Liberal Arts BA

University of Nottingham

United Kingdom, Nottingham

University RankQS Ranking

109

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Home/United Kingdom/Nottingham /University of Nottingham/Liberal Arts BA

University of Nottingham

United Kingdom , Nottingham

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

Y002

Campuses

Nottingham

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 24,700 / year(s)

Next Intake September-2026

Liberal Arts BA

About

What you'll study

Your degree spans a wide range of disciplines, allowing you to mix and match subjects across:

English - language and literature
Business - entrepreneurship and management
Culture - film, television, media, communications, art history, music
Humanities - history, philosophy, classics, archaeology, theology
Languages and Area Studies - Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Politics - international relations and theory
Science - mathematics and psychology
Social Sciences - education, geography, sociology, social policy, criminology

Opportunities beyond the classroom

You'll have opportunities to:

study abroad for a semester at our partner institutions or at our campuses in China and Malaysia
spend a year abroad if studying Modern Languages
take a placement year, gaining real-world work experience
enhance your CV through the Nottingham Advantage Award
apply for exclusive internships.

Studying Liberal Arts at Nottingham means becoming part of a vibrant and supportive community. You’ll also be part of the Liberal Arts Society, working on collaborative projects, fieldwork, and extracurricular activities while engaging with subject-specific societies.

Why choose this course?

Interdisciplinary approach - dedicated Liberal Arts modules connect your interests through the key issues facing society today
A wide selection of subjects and modules - in fact one of the widest selections of any Liberal Arts programme, for tailoring to your personal preferences
Freedom to explore - as you move through your course, deepen your knowledge of your favourite topics and explore new ones
Personalised support - work closely with your dedicated Liberal Arts tutors to choose the best options to achieve your goals
Boost your media skills with the Students' Union award-winning broadcast and print groups -NSTV, URN, and Impact Magazine
Go to Hollywood - opportunity to apply for our prestigious competitive Hollywood Internships programme

Engaged Arts

All students within the Faculty of Arts can select ‘Engaged Arts’ modules where you’ll approach real world challenges across contemporary themes such as sustainability or equity and justice. These modules have been newly designed to help you gain the skills and analytical abilities that employers are looking for.

Placements, internships and volunteering

Our dedicated Faculty of Arts Placements Team assists with your employability skills development throughout your time at Nottingham. You can choose from a wide range of placements, internships and volunteering opportunities. Gain real-world experience with optional Faculty of Arts work placement module and additional CV-boosting skills by getting involved by participating in student union and other extracurricular activities. Paid and volunteer roles are posted throughout the year.

Some key statistics

5th in the UK for Liberal Arts (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
96% positive graduate outcomes within 15 months (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22)
1st Top UK university for graduate careers (HESA Graduate Outcomes, classification of full-time, UK first-degree graduates entering work in the UK from 2018/19 to 21/22, published 2024)
Top 3 most targeted UK university by leading employers (The Graduate Market, High Fliers Research, 2024)
7th best university in the UK for work experience (Rate My Placement Best Universities for Work Experience, 2025)

Explore more

A day in the life of a Liberal Arts student
What our Liberal Arts students say
A day in the life of a Hollywood Intern
See what else is happening in the Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies

Arts and Humanities Foundation Year

You may also progress to this course from our Arts and Humanities Foundation Year, subject to eligibility.

Important Information

This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

IB score: 34 Points overall or 666 in 3 Higher Level Certificates IB requirements:

In order to select English modules, 6 at Higher Level for English is required
In order to select maths modules, 6 at Higher Level for maths is required
In order to select music modules, 6 at Higher Level for music is required

IELTS:

6.5 overall (with no less than 6.0 in any element).

As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.

For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

High school qualifications:

Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country.

A level: AAA Required subjects:

A level

No specific subjects required, with the following exceptions:

In order to select English modules, ‘A or ‘A* in A-Level English, or equivalent, is required.
In order to select Maths modules, ‘A or ‘A* in A-Level Maths, or equivalent, is required.
In order to select Music modules, ‘A or ‘A* in A-Level Music or Music Technology, or equivalent, is required.

GCSE

English grade 4 (C)

Additional entry requirements:

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2026 entry.

Please note: Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.

Non-UK entry requirements:

As Liberal Arts is such a diverse degree we are always happy to discuss alternative qualifications beyond traditional A levels. We have a high proportion of students with an International Baccalaureate background. Contact us if you want to discuss your qualifications.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.

Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A-levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:

Access to HE Diploma
Advanced Diploma
BTEC HND/HNC
BTEC Extended Diploma

This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification. Please see the alternative qualifications page for more information.

RQF BTEC Nationals

RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma grades D*DD
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma grades D*D plus A Level grade A
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate grade D plus A Level grades AA

Access to HE Diploma

Access to HE Diploma 36 Level 3 credits at Distinction and 9 Level 3 credits at Merit.

Visa restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Mature students

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

Career

Liberal Arts isn't training for a particular profession. It equips you with skills in demand for all careers. This means you'll be able to respond to change and be resilient as the nature of work shifts.

Your skill set will include the ability to:

analyse diverse sets of data
construct detailed and coherent arguments
create, build and design solutions to complex problems
engage audiences as you communicate your work
undertake independent and innovative research
use a range of methodologies and perspectives
work independently and collaboratively

Find out more about your opportunities with liberal arts.

Key fact
Only 14% of employers state that specific degree subjects are a selection criterion. (Institute of Student Employers recruitment survey 2019)