What subject did J.R.R. Tolkien study at Oxford as an undergraduate?

J.R.R. Tolkien studied English language and literature at Oxford as an undergraduate. He initially entered Exeter College in 1911 and later specialized in the English School, graduating with first-class honours in 1915.

His studies built the foundation for his later academic career and fiction. Tolkien was especially interested in historical languages, medieval texts, philology, and the development of English. His fascination with Old English, Middle English, Welsh, and Finnish strongly shaped the languages and legends of Middle-earth.

Tolkien’s path was interrupted by the First World War. After graduating, he served in the British Army and took part in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He later returned to academic work, including major contributions to the study of medieval literature.

His Oxford education is sometimes reduced to the label “philology,” but his degree subject was English language and literature. Philology describes the historical study of language and texts that became central to his professional life.