Ancient history degree for teaching? Or joint honours with English? Which is better?
I have decided that I would like a career in teaching but in secondary school which is why I am doing a BA Hons degree in Ancient History. I am looking to go in I teaching history and wondered if it would be possible to get onto a PGCE for History with this degree. Does it relate enough? However another thought was to take up English as a minor with my degree and end up with a joint honours degree of English and Ancient History. The thought was I would then be able to teach English or History. However with this degree would I still be able to get into PGCE training for either subject? Or would it be better to stick with the full Ancient History? Help please!!
Hey! 
I'm currently studying Ancient History (Just finished 1st year), and I too have an interest in going into teaching.
It is more than possible to get onto a History PGCE with an Ancient History degree! After all, 90% of PGCEs just specify that the undergraduate degree has to be "in a related subject, with a significant amount of historical content," something that is well and truly covered in doing an Ancient History course!
With that in mind, I'd suggest going for a degree in Ancient History, and then taking optional modules in English. Most universities let you choose 1 or 2 modules from different degree programmes (i.e. English, Philosophy, Drama etc.), so that wouldn't present much of a problem. If you did a traditional joint honours degree, you might have an issue with trying to get into a specific subject PGCE, mainly because certain places might believe that doing a 50/50 split of modules means you don't have a "significant amount of historical/English content" one way or the other. I'm not saying you'd definitely have that issue, but it's something worth considering.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions
I'm currently studying Ancient History (Just finished 1st year), and I too have an interest in going into teaching.
It is more than possible to get onto a History PGCE with an Ancient History degree! After all, 90% of PGCEs just specify that the undergraduate degree has to be "in a related subject, with a significant amount of historical content," something that is well and truly covered in doing an Ancient History course!
With that in mind, I'd suggest going for a degree in Ancient History, and then taking optional modules in English. Most universities let you choose 1 or 2 modules from different degree programmes (i.e. English, Philosophy, Drama etc.), so that wouldn't present much of a problem. If you did a traditional joint honours degree, you might have an issue with trying to get into a specific subject PGCE, mainly because certain places might believe that doing a 50/50 split of modules means you don't have a "significant amount of historical/English content" one way or the other. I'm not saying you'd definitely have that issue, but it's something worth considering.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions
Original post by EllieEF
I have decided that I would like a career in teaching but in secondary school which is why I am doing a BA Hons degree in Ancient History. I am looking to go in I teaching history and wondered if it would be possible to get onto a PGCE for History with this degree. Does it relate enough? However another thought was to take up English as a minor with my degree and end up with a joint honours degree of English and Ancient History. The thought was I would then be able to teach English or History. However with this degree would I still be able to get into PGCE training for either subject? Or would it be better to stick with the full Ancient History? Help please!!
You'd be able to get on a PGCE with either degree, with a joint honours degree you would be able to teach both subjects but you would specialise in one.
Yes it relates enough, however a lot of the curriculum is modern or early modern history, that said I know Gove is adding more medieval topics to it.
If you do English as a minor, chances are you won't be able to do a PGCE in it. Typically you need a 50:50 split so joint honours.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Dual Degree at the University of Oxford
- For modern history, is Oxford or Cambridge better?
- Liberal arts or history?
- English Literature or History degree?
- Can my Southampton uni course be changed slightly once I'm there?
- Would this A Level combination be okay?
- economics or modern foreign languages?
- Mature student considering options.
- Choosing a maths degree
- Can you study a History PCGE with a History and American Studies BA degree?
- Changing degree before university
- Which uni course
- What University is best for an archaeology degree
- dropping one half of your joint honours
- History and Art History Joint Honours
- Ask an Admissions Tutor: All about Languages
- Official Classics Applicant Thread 2024 Entry
- Universities for History and Russian
- Official History Applicants thread 2024 Entry
- Someone to look at my personal statement for Ancient and Modern history?
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 days ago
What path do I take - Looking for History undergraduate, Anthropology MasterLast reply 1 month ago
MA History of Art: The Courtauld, UCL, Edinburgh or St Andrews?Last reply 1 month ago
Any Courtauld MA History of Art students with Social Sciences undergraduate degreesTrending
Last reply 3 days ago
What path do I take - Looking for History undergraduate, Anthropology MasterLast reply 1 month ago
MA History of Art: The Courtauld, UCL, Edinburgh or St Andrews?Last reply 1 month ago
Any Courtauld MA History of Art students with Social Sciences undergraduate degrees
