By combining English and History of Art, you’ll get to explore how textual and visual material interact with one another.

Studying the two subjects together asks how creativity responds to and works to shape the world. You’ll learn how to master art-historical and literary criticism and discover the connections and differences between artistic media. In doing so, you’ll gain an exciting and fresh perspective on the history of human expression, graduating with skills highly prized by employers across a wide range of industries.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll study and learn with academics and curators who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

English at York is renowned for its flexible and innovative approach. We emphasise small-group teaching, which means you’ll mainly be taught in seminars of up to fifteen people. You’ll also take part in workshops, attend lectures, and consult staff on a one-to-one basis.

In History of Art, teaching occurs in a variety of ways, including lectures to the entire cohort and workshops, where group work is often prioritised, especially at the start of your degree when you are still finding your feet. The department is, however, most committed to small-group teaching. From the first year onwards, like English, you will regularly be in seminars with no more than fifteen other students. This creates a lively, guided, democratic environment for discussion, which, we believe, represents the best way to learn.

Assessment and feedback

The Department of English and Related Literature employs a variety of assessment methods, including group presentations and closed exams, but with a strong emphasis on essay writing. Your main mode of assessment will be essays, which will range from short exploratory exercises to more detailed discussions on a topic of your choice. We offer high levels of feedback and ample opportunities for you to meet with staff to discuss your written work.

Assessment in History of Art takes a variety of forms, from assessed seminar participation, involving presentations as well as group work and discussion, through essays of increasing length and ambition, to open and closed exams. We offer a range of forms of assessment mindful that different students have different strengths, and to enable you to demonstrate your flexibility to your future employers.

Careers and skills

Studying English and History of Art at York will provide you with numerous career possibilities. You’ll learn presentation, language, and critical thinking skills during your combined degree, and gain expertise in complex analysis and research. These skills suit a wide range of careers related to the creative industries, from arts administration to conservation and curation.

Career opportunities

• Advertising, marketing, and public relations
• Antiques dealer
• Arts administration
• Auctioneer
• Civil and diplomatic services
• Conservation officer
• Creative and media work
• Librarianship
• Museum curation
• Publishing
• Teaching