Ancient History and English

Ancient history and English is a combination that spans some three thousand years of written expression in the Western tradition, bringing together the civilisations of ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia with the full richness of English-language literature from the medieval period to the present. Both disciplines at their core are concerned with how human beings use language to make sense of experience, to exercise power, and to build and transmit culture. Studying them together develops an unusual breadth of historical awareness alongside the close reading and critical thinking skills that each demands.

At the University of Leeds this three-year full-time degree allows you to move between the ancient world and more recent literary traditions, exploring connections and contrasts across time and cultures. You will engage with the political and military history of the classical world, with the societies and peoples of Greece, Rome, and the wider ancient Mediterranean, and with the literary and critical traditions of English writing from the medieval period onwards. The course includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and a work placement component, giving you structured professional experience and an international academic perspective before you graduate.

The typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the strong academic standard expected.

You will develop close-reading skills, historical reasoning, critical argument, and the ability to write precisely about complex texts and ideas. These capabilities translate into a wide range of professional contexts.

Graduates pursue careers in education, publishing, journalism, arts and cultural heritage, law, the civil service, communications, and the third sector. Postgraduate study in English literature, classical studies, ancient history, or a related humanities field is a natural and common continuation.