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Liberal Arts

  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 28 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Durham City
More about Durham University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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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.

Rankings
3rd in the UK Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
5th in the Guardian University Guide 2026
5th in the UK Complete University Guide 2026
Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2026

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 subject and module choices determine how your work is assessed, this may include essays, examinations and presentations. Assessment is designed to evaluate your knowledge and understanding, test your critical thinking and allow you to relate your learning to real-world issues.

In your final year, you will also complete a research project or dissertation that makes up one-third of your final-year marks. You will be expected to think independently and take greater control of your direction of study.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Durham City

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 28 September 2026

Apply by
14 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

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

This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you're eligible to apply.
  • EU
  • Wales
  • England
  • International
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Republic of Ireland

Apply by
14 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

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Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

A level
A*AA

Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
D*DD

Other BTEC level 3 qualifications are also accepted in combination with each other or with other qualifications. See our website for more information on our BTEC qualification equivalencies.
Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

Access to HE Diploma
D: 30 credits M: 15 credits

Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

Scottish Higher
AAAAA

We normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. If you’ve not been able to take three Advanced Highers, then we’ll consider a combination of Advanced Highers and Highers, or just Highers (if your school doesn’t offer Advanced Highers at all).
Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

Scottish Advanced Higher
AAA

Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
37 points

666 at higher level. Additional specific subjects requirements depending on subject choices.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Not accepted

Extended Project
Not accepted

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H1, H1, H2, H2, H2

Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
D*DD

Other level 3 Cambridge Technical qualifications are also accepted in combination with each other or with other qualifications. See our website for more information on our Cambridge technical qualification equivalencies.
Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

T Level

T levels will be considered on a case-by-case basis where the subject area aligns with the course applied to. Please note that additional A levels or equivalent may be required to study certain courses.

If you’re interested in applying, then please Ask Us and we’ll see if we’re able to consider this for you:

www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/

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.

If you’re taking other qualifications not listed above, please check our qualification pages to see if we accept these: www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/

If you have a non-standard academic profile, then ask us about it here:

www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

English language requirements

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 requirementshttps://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.

Contextual Offer:
A level Grades AAB or equivalent.
Specific subjects/grades required for entry: Please see our website for requirements around specific subjects.

Learn more on the Durham University website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course 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

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

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

Home Students.
The tuition fees for 2027/28 will increase to £10,050. Please note that these figures remain subject to parliamentary approval.
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.
Durham University will charge home rate tuition fees up to the maximum allowed by the UK Government. Should the UK Government choose to increase the maximum tuition fee allowed in the second and subsequent years of your course, Durham University will raise tuition fees in line with UK Government policy and approvals.

International and EU Students.
The tuition fees shown for international 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.

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 International tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

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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