BA Liberal Arts (2ZB7)

2027 entry | view 2026 entry

Course summary

Want to stretch your curiosity across the arts and humanities? Join us here at Bristol on our three-year BA Liberal Arts degree.

You'll be able to cultivate deep expertise in a subject of your choice, your pathway, while also having the freedom to explore subjects across the arts, humanities and languages. Combining breadth and depth, you'll make innovative connections between disciplines, and develop the rigorous creative and critical thinking tools you'll need to engage meaningfully with the fast-moving world around you.

In your first two years, at least a third of your learning takes place in your pathway subject. Alongside this, bespoke units provide the intellectual and practical foundations for interdisciplinary inquiry across the arts and humanities. You'll place pressing contemporary global issues in historical context, explore how data shapes the stories we tell, and study a modern or ancient language of your choice. Optional units from across the arts, humanities and languages offer further opportunities to broaden your studies.

In your final year, you'll complete a substantial interdisciplinary research project, alongside further pathway and optional units. Your final capstone unit on The Public Role of the Humanities equips you to make connections between your undergraduate training and the world beyond university.

If you are interested in a modern language pathway, do look into our MLibArts course. This four-year, integrated master's degree includes a year abroad. It's a brilliant chance to boost your language skills and develop your cultural knowledge. If going abroad isn't possible, you can still follow a modern language pathway on the three-year degree.

Course structure

Pathway subjects for our three-year BA Liberal Arts degree currently include:

  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • English
  • Film
  • Historical Studies (History and History of Art)
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Religion and Theology
  • Theatre.

Please note that the Music pathway will only be available to students who meet the requirements listed in the Additional Requirements section.

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
Advanced Higher: AA and Standard Higher: AAAAB
Access to HE Diploma in any acceptable title. 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 Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales or 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.

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More about UK qualifications.