Any advice on applying for joint honours in English and History?

[Asterisk]

DD is keen but we haven't been able to get to many open days. It would be good to hear about others' preferred unis for this combo, and if students on any particular course can recommend it.

[WhatifIdid]

English and History are a terrific combo and naturally go together.

I could recommend some courses, but choosing a uni is such an individual thing - not only course module preferences, but campus or town, distance from home etc. - those are the three criteria I would go with (apart from grade requirements obviously).

[Figmentofmyimagination]

So interesting. I'm reading an amazing book (which I mentioned on another thread so repeating myself - eek) which would help with a good joint honours personal statement, as well as being a fantastic read - all about how, since the dawn of human history, cultures, and big cultural ideas such as money, equality, human rights and so on, are founded on collective fictions, and that this ability to forge collective myths (not always helpfully) and persuade people to follow them, is the key to our success to date as a species - it sounds heavy but in fact it is a great read - "sapiens - a brief history of human kind" by yuval Noah Harari. The distinction between history and fiction is an artificial one.

It's especially interesting at the moment on a smaller scale, with Corbyn's attempt to redraw cultural values in Britain. Ken Loach made a film last year - the spirit of 45 - which is another good example.

[MultiShirker]

It's a very good combination, and competitive at the "better" universities. As to university: any of the places in the top ten or so averaged out over the league tables will offer an excellent education. So the pressure of choice is not really going to be about quality (unless your A Level predictions are Bs and Cs), but about which universities offer that Combined degree programme, and then what sort of university you want to go to.

City, regional town, or countryside (Lampeter )?
Part of the UK?
Focus of extra-curriculars?
City campus, green field (self-contained) campus?
Redbrick or civic (eg Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham) or 60s "new" university - Sussex, Lancaster, York

and so on ...

I think the choice is likely to be tougher if the likely applicant isn't able to aim for the research-intensive universities, with AAB or AAA (the latter more likely) A2 predictions/results. Then you're in the minefield of trying to pick out the quality from lots of lower-ranking universities and ex-polys.

[Asterisk]

Thanks for replies. I will order 'Sapiens' right away! She does have the grades to have a shot at Oxford, although I've heard that the combined degree doesn't work particularly well there, so if she does get in (big IF), she may switch to one or the other. Also considering Durham, York, Lancaster, Southampton and Exeter at the moment. She's big on 'atmosphere' so would prefer historic surroundings. If anyone has any inside knowledge of the course at those last three, it would be good to know if the departments are good at collaborating so that there aren't timetable clashes and - most importantly - if the students are enjoying it.

[MultiShirker]

TBH, I think OX may not be the best place to do a combined degree, but check what specific programmes they offer. I'd be looking at Cambridge for history though (but maybe that's because most of my historian mates are Cantab DPhils).

I know those northern universities reasonably well - any of them would be excellent. Lancaster's worth a look for its remnants of an interdisciplinary first year. It used to be the case that students did a Part One (1st Year) with up to three subjects: their major and 2 others, or the two joint Hons disciplines + one. There's the possibility of shifting programmes between Part one and Part Two (2nd & 3rd Year). York has a pretty stellar English Department, and Durham's HIstory (particularly Medieval) is first rate. Lancaster used to have a specialism in Russian history, and of course is excellent in Medieval history (they have inks with Durham in the area). And Exeter's English department is regularly in the top 5 as is their History department.

Lancaster York & Exeter are all beautiful campus universities in small towns, Durham a bit more in the middle of the town, but still gorgeous. All of these offer a really good student experience because of that - it's a different feel to the big civics - although, for example, History at Birmingham was at or near the top of the last REF, and the Leeds School of English is a fabulous department.

So loads of choice, and really, she can't go wrong wit any of her choices. Wherever she goes, she'll have excellent opportunities for challenging study (if she chooses to rise to the challenge) and a fantastic student experience (if she takes advantage of what's on offer).

That's a great position to be in.

[Noitsnotteatimeyet]

Exeter only offers English and history at its Cornwall campus which is effectively a completely different university to the main Exeter campus - it's all brand new so no historic buildings! A couple of ds's friends who just missed their offer for courses at Exeter got offered places at the Cornwall campus instead so I don't think it can be anything like as competitive as Durham

[Kez100]

^^ I visited Falmouth University with my DD and we got a bit lost. So, I entered a building to ask to be told "Sorry, this is Exeter University, you are in the wrong building"

How confused was I??? Lol

[Asterisk]

Great tips thanks. We will investigate programme properly before deciding.