Durham University
The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE
Visit our website Visit our course page
Course contact details
Recruitment and Admissions Office
Phone:0191 334 1000
Course summary
Course details
If you’re creative and curious with an interest in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the BA in Liberal Arts could be what you’re looking for. A highly regarded degree subject with a long-standing tradition, Liberal Arts gives you the freedom to craft a programme of study that is tailored around your interests and career aspirations. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four.
A highly regarded degree subject with a long-standing tradition, Liberal Arts gives you the freedom to craft a programme of study that is tailored around your interests and career aspirations.
You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four.
Why Durham University?
Liberal Arts gives you the opportunity to design your own degree. You can study, two, three or even four subjects, in and beyond the arts and humanities.
A multidisciplinary qualification that sits outside of traditional boundaries, the course offers exceptional flexibility and the opportunity to learn in some of the UK’s most prestigious Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences departments.
Subject options
This course offers the following subject options:
- Anthropology
- Arabic (Beginners)
- Archaeology
- Business
- Chinese Studies
- Classics and Ancient History
- Economics
- Education
- English Literature
- French (post-A level)
- Geography
- German (Beginners)
- German (post-A level only)
- History
- History of Art
- Italian (Beginners)
- Italian (post-A level)
- Music
- Philosophy
- Politics and International Relations
- Russian (Beginners)
- Russian (post-A level)
- Sociology
- Spanish (Beginners)
- Spanish (post-A level)
- Theology and Religious Studies
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment method
Your choice of subjects and modules will determine the ways in which your work is assessed, and are likely to include essays, examinations and seminar presentations. Assessment is designed to evaluate your knowledge and understanding of the modules, test your critical thinking and determine your ability to relate your learning to real-world issues.
In your final year, you will also complete a research project or dissertation – supported by one-on-one supervision – that makes up one-third of your final-year marks. At this stage of the course the content is heavily self-driven. You will be expected to think independently and take greater control of the direction of study.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Ways to study this course
Campuses
- Durham City
Study options
- BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years
Start dates
- 29/09/2025
Apply by
29 January
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Application codes
- Course code:
- LA01
- Institution code:
- D86
- Campus name:
- Durham City
- Campus Code:
- O
- Points of Entry:
- Year 1
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Durham University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
How to apply
Apply by
29 January
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- LA01
- Institution code:
- D86
- Campus name:
- Durham City
- Campus Code:
- O
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
Durham has a long and proud history of welcoming students from countries across the globe. For further details please visit: https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/
International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year. For further details please visit: https://www.durhamisc.com/programmes/international-foundation-year
Entry requirements
UCAS Tariff
Not acceptedA level
A*AAPlease see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
D*DDTo include subject specific A-levels (or equivalent) where required. Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
Access to HE Diploma
D: 30 credits M: 15 creditsWe require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham.
Scottish Higher
AAAAADepartments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis.
Scottish Advanced Higher
AAAPlease see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
38 pointsTo include Higher Level subjects at 6, 6, 6. Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Not acceptedExtended Project
Not acceptedLeaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H1, H2, H2, H2, H2Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D2, D3, D3Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
D*DDTo include subject specific A-levels (or equivalent) where required. Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.
T Level
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses.
Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements.
Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database.
Our contextual offer for this programme is A level AAB (or equivalent); subject specific requirements must still be met. To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | with no component under 6.0 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 92 | with no component under 23 |
Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by visiting the link below under English Language requirements.
You should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course.
For more information on pre-sessional courses please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/pre-sessional-english-language-required/
English Language requirements https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Contextual admissions
Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.
Whilst many of our applicants exceed our entry requirements, we don’t make offers based only on who has the highest grades. We’ll look at your background, context and personal statement as well as your academic grades when we consider your application. We also make reduced grade contextual offers to many applicants and are sometimes able to accept applicants who narrowly miss their offer conditions.
Historical entry grades data BETA
This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Not enough data available
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| EU | £27500 | Year 1 |
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
| International | £27500 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees are subject to an annual inflationary increase. In deciding the annual level of increase the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of 6% or the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
There may also be additional course costs for things like books (if you want to purchase them), field trips etc.
Sponsorship information
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
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