BASc Arts and Sciences

Start date
September
Duration
4 years
UCAS code
Y000
Course Type
Undergraduate, Major-minor combined, Single Honours, Study abroad year
Fees
Annual tuition fees for 2025/26:
£TBC (UK)
£TBC (International)

Embrace curiosity, innovation, and variety with a BASc Arts and Sciences degree at the University of Birmingham. You’ll transform your diverse interests and passions into real-world expertise and knowledge as you make the most of Birmingham’s cutting-edge offering of arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences disciplines.

Your curiosity knows no bounds, so why let your degree be restricted by traditional academic boundaries? With a BASc in Arts and Sciences, you’ll mix and match subjects like never before, curating a completely individual path through your degree. With a focus on exploration and interpretation, this programme encourages you to unlock endless possibilities for your future through a diverse module offering and exciting year abroad destinations.

The BASc Arts and Sciences degree places world-leading academic knowledge at your fingertips. The majority of your teaching will take place on optional modules from across Birmingham's celebrated departments and disciplines, with the option to accrue subject-specific specialisation in the form of a major. Our core modules will provide you a space to explore the connections between disciplinary norms and traditions. At Birmingham, disciplines like Anthropology, Creative Writing, and Chemistry collaborate and intertwine to spark ideas that can change the world around you.  

Our core modules encapsulate the full breadth of ideas across disciplines, with assessments that embolden you to challenge, reflect, innovate, and create. Degree flexibility is enhanced by a dedicated 100-120 credits per year for optional modules, hand-picked by you to explore your interests across the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences. With a broad range of unique development opportunities, the BASc in Arts and Sciences will prepare you to confidently stand out in a dynamic employment market while honing your passions into career prospects.  

Interested in studying the arts and humanities alongside only social sciences, business and law? Check out our BA Liberal Arts. 

I knew I couldn't restrict myself to studying a single subject because my interests lie within and across multiple disciplines. This course gave me the freedom and responsibility to carve my own path based on what I like and it also gives me the room to try new subjects.

Tanshpreet

Why study this course?

BASc Arts and Sciences is right for you if you want to...

  • Become a modern-day polymath - Follow the footsteps of renowned Renaissance men and women such as Leonardo da Vinci, Sequoyah and Florence Nightingale as you create your unique blend of arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences in a BASc Arts and Sciences degree. With the benefit of an additional year in your degree, you’ll experience the wide variety of academic disciplines, specialisms, and research centres at the university.
  • Prepare for an uncharted future - Our programme will provide you with opportunities across industry and community to develop as a resilient, adaptable, and creative thinker, ready to innovate and thrive in any professional setting.
  • Broaden your potential - Take advantage of a third year like no other. Embark on a year abroad living and studying at one of a choice of over 250 institutions or take on a placement in our year in civic leadership developing your professional skills in the workplace.
  • Join a vibrant community where collaboration flourishes - Our dedicated interdisciplinary spaces foster a unique connection among leading scholars, likeminded students, and dedicated support staff, nurturing a thriving academic ecosystem. 
  • Reinvent your skillset - Explore our exceptional facilities, including the Collaborative Teaching Laboratory and the renowned Cadbury Research Library, housing rare books, manuscripts, and more. Improve your academic writing, practise qualitative and quantitative methodologies, connect with alumni networks, and prioritise your well-being with our diverse range of student focused activities.   

  • Gain interdisciplinary expertise - You won’t just practise interdisciplinarity, you’ll become a scholar of it. Through innovative modules and intensive study, you’ll learn to differentiate, debate and understand multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary studies.  

Modules

Please note: You will take 120 credits of modules in each year of study. The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2025. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate. Module choices are subject to timetabling and prerequisites.

Year One

Compulsory

  • From Research to Policy

Optional

  • 100 credits for optional modules of your choosing across the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences

Year Two

Compulsory

  • Interdisciplinarity: Study and Practice

Optional

  • 100 credits for optional modules of your choosing across the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences

Year Three

For BASc Arts and Sciences students, the degree's unique Third Year is the perfect opportunity to put interdisciplinary skills into practice. With over 250 international institutions for the Year Abroad, you won't be short of choice to take your learning overseas. Closer to home, you can carry out a project-based placement with a community organisation for the Year in Civic Leadership. Or, embark on the Year in Computer Science, which allows students from non-computing disciplines to gain in-depth knowledge of computing and enhance their work-based skills through the study of computer science.

Optional

  • 120 credits for optional modules of your choosing across the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences

Final Year

Compulsory

  • You will undertake an independent research project in your Major if you have selected one; and/or an interdisciplinary project in Arts and Sciences; and/or two 20 credit dissertations; and/or on of our entrepreneurial modules. This will total 40 credits.

Optional 

  • The remainder of your credits are dedicated to optional modules of your choosing across the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences
  • 100 credits for optional modules of your choosing across the arts, humanities and natural and social sciences

Fees

Please Note: Fees for September 2025 are yet to be confirmed.

