Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
We have carefully built our new Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate programme around our pioneering expertise in personal and professional development to form a degree that is quite unlike any other in the country. This is a wonderful opportunity for first-class students with wide cultural, academic and professional interests to turn curiosity and creativity into the ability to analyse and contextualise, to communicate and lead.
This prestigious new degree demonstrates our commitment to a liberal education that gives you both academic and professional experiences. This will develop your ability to look at important issues in their proper context and – on the basis of evidence, insight and reason – make informed links between different academic disciplines and modes of thought.
You choose one strand of specialism in the arts, the human sciences or the physical and biological sciences to follow throughout your degree, complemented by compulsory modules that bring you and your fellow Liberal Arts and Sciences students together to discuss learning, professionalism, ethics, knowledge creation and communication.
We will help you to master useful research methods right from your very first term with us. You will employ these methods in a number of research projects that bring you into close contact with senior academics from across the University and widen your global understanding of important issues and topics.
Working in different disciplines and with different professional groups from inside and outside the University will help you to see how the academic and non-academic worlds operate and overlap, a vital insight that will be strengthened during your Professional Training placement year. You may also select from a range of optional subjects alongside your compulsory modules, and choose to learn a language through our Global Graduate Award programme.
This degree programme will enhance your capacity for initiative and original thought in a way that enriches your life, transforms your outlook and equips you with outstanding intellectual advantages. You will acquire a superbly rounded set of abilities, experiences and knowledge that will prove invaluable for impressing future employers, succeeding with your own business or building an academic career.
Though some professions require subject-specific qualifications, there are countless desirable career opportunities for the select band of graduates who can combine expert knowledge with wider contextual awareness, who are able to select and apply the most suitable methods for analysing different types of problems, who are comfortable communicating with a wide range of audiences, and who have experience of working in a rigorously professional manner.
That’s why we have based this unique new BA/BSc Liberal Arts and Sciences programme around real research projects, stimulating interdisciplinary learning and our prestigious Professional Training placement year.
You choose one of eight programme pathways that develop expert knowledge in your preferred subject theme (covering arts, social sciences, bio-medicine, engineering, physical sciences, business and management, and economics and law), complemented by compulsory modules bringing you together with your peers to examine the whole range of our academic thinking.
A series of mini research projects completed under the guidance of tutors and senior academics from throughout the University (and a larger research project carried out while on placement) will help you to develop the invaluable habit of reflecting creatively on problem-solving from different critical perspectives.
This pioneering approach reconciles the undoubted value of wide-ranging intellectual enquiry with the proven benefits of solid research methodology and Surrey's pioneering approach to flexible professional attributes.
Semester 1 - Compulsory module 1:
Compulsory module 2:
2 Pathway modules (Faculty-based)
Semester 2 - Compulsory module 3:
1st Faculty attachment and ethnographic research project
2 Pathway modules (Faculty-based)
Semester 1 - Compulsory module 4:
2nd Faculty attachment and ethnographic research project
2 Pathway modules (Faculty-based)
Semester 2 - Compulsory Module 5:
3rd Faculty attachment and ethnographic research project
2 Pathway modules (Faculty-based)
Semester 1 - Compulsory module 6:
Compulsory module 7:
2 Pathway modules (Faculty-based)
Semester 2
Final report on linking what has been learnt on the programme and future personal/professional plans/ aspirations (10,000 words) + viva presentation
2 Pathway modules (Faculty-based)
Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)
What do we know? How do we know?
The ability to generate, analyse and manipulate knowledge is a key differentiating attribute for our graduates, so we start you off with an examination of knowledge itself. Is there a distinction between information and knowledge? How is knowledge created, learned and disseminated? Do ideas about the nature of knowledge differ across cultures, disciplines and eras? Questions such as these will help you to look at a variety of theories in order to examine the very idea of knowledge.
How do we research the world?
You will graduate with extensive experience of formulating, executing and analysing research projects, so a solid grounding in research theory and methods is absolutely vital. This module gives you the tools for researching any number of social and professional issues, relying on methods from across the quantitative-qualitative range. You will start to see links between research theory and practice that will prove immensely valuable in preparation for your external research projects and the Professional Training placement year.
How do people solve problems across disciplines?
The wide contextual knowledge base you will acquire through this degree is built on mastery of interdisciplinary study, requiring fresh thinking about how knowledge and practice may prosper at the intersection of traditional disciplinary boundaries. You will explore the meaning and scope of interdisciplinary work, examining the possibilities that exist when different forms of knowledge and creativity are brought together. You will discuss examples of this with your tutors and fellow students, linking concepts of creativity with those of interdisciplinarity to illustrate how problem-solving and policy-making can be improved.
Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)
What is a profession? How does one research professional practice?
