What subject did J.R.R. Tolkien study at Oxford University?

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

Tolkien entered Exeter College, Oxford, and initially studied Classics. He later changed his course to the English Language and Literature degree, completing his studies in 1915. His academic focus included Old English and Middle English, areas that became fundamental to his later work as a scholar and writer.

His training helped him understand how languages change, how words carry history, and how mythic stories survive through texts. He later became one of the most influential academic specialists in Old English, while also developing invented languages and fictional histories of his own.

A common source of confusion is Tolkien’s initial interest in Classics. He did begin at Oxford in the Classics course, but his completed degree was in English Language and Literature. His subject is also sometimes shortened to “English,” though the fuller description better reflects his emphasis on historical language and literature.