MLibArts Liberal Arts with Study Abroad (2T23)

2024 entry | view 2025 entry

Course summary

Our rich and challenging master's in Liberal Arts allows you to explore the arts and humanities while building crucial skills in analysis and communication, which will be valuable to you throughout your degree and beyond.

The course combines in-depth study of a single discipline (your subject 'pathway') with the exploration of other subjects within the Faculty of Arts. This combination of depth and breadth enables you to develop innovative ways of thinking and provides you with an enviable range of abilities.

Like the BA Liberal Arts degree, this course encourages you to explore a wide range of subjects and issues. The first two years of the MLibArts course include core interdisciplinary units that embed the study of literature, history, philosophy, art, a foreign language and data into the degree. You will be able to take optional units and also begin to develop expertise in your specialist subject pathway, which you can choose from the disciplines on offer in the Faculty of Arts.

A special feature of the MLibArts is the opportunity to spend your third year studying abroad at one of our prestigious partner universities. To find out more about studying abroad, visit Centre for Study Abroad.

If you are interested in the modern languages pathway, we strongly encourage you to enrol on the MLibArts course rather than the BA. Your year abroad will accelerate your language skills and provides an invaluable opportunity to develop your cultural knowledge.

In the fourth year of the MLibArts, you will take master's-level units. You will research and write an interdisciplinary, master's-level dissertation, drawing on the units you studied over the course of your degree. You will also take master's-level units in your subject pathway and optional units chosen from disciplines across the faculty.

Please note that the English, History, and Music pathways are available only to students who hold an A-level or equivalent qualification in that subject. For English, this must be English Literature or English Language & Literature.

In order to follow a language pathway, you must hold an A-level or equivalent qualification in any ancient or modern language.

Course structure

Pathways currently include:

  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • English
  • Film and Television
  • Historical Studies (History and History of Art)
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Religion and Theology
  • Theatre.
Full details about the course structure and units for this course can be viewed in the programme catalogue.

Go to programme catalogue

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

AAA
DDD in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma

Find out more about BTEC entry requirements
36 points overall with 18 at Higher Level
32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level

Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offer
85% overall
Advanced Higher: AA and Standard Higher: AAAAB
Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include: at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit or above.

More about Access to HE entry requirements
Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.
Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Search international qualifications
More about UK qualifications.