Humanities

The Department of Humanities offers a range of innovative, dynamic courses, including undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English and creative writing, postgraduate degrees in philosophy, and the Foundation Year in Arts and Humanities. The Kingston Language Scheme, which offers a wide range of foreign language courses to students, staff and the public, is also organised by the Department, as are English for Academic and Professional Development courses, including pre-sessional English provision.

Our degree courses engage with material shaped by diverse experiences, expose our students to new ideas and creative techniques, and develop vital professional skills. Our graduates are confident and well equipped to deal with the challenges of the contemporary world. In particular, they have highly developed critical thinking and communication skills, which are among the skills that are most prized by employers. Our graduates go on to build successful careers in, among other areas, the creative and cultural industries, education, government, and the charity sector. Many of our graduates are the recipients of scholarships and awards for their critical, creative or professional work.

Research is central to what we do. Our cutting-edge research, which informs our teaching, comprises both innovative scholarship and collaborative projects that bring the Department's staff into dialogue with researchers from across the world and with community organisations in the local area. The Department of Humanities is associated with several research units. The Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP) is internationally recognised as the leading centre for research in continental philosophy in the UK. The Race/Gender Matters research group focuses on critical and creative engagements with race, gender, sexuality and the environment; and the Writing Cultures Group brings together staff from across Kingston School of Art whose practice engages with the cultural and artistic significance of the written word. The Department also provides a supportive environment for a large number of philosophy, English literature and creative writing PhD students.