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Our BA in Liberal Arts combines the expertise of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences to provide a unique multi-disciplinary programme at central London's only campus-based university.
This programme combines an innovative and research-driven curriculum grounded within the distinct, established areas of academic specialisation and excellence found within the constituent schools of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Liberal Arts at Queen Mary fosters critical, compassionate creatives who develop the interdisciplinary skills needed to explore an ever-changing world.
The programme provides distinct themes or 'majors' that facilitate greater flexibility in module choice and a broader basis than in degrees in single or joint subjects, alongside the development of an intellectual and disciplinary focus as you progress through your degree. Students study 30 credits of compulsory modules each year and select the rest from electives organised in three exciting interdisciplinary themes. In your first year, you’ll study a language and explore all the themes, before you choose which you’d like to focus on. Students choose electives drawn from Languages, Literature, Linguistics, Film, Drama, History, Politics, International Relations, Economics, and Geography.
All of our students also get a chance to study either a Year Abroad or a Year in Industry in their third year of study. This is an exciting opportunity to develop real world skills of intercultural exchange and interdisciplinary employment experience.
The three themes include:1. Expressions: Language and Culture. Dive into the diversity of language study. Explore the nuances that shape our world, from literature and art to everyday language. The connections between language and culture extend beyond the power of words and can set you on a journey that spans borders, cultivating a lasting appreciation for language and its role in fostering intercultural understanding. This area involves the continued study of a modern language in each year. As a compulsory part of the programme for all students taking this major or minor, you spend a year abroad, in a country or countries where the language you are studying is spoken - you can study at a university, or take up a work placement (opportunities vary).2. Connections: Global and Digital. Navigate our interconnected planet through evolving intersections of culture, society, and technology. From intersecting literary worlds to virtual connectivity, explore what knits our world together across boundaries of time and place. Discover the power of connection as you analyse the ever-expanding webs that link cultures, nations and individuals.3. Interactions: Societies and Cities.. Immerse yourself in the dynamic narratives of societies as they develop and change. From the pulse of cultural hubs to the rhythm of daily life, this course unravels the intricate interactions shaping our world. Uncover the challenges and triumphs that characterize modern societies, and the dynamics of communities with their environments.
Our BA Liberal Arts programme combines the academic expertise across the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film together with the School of English and Drama, the School of Politics and International Relations, the School of Geography, the School of History and the School of Economics and Finance.
The range of subjects and disciplinary perspectives offered by a Liberal Arts degree is reflected in the range of sectors that Liberal Arts students go on to work in: Media and Communications, Research, Consulting, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Public and Charity/NGO. The interdisciplinary nature of Liberal Arts studies allows students to develop the kind of learning agility that employers value in early career hires.
The programme is organised around Liberal Arts compulsory modules and seminars in the first and second years, and culminates in a unique research project drawing on expert supervision.
Within your first year of BA study (second year for foundation students), students will study across all themes and be supported by an academic advisor to select the best major and minor routes for their following years. The below provides an indicative list of what you may study at each level.
30-credit compulsory modules:30 credits Language (current choice is between French, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese)Culture and Language
Elective modules:15 credits from the list of module electives in each theme (45 credits in total). 15 credits from the list of module electives in the discovery module list.
Year 1 options include (amongst many others):
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
The modules offered will be dependent upon the major and minor theme chosen. The below provides an indicative list of what you may study within each of the themes.
30-credit compulsory modules:Thinking, Writing and Research across DisciplinesDigital Culture and Society OR Cultural Encounters in Theory and Practice
Elective modules:45 credits from the list of module electives in student-selected major theme. 30 credits from the list of module electives in student-selected minor theme. 15 credits from the list of module electives in the discovery module list.
Year 2 options include (amongst many others):
The modules offered will be dependent upon the major and minor theme chosen. The below provides an indicative list of what you may study within each of the themes.30-credit compulsory modules:Liberal Arts Independent Research Project
Year 4 options include (amongst many others):
In your second year (third for those taking a foundation year), you choose to specialise in a major area and a minor area of study, which will define the focal points of your whole degree. There are three areas: Language and culture, Global cultures, and Interactions: societies and cities.
