BA (Hons) English Literature and History (Placement Year)

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  The Guardian University Guide (2023)

• 4th for Graduate Prospects (English) The Guardian University Guide 2023

Studying History alongside English Literature at Lancaster gives you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of both subjects in an outstanding academic environment. Our diverse research interests allow us to offer you a particularly wide selection of historical topics and approaches to the study of History and Literature.

You’ll enjoy frequent opportunities for stimulating discussion with your tutors and fellow students as well as plenty of scope to specialise in areas of Literature and History that particularly interest you.

Your degree begins with courses including From Medieval to Modern: History and Historians, and English Literature. In your second year, you’ll study subjects such as The Theory and Practice of Criticism while your final-year modules may include Shakespeare, Victorian Gothic or Contemporary Literature You’ll also have the chance to undertake in-depth study of topics of your own choosing, either by doing a dissertation in place of an exam, or by undertaking a History ‘special subject’ course.

Your placement year

You will have the opportunity to spend Year 3 on a placement with a public, private or voluntary organisation in the UK or overseas. This experience should boost your employment prospects and help you to decide on your career direction and the kind of organisation in which you want to work once you graduate. You will be doing a real, responsible job – with all the satisfaction that brings.

Applying for a placement is a competitive process and our Placements Team will support you in finding and applying for a suitable placement. The preparatory modules you will complete in years one and two are designed to give you the best chance of success in both your placement applications and the placement itself.

One of the aims of the placement year is to enhance your understanding of the connections between theory and practice which could benefit your final year of study. Placements provide an exciting opportunity to build up experience and transferable skills, as well as to make contacts with potential employers, which can place you a step ahead in the graduate recruitment market.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.