History and Linguistics

History and linguistics brings together two disciplines that illuminate, from very different angles, the ways in which human beings make sense of the world and communicate across time and community. History is the study of change and continuity in human societies, drawing on evidence to reconstruct and interpret the past. Linguistics is the scientific study of language itself, examining how languages are structured, how they are acquired, how they change, and how they function in social and cognitive life.

Combining the two creates a particularly rich intellectual framework, one that sheds light on how language has shaped historical events and how history in turn has shaped the languages we speak.

At Nottingham Trent University, this three-year programme develops expertise in both disciplines alongside the analytical and research skills they share. In history, you will study a range of periods and geographical contexts, learning to engage critically with primary sources, to evaluate historiographical debates, and to construct well-supported historical arguments. In linguistics, you will explore the core areas of the discipline, including phonology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics, alongside more applied topics such as language change and the relationship between language and identity.

The interplay between the two subjects opens up fascinating questions about historical communication, the development of languages over time, and the role of language in political and social history.

This full-time programme includes a sandwich year with a work placement, which gives you the opportunity to apply your skills in a professional setting and to build the real-world experience that employers value. Graduates of this combination go on to careers in education, journalism, publishing, communications, heritage and archives, research, law, and the civil service, among many others. The combination of historical awareness, linguistic analysis, and professional experience makes for a versatile and well-rounded degree.