BA English Studies and History
About this course
English studies and history share a concern with the past and with the texts that help us understand it, but they approach that shared territory from different angles. English studies reads language, narrative and literary form as evidence of how people have imagined and made sense of their world; history examines the events, structures and processes that shaped those worlds and asks how we can know what really happened. Together they develop an exceptionally strong set of intellectual skills: close reading, archival research, critical argument, the ability to weigh competing interpretations and the ability to communicate findings clearly and persuasively. At the University of Stirling, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, enriching both disciplines with international perspective. In the English strand you will encounter literature from a range of periods, traditions and genres, studying texts in their cultural and historical contexts and developing your ability to analyse form, style and meaning. The history strand engages with source materials and historiographical debates, asking not just what happened but how historians have constructed their accounts and with what assumptions. Stirling's four-year Scottish degree structure gives you breadth in the early stages before deepening in your chosen areas, and the year abroad places your learning in a new environment. A typical tariff of around 168 points is expected. Graduates pursue careers in teaching, journalism, publishing, heritage management, archives and libraries, public history, the civil service, arts management and broadcasting. The combination of literary and historical training is valued wherever analytical reading, research and clear communication are required, which encompasses most knowledge-based professions. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in English literature, history, archival studies or related disciplines, including teacher training.
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