BA Liberal Arts with an International Year
About this course
Liberal arts is an approach to higher education that takes intellectual breadth seriously. Rather than requiring deep specialisation in a single discipline from the outset, it invites you to explore across the humanities, social sciences, and sometimes the natural sciences, developing a range of analytical perspectives and the capacity to connect ideas across disciplinary boundaries. The premise is that the most complex and interesting problems do not respect disciplinary lines, and that graduates who can think across multiple frameworks are better equipped for a world that is changing rapidly and unpredictably. At Royal Holloway this four-year full-time programme allows you to create a bespoke course aligned to your individual interests and passions, selecting from the broad range of subjects that the university offers. This flexibility is the defining characteristic of the programme: you are not locked into a predetermined syllabus but construct your own academic journey, guided by your developing intellectual interests. A sandwich year and work placement experience are built into the degree, and an international year gives you the opportunity to study at a partner institution abroad, broadening your academic and cultural experience. The liberal arts approach is internationally recognised, particularly in North American higher education, and is increasingly valued by UK employers who recognise that adaptable, broadly educated graduates bring capabilities that narrowly trained specialists sometimes lack. Graduates move into careers in journalism, publishing, education, the civil service, policy, arts administration, consulting, law, and the creative industries. The degree's design means that your specific trajectory depends significantly on the subjects you choose and the skills you develop, making it particularly well suited to students who are self-motivated, intellectually curious, and prepared to take ownership of their own education. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in a specific field they identified during the programme.
Syllabus & Modules
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