English and History

What’s it about?

The great thing about this subject area is the variety and flexibility of the courses. You can study English Language or Literature or combine the two with Creative Writing or a Modern Language. It’s practical too – that means studying real language in real life or exploring the relationship between literature and film, or in context such as conversation analysis, the language of humour or literature through film. Study English, History or a combination of both and you will be taught by staff who are led by their research and professional expertise. Our courses are consistently praised by external examiners as a result. You can study History as a stand-alone degree or with Politics or English. Our History courses also offer you the opportunity of a 6-week work placement with the chance to gain real world experience on the path towards your chosen career.

Be in demand

English, History and Humanities at the University of Huddersfield had a 93.3% record of graduates finding employment or going on to further study within six months of graduation during 2009/10.English

The study of English and History will provide you with a range of transferable skills and the all important employability factor. They are well-respected subject areas as they teach research and analytical skills with the ability to communicate orally and in writing and employers appreciate that.

Many of our graduates have found employment in the following areas: teaching, museum services, journalism, advertising, insurance, personnel or publishing at such places as the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Air Force, Pen and Sword Books, Leeds City Council and Irwin Mitchell.

English

The study of English develops a wide variety of skills and attributes that are desirable to graduate employers. These include the ability to find patterns of significance in large and complex pieces of information; sophisticated communication skills, including the ability to move smoothly between written and oral forms; the ability to convey complex ideas with clarity and simplicity, to choose the most appropriate levels of formality with sensitivity to diverse readers and listeners, and to present arguments rationally and persuasively. English graduates also develop sophisticated thinking skills in the application of rigorous concepts, in the imaginative reframing of situations from different points of view and in the creative synthesis of ideas and resolution of problems. The teaching and learning environment of a degree in English provides experience of teamwork through group discussions and assignments as well as developing excellent organisational skills and self-management through supervised private study and research.

Graduates of our degree programmes have gone on to MA and PhD study at Huddersfield and other universities. We have a strong track record of success for gaining places onto PGCE and GTP programmes, in which the central place of English within the national curriculum is a great advantage. Our recent graduates have also gone into careers in publishing, arts administration, librarianship, town planning and management.

History

History had a 96.4% record of graduates finding employment or going on to further study within six months of graduation during 2009/10.

History develops a wide range of transferable skills, such as research and analytical skills, the ability to communicate orally and in writing, and with our Work Placement module we help all our students develop the employability factor. For students who are interested in careers in museums and heritage our Hands on History and History in the Community modules offer vocationally orientated study and the chance to work with outside organisations. We offer a broad chronological range from the Anglo-Saxons to the 1970s, and British, European, US and Indian history.

History graduates have gone on to MAs and PhDs at Huddersfield and other universities. Some go on to PGCE and GTP programmes, while others have trained in Law, Librarianship and Archives, and in Nursing. Our graduates are also working in museums at Lancaster Castle and York Castle Museum, Imperial War Museum; for British Waterways, the NHS, RAF, Pen and Sword Books, HBOS, Morrissons and in PR.