Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

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

Study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record on our film degree with year abroad . Immerse yourself in the subject, from the earliest projected images to the present day. Learn how to view Hollywood blockbusters, European and world cinema with a critical eye. A year abroad will enhance your understanding of visual arts and let you experience a new culture.

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 film and develop your critical thinking as part of a lively community.

You'll spend your third year studying at one of our partner universities abroad. Your options include: South Korea, Sweden, Ireland or the Czech Republic – countries with their own distinctive film cultures. You can take lectures in English but may also improve your languages. We'll help you plan your year abroad to suit your interests.

As part of this course you can:

• explore British, European and world cinema
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• take modules from other courses, such as English, history and music
• volunteer at a cinema to develop new skills, such as team leading, projection and digital design
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

Philosophy and English literature have between them tackled some of the biggest questions of our age: Is there a god? What is morality? What does it mean to be human? On this joint honours course you’ll examine these and other fundamental concepts from 2 complementary angles, enriching your understanding and appreciation of each discipline in the process.

This BA degree will give you an excellent education in literature, theory and critical thinking.

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

You’ll be taught in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds directly into the course content.

Compulsory modules provide a strong grounding in philosophical and critical thought, while optional modules give you the freedom to pursue your own interests in subjects as varied as scriptwriting, short stories and Islamic philosophy. You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules.

From the Aztecs and Maya to Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the medieval world, you'll study the story of human activity and the origins of civilisation. You'll gain an understanding of how human societies came into being, how and why they changed over time, and the underlying reasons for human diversity today. In your final year, you'll develop in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area of archaeology.

Archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. This integrated undergraduate and master's degree will teach you the many methods and techniques we use to find, excavate and investigate historical sites and materials.

During your master's in archaeology, you'll learn how to handle, describe and interpret archaeological objects and data. As you become more confident, you'll recognise and interpret your finds in the field and carry out advanced archaeological techniques.

The undergraduate grounding (following the framework of the BA in Archaeology) will give you a foundation in archaeology. The final postgraduate archaeology year enables you to develop your own interests in specialist fields so that you can target the career path you want to follow. For example, you could choose to explore the archaeologist profession in commercial archaeology or the museums and heritage sector.

This master's degree in archaeology is flexible so you can choose your own path. You'll have options to focus on areas like:

• Museums and heritage management
• Studying human and animal bones
• Environmental impact assessment
• Maritime archaeology

We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories. You'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive the practical training needed for a career in professional archaeology.

Postgraduate archaeology courses teach a wide range of transferable skills such as:

• Evidence-based reasoning
• Problem-solving
• Project management

We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.

Study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record with our Film Studies degree. Immerse yourself in the subject, from the earliest projected images to the present day. Learn how to view Hollywood blockbusters, European and world cinema with a critical eye.

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 film and develop your critical thinking as part of a lively community.

You can choose to spend a semester or a summer abroad at one of our partner universities, including: South Korea, Sweden, Ireland, Hong Kong and the Czech Republic.

You can also hone your filmmaking skills with our student-led filmmaking, TV and radio societies. They offer training and equipment to help you try out directing, producing, scriptwriting, sound or camera work.

As part of this film degree you can:

• explore British, European and world cinema
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• take modules from other courses, such as English, history and music
• volunteer at a cinema to develop new skills, such as team leading, projection and digital design
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

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

Explore 18th century literature in depth with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton. This course gives you the chance to specialise in the culture and history of the 18th century, covering topics such as:

• 18th century fiction
• economics and class
• education
• gender and sexuality
• Jane Austen

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 Chawton House Library, the ‘Great House’ referred to in Jane Austen’s letters, which is now home to a unique collection of women’s writing.

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

With this French and Philosophy degree, you’ll become fluent in a major international language and spend a year in a French-speaking country. You'll also study philosophy, which will deepen your ability to analyse and communicate.

What you learn will prepare you for work across the world. French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and it’s an official language in much of Africa and Asia.

You’ll start at a level that matches your ability in spoken and written French, which helps ensure rapid progress. You’ll also have excellent resources to support you. The Centre for Language Study at Southampton has everything you need.

A module in year 2 prepares you for the following year abroad. You can spend the year in countries such as:

• France
• Switzerland
• Belgium
• Canada
• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• La Réunion

We have partner universities in the Erasmus exchange programme across France and Switzerland.

Build on your desire to explore the past, encounter diverse societies and learn how to understand them with a History degree at Southampton. You'll graduate with transferable skills you can take into a variety of careers.

Historians embrace the challenge of understanding a different world and meeting it on its own terms. We trace continuities and explain change, finding new perspectives to make sense of the evidence.

At Southampton, we're committed to the mission of exploring the past. As world-class researchers, we work to generate new knowledge about human societies, from the era of Greek antiquity to the recent 'war on terror'. As your teachers, we'll give you the skills to navigate these worlds and guide you along the way. By the end of your time with us, you'll be able to pioneer your own trails with confidence.

You can study a vast range of history with us, across many time periods (from Cleopatra, to the Nazis, to drones in the 21st Century), places (Britain, Europe, America, Russia, Africa, Asia, and even the moon) and perspectives. You'll learn new things about familiar subjects, as well as exploring the history of a society or culture that is entirely new to you.

To help with your learning, you'll have access to:

• over 100 modules
• document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers, and the Parkes archive - one of the largest Jewish documentation centres in Europe
• leading experts through our visiting lecture and seminar programme

Throughout your degree, you'll build skills in research and communication that will open a wide variety of career options to you. Our BA History degree programmes will challenge you to rethink the stories we tell about the past, while creating a passport for your future.

Examine the people and events of the past from different but complementary perspectives. On BA Archaeology and History with Year Abroad you'll take an in-depth look at your favourite historical subjects, choosing from options like the Cold War and 17th century witchcraft trials. You'll spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions, such as the University of Malta or the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona.

Archaeology looks at the past through the study of physical remains, including buildings, artefacts and the landscape itself. History draws on written and oral sources.

This degree will give you in-depth knowledge of both archaeology and history, and develop your understanding of earlier human societies. You'll learn how to use and understand historical sources. You'll also learn how to identify and excavate archaeological sites, extracting as much information as possible from materials and records.

Study history with archaeology abroad in your third year at a partner institution to broaden your knowledge and experience.

Archaeology and History with year abroad includes a wide variety of optional modules, covering subjects such as:

• American slavery
• Women's history in modern Britain
• Apocalyptic visions of history
• The French Revolution
• Human origins
• Landscapes and seascapes
• Emergence of civilisation

As part of this course, you can choose to take a minor subject in an unrelated area.

You'll develop valuable skills for any future career, including:

• Problem solving
• Teamwork
• Project management

Learn the history and theory of film and gain a global perspective on cinema on this MA Film Studies master's degree at the University of Southampton. On this course you’ll develop in-depth knowledge of the most influential theories and approaches to understanding film. You’ll also find out about the latest debates and concerns around the industry.

This MA in film studies will give you the chance to examine the evolution of cinema and develop your own analytical skills.

You’ll gain valuable insights into the movie industry, looking at everything from film theory to current issues in film distribution.

You'll also benefit from:

• Being taught by expert academics with an international reputation  
• Regular talks from industry professionals and acclaimed film scholars
• A flexible approach that allows you to pursue your own areas of interest

With the practical and theoretical skills you learn, you’ll be in a great position to move into a career in the arts or media.

Southampton is ranked 3rd in the UK for film in the Guardian University Guide 2020.