English Literature and History with a Year Abroad, BA (Hons)

Apply

Open Day

Keep In Touch

Students enjoying their studies in the library

Study English Literature and History and Develop Valued Skills

Key Course Details

4 Year Full Time With a Year Abroad

UCAS Code: QV3C
Mode of Study: Campus Based
Typical Offer (view equivalents): ABB-BBC
Location: Singleton Park Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2024	£ 9,000

4 Year Full Time With a Year Abroad

UCAS Code: QV3C
Mode of Study: Campus Based
Typical Offer: ABB-BBC - More Information
Location: Singleton Park Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2024	£ 17,500

Course Overview

English Literature and History with a Year Abroad is a diverse and challenging course which ranges from medieval to modern times.

Studying this four-year degree opens up a wide range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills which employers want.

You also have the opportunity to spend a year studying in the USA or Europe, further boosting your career prospects.

You will have the chance to explore national and global literatures including Renaissance literature, Gothic and genre fiction, 19th century and contemporary literature, creative and professional writing or medieval Europe, modern medicine or the Cold War.

Why English Literature and History with a Year Abroad at Swansea?

Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula;

English Literature at Swansea is ranked:

Top 101-150 in the World (QS World Rankings 2024)
97% of graduates in employment &/or study, or doing other activities, such as travelling, 15 months after leaving Swansea University (HESA 2023)

History at Swansea is ranked:

16th in the UK for Student Voice (NSS 2023*)

Based on the average positivity score across questions 22 to 25 in the NSS 2023 when ranked against 33 universities featured in the Times Good University Guide.

You will have the opportunity to live and study in the USA or Europe for a year.

Your English Literature and History with a Year Abroad Experience

We offer varied and flexible course content so that you can tailor your degree to your interests, whether in national and global literature from Beowulf to the present day, Renaissance literature, Gothic and genre fiction, 19th century literature, contemporary fiction, gender and culture, creative and professional writing as well as modern British social history, the history of religion, health and medicine, gender and women’s history, cultural history, the history and memory of war and conflict, public history and heritage.

You can spend your third year studying in the USA or Europe.

Swansea’s English Student Society and History Student Society both organise lively social and cultural events. You will also have a Personal Tutor for any pastoral and academic support you may need.

English Literature and History with a Year Abroad Employment Opportunities

Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors including:

Education
Journalism
Media and Public Relations
Public Services

Modules

Your early studies will introduce you to topics ranging from medieval Europe and modern British history to critical reading and gender in English literature. You will then choose your pathway with modules to suit your own interests, before focusing in depth on your chosen research projects.

In your third year, you have the opportunity to study in the USA or Europe.

Year Four modules include: Discovering Old English, Poetry in the Twentieth Century, The Rise of Brazil and Internationalism, War and Peace.

Welsh medium modules are available.

Year 1 (Level 4)

FHEQ 4 Undergraduate / HECert

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Making History	September-January	20	HIH122

Optional Modules

History Compulsory Modules Selective

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select TWO HIH/HHC coded modules or ONE HIH/HHC coded module and a Modern Language Module. Students must not exceed 60 credits (3 modules) in any one semester. To select a language module ending in 160A students must have an A level in that language (at grace C or above)

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Medieval Europe: An Introduction	September-January	20	HIH117
Europe of Extremes, 1789-1989	September-January	20	HIH121
French for Beginners I	September-January	20	MLF101
French Language 1A	September-January	20	MLF160A	A Level French required
German for Beginners I	September-January	20	MLG108
German Language 1A	September-January	20	MLG160A
Spanish for Beginners I	September-January	20	MLS130
Spanish Language 1A	September-January	20	MLS160A	A Level Spanish required
Fieldtrip module: The Past in its Place	January-June	20	HHC100
The Early Modern World, 1500-1800	January-June	20	HIH118
Britain and the World 1800 to 2000	January-June	20	HIH124

AND

English Literature - Compulsory Selective

Choose Minimum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select at least TWO modules. You may select three modules and not select from the optional box below. Students must not select more than three modules (60 credits) in total per teaching block

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Monsters, Theories, Transformations	September-January	20	EN-100
English Essentials	September-January	20	EN-120
The Stage Play World	January-June	20	EN-119

AND

English Literature - Optional Modules

Choose Maximum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select one module if required to make up 60 credits (three modules) in English Literature. Students must not exceed a total of three modules in any one teaching block

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
The sound system of English	September-January	20	ALE121
Approaches to Gender in English Literature	September-January	20	EN-112
Creative Writing: Fiction Genres	September-January	20	EN-117
Introduction to Visual Culture	September-January	20	VC-101
Grammar and Meaning	January-June	20	ALE100
Introduction to American Literature and Culture	January-June	20	AM-113
Ovid's Metamorphoses: The Transformations of Mythology	January-June	20	CLC102
Literature and Society in Medieval Europe.	January-June	20	EN-113
Creative Writing: Styles of Fiction	January-June	20	EN-118
Visuality and Embodiment	January-June	20	VC-102

