English and Law

In this course, you’ll discover real-world law in action and encounter a wide range of literature from across the globe, studied in the context of perspective-altering theories concerning identity, desire, and cultural politics.

KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE

Boost your employability

Combining two subjects boosts your employability and gives you the opportunity to develop knowledge and expertise in two subject areas, making you a more versatile graduate.

Study fascinating subjects

Studying English and Law provides you with analytical, research and creative transferable skills that open up a range of career paths to explore. We aim to broaden your understanding of literature and culture, while equipping you with skills and knowledge of the legal sector. We're networked into the legal profession, which opens up exciting opportunities for work internships and professional mentoring.

Specialist facilities

Law students are based on the Derby Campus at One Friar Gate Square. It includes a mock court room, replica custody suite and social learning hubs where you can develop your skills and familiarise yourself with the type of environments you’ll encounter in real-life legal situations.

Academic expertise

Our Law teaching team includes barristers, solicitors, criminal psychologists, sociologists and experienced police officers. Several are still actively engaged with practice, which helps you keep up to date with contemporary issues in justice. Our teaching is also enriched by research covering some of the most pressing issues confronting society today, from slavery to digital privacy. For English modules, you will be taught by an enthusiastic team with research expertise covering a broad range of areas in both literature and language. We place emphasis on discussion and active engagement with the material. We aim to challenge you to achieve your best.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

You'll be taught through a variety of methods, such as:


• Lectures



• Seminars



• Workshops and tutorials



• Student presentations



• Debates



• One-to-one sessions with a tutorWork projects



• Self-directed study



• Video discussions with overseas partner institutions



- case preparation


- mooting - where you present a legal issue against opposing counsel in a mock court case


- interviewing


- negotiation


YOUR CAREER

Studying English and Law provides you with transferable creative, communication and analytical skills. You will develop key skills - such as writing, editing and presenting – that are essential for many roles.

You may consider a career in:


• Writing, editing or publishing



• Journalism



• Marketing, advertising or events



• Art and Literature-based organisations such as media centres, museums or galleries



• Teaching



This degree also allows graduates to engage in careers in business, banking and human resources – any profession that welcomes an exposure to studying law. You can go on to study at postgraduate level and achieve an LLM or complete a qualifying Solicitor exam.

STUDY OPTIONS

On the Joint Honours programme, there are different pathways of study available. You can often study both subjects equally or choose to major in a subject. Please view the course page on our website for more information on pathways.

Based solely on more than 24,000 student reviews, we were named Uni Compare's University of the Year 2027, and voted 1st in the UK for employability and 2nd in the UK for course quality. Not only that, but 97% of students would recommend the University of Derby*, which we can offer you industry-relevant teaching, state-of-the-art study spaces, multi-award-winning accommodation, and a welcoming, inclusive community.

*Uni Compare 2027