The King's College London Faculty of Arts & Humanities is one of the nine academic Faculties of study of

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. It is situated on the Strand in the heart of central

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, in the vicinity of many renowned cultural institutions with which the Faculty has close links, including the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Southwark, Lon ...

, the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

and the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

. In the 2024

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''World University Rankings by subject'', King's Arts & Humanities ranked in the top twenty worldwide. The Faculty of Arts & Humanities offers study at undergraduate and graduate level in a wide range of subject areas. Many of the departments and programmes offer joint undergraduate degrees, including some with the Departments of Geography and

War Studies War studies, sometimes called polemology, is the multi-disciplinary study of war. It pertains to the military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfa ...

, in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy, and with Mathematics in the Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences. As a member of the

Russell Group The Russell Group is a self-selected association of twenty-four public research universities in the United Kingdom. The group is headquartered in Cambridge and was established in 1994 to represent its members' interests, principally to governme ...

and the

Golden triangle Golden Triangle may refer to: Places Asia * Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production * Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development * Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist sp ...

, the Faculty receives a high number of applications. The Faculty is a member of The Council of University Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH UK), and of

London Citizens Citizens UK is a grassroots alliance of local communities working together in England and Wales. The organisation has 18 chapters across England and one in Wales. These are made up of local institutions, including schools, universities, church ...

. The current Executive Dean of Faculty is Professor Simon Tanner, who took over in an interim position from Professor Marion Thain in November 2024.

History

In the late 1980s, King's College London's Faculty of Arts merged with the Faculties of Music and Theology as the School of Humanities and took on the name of the School of Arts & Humanities in 2009. The original Arts departments such as War Studies and Geography formed part of the Faculty known now as Social Science & Public Policy while the Arts & Humanities expanded from its 'classical' humanities roots. Over the past few years, the Faculty has established interdisciplinary programmes such Liberal Arts and led new developments in teaching and research, for instance through the Department of Digital Humanities, Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries.The School of Arts & Humanities became the Faculty of Arts & Humanities in 2014. In 2023, the Digital Futures Institute and the Global Cultures Institute were launched as part of a new Faculty vision to showcase how arts and humanities expertise were addressing some of society's most pressing challenges.

Departments

The following departments and centres can be found in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities: *

Classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

* Culture, Media & Creative Industries *

Digital Humanities Digital humanities (DH) is an area of scholarly activity at the intersection of computing or Information technology, digital technologies and the disciplines of the humanities. It includes the systematic use of digital resources in the humanitie ...

* English * Film Studies * History * Languages, Literatures and Cultures * Interdisciplinary Humanities * Music *

Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

* Theology & Religious Studies

Notable people

Current Professorial staff

* George Benjamin, Henry Purcell Professor of Composition * Francisco Bethencourt, Charles Boxer Professor *

Fay Bound Alberti Fay Bound Alberti (born 1971) is a British writer and cultural historian of gender, emotion and medicine. Since 2023 she has been Professor of Modern History and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at King's College London, where she is PI oInterfaceand Di ...

, Professor in Modern History * David Carpenter, Professor of Medieval History * Julia Crick, Professor of Palaeography and Manuscript Studies *

Kate Devlin Kate Devlin, born Adela Katharine Devlin, is a Northern Irish computer scientist specialising in Artificial intelligence and Human–computer interaction (HCI). She is best known for her work on human sexuality and robotics and was co-chair of ...

, Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Society * Richard Drayton, Rhodes Professor of Imperial History *

David Edgerton David Russell Edgerton Jr. (May 26, 1927 – April 3, 2018) was an American entrepreneur and co-founder of Burger King, in what would become the second-largest burger chain after McDonald's. After serving as a manager of another restaurant, ...

, Hans Rausing Professor of the History of Science and Technology *

Paul Gilroy Paul Gilroy (born 16 February 1956) is an English sociologist and cultural studies scholar who is the founding Director of the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Race and Racism at University College London (UCL). Gilroy is the 2019 ...

