Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and History with Year Abroad

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Is there a god? What is morality? What does it mean to be human? On this joint BA Philosophy and English degree you’ll examine concepts like these from philosophical and literary perspectives. You’ll broaden your knowledge and understanding with a placement year at a university abroad.

You’ll have the freedom to pursue your own interests in subjects as varied as scriptwriting and Islamic philosophy.

In your degree you can:

• Learn about philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Explore philosophy and literature through diverse times and places, from Viking to Victorian eras, from Eastern to African settings
• Study themes like the Islamic Golden Age, classical Indian philosophy, and holocaust literature
• Study abroad at one of our partner institutions
• Explore contested narratives, for example, race and culture in American literature

At Southampton you’ll learn in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment. You'll benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds directly into the course content.

You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules.

Learn how we make sense of past events, ideas and problems with this dual honours modern history and politics degree. You'll understand how society organises itself and makes decisions. You’ll study contemporary issues such as international security, migration and globalisation. The skills you gain will prepare you for a wide range of career options.

Modern History at Southampton challenges you to critically interpret histories of societies. The study of politics encourages you to explore people’s organisation and behaviour.

On this course you can:

• Study the modern history of an extraordinary range of places, from Western Europe and the Americas, to Africa and South Asia
• Learn about rare artefacts from the University’s own collections, as well as take part in guided visits to other museums and galleries
• Learn about democracy, the modern state, comparative politics and international relations
• Spend time at a university abroad in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia

Explore 20th century and contemporary English literature with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the chance to specialise in contemporary culture and history, covering topics such as:

• Science and climate change
• Politics and globalisation
• The relationship between literary and visual cultures
• Sexuality, gender, race and disability

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a career in teaching, publishing, librarianship or cultural heritage.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced-level research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries.

This pathway is linked to the Southampton Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing. This group brings together academics, writers and research students with interests in the relations between writing and contemporary culture. The centre also hosts events including guest lectures, seminars and research study days.

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method.

You’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

If you have a passion for literature, music and experiencing new ideas, this joint honours English and Music degree is for you. We will introduce you to a wide range of texts, topics and musical styles. Our course will help you explore the connections between English and Music, like lyrical poetry, opera, musicals and film.

Our English modules cover writing from around the world and its connection to politics, the arts, identity and more.

In Music, you can study everything from Italian opera to global hip hop, while developing your own musical practice.

With our advice, you can shape your degree to suit your own development. For example, you might learn about the literature of the Harlem Renaissance, while exploring jazz theory in Music.

As part of this course you can:

• Join one of 40 student-led performing arts groups
• Spend a semester at one of our global partner universities
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Use a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Learn a modern language at any level
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events
• Get one-to-one tutorials on writing from our Royal Literary Fund Fellows

To explore your passion for Music you can:

• Attend an extensive series of professional concerts and workshops in our acclaimed Turner Sims concert hall
• Join a band, orchestra or choir and take part in a thriving local music scene

Explore the development of historical debates and ways of imagining the past. You'll study topics ranging from ancient history to the war on terror. In your third year, you’ll study history abroad at a partner university to expand your knowledge and experience. You’ll graduate with transferable skills that are relevant for a variety of careers.

You’ll look at the different ways historians have approached the human past, and study specific areas in history.

Your course will combine lectures with small group seminars. You’ll learn how to structure an argument, interrogate and contextualise evidence and evaluate historical controversies. In year 2, there’s a chance to work with others students on a group project.

Leading researchers will teach you about topics like the buildings of the Roman Empire and concepts of peace and peacefulness in twentieth-century China.

You'll spend your third year studying at one of our partner institutions abroad. University locations include Croatia, Poland, Norway and France.

As part of this degree you’ll:

• choose from over 100 modules
• access document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers, and the Parkes archive, one of the largest Jewish documentation centres in Europe
• attend our visiting lecture and seminar programme

Explore postcolonialism and world literature with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the chance to specialise in postcolonial and world literary culture, covering topics such as:

• Legacies of colonialism and imperialism
• Aftermath of decolonisation
• Relationship between gender and nationalism
• Fault lines in postcolonial national narratives

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a career in teaching, librarianship, museums and galleries, publishing or heritage.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries.