Year 2 (Level 5)

FHEQ 5 Undergraduate / HEDip

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
The Practice of History	January-June	20	HIH237

Optional Modules

History - Optional Module Choices

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select two modules from the list below. At least one of these modules must have a HIH-code. Overall students must select 60 credits in each joint honours subject, and not exceed 60 credits per semester.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
The Heirs of Rome: The Making of Christendom, Byzantium, and Islam in the Early Middle Ages, 400-800	September-January	20	CLH230
America in a Nutshell: A History of Pennsylvania from William Penn to Donald Trump, 1631-2016	September-January	20	HIH2016
Rhyfel Cartref America	September-January	20	HIH201W
Disunited Kingdom? Class, Race, Gender and Social Division in Twentieth-Century Britain	September-January	20	HIH284
The Anglo-Norman World, 1066-1225	September-January	20	HIH287
Refugees in the Twentieth Century	September-January	20	HIH290
The Global First World War	September-January	20	HIH293
Philosophy of the Enlightenment	September-January	20	HUP243
Re-Thinking the South: Southern Culture and History, 1865-1955	January-June	20	AM-218
The Past in the Present: Exploring Heritage Practice and Debates	January-June	20	HHC200
History, Heritage and Classics Study Trip	January-June	20	HHC2001
Britain in the Early Middle Ages: Slaves, Dragons, Queens and Vikings	January-June	20	HIH276
History Work Placement	January-June	20	HIH281
Stori America Ar Ffilm a Theledu, 1607-1867	January-June	20	HIH283W
The Rise and Fall of the Russian Empire	January-June	20	HIH289
Britain, Slavery and the Slave Trade, c. 1500 -1833.	January-June	20	HIH292
The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics	January-June	20	PO-253

AND

English Literature - Compulsory Selective

Choose Minimum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select at least two modules and a maximum of three modules. Select at least one module in each teaching block. Overall students must select three modules per semester and three modules per joint honours subject.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Debating Texts: Theory in Literature	September-January	20	EN-206
Revolution of the Word: Modernism	September-January	20	EN-207
Exploring the Bloody Chamber: Medieval to Postmodern	September-January	20	EN-237
Fragments of Union: The Cultural Making and Breaking of Britain	January-June	20	EN-241
Contentious Shakespeare	January-June	20	EN-242
Medieval Encounters	January-June	20	EN-266

AND

English Literature - Optional Modules

Choose Maximum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students may (but do not have to) choose one module to make up 60 credits of English Literature for the year. Do not select more than three modules in total in any one semester. ALE121 must have been completed in Year 1 to pursue ALE218 or ALE250. ALE108 must have been completed in Year 1 to pursue ALE200.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Language Teaching in Context	September-January	20	ALE200	ALE108 must have been completed in Year 1
Child Language and Literacy	September-January	20	ALE250	ALE121 must have been completed in Year 1
The Greek Romance: Sea, Sun and Sex	September-January	20	CLC203
Introduction to Writing Poetry	September-January	20	EN-232
Introduction to Writing Fiction	September-January	20	EN-234
Race and Ethnicity: American Perspectives	September-January	20	EN-243
Techniques of Seeing	September-January	20	VC-200
Discourse Analysis	January-June	20	ALE218	ALE121 must have been completed in Year 1
World Englishes	January-June	20	ALE231
Roman Love Poetry	January-June	20	CLC200
Introduction to Writing Drama	January-June	20	EN-236
American Word / American Image	January-June	20	EN-244
Writing a Short Film	January-June	20	EN-270

Year 3 (Level 5S)

FHEQ 5 Undergraduate Sandwich Year

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

None found.

Optional Modules

Choose Exactly 120 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students will have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner institutions and to experience different cultures.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Year Abroad (History)	September-June	120	HI-R00

Year 4 (Level 6)

FHEQ 6 Undergraduate / Honours

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

None found.

Optional Modules

Dissertation

Choose Maximum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : A dissertation is not required for this degree but may be taken in either subject. ** please note that acceptance on the English Literature dissertation is subject to the submission of a suitable proposal towards the end of year 2. Students who do not select a History dissertation, MUST take a special subject module

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Dissertation - English Literature	September-June	40	EN-3031
History Dissertation	September-June	40	HIH3300

