Whilst studying multiple subjects might sound busy, I can confirm that choosing Liberal Arts was one of the best academic decisions I’ve ever made. I have a lot of interests, and I’m very indecisive, which meant I didn’t want to have to choose just one thing to study. I studied English, Spanish and Psychology at A-level and enjoyed them so much – a Liberal Arts degree meant I could study exactly that (or close!), which was ideal because I didn’t have to give anything up.
Liberal Arts courses can look different depending on the university, and I knew I didn’t want a course where it was compulsory to study every art and humanity. I still wanted to get a deep dive into whatever I was learning, and didn’t want to be spread too thin – luckily, that’s where Durham came in!
The great thing about the Durham course
The course here at Durham caters to all potential types of Liberal Arts students: those willing to try anything once and then specialise, students who love every art/ humanity and study as many as possible all the way until graduation, people who only want to dip their toe in another subject, and the students who know exactly what their two, three or four favourite humanities are. The point is, at Durham, you can be as ‘liberal’ with your ‘arts’ as you choose!
My original plan was to study a mixture of just English and Spanish but, when it actually came to choosing my first-year modules, I found a theory module in Sociology that I liked the sound of – so I picked that too! It was entirely random, but I ended up enjoying it so much that I now study an equal split of English, Spanish and Sociology, which goes to show that Liberal Arts really can take you anywhere.
I do the same amount of work and exams as a single honours student – everything is just split across my three departments instead, so there really is no disadvantage to studying a joint honours course like Liberal Arts. Being in so many different spaces means I’m always meeting new people, and I have found some of my closest friends in people I would have never met had I only chosen one of my subjects!
How Liberal Arts has helped me professionally
Because Liberal Arts has so much variation, studying it has made me more flexible, collaborative and open to new ideas – all of which are invaluable traits when it comes to the world of work. I’ve learnt how to think in such a unique and experimental way because, even though my subjects are taught individually, I’ve made some links between them that I didn’t even know were possible!
I’d like to go into either journalism or law after university. And since no specific degree is needed for a job in either, all the skills my three subjects have equipped me with (a second language, public speaking, written communication, interest in my local community, critical thinking, etc.) will come in very handy, regardless which career path I choose.
So, if you’re currently undecided between subjects, or interested in seeing how your many interests can join forces, a Liberal Arts degree has literally everything on offer, and since you’re given free rein at Durham, studying it here could easily be for you!
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