What academic subject did J.R.R. Tolkien study at Oxford before becoming a professor?

J.R.R. Tolkien studied English language and literature at the University of Oxford.

Tolkien initially studied Classics at Exeter College, Oxford, but changed to the English Language and Literature course in 1911. His studies introduced him to Old and Middle English texts, including works that became important to his scholarly and creative life. He graduated with first-class honours in 1915.

His academic training in philology helped him analyze how languages change and how words, sounds, and names carry history. That expertise became a foundation for the invented languages and layered cultures of Middle-earth.

Tolkien is sometimes described simply as a literature professor, but his specialization was strongly linguistic and historical. He later taught at Leeds and Oxford, holding major posts in Anglo-Saxon and English language and literature. His scholarly career continued alongside the writing and revision of his fiction.