This pathway is linked to the Southampton Centre for Imperial and Postcolonial Studies. This group brings together academics, writers and research students to explore the practices, experiences and legacies of imperial power in a global setting, from the early-modern period to the present. The centre also hosts events including seminars, workshops and conferences.

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method.

You’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

This degree will give you complete proficiency in German and you’ll gain valuable experience spending a year living and working in a foreign country.

Following our system of language development, you’ll start at a level that matches your ability in German. This means we can personalise your learning so you make the best progress.

You’ll also have all the resources you need to support you in our excellent Centre for Language Study.

You’ll have the freedom to tailor your degree to areas that interest you. Whether you want to learn another language, take modules from other subject areas, improve your employability skills, or explore German culture, society, or history, the choice will be yours.  

In your year abroad you can choose to work as an English assistant in a school, study at a university or take a work placement. Our partner universities in the Erasmus programme are in Germany and Austria.

This German course has a strong focus on employability. You’ll have the option to take practical modules looking at teaching, you could take advantage of our vacation work placement schemes and you’ll develop a wide range of transferable skills.

How do you become a better writer? On this course, you'll develop your creative and critical writing and discover the links between literature and visual culture, science, and politics. Your final project lets you complete an extended piece of imaginative writing. You'll be guided by our award-winning novelists, journalists and playwrights.

The creative writing degree allows you to choose from Creative Writing and English options each year, building your knowledge of a range of genres and traditions. We'll encourage you to make connections between your critical and creative practice throughout the course.

We will also support your professional practice with:

• An arts ambassador scheme
• Regular readings and writers' events
• Paid internships in arts organisations

You'll have the opportunity to study abroad, spending a semester, a summer or even a full year at one of our global partner universities.

As part of this course you can:

• Join one of 40 student-led performing arts groups
• Study film and visual culture
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Use a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Learn a modern language at any level
• Join a student-run English society for social events
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events
• Get media experience with our student societies for film, TV and radio

Study our Film and English degree at Southampton and discover how we tell stories across both art forms. On this course, you'll analyse writing from early poetry to the present day novel. You'll learn how to view Hollywood blockbusters, European and world cinema with a critical eye. You can look at literature and films in new contexts, including performance, music, science, philosophy and more.

In Film, you'll study familiar classics alongside contemporary cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You'll deepen your understanding and enjoyment of films and develop your critical thinking as part of a lively community.

Our English modules look at written English from across the world, in many social and cultural contexts. You're encouraged to study literature from different eras and creative writing.

You can examine both classical and popular novel adaptations in our specialised module. From Jane Austen to Harry Potter, you'll explore the close links between film and literature.

 As part of this film and English course you can:

• explore British, European and world cinema
• take modules in scriptwriting and narrative non-fiction
• join writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• explore experimental writing at Entropics
• use a unique collection of rare books at Chawton House Library
• submit your own film to a yearly film festival

We offer a 4-week summer school at Dongguk University in Seoul. This includes film and cultural orientation courses.

Gain in-depth knowledge of the English language and its cultural impact on this BA English Language and Literature degree. Discover how English emerged, how it continues to change, and how it varies across its millions of speakers. You’ll explore writing in varieties of English from the early medieval period to the present day, as well as from around the world.

You'll combine both literary and linguistic approaches to the subject on this flexible course.

You’ll study topics such as:

• The history and development of the English language  
• The cultural significance of English and its unique global status
• Phonetics, language acquisition and the psychology of language (psycholinguistics)

Optional modules mean you can adapt the course to match your interests. Topics you can choose to study include:

• The Renaissance
• 18th or 19th century writing
• Arthurian literature
• Children's literature

You’ll learn from expert academics and graduate ready for a career across industries like:

• Education
• Mass media
• Advertising and marketing
• Speech therapy
• Writing and publishing

You’ll also be able to make use of our Lifelong Learning programme, which provides extracurricular teaching of some 12 languages.

Our degree programmes are informed by research carried out in our leading Research Centres, including the Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research and the Centre for Global Englishes.