English Literature and History BA (Hons)

Keele University

Set in 600 acres of countryside in North Staffordshire, we have one of the largest and most beautiful campuses in Britain. We’re proud to be No.2 in England for Student Satisfaction with Course (Guardian University League Table, 2020), investing more than £140m in our campus in the last ten years, including £45m new science laboratories. In 2021 we were proud to be awarded Sustainability Institution of the Year at the prestigious Green Gown Awards as part of our mission to become a carbon neutral campus by 2030. We're committed to supporting you to achieve your career goals, and have a dedicated Careers and Employability team who can assist you to navigate your options beyond Keele.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.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 car