Key information
Duration: 3 years full time
UCAS code: Q2W6
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
The course
Comparative Literature and Culture with History of Art and Visual Culture (BA)
Choosing this course enables you to combine the study of Comparative Literature and Culture (75% of the course) with History of Art and Visual Culture (25%).
A degree in Comparative Literature and Culture with History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) gives you the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences between the literatures and visual arts produced in different languages, places, and historical periods.
Comparative Literature and Culture with History of Art and Visual Culture may appeal if you have already enjoyed studying English, Drama, Languages, or History of Art at A Level but wish to develop your understanding of these subjects by taking a more global, comparative perspective. The programme is taught by academics from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures who are experts in European and world literatures and cultures and whose research is multilingual, transnational, and interdisciplinary.
Comparative Literature and Culture takes a cross-cultural perspective that compares materials from the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. You do not need to have studied, or study, a foreign language as all materials are taught in English translation.
History of Art and Visual Culture enables you to explore a world of visual cultures – from paintings to sculpture, photography to film, fashion and beyond – from the early modern era to the present day. As well as learning the histories of key trends and techniques, you will finesse the skills needed to appreciate, interpret, and analyse images and artefacts in a variety of different media across cultures.
Alongside the core modules which introduce key critical concepts and develop comparative and visual analytical skills, you can choose from a wide range of fascinating options: you can read, watch, and compare materials from Ancient Greece to contemporary New York, from medieval Arabia to contemporary Korea, from world cinema to crime fiction, and from tragedy to the avant-garde. Far more than a journey around the world through literary and artistic ‘masterpieces’, Comparative Literature and Culture with History of Art and Visual Culture at Royal Holloway encourages students to think critically about how and why literatures and visual cultures develop, evolve, and travel. Because of this, you’ll develop the important analytical skills, creative thinking, cross-cultural understanding and global outlook that are valued by employers.
One of the strengths of Comparative Literature and Culture and History of Art and Visual Culture at Royal Holloway is the supportive environment we create. Our student community is close-knit and international, with students coming from a variety backgrounds and parts of the world, enhancing the programme’s global perspective. Throughout your studies you will also be able to get involved with an array of cultural initiatives that take place on campus and make the most of Royal Holloway’s exceptional collection of Victorian Art housed in the Founder’s Picture Gallery, as well as being within easy reach of London and its many events and attractions.
Studying Comparative Literature and Culture with History of Art and Visual Culture will broaden your horizons, interests and passions, and give you a critical edge in a competitive global marketplace.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Year 1
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This module introduces students to the theories and practices of textual analysis and comparative textual analysis as well as to the major debates about theories and practices of comparative literature in a transnational context. Students will read a small number of core literary texts - influential within comparatism and diverse in cultural, temporal and linguistic origin - alongside a range of historically, geographically, culturally, generically and stylistically varied textual extracts. The core literary texts will be read in their entirety, with particular attention to: the construction and interpretation of genre; transnationalism and translation; cultural and historical context; and questions of authorship, influence and canonicity.
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This module will introduce students to a number of different media encountered in the study of visual culture. By understanding the technical characteristics of a range of art works students will be able to assess the expressive and stylistic possibilities of offered by different media. Students will study a rich variety of visual cultures in Europe and Latin America from the Middle Ages to the present day. Mediaeval illuminated manuscripts, mural decorations in Renaissance Italy, sculpture, photography and fashion and textiles will be among the media that will be the object of our analysis this year.
Year 2
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Comparing short stories from different periods and geographical areas is a great way of exploring how literature evolves structurally and thematically in response to different ideas and contexts. In this module we read short stories – and look at examples of visual art - from the eighteenth century to the present day to discover what structural and symbolic elements characterize major movements of Western art including the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism and Postmodernism. All non-English-language texts are in English translation. These are explored both individually and in comparison, developing skills in close reading and comparative critical analysis and the ability to recognize and contrast different features of fiction and to situate evolving literary aesthetics in their historical context.
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This module provides an account of some of the major theoretical trends and currents which inform our thinking and practice of Comparative Literature and Culture. Reading canonical and contemporary texts alongside each other, students will ask questions such as: How should we understand and respond to art in the twenty-first century? Who counts as a subject and how should we understand racial, sexual and species difference? And, how should we conceptualise culture in a globalised world?
Year 3
Optional Modules
For more information on optional modules available, please see the list here.
Teaching & assessment
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminar groups, and tutorials, in which you will be able to try out new ideas by giving presentations and participating in lively discussions in a supportive environment. Independent study and preparation are essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the University’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle, which provides a variety of supporting materials.
We use a range of assessment models to suit different learning styles, from online comprehension tests and individual and group presentations to coursework-based assignments such as essays, critical commentaries, blogposts and reviews.
When you begin you will be allocated your own Personal Advisor, a member of academic staff who will support you academically. In your first year you also take a study skills course designed to equip you with and enhance the skills you will need to be successful in your degree. This course does not count towards your final degree award, but you are required to pass it to progress to your second year.
Entry requirements
A Levels: ABB-BBB
Required subjects:
- At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and Mathematics.
- B in an essay based subject at A Level.
English language requirements
All teaching at Royal Holloway (apart from some language courses) is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.
The scores we require
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
Country-specific requirements
For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please visit here.
Undergraduate preparation programme
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements, for this undergraduate degree, the Royal Holloway International Study Centre offers an International Foundation Year programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills.
Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Your future career
Graduating with a degree in Comparative Literature and Culture with History of Art and Visual Culture from Royal Holloway will help you stand out in a crowded global marketplace. As well as being an adaptable and critical thinker with impressive communication and leadership skills, students of CLC with HAVC are valued by employers because of their rich cultural and transnational awareness.
Our recent graduates have successfully entered a wide range of careers including film, content writing, photographic editorial, journalism, publishing, marketing and PR, the media, arts administration, fashion, finance, international management, retail buying, the civil service, law, accountancy or teaching; or have gone on to pursue postgraduate study in a variety of fields.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,535
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £25,900
Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.
*The tuition fee for Home (UK) undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. This figure is the fee for the academic year 2025/26 and is shown as a guide. The fee for the academic year 2026/27 has not yet been announced.
**This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26 and is shown as a guide. The fee for the academic year 2026/27 has not yet been confirmed.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for all students. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
