BA (Hons) Archaeology and Literature Bachelor's degree at UHI
BA (Hons) Archaeology and Literature at UHI. You'll explore how writing and artefacts illuminate each other across time, drawing on resources across UHI's network of campuses in the Highlands, Islands and mainland Scotland.
About this course
Course type: BA (Hons) International: Available to study online Study at: Argyll; HTC; Inverness; Moray; North, West and Hebrides; Orkney; Shetland Start in: September Learning mode: Online You access classes and/or materials digitally. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Archaeology and Literature is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at UHI, based in UHI Argyll,Highland Theological College UHI,UHI Inverness,UHI Moray,UHI North West Hebrides,UHI Orkney,UHI Shetland. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Historical, philosophical and religious studies graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 10% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for English & Literature, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 60% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 7 modules
- Introduction to archaeology: approaches and methodsCore
- Theories of literature: an introductionCore
- Travellers in the wildernessCore
- Introduction to science in archaeologyOptional
- Prehistoric Europe: Neanderthals to the Iron AgeOptional
- Reading the landscape through timeOptional
- World archaeology: politics and perspectivesOptional
Year 2 7 modules
- Being an archaeologist in ScotlandCore
- Digital heritageOptional
- Excavation skillsOptional
- Wetland archaeologyOptional
- Heroic literature: epic from classical to contemporaryOptional
- Mediaeval literature: texts and contextsOptional
- Theatrical powerplay: classical and Shakespearean tragedyOptional
Year 3 12 modules
- Archaeological theory and interpretationCore
- Understanding archaeological scienceCore
- Imagining new worlds: Renaissance literature and thoughtOptional
- Nature writing and ecologyOptional
- Risk anything: the modernist short storyOptional
- Romantic genius: Scottish and European literatureOptional
- Archaeology projectOptional
- Literary borrowings: adaptation and appropriationOptional
- Archaeology placementOptional
- Historical archaeology of UHIOptional
- Practical skills for environmental archaeologyOptional
- Prehistory of UHIOptional
Year 4 10 modules
- Biomolecular archaeologyOptional
- Iron Age Scotland c 800 BC – AD 800Optional
- Landscape archaeologyOptional
- People, plants and animalsOptional
- Sustainability past and futureOptional
- Vikings and Norse archaeology in the North AtlanticOptional
- Apocalyptic fictionsOptional
- Avant-garde literatureOptional
- Metafiction: self-referential textsOptional
- Satire: the art of attackOptional
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll combine close reading of literary texts with archaeological and historical study. A course like this normally moves from foundational modules in literary criticism and historical context, such as introduction to literary studies, literature in history, and critical theory, towards specialist options and independent research. As you progress, you'll typically encounter modules in modern and contemporary literature, often including global anglophone writing. You can specialise in areas such as creative writing, Shakespeare and early modern literature, contemporary fiction, critical theory, world literature, or publishing pathways. In your final year, you'll usually undertake advanced seminars and an extended independent research project that draws on both archaeological and literary investigation.
Who it's for
You're drawn to how stories, languages and physical remains reveal human experience, and you want to develop expertise in both areas together. You'll suit this course if you enjoy independent research, can work through digital materials with discipline, and are energised by making unexpected connections between texts and historical contexts. Many entrants bring a previous degree or significant experience; it's a natural progression if you've already studied humanities at degree level and wish to deepen your knowledge in two complementary fields.
Careers & job market
Across English and Literature courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of leaving. Among those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles. Starting salaries for graduates in this field range from £23,000 to £30,000 annually; after five years, this typically reaches £24,650 to £34,800. Actual earnings depend on your chosen career path, role and sector. These are national figures from Graduate Outcomes and LEO data, not university-specific guarantees.
University & format
This BA (Hons) degree is offered by the University of the Highlands and Islands, a recognised UK degree-awarding body. The course is delivered online and can be studied part-time. You'll access classes and materials digitally, and may study from any of the university's locations: Argyll, Highland Theological College UHI, Inverness, Moray, North, West and Hebrides, Orkney, or Shetland. Instruction is in English. The degree is nationally recognised.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 100%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| a previous degree | 60% |
| another higher-education qualification | 25% |
| A-levels or equivalent | 15% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
UHI publishes tuition by domicile, award level, study mode and delivery. Use the individual course page for the exact year-by-year fee.
Published UHI fee framework
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What English & Literature graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £23,000 – £45,000 | 40 |
| 3 years after | £23,500 | £14,000 – £28,500 | 25 |
| 5 years after | £24,000 | £12,000 – £30,000 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in english & literature · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs English & Literature nationally
National figures for English & Literature graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with English & Literature courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,436 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Leisure, travel and related personal service occupationsSOC 2020 62 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £22,297
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Caring personal servicesSOC 2020 613 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,668
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 15; response rate: 80%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How English & Literature graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where English & Literature graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Publishers
- Media & broadcasters
- Marketing & PR agencies
- Charities & public sector
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit English & Literature graduates.
English GraduateRibbons and Reeves LimitedEnglish, Maths & Digital Skills ManagerHIT TrainingEnglish Certification Examiner (Written & Oral) – Paid TrainingPearsonEnglish Supply Teachers - Oldham and RochdaleTradewind RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Fees and funding
UHI publishes tuition by domicile, award level, study mode and delivery. Use the individual course page for the exact year-by-year fee.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.3 out of 10: NSS 97.7% · in work or study 90% · continued 60%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of the Highlands and Islands
Language and area studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Is English & Literature right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International eligibility
The provider publishes this course-specific status:
Available to study online
Eligibility depends on the programme, study mode, delivery and approved study location. No visa or online-study eligibility is inferred beyond the provider statement.
Related courses
More at UHI
English & Literature at other universities
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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