, Professor of American & English Literature *

Paul Joyce Paul Joyce (born 1940, or 1941 or 1944) is a British photographer and filmmaker. His portraits of artists are held in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London and his Welsh landscape photographs are held in the collection of Amgued ...

, Samuel Davidson Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible *

Paul Readman Paul Andrew Readman, FRHistS, is a political and cultural historian. He is Professor in Modern British History at King's College London, where he was Head of the History Department (2008–12) and as of 2018 is Vice-Dean for Research. Biography ...

, Professor in Modern British History *

Martin Stokes Martin Stokes is a British ethnomusicologist and King Edward Professor of Music at the King's College London. He has special research interests in ethnomusicology and anthropology, as well as Middle Eastern popular music. Stokes obtained his DP ...

, King Edward Professor of Music

Former academic staff

Roderick Beaton Sir Roderick Macleod Beaton, FBA, FKC (born 29 September 1951)

, Koraes Professor of Modern Greek & Byzantine History, Language & Literature *

Harrison Birtwistle Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include '' T ...

, British contemporary composer *

Averil Cameron Dame Averil Millicent Cameron ( Sutton; born 8 February 1940), often cited as A. M. Cameron, is a British historian. She writes on Late Antiquity, Classics, and Byzantine Studies. She was Professor of Late Antiquity, Late Antique and Byzantine ...

, Warden of

Keble College, Oxford Keble College () is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, University Museum a ...

, Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in the University of Oxford, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

* A. G. Dickens (1910-2001), historian, former Director of the

Institute of Historical Research The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hou ...

Richard Dyer Richard Dyer (born 1945) is an English academic who held a professorship in the Department of Film Studies at King's College London. Specialising in cinema (particularly Italian cinema), queer theory, and the relationship between entertainment ...

, Professor of Film Studies *

Simon Gaunt Simon Gaunt (4 July 1959 – 4 December 2021) was a professor of French literature at King's College London, where he was Head of the French Department and Head of the School of Humanities. He was past president of the Society for French Stud ...

, Professor of French Literature *

John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Church cantata (Bach), Bach's church ...

, English conductor * John Elliott, historian *

Edith Hall Edith Hall, (born 4 March 1959) is a British scholar of classics, specialising in ancient Greek literature and cultural history, and professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University. She is a Fellow of the Bri ...

, Professor of Classics * F. J. C. Hearnshaw (1869-1946), historian *

Judith Herrin Judith Herrin (; born 1942) is an English archaeologist, byzantinist, and historian of Late Antiquity. She was a professor of Late Antique and Byzantine studies and the Constantine Leventis Senior Research Fellow at King's College London (now ...

, Emeritus Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Studies * Brian Hurwitz, D'Oyly Carte Professor of Medicine & the Arts *

Efraim Karsh Efraim Karsh (; born 6 September 1953) is an Israeli and British historian who is the founding director and emeritus professor of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies at King's College London. Since 2013, he has served as professor of political ...

, Founding Director and Emeritus Professor of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies *

Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (28 March 1936 – 13 April 2025) was a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and politician. Vargas Llosa was one of the most significant Latin American novelists and essayists a ...

, Peruvian writer, politician, journalist, essayist, and Nobel Prize laureate * P. J. Marshall, Emeritus Rhodes Professor of Imperial History, President of the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

from 1997 to 2001 *

Janet Nelson Dame Janet Laughland Nelson (; 28 March 1942 – 14 October 2024), also known as Jinty Nelson, was a British historian and professor of Medieval History at King's College London. Early life and education Janet Muir was born on 28 March 1942 i ...

, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, President of the Royal Historical Society from 2001 to 2005 *

Richard Overy Richard James Overy (born 23 December 1947) is a British historian who has published on the history of World War II and Nazi Germany. In 2007, as ''The Times'' editor of ''Complete History of the World'', he chose the 50 key dates of world his ...

, historian *

Roger Parker Roger Parker (born London United Kingdom, 2 August 1951) is an English musicologist who was previously Thurston Dart Professor of Music at King's College London. His work has centred on opera. Between 2006 and 2010, while Professor of Music at ...

