This exciting and varied Joint Honours degree allows you to explore a huge range of literature in English alongside British, European and world history.
You'll be at the heart of our large and diverse Schools of English and History, developing your research skills and expanding your knowledge through core modules. In English, you'll explore poetry, prose and drama across different literary periods, while in History you'll focus on research methods and historiography. And as both Schools offer a fantastic variety of optional modules, you'll have the chance to follow your own interests across periods and cultures in both subjects.
You could study anything from Old English and the Arthurian legends to crime fiction and post-Apartheid narratives, as well as the Anglo-Saxons, Caribbean slavery and the Cold War. Whatever it is you're looking for, the chances are you can find it at Leeds - and you'll also gain valuable skills that really appeal to employers.
The University of Leeds has excellent resources for historians and literature students. The world class Brotherton Library holds a wide variety of manuscript, archive and early printed material in its Special Collections as well as extensive resources in all the areas we teach. The University Library offers comprehensive training programmes to help you make the most of the facilities we have.
Course content
A joint honours degree allows you to study the same core topics as students on each single honours course, but you'll take fewer optional and discovery modules so you can fit in both subjects.
Core modules in your first year will introduce you to texts across poetry, prose and drama and allow you to develop important skills such as historical methods and research. You'll also have the chance to choose from discovery modules across a wide variety of subjects - an opportunity open to you throughout your degree.
You'll build on this knowledge over the next two years. You'll choose from core English modules spanning from the medieval period to today, and study at least one history module in the modern period and one from earlier times. You'll then pursue your interests across optional modules in both subjects, from the Crusades to twentieth-century Africa and from folklore to disability and sexuality in contemporary literature.
Throughout the degree you'll develop valuable interpretative and analytical skills, as well as becoming a confident researcher. You'll demonstrate these qualities in your final year, when you undertake an independently researched dissertation on a topic of your choice.
Course structure
These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Entry requirements, fees and applying
Entry requirements
A-level: AAA including A in History and A in English (Literature, Language or Language and Literature), not including General Studies or Critical Thinking.
Career opportunities
A Joint Honours degree in English and History gives you transferable skills that can help you succeed in a wide range of careers.
You'll have strong research skills and be confident working independently or within a team. You'll be able to analyse information from a number of different sources and form your own conclusions about them. Then you'll be able to communicate and present those views clearly, both verbally and in writing. You'll also have the time management and organisational skills needed to manage two demanding subjects.
Graduates have pursued careers in fields such as publishing, law, journalism, business and finance, advertising and marketing, the civil service, education and the charity sector. Many others have progressed to postgraduate study.
We're committed to helping you achieve your career ambitions. You could boost your CV with one of the internship opportunities offered by the School of History and the School of English each year, become a peer mentor or take any of our employability-related modules during your degree.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That's one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Study abroad and work placements
Study abroad
On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. The University has partnerships with more than 400 universities worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America.
Find out more at the Study Abroad website.
Work placements
Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.
Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.
