Liberal Arts

• BA Liberal Arts (subject to approval) (2ZB7)
• MLibArts Liberal Arts with Study Abroad (subject to approval) (2T23)

The Faculty of Arts at Bristol is home to world-leading researchers who are also passionately committed to the ideals of liberal education. It is a place where an interdisciplinary outlook comes naturally and is practised on a daily basis. The Liberal Arts programme aims to capture the best of Bristol's education and research and make it available to outstanding students in an innovative and intellectually adventurous environment. Students will be encouraged and expected, with appropriate guidance, to take responsibility for their curriculum, making connections between units and incorporating into their studies opportunities afforded by the rich cultural life of the University and the City of Bristol. Students will have flexibility of choice in their first year to enable discovery of new subjects. They can choose to do either a BA or an integrated Master's degree, each of which brings with it its own advantages and distinctiveness.

In addition to the ability to acquire, analyse and communicate knowledge students should be well-motivated and intellectually curious, and not afraid to take occasional risks or to try new things. Students who enjoy ideas, like to make connections, and strike out for themselves will be well suited to this course. Above all we are seeking students who are willing to take responsibility and be pro-active in shaping their education.

Lectures in the Liberal Arts core units are delivered to first- and second-year students together; the year groups then meet separately in seminar groups and have different assessment standards. Types of assessment will be varied, aiming not only to test knowledge and understanding but to hone skills. Methods may include essays and other types of writing, presentations, diaries, critical reports, peer review exercises, and online contributions. Units taken in the subject pathway and across the Faculty may offer additional forms of assessment such as single or group projects, portfolios, creative work or traditional exams. For the BA, the second year counts for 40 per cent of the final degree classification, and the third year for 60 per cent. For the MLibArts,second year counts 15 per cent, the year abroad counts 10 per cent and the fourth year counts 75 per cent.