collections that include material that dates back to the 12th century. Our 'special collections' of manuscripts and historical books offer a direct connection with the past.
In your first and second year you will divide your time equally between English and History modules. You third year offers you the chance to specialise more in the area that interests you the most. You will have the opportunity to study a vast range of English and History modules from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A/AS-levels: ABB at A-level including English (Language, Literature or combined). We prefer A-level History, though this is not essential. Two AS-levels may be considered in place of one A-level. General Studies is accepted
- EPQ with A-levels: BBB at A-level including English (Language, Literature or combined) + EPQ at grade B
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30 points, including 6 in HL English A or B
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Distinction. To include 12 credits at Distinction in English Level 3 Modules
- BTEC Nationals: Pass Diploma with D*DD. Plus grade B in A-level English (Language, Literature or combined)
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
Second Year Entry may be possible with suitable qualifications.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
Applicants are not normally interviewed: If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the department.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.
If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2025
Tuition fees for 2025/26 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2024/25 were:
- £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,385 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2025
- £19,700 per year
- Year Abroad: £4,925, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
All students take part in the Talent Academy, which will introduce you to the resources provided by our Careers Development Service and provides opportunities to gain work experience with leading employers.
'History in the Classroom' is a Second Year module in which you can spend one afternoon a week under the direct supervision of a qualified classroom teacher in a local school where you will teach some History. If you are thinking of teaching as a profession, this is the module for you.
Graduate destinations
Our graduates have found work with companies such as:
- Allegis Group
- Aceville Publications
- The Mills Archive Trust
- PPL PRS Music Licensing
- Dennis Publishing
- Miyazaki City Board of Education
Rachel studied English with a year abroad and went on to become Head of English and Associate Assistant Principal at a secondary school in London.
Careers and Employability Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 5: Gender equality
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
In Year 1, your modules will equip you with the fundamental skills for investigating English and History.
Core modules
- Writing Matters
- The Shock of the Modern
- Medieval and Early Modern Europe: People, Power, Faith, and Culture
- Making History
- Renaissance Drama (double module)
Option modules
Choose two option modules from:
- Classic American Writing
- Film and Literature
- Global History: Connections and Cultures in a Changing World, 1750 to the present
- Modern Britain: c1700-Present
- Feminist Fiction
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
Year 2 allows you to explore an even greater range of literary and cultural movements alongside the historical currents and events that shaped them.
Core modules
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
- Blood, Position and Power: The Nobility of Later Medieval England, 1066-1485
- Imperialism and Decolonisation
- A World Connected: Economy, Wellbeing and Sustainability since 1945
- Stormtroops, Iron Guard and Arrow Cross: Fascism and Genocide in Eastern Europe, 1938-1945
- The History of Alcohol in North America, 1650-1950
- Fight the Power! Race, Rights and Protest in the USA
Then choose four option modules from:
- Histories of Violence
- Madness, Monarchy and Politics from George III to Queen Victoria
- Diversifying Publishing and the Literature Industry
- English and Arts Journalism
- English and Education
- Modern Literature from Conrad to Orwell (double module)
- Rewriting Britain from Windrush to Now (double module)
- Domestic Revolutions: Women, Men, and the Family in American History
- Enter the Dragon: Modern Chinese History, 1839-1989
- History in the Classroom
- Living with Dictatorship: European Societies, 1918-1941
- Heritage Field Project
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year Abroad (optional)
Year Abroad (optional)
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.
Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.
For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.
