Literature, Languages and Liberal Arts - a Surrey success story

It's always nice to hear you're doing something right, so we were delighted by figures from UCAS revealing that applications for Surrey's English Literature and Language Studies degrees have increased by 61% compared to 2013.

This rise is even more noteworthy in a year when applications for these subjects declined by 5% across the country.

This national fall comes despite the call from employers (both in the UK and abroad) for more graduates with language skills, cultural awareness and professional experience - a call that may help explain our success in attracting applicants.

"This has actually been our approach to language degrees for the last 40 years," said Lucy Bell, Admissions Tutor for Languages. "Rather than focusing on literature, like most other British universities, we place an emphasis on language acquisition, intercultural communication and professional skills

"Moreover, we collaborate closely with partners all over the world. This allows our students to work and/or study in one or two foreign countries during their third year, which we call the Professional Training placement. The PT placement is fully integrated into the degree and supports the transition between student life and a graduate career.

"The professional focus of the degrees, combined with our academic rigour, means that our students are very attractive to prospective employers. We have an excellent track record for graduate employment, with many students securing jobs before finishing their degrees, often with their PT placement providers."

Our commitment to providing the most challenging, rounded and relevant degrees in the UK has also generated high demand for our new Liberal Arts and Sciences programme, with an impressive number of high-quality candidates applying for the programme and attending applicant interview days.