Alongside choosing from the three themes as major and minor specialisms, the BA Liberal Arts programme also includes Discovery modules, which enable you to explore new themes and forms of study beyond your major and minor choices.
You can spend the third year of the four-year version of the degree (fourth of fifth for those taking the foundation year) on an international exchange with one of our partner universities. The four-year option is compulsory for those taking a modern languages as a major or minor.
For details on all our modules, please visit the module directory.
Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.
International students can apply for our Liberal Arts BA with an Integrated Foundation Year. The foundation year, taught on campus by Queen Mary lecturers, prepares you for the rest of the programme and can be started in either September or January.
You have three options for how to spend your year abroad:
To find out more about the Year Abroad, please visit our website.
Teaching takes a number of forms, which may include:
Assessment is varied and will take a number of forms within the programme, typically a combination of written exams and coursework, final-year dissertations, and independent projects.
The Schools offer excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.
For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Our standard contextual offer: Grades BCC. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.
Our enhanced contextual offer (for care experienced students, refugee/asylum seekers or students who have completed Realising Opportunities or Access to Queen Mary): Grades CCC. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.
More information on how this information is used for a contextual offer can be found on our contextualised admissions page.
Academic requirements
This programme combines a three-year degree with a bespoke foundation year, providing you with a smooth pathway as an international or EU student whose prior education or English language proficiency does not enable you to apply directly for a three-year degree.
This programme is designed for students who have completed a good high school education that consists of at least 12 years study. For full country specific entry requirements and qualification equivalencies visit: qmul.ac.uk/international/countries
If you have taken both GCSE and A level exams (or equivalent qualifications) in the UK you will not be considered for admission to this programme. In such cases we recommend that you apply for the relevant three year programme with entry in year 1.
Applicants who have studied A levels in the UK will be considered on a case by case basis.
Current University Foundation Programme or International Foundation Programme applicants will not be considered for the Integrated Foundation level course.
Please contact the Admissions team if you are unsure about eligibility.
English language requirements
Minimum of IELTS 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
Graduates from Queen Mary's School of Languages, Linguistics and Film and the wider Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences go on to work in a wide variety of careers. Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as education and the arts, whilst others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as public relations. Graduates who have developed specialisations in the wider Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences often find employment in areas such as business, finance, government and the media.
Whichever of these area specialisations you may have chosen, you will develop a wide range of skills and you will cover a wider range of topics and approaches than in a typical single or joint honours degree.
As a student on the BA Liberal Arts programme, you will also improve your abilities to analyse material, present arguments underpinned by evidence, evaluate different views and approaches to a subject, and express yourself effectively both orally and in writing.
You’ll have access to bespoke careers support every step of your degree, including personal academic support from the French and Politics departments. You’ll benefit from regular careers events for language students, including a workshop for students returning from their year abroad, and a Make Languages Work For You speedmeet with alumni.
Our careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
Liberal Arts - BA (Hons)
Liberal Arts with Integrated Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
Liberal Arts with Year in Industry - BA (Hons)
Liberal Arts with Year in Industry and Integrated Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
Liberal Arts with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)
Liberal Arts with Year Abroad and Integrated Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
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The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film explores global culture and communication through a vibrant interdisciplinary environment with five distinct but interconnected areas of academic excellence. Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise – from practical film-making and contemporary literature to experimental neurolinguistics and 11 different modern languages – so that students can become truly global citizens.
Our School’s five Departments are united by the common threads of communication and culture, opening the doors to new worlds of opportunity. Both a single and richly varied entity, our School’s work enables creative thinking that goes beyond national, linguistic and cultural boundaries. We combine research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility, true to the Queen Mary spirit, achieving the previously unthinkable through our School’s unique mix of bright minds.
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