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HomeStudy at YorkUndergraduateCourses 2026/27Liberal Arts (BA)

BA (Hons) Liberal Arts

Curate your own path of study and make the most of different subject areas across the arts and humanities.

Year of entry: 2026/27
Show year of entry: 2025/26

  1. Overview
  2. Course content
  3. Fees and funding
  4. Teaching and assessment
  5. Careers
  6. Entry requirements
UCAS code
Y000
Institution code
Y50
Start date
September 2025
View semester dates
Length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
AAA
Full entry requirements
School/department
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
UK (home) fees
£9,535
International and EU fees
£26,900

Apply for this course

Undergraduate Open Days

Book your place for our Open Days on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September 2025.

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Become a more versatile thinker and engaged global citizen. Make the most of what our entire university has to offer.

Why study liberal arts at York?

Create a unique pathway of study, exploring areas that interest you. You’ll have access to modules across the arts and humanities and electives in the sciences and social sciences. A core strand of liberal arts modules and language or interdisciplinary options will help you connect different subjects.

York has a rich history of interdisciplinary learning. Our research centres are internationally recognised for breaking down academic boundaries. The city itself is also an important cultural hub, full of museums, galleries, and events to inspire your learning.

75th in the world
for arts and humanities, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025.
Spend a year abroad
studying at a partner institution, immersing yourself in the language and culture of that country.
54th in the world
for arts and humanities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2025.

Course content

This degree is flexible throughout, with opportunities to study modules from across our Faculty of Arts and Humanities and across the university.

In your first and second year, you'll study core liberal arts modules and choose options from a range of subject areas. In your final year, you'll take further options alongside an interdisciplinary dissertation project. You'll also choose one module each year from either a modern language, English language or interdisciplinary area. 

The broad range of options will equip you with a diverse set of critical and creative skills. Our course will inspire you to make connections across subject areas, preparing you for a wide range of careers and pursuits beyond your degree.

Year 1

In your first year, you'll study two core modules and one module from either the modern languages or English language. You'll then choose three option modules from three different subject areas.

The following is only a small sample of the module options for this year. (Note: Some module combinations may not be possible. Available options will be confirmed when you begin your course.)

Core modules

Option modules

Archaeology
English and Related Literature
History
History of Art
Language and Linguistic Science
Music
Philosophy
Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
English language
Modern language options

Modern language options run at a range of levels, from elementary to intermediate.

Academic integrity module

In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.

This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.

This module will:

  • define academic integrity and academic misconduct
  • explain why and when you should reference source material and other people's work
  • provide interactive exercises to help you to assess whether you've understood the concepts
  • provide answers to FAQs and links to useful resources.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Study abroad

You can choose to spend a year studying abroad as part of your degree.

You'll join one of our prestigious partner institutions in either Europe, Asia or the USA.

Placements

There are opportunities to spend time in industry as part of this course.

Learning outcomes

Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Learning outcomes for this course
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key aspects of interdisciplinary study in the arts and humanities, as part of a diverse and well-rounded liberal arts education (interdisciplinary thinker)
  • Select and apply appropriate cross-disciplinary methods to a range of issues in order to gain a multifaceted understanding of complex problems (adaptable researcher)
  • Apply creative and critical thinking to solve problems arising from diverse perspectives and complex issues, drawing on knowledge from different disciplines and cultures (innovative problem solver)
  • Effectively communicate complex and well-supported ideas regarding questions and debates in different disciplines to different audiences, using a variety of written forms and media (effective communicator)
  • Collaborate with others from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to design and manage individual and collaborative projects, demonstrating leadership and negotiation skills (collaborative team worker)
  • Demonstrate expertise in specific areas of humanities scholarship, languages, and cultures by recording, reflecting upon and evaluating personal and academic practices to identify appropriate resources for ongoing learning, growth, and development (reflective practitioner)
  • Engage confidently with diverse cultural, social, and ethical contexts with an awareness and sensitivity to the relativity of norms and values across different cultures, identities, and languages (culturally competent agent)
Something I particularly love is the Borthwick Institute for Archives, which houses lots of amazing artefacts and artworks. I loved looking through the old photos of the University in particular and encountering a letter from Barbara Hepworth herself!
Lucia, BA English/History of Art. Read Lucia's blog post.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

UK (home) International and EU
£9,535 £26,900

UK (home) or international fees?

The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Fees for subsequent years

  • UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.
  • International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

More information

For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.

Additional costs

The fees here are the University's standard undergraduate fees for September 2024 entry. Our fees for September 2025 will be published in the Summer.

Funding

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

York, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial

Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.

* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Award

Teaching and assessment

You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Teaching format

You'll be taught in varying methods depending on the areas within the arts and humanities that you choose to pursue. This includes lectures, small-group seminars and practical locations that are relevant to the chosen subject area.

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Facilities

The base for Liberal Arts is the Grade II listed Heslington Hall. It's a vibrant interdisciplinary hub for arts and humanities at the heart of our campus. You'll have access to a common room and study spaces.

Teaching location

Depending on the modules you choose to study, you may be based both on Campus West and Campus East.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

You'll be assessed by various methods, including essays, portfolios, and team presentations. You'll also submit study plans and dissertation proposals as part of your assessments, which will help you to plan your path of study in later years. 

The option modules you choose from different departments will include a diverse range of assessment methods. This includes both critical essays and more practice-based, or creative formats.

Students filming in Beningbrough Hall
A student and teacher discussing a historical manuscript
I chose York because the University and the departments are highly respected. The staff are great at challenging you to push yourself and become a more nuanced thinker. The city is full of history with lots to do. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you how nice the city of York is.
Daniel, BA Philosophy. Read Daniel's blog post.

Careers and skills

A degree in liberal arts opens doors to a wide range of careers, including:

Career opportunities

  • human resources
  • marketing
  • teaching
  • communication
  • non-profit
  • government
  • creative industries

Transferable skills

  • communication
  • critical thinking
  • writing
  • time-management
  • interdisciplinary experience
  • practical skills

Entry requirements

Qualification Typical offer
A levels

AAA
Access to Higher Education Diploma 39 credits achieved from units awarded Distinction and 6 awarded Merit or higher.
BTEC National Extended Diploma D*DD
European Baccalaureate 85% overall
International Baccalaureate 36 Points
T levels We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels.
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers Scottish Highers - AAABB

Advanced Highers - not required for entry

We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

Alternative offers

Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.

Criteria Adjustment
Widening participation If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation.
Contextual offer ABB
EPQ We recognise the value of this qualification although it will not be included as a condition of entry. It may be taken into consideration when you receive your results.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Qualification Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic) 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
IB English A score of 4 in English A or 5 in English B (Higher Level or Standard Level)
Cambridge CEFR 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component
Oxford Test of English Advanced 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component
Duolingo Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component
GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) Grade C / Grade 4
LanguageCert SELT B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component
TOEFL 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III Merit in all components
Other English language qualifications We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates.

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

To apply to York, you'll need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

Next steps

Contact us

Get in touch if you have any questions

Liberal Arts Admissions

liberal-arts-enquiries@york.ac.uk

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