Oxford University

Course Details

Ba(History and English)

Course Description

A joint degree in History and English requires students to think critically about how we define ‘history’ and ‘literature’, and about how the two disciplines interrelate and, in large measure, overlap. Close attention is given to changing methodologies, to the nature of evidence and to styles of argument. It is assumed that historical documents are just as much ‘texts’ as are poems, plays or novels, and are therefore subject to interpretation as works of narrative, rhetoric and, fundamentally, language. Equally, it is assumed that poems, plays and novels represent historically grounded ways of interpreting a culture.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
3year

Career outcomes

By studying this degree you will acquire a range of skills valued by recruiters including: the ability to work independently, to evaluate the significance of evidence and to present arguments clearly and persuasively. Recent graduates from this course have worked in the media, legal professions, public administration, teaching and financial careers. Jo, who graduated in 2008, says: "Since graduating, I have worked in the City in both finance and law. I joined the London office of Skadden Arps, a US firm, in September 2011 as a trainee solicitor."




Ba(History and English) Oxford University