Just as your broad knowledge and research expertise will help you stand out from graduates of more specialised degrees, so the unique Surrey approach to your professional attributes and experience will differentiate you from students on other liberal arts degrees. This module will explore professionalism, professional behaviour, communication and ethics, looking at professional practice as an influencing factor in decision-making and thus locating it in the context of power forces at local and global level. Working with alumni, Surrey scholars and experts from outside the University, you will learn how to research professional environments so that you can hit the ground running when you begin your research project during your Professional Training placement year.
Throughout your projects, attachments and assessments, you and your fellow Liberal Arts and Sciences students will gather together as a group to discuss theories, projects and experiences, to gauge individual and group progress, and to engage in creative free thinking. With supervision and assistance from tutors, you will also receive strong individual support throughout your time with us and while on placement.
Uniquely, we have embedded our special approach to personal and professional development right at the heart of our Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. That is why a Professional Training placement is compulsory in your third year, giving you eye-catching and enjoyable experience of working with a distinguished partner organisation in the UK or overseas.
Your Professional Training placement year is an opportunity for you to research the way a specific professional community operates (for example, a police force or a hospital), giving you the chance to put into practice the knowledge and skills you acquired during the first two years of your programme.
To prepare you thoroughly for this wonderful opportunity, we'll make sure you benefit from our expertise in professional development, presentation and networking right from the moment you arrive. For example, we'll provide specific help with creating effective public profiles on websites such as LinkedIn and with navigating the professional complexities of social media. You will also complete a preparatory professional internship during your second year.
You will return to your studies with invaluable insights and experience of using research methods that will really help you succeed in your final-year modules, report and viva presentation. Your enhanced ability to put learning into practice will stand you in good stead throughout your future professional, business or academic career.
Teaching on this programme is highly interactive and includes a large amount of focused work in groups and as an individual.
You are placed at the centre of the learning process, allowing you to engage with current knowledge and use it in analytical and problem-solving activities, particularly in seminars and small group work. The academics leading this programme will help you to grasp the meanings and practice of different disciplines, but also to discover how the insights you gain can be applied to current issues as they emerge, both in the classroom and the professional world. You will master methods and techniques for case studies, projects, report and diary writing, professional presentations and focused research. Teaching will also be enriched by the latest learning technology, especially through our interactive virtual learning platform, SurreyLearn.
Assessment is a core factor in your learning progress, encouraging you to demonstrate your ability to engage with the knowledge and skills required to succeed during your degree programme and in the professional world.
Given both the scholarly and professional nature of our Liberal Arts and Sciences programme, assessment includes not only the traditional use of essays and exams but also formats that you will come across during your career, such as project and report writing, observations of different scholarly and professional environments, reflective professional diaries, and individual and group presentations.
The University campus provides superb teaching facilities, including spacious classrooms, science and technology labs, the Library and Learning Centre (which contains the most modern technology-rich learning spaces) and a host of services and venues for the arts, including those offered by the world- renowned GSA (Guildford School of Acting).
Our Liberal Arts and Sciences degree is specifically geared to provide a platform of skills, attributes and experiences that will allow you to move into a variety of professional environments, especially those where the ability to analyse problems and offer solutions from a number of disciplinary viewpoints is required.
On graduation, you will be ready for a career in business, journalism, the creative industries, government, charities, international organisations, health sciences organisations, cultural exchange and more. More importantly, you will be equipped with the skills and capabilities to engage with and change professional environments throughout your life. Our degree prepares you to face ever-changing work environments, thus giving you an edge over graduates with a less ample suite of attributes.
Our Liberal Arts and Sciences degree programme will prepare you for a rewarding career in fields such as business, journalism, the creative industries, politics, the public and third sectors, academia, international organisations, health sciences and more.
Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like. In the meantime, order a personal prospectus – tailored to only include the subjects that interest you.
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade A or above (or equivalent).
For those specialising in the Sciences, at least one A grade in Mathematics at A-level or equivalent, plus one A grade at A-level or equivalent in a relevant subject for the chosen area of specialisation either in Engineering and Physical Sciences and/or Health and Medical Sciences; for those specialising in Arts and Human Sciences, two A grades at A-level or equivalent in relevant subjects for the chosen area of specialisation either in the Arts/Humanities/Social Sciences or in Management/ Business/Economics/Law).
Offers are made both in terms of appropriate grades in relevant disciplines (depending on what the candidate chooses to specialise in) and on the basis of an interview to ascertain the best programme choices for each individual student.
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 7.0 or above, with a minimum of 6.5 in each sub-skill (or equivalent).
We offer intensive English language pre-sessional courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
| Award | Course Length | Professional Training | UCAS code | KIS code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA (Hons) | 4 years | WB21 | View KIS data set | |
| BSc (Hons) | 4 years | WB22 | View KIS data set |
* Subject to validation
We offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.
See course information for students applying to start in September 2013.
Phone: +44 (0)1483 681 681