For UK students beginning their studies in September 2024, the University of Birmingham will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. The fees for your first year of study will therefore be £9,250. Visit our tuition fees page for more information.

Fees for 2024/25 are as follows:

  • UK: £9,250
  • International: £22,860

Eligibility for fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students.

For further information on tuition fees, living costs and available financial support, please see our pages on undergraduate fees and funding.

Tuition fees when studying abroad

For those spending a whole academic year abroad (where available):

  • Students who are classed as UK for fees purposes are required to pay 15% of their normal annual tuition fee
  • Students who are classed as International for fee purposes are required to pay 50% of their normal annual tuition fee

For those studying abroad for just one semester (where available), normal annual tuition fees apply.

Note - Study abroad opportunities vary between courses; please see the course description for details of study abroad options offered.

How To Apply

Standard offer

International Requirements



Number of A levels required:
3
Typical offer:
AAB
Required subjects and grades:
You do not need specific A-level subjects or IB higher level subjects to be accepted onto the course itself, but you you may need specific qualifications to study certain subjects.

IB Diploma: 6, 6, 5 in Higher level subjects plus 32 points overall. Standard English language requirements apply.

BTEC qualifications: BTEC Extended Diploma - DDD; BTEC Diploma - DD, plus a B at A level; BTEC Subsidiary Diploma - D, plus AB at A level

Other qualifications are considered - learn more about entry requirements.

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

We welcome applications from international students and invite you to join our vibrant community of over 4500 international students who represent 150 different countries. We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

 

Support

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to higher education when you start at Birmingham. 

Personal tutors – You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.

Wellbeing Officers –You will also have access to dedicated wellbeing officers who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or to talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond if you need it.

Our Academic Skills Centre helps you to become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) provides guidance on writing essays and dissertations if you need it. You can receive individual support from an academic writing advisor and meet with postgraduate tutors who specialise in particular subjects too.

Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They offer research opportunities, study skills support, and help you prepare for your post-university career. They also organise social events, including trips.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

Contact Hours

  • Year 1: 20% Lectures, seminars or similar and 80% Independent study
  • Year 2: 20% Lectures, seminars or similar and 80% Independent study 
  • Final Year: 15% Lectures, seminars or similar and 85% Independent study 

Please note: contact hours vary dependent on the individual student and may be higher or lower in some cases.

Assessment Methods

Assessments - you will be assessed in a variety of ways to help you transition to a new style of learning. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. Assessments methods will vary with each module and could include:

  • Coursework, such as essays
  • Group and individual presentations
  • Formal exams

Feedback - You will receive feedback on each assessment, so you can learn and improve from each assignment. You may also be given feedback on exams that you take. 

Blend knowledge and action to create your own unique response to the world around you. BASc Arts and Sciences allows you to curate your own experiences and hand pick opportunities to respond to the future you wish to build. 

Throughout the programme, our students develop skills in academic resilience, initiative, and intellectual independence. As a BASc Arts and Science student you will develop the ability to research and analyse complex information, work independently and as part of a team, and create compelling solutions to challenging problems. The programme will equip you with the knowledge and skills to develop and sustain a meaningful career in a range of industries. An Arts and Sciences degree isn’t about specific content. It’s a way of learning, connecting and adapting. 

Supported by the University's Careers Network team, you will be encouraged to acquire and develop your skills for the jobs of tomorrow. Throughout the course of your degree, you will develop a range of abilities from communication to research, analysis to leadership which will equip you to succeed.

Developing your career

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report. Our Careers Network are here to offer you tailored, expert advice on your career plans and support you with finding and applying for jobs, internships and further study. There are hundreds of events to help you meet potential employers and learn more about the breadth of opportunities and career sectors available to you.

Support will be offered to you covering the whole job application process, including CVs, LinkedIn, application forms, interviews and assessment centres.  You can also email our experienced Careers Advisors and College Teams to review your applications or answer any careers related question, alongside our on campus and online 1:1 appointments.

We have a number of exclusive Internship Programmes such as our Cultural Internship, which will give you paid, professional experience to set you apart in the graduate market. We also offer work experience bursaries, which allow you to apply for funding to support you during any unpaid internships. 

First years can take part in The Birmingham Project, with themes including celebrating arts and culture and shaping a global society. There’s also a successful Mentoring Programme, where you can gain access to experienced Mentors who can empower, inspire and inform you about their experiences.  As a University of Birmingham student you will also be given access to LinkedIn Learning giving free access to real world training courses to kick-start your careers.

If you want to earn money WorkLink advertises convenient part-time job opportunities on campus to fit round your studies.  

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you may want to engage in extra-curricular activities to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. Our employer-endorsed, award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme.

There are more than 500 student groups and volunteering opportunities offered by the Guild of Students (our Students’ Union) so you’re bound to find activities that you want to be involved in whilst meeting friends who share your interests.