, Thurston Dart Professor of Music * Curtis Price, Warden of

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

* David Profumo, an English novelist, 6th Baron Profumo *

Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell Conrad Sebastian Robert Russell, 5th Earl Russell, (15 April 1937 – 14 October 2004), was a British historian and politician. As an academic historian, he worked primarily on 17th-century English history, having extensively written and l ...

(1937-2004), 5th Earl Russell *

Richard Sorabji Sir Richard Rustom Kharsedji Sorabji, (born 8 November 1934) is a British historian of ancient Western philosophy, and Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at King's College London. He is the nephew of Cornelia Sorabji. Life Richard Sorabji was b ...

, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy *

Susan Stebbing Lizzie Susan Stebbing (2 December 1885 – 11 September 1943) was a British philosopher. She belonged to the 1930s generation of analytic philosophy, and was a founder in 1933 of the journal ''Analysis.'' Stebbing was the first woman to hold a p ...

(1885-1943), Lecturer in Philosophy *

Joan E. Taylor Joan E. Taylor (born 13 September 1958) is a New Zealand writer and historian of Jesus, the Bible, early Christianity, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Second Temple Judaism, with special expertise in archaeology, and women's and gender studies. Taylo ...

, Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism * Patrick Wright, Professor of Literature and Visual & Material Culture

Deans of Faculty

* Barry Ife (Spanish): August 1989 - July 1997 * Linda Newson (Geography): August 1997 - July 2000 * Michael Knibb (Theology): August 2000 - July 2001 * David Ricks (CHS/CompLit): August 2001 - July 2004 * Ann Thompson (English): August 2004 - December 2007 * Jan Palmowski (German): January 2008 - December 2012 * Simon Gaunt (French): January 2013 - December 2013 * Russell Goulbourne (French): January 2014 - August 2018 * Jo Malt (French): September 2018 - December 2018 (Interim) * Marion Thain (English): December 2018 - October 2024 * Simon Tanner (Digital Humanities): November 2024 - Present Day (Interim)

Notable alumni

File:Archbishop george carey1.jpg,

Lord Carey George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton (born 13 November 1935) is a retired Anglican bishop who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, having previously been the Bishop of Bath and Wells. During his time as archbishop the C ...

File:Alain de Botton.jpg,

Alain de Botton Alain de Botton (; born 20 December 1969) is a Swiss-born British author and public speaker. His books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. He published ''Essays in Love'' (1993) ...

File:Anne Dudley on March 30, 2014.jpg,

Anne Dudley Anne Jennifer Dudley (née Beckingham; born 7 May 1956) is an English composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician. She was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in the classical and pop genre ...

File:John Eliot Gardiner at rehearsal in Wroclaw cropped portrait.jpeg,

File:Greer Garson-publicity.JPG,

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the homef ...

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W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

File:Thomas Hardy (1923 portrait).jpg,

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Literary realism, Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry ...

File:Michael Morpurgo 20090315 Salon du livre 1.jpg,

Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as '' War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelli ...

File:Michael Nyman.jpg,

Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 23 March 1944) is an English composer, pianist, libretto, librettist, musicologist, and filmmaker. He is known for numerous film soundtrack, scores (many written during his lengthy ...

File:John Ruskin 1863.jpg,

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

File:Sirjonathansacks.jpg,

Jonathan Sacks Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks (8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As ...

File:Davidtang.jpg,

David Tang Sir David Wing-cheung Tang, (; 2 August 1954 – 29 August 2017), was a Hong Kong businessman, philanthropist and socialite. He was best known for founding the Shanghai Tang fashion chain in 1994, which he sold in 1998 to Richemont. Early lif ...

File:Desmond Tutu 2013-10-23 001.jpg,

Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...

File:George Charles Beresford - Virginia Woolf in 1902 - Restoration.jpg,

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the most influential 20th-century modernist authors. She helped to pioneer the use of stream of consciousness narration as a literary device. Vir ...

References

External links

King's College London Faculty of Arts & Humanities
homepage
The Council of University Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities
website {{Authority control

Arts and Humanities The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of me ...

Universities and colleges established in 1829 1829 establishments in England