What subjects go well with English lit?
I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
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Reply 1
Similar subjects can be useful im studying English lit currently and the most surprising link I’ve found is English lit and history as the content in history links to the context of a lot of the texts we study but this will depend on what where your applying and what a level content they are teaching so do check that but yeah other essay based subjects will definitely help you out if you want to study English lit at university
Original post
by claraaa375I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
Double check the requierments for the course on the unis websites to see if they specify particular subjects (apart from english lit obviously).
Good subjects to consider are:
History
Sociology
A language (e.g. French, Spanish or German)
Psychology
Law
Reply 3
Original post
by claraaa375I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
Subject requirements
Required subjects: English Literature or English Language and Literature
Recommended subjects: Not applicable
Helpful subjects: A language, History
So, English, History and French would be 'ideal' or maybe even Spanish. 🙂
Reply 4
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Original post
by thegeek888If you look at the entry requirements on the Oxford University website:
Subject requirements
Required subjects: English Literature or English Language and Literature
Recommended subjects: Not applicable
Helpful subjects: A language, History
So, English, History and French would be 'ideal' or maybe even Spanish. 🙂
Subject requirements
Required subjects: English Literature or English Language and Literature
Recommended subjects: Not applicable
Helpful subjects: A language, History
So, English, History and French would be 'ideal' or maybe even Spanish. 🙂
I didn't do French for GCSE so unfortunately I can't do the A-level, but Spanish and History A-level are definitely things to consider, thank you!
Reply 5
Original post
by claraaa375I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
Great to see you’ve made a decision about your degree choice!
History could be a good choice, as it has significant overlap with English Literature, especially when understanding the context of books you are studying.
For the third subject, pick something that aligns with your personal interests within literature. Think about what you enjoy most when reading or analysing texts, and choose a subject related to that interest.
•
Religious Studies could be a great fit if you're interested by religious themes in literature.
•
If you're interested in political literature, Politics might be a good choice.
•
A Language might be the right path if you love reading literature in its original form, and learning about different cultures.
•
If you're interested in how science impacts literature, or if you love science fiction, a Science subject may be a good choice.
•
If you're drawn to the exploration of human nature and psychology in literature, Psychology may be a good choice.
When I was choosing my subjects, I was torn between Politics and Biology.
While Politics seemed more directly related to a history degree, I was more interested in historical politics than current political affairs. I also found myself more passionate about the study of biology, especially the history of science and medicine.
In the end, I chose Biology—not because it seemed more relevant, but because it aligned better with my personal interests, which will help me write a better personal statement in Y13.
Ultimately, your third subject should reflect your passions. It's not about choosing the most “relevant” option, but about picking something that excites you. Universities want to understand who you are, why you love literature, and how your chosen subjects support that passion. Don’t choose based on others—take what genuinely interests you, because that’s what will make you stand out in your application.
Hope this helps!
Reply 6
Subjects that haven't been mentioned yet: classics or classical civilisation. That said, I'm aware they are more niche and less likely to be offered in state schools 
Reply 7
Original post
by claraaa375I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
Whichever two other subjects you are best at. You need the best grades you can get, and doing English Lit will be enough in itself, so long as you can demonstrate wider reading and interest. The other two are just grade carriers.
Reply 8
Original post
by claraaa375I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
I would say History and any other essay based subject like Religious Studies or Sociology. Politics is a good one too.
But I would recommend you do a subject you enjoy so that you can make the most out of it and get the best possible grade in it.
Reply 9
I second everything the people above me have said. Take what you will get the highest grades in!! Oxford wants AAA, so pick subjects you are confident you’ll get the grades in.
History would probably be the best second subject to take, and a third essay subject would be helpful. But, if you have no interest in other essay subjects, just take something you like because you are more likely to do better in it!
History would probably be the best second subject to take, and a third essay subject would be helpful. But, if you have no interest in other essay subjects, just take something you like because you are more likely to do better in it!
Reply 10
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Original post
by Daisy._.7777Great to see you’ve made a decision about your degree choice!
History could be a good choice, as it has significant overlap with English Literature, especially when understanding the context of books you are studying.
For the third subject, pick something that aligns with your personal interests within literature. Think about what you enjoy most when reading or analysing texts, and choose a subject related to that interest.
When I was choosing my subjects, I was torn between Politics and Biology.
While Politics seemed more directly related to a history degree, I was more interested in historical politics than current political affairs. I also found myself more passionate about the study of biology, especially the history of science and medicine.
In the end, I chose Biology—not because it seemed more relevant, but because it aligned better with my personal interests, which will help me write a better personal statement in Y13.
Ultimately, your third subject should reflect your passions. It's not about choosing the most “relevant” option, but about picking something that excites you. Universities want to understand who you are, why you love literature, and how your chosen subjects support that passion. Don’t choose based on others—take what genuinely interests you, because that’s what will make you stand out in your application.
Hope this helps!
