History of Art and English Literature

History of Art and English Literature is a combination that trains two complementary ways of reading: one through visual and material objects, the other through written texts. History of art develops your capacity to look closely and analytically at paintings, sculptures, buildings, photographs, and other visual works, asking how they were made, what they meant to their makers and original audiences, and how they function within broader cultural and economic systems. English literature cultivates deep engagement with the written word, developing sensitivity to language, form, and meaning across poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction from different periods and traditions.

Together they give you exceptional interpretive range and the ability to work fluently with both visual and textual evidence.

The University of Edinburgh's four-year full-time History of Art and English Literature programme draws on strong departments in both subjects. Your history of art studies will take you from the ancient world through to contemporary practice, engaging with Western and non-Western traditions and asking how artworks are situated within their social and historical contexts. Your English literature studies will develop close reading skills across different periods and genres, from medieval to modern, with attention to both the formal properties of texts and their cultural significance.

Edinburgh's location gives you access to major collections at the National Galleries of Scotland and the rich literary heritage of a city that was home to Burns, Scott, and Stevenson. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in a different cultural environment and engage with visual and literary traditions from another perspective.

A typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the academic expectations at Edinburgh.

Graduates pursue careers in museums and galleries, arts administration, publishing, journalism, arts education, heritage, auction houses, and creative industries. Postgraduate routes include art history, curatorial studies, literary studies, and cultural policy.