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BA History and English

University of Derby

About this course

A BA (Hons) in English and History. Core topics include Research Methods, Historical Research, and Critical & Analytical Thinking. An optional placement year is available between the second and final stage, and a double-module independent study extends over two semesters in the final year. The course also involves a collaborative public conference project.

Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.

Institution
University of Derby
Level
undergraduate
Subject
History and English
Duration
3 years
UCAS code
QV31
Typical offer
A-level BBC
Median salary
£24,000 after 5 years

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff: 112 A level: BBC (At least a grade C at A level in English Literature or English Language and Classical Studies, History or Politics) T Level: Merit BTEC: DMM GCSE: GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification Access to HE: Access to HE: Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6. Must include passes in compulsory Level 3 subjects English language: IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

See the highest paying Languages & English degrees in the UK →

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What students say

Based on about 9 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)

  • Teaching on my course: 100%
  • Learning opportunities: 98%
  • Assessment and feedback: 100%
  • Academic support: 100%
  • Organisation and management: 100%
  • Learning resources: 100%
  • Student voice: 97%

Do students stay on the course?

Based on about 20 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)

  • Continued on course: 75%
  • Left higher education: 25%

What graduates do next

Based on about 11 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)

  • Working: 55%
  • Working and studying: 5%
  • Further study: 35%

Most common jobs

  • Artistic, literary and media occupations: 25%
  • Customer service occupations: 20%
  • Sales occupations: 20%
  • Teaching Professionals: 5%
  • Legal professionals: 5%
  • Find their work meaningful: 75%
  • Feel on track for their future plans: 80%
  • Use what they learnt on the course: 65%

Where graduates work (5 years on)

Based on about 80 graduates, across similar courses at this university

  • North East: 2%
  • North West: 2%
  • Yorkshire and the Humber: 4%
  • East Midlands: 53%
  • West Midlands: 25%
  • East of England: 4%
  • London: 3%
  • South East: 4%
  • South West: 2%

Who gets in

Based on about 30 students who started, across similar courses at this university

  • A levels: 95%
  • Access course: 5%

Accreditation & quality ratings

TEF 2023 (whole university): Gold overall, Gold for student experience, Silver for student outcomes.

Modules

  • Placement Learning and Professional Development
  • Historical Methods and Sources (PDP)
  • Renaissance and Reformation, 1485-1648
  • Empires, Migrants and Mobility
  • Theorising Literature and Meaning (PDP)
  • Mutants and Monsters: Interpreting Fantasy
  • Shakespeare and Early Modernity
  • Literature, Identity and The Real
  • Modernism
  • Nineteenth-Century Realism: Conscience and Context
  • Poetry and Revolution in the British Romantic Period
  • Research in Practice
  • The Cold War: Global Conflict, Culture and Diplomacy, 1945-1991
  • Continuity and Change in Contemporary Britain
  • Public Conference: Marketing and Presenting the Past
  • Living with Dictatorship: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in Comparative Perspective
  • The Early Modern Body
  • English Independent Study (PDP)
  • Advanced Research in Practice
  • After The Modern: Existentialism and Postmodernism
  • Riots and Rebels: Studies in Intercultural Drama
  • Colonialism and Independence
  • The Art of Crime
  • Tragedy
  • Modern and Contemporary Poetry
  • Gender and Identity in Contemporary Literature
  • Eighteenth-Century Literature: Terror Wit and Letters of Love
  • India, Empire, Diaspora: Identity, Violence and Memory Across the Twentieth Century
  • Exploring the Slum: The Politics of Poverty in Britain
  • Historians and Material Culture
  • Rise of the Dragon? China and the World Since 1793
  • Britain and Total War
  • British Country Houses and Their Families
  • History Independent Study (PDP)

Questions about this course

How much do graduates of BA History and English at University of Derby earn?

The median salary is £25,500 after 15 months, £19,500 after 3 years, £24,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £20,000 and £31,000. The £24,000 median after five years is £5,000 less than the UK median for English studies.

What do graduates of BA History and English at University of Derby do next?

100% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).

Are students happy with the teaching on BA History and English at University of Derby?

100% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.

What grades do I need for BA History and English at University of Derby?

The typical offer is BBC at A level. The average entrant had 96 UCAS points.

Does BA History and English at University of Derby include a placement year or year abroad?

The course has an optional placement year.

How many students continue on BA History and English at University of Derby?

75% of students continued into their second year, and 25% left higher education.