Please note
- A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
- You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
- Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
- Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year (English dissertation)
Final Year (English dissertation)
Core module
Option modules
Choose two option modules from:
- Apocalypse Then: The USA and the Vietnam War
- Crime and Punishment in African American History
- The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
- Making Nazis: Propaganda and Persuasion In The Third Reich, 1933-1945
- Disasporas and Migrations in the Modern World
- From Empire to Nation: Modern South Asia, c. 1857-1947
- Gender, Crime and Deviance in Eighteenth Century Britain
Then choose two option modules from:
- The Imperial Economy: Britain and the Wider World, 1815-1914
- What Difference Did the War Make? British Society and the Great War, 1900-1939
- The Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968
- When Two Dragons Fight: China and Japan at War in the Twentieth Century
- Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, c1350-1650
- The Medieval Natural World
- Abolitionists: Antislavery Activism in Britain and America, 1787-1865
Plus one option module from:
- Renaissance Literature from Utopia to Paradise Lost
- Victorians: from Oliver Twist to The Picture of Dorian Gray
- A Sea of Conflict? Christian Muslim Encounters c.1100-c.1300
- The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Church, State and Belief in Soviet Russia, 1941-1991
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year (History dissertation)
Final Year (History dissertation)
Core module
Option modules
Choose three option modules from:
- Renaissance Literature from Utopia to Paradise Lost (double module)
- Victorians: from Oliver Twist to The Picture of Dorian Gray (double module)
- Apocalypse Then: The USA and the Vietnam War
- Crime and Punishment in African American History
- The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
- When Two Dragons Fight: China and Japan at War in the Twentieth Century
- Making Nazis: Propaganda and Persuasion In The Third Reich, 1933-1945
- Disasporas and Migrations in the Modern World
- From Empire to Nation: Modern South Asia, c. 1857-1947
- Gender, Crime and Deviance in Eighteenth Century Britain
Plus two option modules from:
- Queering the Renaissance
- Literatures of Protest: Reading and Political Action
- The Latin World: Ancient, Medieval and Modern
- Weird Fiction/ Weird Film
- Autobiography and American Literature
- Late Victorian Gothic: Texts and Contexts
- The Other in American Fiction and Film
- The Thatcher Factor: The 1980s in Literature
- Jane Austen: The Novels, their Contexts and their Adaptations
- Tragedy
- Writing for Laughs
- Sex and Sensibility: Women, Writing, Revolution
- Life and Fate: Russian Literature from Pushkin to Grossman
- Medieval Worlds
- Reading and Writing Climate Change Fiction
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
We offer excellent levels of support - our personal tutor and mentorship systems, and our teaching and assessment methods all ensure that you feel part of a vibrant academic community from the first, and fully confident as a researcher and writer throughout your time with us.
Our degrees are designed with choice in mind: our generous range of options at every level of study allows you to organise your studies around existing interests, or to explore and encounter new ones.
Employability is at the heart of our degree: as well as polishing your skills in analysis, research and presentation, we have bespoke vocational modules that will let you gain valuable insight into a range of future careers, from teaching to publishing, and from journalism to the creative arts.
We have well-respected research centres covering Medieval History, Urban History, Local History and Genocide and Holocaust Studies.
Teaching and learning
Teaching
For each module you will typically have one or two lectures and a seminar each week, along with a number of additional events such as workshops on research and study skills, learning groups, and introduced film screenings. A typical week will involve a minimum of nine hours scheduled contact time. Lectures are designed to introduce you to important debates and contexts for understanding an author’s work. Weekly seminars, in which a tutor leads a small group of students in discussion, will allow you to explore a text or topic in depth. When you study the ‘Renaissance Drama’ module in your first year, you will take part in a workshop with local theatre companies.
For your third-year dissertation you receive one-to-one tuition across the term from a tutor with an interest in your chosen subject.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a combination of essays, group work, oral presentations, and other forms of coursework. These assessments are designed to help you build confidence in a range of skills and to provide prospective employers with evidence that you can work effectively both as an independent researcher and as a team member.
You will have regular meetings with your Personal Tutor to discuss progress in your studies. Your Personal Tutor will also provide a sympathetic ear for all matters of personal concern, whether they be academic, financial, housing, career or social issues.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.
Academic support
Our Centre for Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course English and History | Qualification BA | Duration 3 years full-time | UCAS Code VQ13 | Availability How to apply |
| Course English and History with Year Abroad | Qualification BA | Duration 4 years full-time | UCAS Code VQ13 | Availability How to apply |
Data about this course
There is such a broad range of literature and language, from Old English right through to contemporary writing.