Studying BA (Hons) History and English Literature at Liverpool John Moores University will provide you with an opportunity to not only discover the past but also how past and present is recorded in a variety of sources including novels, visual sources, films and poetry.

By studying these dual subject areas you will develop skills in critical thinking and discourse through close engagement with source material. 

You will think about and debate specific cultures and societies in historical and contemporary periods, and be introduced to political, economic, social and cultural history alongside literary theory and criticism. Modules will encourage you to reconsider well-known topics such as the Second World War, the Russian Revolution and the rise and decline of the British Empire. Modules address periods, such as the Victorian era, the 1950s or the 21st century; genres such as poetry, short writing or Gothic literature; and, themes like madness, masculinity, adolescence, place and belonging, race in America or the crisis of contemporary capitalism.

History and English Literature is defined by its broad geographical range. Starting with Europe, there are opportunities to study topics focused on Britain, Ireland, France, Germany and Russia - some lecturers also specialise in the history of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. Moving further afield, we study the USA and its relationship with the wider world, Japan and the British Empire. We introduce you to many different sources that shed light on the histories of these nations. Alongside texts such as government records, literature, diaries and newspapers, you will have an opportunity to consider what film, music, art and architecture tells us about the lives of people in the past. There is also an option to specialise so that you can focus on those aspects of the subject that you find most rewarding.

Our former students are to be found working in occupations including advertising, marketing, museums, arts administration and publishing to industrial, retail, leisure and charitable organisation management, educational administration, accountancy, law, the social and Civil Services and teaching.