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Liberal Arts

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

AAA to include at least one subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical. The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer. For this course it would be AAB A-level plus the Extended Project at Grade A. Typical Contextual Offer: AAB to include at least one subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical. We recognise that applicants often achieve higher than their predicted grades, so we will consider applicants who are predicted to achieve one grade below our standard offer of AAA. The standard offer will be made in all cases, unless the applicant is studying for an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). These applicants will be made an offer one grade below the standard offer with the condition they must achieve a Grade A in the EPQ. Applicants who are eligible for a contextual offer will be made an offer one grade below the standard offer applicants. Applicants who are also studying the EPQ and achieve a Grade A will receive an offer two grades below the standard entry requirements. If your predicted grades are at the lower end of our advertised range and you are not studying the EPQ please contact the School to discuss your application as the School considers all applications holistically.

AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.

We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course. The specific course requirements are a minimum of 45 credits with a Distinction grade, in a Humanities-related subject. Where possible, at least 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels. Applicants to Languages programmes are also required to have a minimum of GCSE grade B/6 in a modern language or in English Language.

We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken. Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3, D3, D3 in the Pre-U and AAA at A level in three distinct subjects. Please see A-level requirements for details of pre-requisite subject.

The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement (and at interview, if relevant). We may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account, should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course. For this programme, you will be made the standard offer plus an alternative one, if you are studying for an EPQ. The alternative offer will be one grade below the standard offer but you will also be asked to achieve a Grade A in your EPQ.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language. Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects, to include at least one subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

DD

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level at grade A in at least one subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical .

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate

D*-D

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Certificate (CTEC) : we consider the Technical Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with EITHER grade Distinction, plus two additional Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels at grades AA, OR the full Technical Extended Certificate with grade Distinction*, plus two A-levels at grades AB. In either case, one of the A-levels must be in at least one subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical.

OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma

D*D

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Foundation Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with grades Distinction*, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level/A Level at min. Grade A in at least one subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical, PLUS an EPQ or AS Level at grade B.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

We consider the National Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus one A-level at Grade A in a subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical.

We consider the National Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Certificate with a Distinction grade, PLUS two A-levels at Grades AA; one of which must be in a subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical.

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

DDD

We consider the National Extended Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades Dist, Dist, Dist, plus one A-level at Grade A in a subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D

We consider the National Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Foundation Diploma with a Distinction grade, PLUS one A-level at Grade A in a subject which is assessed primarily on written work, rather than practical, PLUS an EPQ or AS at Grade A.

Two Advanced Highers at AA, plus one additional Higher at A in relevant subject (see A-level subject requirements). English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3). If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.

Two Advanced Highers at AA, plus one additional Higher at A in relevant subject (see A-level subject requirements). English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3). If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.

The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this. The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A Level entry requirements. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Liberal arts

Humanities

Social philosophy

Liberal Arts is highly flexible, allowing students to create their own unique course, combining different subject areas within and beyond the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

With an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, students can tailor the course, aligning it to their interests and passions, whilst responding to key issues that affect the flourishing of free citizens. This course is ideal for individuals who have a wide range of interests and a passion for making a difference in the world.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Manchester

Department:

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

73%
Social philosophy

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mathematics

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

55%
UK students
45%
International students
62%
Male students
38%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A*
A*

Humanities (non-specific)

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

33%
UK students
67%
International students
14%
Male students
86%
Female students
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A*
A*

Philosophy

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
54%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

59%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

83%
UK students
17%
International students
48%
Male students
52%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A*
A*

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mathematics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

24%
Business, research and administrative professionals
22%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
9%
Teaching and educational professionals

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Philosophy

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
54%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

17%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
11%
Business, research and administrative professionals
10%
Other elementary services occupations

Although there aren't a lot of jobs around for professional philosophers, philosophy degrees are a relatively popular option, with more than 2,000 students graduating in a philosophy-related subject in 2015 - a little down on previous years, but still healthy. Nearly a quarter of philosophy graduates take a postgraduate qualification, and it's a relatively common subject at both Masters and doctorate level — so if you think academic life might be for you, think ahead about how you might fund further study. For those who go into work, philosophy grads tend to go into teaching, accountancy, consulting, journalism, PR, housing, marketing, human resources and the arts while a few go into the computer industry every year, where their logical training is highly rated.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Philosophy

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£24k

£24k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here