History could be a good choice, as it has significant overlap with English Literature, especially when understanding the context of books you are studying.
For the third subject, pick something that aligns with your personal interests within literature. Think about what you enjoy most when reading or analysing texts, and choose a subject related to that interest.
•
Religious Studies could be a great fit if you're interested by religious themes in literature.
•
If you're interested in political literature, Politics might be a good choice.
•
A Language might be the right path if you love reading literature in its original form, and learning about different cultures.
•
If you're interested in how science impacts literature, or if you love science fiction, a Science subject may be a good choice.
•
If you're drawn to the exploration of human nature and psychology in literature, Psychology may be a good choice.
When I was choosing my subjects, I was torn between Politics and Biology.
While Politics seemed more directly related to a history degree, I was more interested in historical politics than current political affairs. I also found myself more passionate about the study of biology, especially the history of science and medicine.
In the end, I chose Biology—not because it seemed more relevant, but because it aligned better with my personal interests, which will help me write a better personal statement in Y13.
Ultimately, your third subject should reflect your passions. It's not about choosing the most “relevant” option, but about picking something that excites you. Universities want to understand who you are, why you love literature, and how your chosen subjects support that passion. Don’t choose based on others—take what genuinely interests you, because that’s what will make you stand out in your application.
Hope this helps!
Thank you! I'm pretty much certain about English at this point. And wow, that's a very helpful system for choosing an A-level to go with English- I never thought about it like that! I am really interested in the psychological and philosophical aspects of literature and I love an unreliable narrator. I guess that kind of gives me the two subjects! Though I'm not sure where the unreliable narrator leads- psychology? However as you've seen in my other posts I do still want to keep physics open so I think I can only choose one of the two (if I were to take physics, maths, English and one more). Or I could just not take maths...
Reply 11
12
Original post
by The_Lonely_GoatherdSubjects that haven't been mentioned yet: classics or classical civilisation. That said, I'm aware they are more niche and less likely to be offered in state schools
I do classical civilisation right now at GCSE! I absolutely love it and my school does offer it for A-level. However it is one of my slightly weaker subjects (I got an 8 in my Y10 mock, I know it's not that bad but it is by my standards and then the difficulty would significantly increase at A-level). I am also interested (if you see what I replied to @Daisy._.7777) in philosophy and psychology. I am down for doing 4 A-levels but I also want to take physics and maths. It would be a bit drastic to drop those two considering I was thinking of (and am trying to keep the option open of) taking physics at university!
Reply 12
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Original post
by threeportdriftWhichever two other subjects you are best at. You need the best grades you can get, and doing English Lit will be enough in itself, so long as you can demonstrate wider reading and interest. The other two are just grade carriers.
That's a good perspective. However, some subjects I'm considering were not offered at GCSE therefore I have never experienced them before (e.g philosophy and psychology), therefore I don't know my abilities. Although I'm sure I can get a good grade in most subjects.
Reply 13
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Original post
by Ambiguous SuperI would say History and any other essay based subject like Religious Studies or Sociology. Politics is a good one too.
But I would recommend you do a subject you enjoy so that you can make the most out of it and get the best possible grade in it.
But I would recommend you do a subject you enjoy so that you can make the most out of it and get the best possible grade in it.
History seems to be the most recommended one but unfortunately, I have an awful memory and history does not stick in my head whatsoever. I am struggling even to remember the GCSE content! I did consider taking Religious Studies at one point though.
Reply 14
Original post
by claraaa375Thank you! I'm pretty much certain about English at this point. And wow, that's a very helpful system for choosing an A-level to go with English- I never thought about it like that! I am really interested in the psychological and philosophical aspects of literature and I love an unreliable narrator. I guess that kind of gives me the two subjects! Though I'm not sure where the unreliable narrator leads- psychology? However as you've seen in my other posts I do still want to keep physics open so I think I can only choose one of the two (if I were to take physics, maths, English and one more). Or I could just not take maths...
I think English and Philosophy or Psychology would be great subjects to take! But I’d definitely recommend looking at the specifications for each subject to make sure they align with what your interests. You might even want to explore other subjects like Politics, Religious Studies etc-c as you could discover an interest you hadn’t considered before.
As for Physics, you seem to genuinely love it, so I think it would be a shame to drop it, even if it doesn’t directly tie into English.
However, I’ve heard from friends who study Physics that it’s quite math-heavy, and since you mentioned not being particularly keen on taking Maths, I’d be a bit concerned about how you might handle it without a Maths A-level.
That said, I don’t take these subjects myself, so it’s worth asking people who do, especially in Physics A-level forums. They can give you more insight into how much math is involved and whether it’s manageable without a Maths A-level. You could also read through the specification and past papers to get a sense of whether it’s something you’d enjoy or feel comfortable with.
Reply 15
Original post
by claraaa375I want to study English literature at Oxford. Which A-level subjects should I take to maximise my chances of success?
