English and Philosophy

English and Philosophy is a combination that goes to the heart of what it means to think carefully about language, meaning, and value. Literature and philosophy have been in conversation for as long as both have existed: literature raises questions about identity, justice, suffering, and beauty that philosophy addresses through argument, while philosophy provides conceptual tools that help us read literary texts with greater clarity and depth. Studying the two together means you are never satisfied with a superficial answer, whether you are reading a novel or working through an argument about the nature of knowledge.

At Nottingham Trent University, this three-year full-time programme develops your analytical and interpretive skills across both disciplines simultaneously. In English you will study fiction, poetry, and drama from a wide range of periods and traditions, learning to read closely, to understand how literary form shapes meaning, and to place texts in their historical and cultural contexts. In Philosophy you will engage with the central questions of ethics, epistemology, political philosophy, and metaphysics, developing the ability to construct and evaluate arguments with precision.

The two disciplines reinforce each other, and the programme encourages you to draw connections between them rather than treating them as separate boxes. There is also a sandwich year and work placement component, giving you structured professional experience alongside your academic studies.

The skills you build are among the most transferable available in higher education: precise reading, clear writing, logical argument, and the capacity to approach unfamiliar problems with intellectual rigour and openness.

Graduates pursue careers in law, journalism, publishing, education, the civil service, media, and the creative industries. Many go on to postgraduate study in philosophy, literary studies, education, or professional qualifications such as the legal practice course. The combination of two demanding humanities disciplines is valued across a wide range of professional contexts.