AND

Compulsory Selective - English Literature

Choose Minimum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : If you have selected a dissertation in English Literature select one module. If you have selected a History dissertation or no dissertation select at least two modules, or three and do not select from the optional creative writing modules box below. Students must select 60 credits in each joint honours subject. Credits must be balanced with students selecting either three modules in each semester (and no dissertation) or two modules in each semester alongside their dissertation.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Welsh Gothic / Gothic Wales	September-January	20	EN-3040
Written in Blood: Reading the Vampire	September-January	20	EN-3050
Graphic Novel	September-January	20	EN-3055
African American Literature 1910-1940: The Harlem Renaissance	September-January	20	EN-3061
Chaucer	September-January	20	EN-314
Reading/Writing Trauma	September-January	20	EN-394
Stylistics	January-June	20	ALE323
Plato's Republic	January-June	20	CLC312
Crime Fiction since 1920	January-June	20	EN-3045
Madness, Malady and Melancholia: Literature and Medicine from Genesis to Genomes	January-June	20	EN-3051
The Swansea University International Dylan Thomas Prize Module	January-June	20	EN-3053
Beyond Shakespeare	January-June	20	EN-3058
Contemporary American Fiction	January-June	20	EN-3062
Science Fiction and Media	January-June	20	MS-345

AND

Optional Modules (Creative Writing)

Choose Maximum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : If required, select ONE module to fulfil 60 credits in English Literature. Students must not select EN-3026 if they have selected EN-3031. Students must have previously studied a Creative Writing module to select EN-3026.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Further Fiction Writing	September-January	20	EN-3014
Further Creative Non Fiction	September-January	20	EN-309
Creative Writing Personal Project	January-June	20	EN-3026
Further Poetry Writing	January-June	20	EN-319

AND

History Special Subjects

Choose Maximum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : If you have selected the English Literature dissertation or no dissertation you MUST select one module from these Special Subjects. If you have selected the History dissertation you may select one module from this box OR the box below. Credits must be balanced with students selecting either three modules in each semester (and no dissertation) or two modules in each semester alongside their dissertation.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
The Great War for Empire, 1754-1764	September-January	20	HIH3304
Towns and Cities in Modern Britain	September-January	20	HIH3360
The First Crusade: Devotion, Piety and Power in the Latin Christian World	January-June	20	HIH3353
The Great Depression and New Deal America, 1929-1941	January-June	20	HIH3364

AND

History optional modules

Choose Maximum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : If you have selected the English Literature dissertation or no Dissertation you must select two modules (together with a special subject from the box above). If you have selected a History dissertation you may select one module if required to make up 60 credits in History. Credits must be balanced with students selecting either three modules in each semester (and no dissertation) or two modules in each semester alongside their dissertation.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Monarchy: Ancient and Medieval	September-January	20	HHC372
The Placing of History: Digitally Mapping the Historic Past	September-January	20	HIH3357
The Story of the USA on Film and Television, 1865-2008	September-January	20	HIH3378
Stori yr Unol Daleithiau ar Ffilm a Theledu, 1865-2008	September-January	20	HIH3378W
The Rise and Fall of Wales? Politics, Culture and Society, 1847-1939	September-January	20	HIH3383
From Machiavelli to Mussolini: Government and Society in Western Political Thought	September-January	20	HIH396
The Russian Civil War	September-January	20	WS-305
The American Civil War in History and Memory	January-June	20	AM-335
History on Screen: Television, Cinema & Gaming	January-June	20	HIH3379
Deformity, Deviance and Difference: Exploring Disability History	January-June	20	HIH3380
The Cold War	January-June	20	HIH3382
Africa in International Relations	January-June	20	PO-3339
Overlord: War, Societies, and the Battle for Normandy, 1944	January-June	20	WS-306

Entry Requirements

Our standard entry requirement is ABB-BBC (UCAS tariff points 112-128) or equivalent. All offers are made following a review of the application form, predicted/achieved grades and subjects, the reference and personal statement. We also accept a range of advanced level qualifications including: International Baccalaureate 32; Welsh Baccalaureate - grade equivalent to A-level; BTEC, Access to Higher Education and Open University qualifications, and Extended Project.

Here are the requirements for International students.

For applicants whose first language is not English, we require IELTS 6.0 overall (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or equivalent English test.

How You're Taught

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching.

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

Welsh Provision

Some provision

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study some elements of this course through the medium of Welsh but there is not yet enough provision to reach 40 credits in each year.

Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

If you study at least 5 credits in Welsh and it is listed as an eligible course on the webpage, you can apply for the Academi Hywel Teifi Bursary (£100 for 1 year) at the beginning of term (after registration).

Meet Your Lecturers

Our degrees are taught by experts, who have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to our students.

You can find out more about our academic expertise on our staff pages.

Tuition Fees

Start Date	UK	International
September 2023	£ 9,000	£ 16,650
September 2024	£ 9,000	£ 17,500

Fees for full time Undergraduate UK students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government.

During a sandwich year (e.g. year in industry, year abroad or placement year) a lower fee will apply. For more information visit our tuition fees page.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
Purchase of books or texts
Gowns for graduation ceremonies

Careers and Employability

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

Academic Support

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Study Abroad and Global Opportunities

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as China, Zambia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

How to Apply

Apply now – UK, EU and international students.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply pages.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

Application Deadlines

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

Additional Information

Make an undergraduate enquiry

International students contact our International Team