Odd seeing you again but glad you are happy with your choice!! I'd say you can never go wrong with a Language, another strong literature based subject which is well respected. Depending on what text/film you study you could study some really fascinating pieces of media. There's also plenty of Language based extra curriculars (particularly writing/translation challenges - Oxford uni is running a french/Spanish flash fiction competition rn!!) which can put you on universities' radars
Reply 16
Original post
by Daisy._.7777I think English and Philosophy or Psychology would be great subjects to take! But I’d definitely recommend looking at the specifications for each subject to make sure they align with what your interests. You might even want to explore other subjects like Politics, Religious Studies etc-c as you could discover an interest you hadn’t considered before.
As for Physics, you seem to genuinely love it, so I think it would be a shame to drop it, even if it doesn’t directly tie into English.
However, I’ve heard from friends who study Physics that it’s quite math-heavy, and since you mentioned not being particularly keen on taking Maths, I’d be a bit concerned about how you might handle it without a Maths A-level.
That said, I don’t take these subjects myself, so it’s worth asking people who do, especially in Physics A-level forums. They can give you more insight into how much math is involved and whether it’s manageable without a Maths A-level. You could also read through the specification and past papers to get a sense of whether it’s something you’d enjoy or feel comfortable with.
As for Physics, you seem to genuinely love it, so I think it would be a shame to drop it, even if it doesn’t directly tie into English.
However, I’ve heard from friends who study Physics that it’s quite math-heavy, and since you mentioned not being particularly keen on taking Maths, I’d be a bit concerned about how you might handle it without a Maths A-level.
That said, I don’t take these subjects myself, so it’s worth asking people who do, especially in Physics A-level forums. They can give you more insight into how much math is involved and whether it’s manageable without a Maths A-level. You could also read through the specification and past papers to get a sense of whether it’s something you’d enjoy or feel comfortable with.
Just to add, this is actually one of the reasons I ended up dropping Chemistry as my fourth subject. I found the content of Chemistry itself interesting, but it turned out to be much more math-heavy than I had anticipated.
I don’t hate math, but I’m not particularly fond of it either. Plus, I wasn’t confident that I had the math skills or the interest to keep up with the level required for the A-level. I did get with a 7 at GCSE, so a pretty decent grade, but when I actually started the A-level, I realised the balance of chemistry content to math was very different than what I expected.
I think it’s really important to remember that subjects can change quite a bit from GCSE to A-level. The reality of studying a subject at A-level can be quite different from what you might expect based on the GCSE experience. For me, this meant I had to drop Chemistry, but it was the right decision since it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be.
So, remember to consider that studying something at A-level/uni will be vastly different to GCSE. So, what you might like now might not be the reality of that subject at higher level, if that makes sense?
(edited 1 year ago)
Reply 17
Original post
by claraaa375History seems to be the most recommended one but unfortunately, I have an awful memory and history does not stick in my head whatsoever. I am struggling even to remember the GCSE content! I did consider taking Religious Studies at one point though.
If you are struggling with history I’d be happy to help! (even if you don’t take it for A-level). I achieved a 9 at GCSE so I’d say I’m at least somewhat qualified to give advice. What exam board and topics are you doing?
Reply 18
Original post
by claraaa375History seems to be the most recommended one but unfortunately, I have an awful memory and history does not stick in my head whatsoever. I am struggling even to remember the GCSE content! I did consider taking Religious Studies at one point though.
I did religious studies and loved it! The philosophical debates are so interesting and the applications of the ethical theories.
Have you thought about Politics or Sociology?
Reply 19
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Original post
by Daisy._.7777I think English and Philosophy or Psychology would be great subjects to take! But I’d definitely recommend looking at the specifications for each subject to make sure they align with what your interests. You might even want to explore other subjects like Politics, Religious Studies etc-c as you could discover an interest you hadn’t considered before.
As for Physics, you seem to genuinely love it, so I think it would be a shame to drop it, even if it doesn’t directly tie into English.
However, I’ve heard from friends who study Physics that it’s quite math-heavy, and since you mentioned not being particularly keen on taking Maths, I’d be a bit concerned about how you might handle it without a Maths A-level.
That said, I don’t take these subjects myself, so it’s worth asking people who do, especially in Physics A-level forums. They can give you more insight into how much math is involved and whether it’s manageable without a Maths A-level. You could also read through the specification and past papers to get a sense of whether it’s something you’d enjoy or feel comfortable with.
As for Physics, you seem to genuinely love it, so I think it would be a shame to drop it, even if it doesn’t directly tie into English.
However, I’ve heard from friends who study Physics that it’s quite math-heavy, and since you mentioned not being particularly keen on taking Maths, I’d be a bit concerned about how you might handle it without a Maths A-level.
That said, I don’t take these subjects myself, so it’s worth asking people who do, especially in Physics A-level forums. They can give you more insight into how much math is involved and whether it’s manageable without a Maths A-level. You could also read through the specification and past papers to get a sense of whether it’s something you’d enjoy or feel comfortable with.
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