How is BA Arts and Humanities different from a single-subject humanities degree?

A single-subject degree drills deeply into one discipline. BA Arts and Humanities builds breadth across literature, history, philosophy and cultural studies — with a shared methods spine. Graduates often find the comparative perspective an asset in editorial, policy and cultural-sector roles.

Can BA Arts and Humanities be studied online?

Yes. The online route uses live seminars over video, structured reading groups and the same long essay and dissertation requirements as the on-campus degree. Distance learners follow a self-paced schedule with regular tutor checkpoints.

What does the final-year dissertation involve on BA Arts and Humanities?

An 8,000–10,000 word piece of independent research on a topic of your own design, agreed with a named supervisor at the start of year three. Past topics have spanned literary criticism, intellectual history, ethics and visual culture.

Is BA Arts and Humanities recognised by UK employers?

Yes. The degree is a UK honours degree at Level 6, recognised across editorial, policy, cultural-sector and graduate-scheme employers. Several students each year secure Civil Service Fast Stream and graduate publisher places on the strength of their writing portfolio.

Do I need A-Level literature or history for BA Arts and Humanities?

Not specifically. Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent) is the standard requirement. A humanities subject helps, but applicants from sciences and social sciences with strong writing samples are very welcome on BA Arts and Humanities.

BA Arts and Humanities in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Arts and Humanities at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree built around the interpretive disciplines — literature, history, philosophy, art history, cultural studies — taught with the rigour and breadth a serious humanities education requires. You will read deeply, write often, and learn to argue from evidence across periods and continents.

This is an interdisciplinary degree, not a pick-and-mix one. Modules are sequenced so that the methods you learn in literary criticism in your first year inform the philosophical reading you do in your second, and the historical research you do in your third. Graduates leave able to think across disciplines, not only within one.

Key Features

UK honours degree in interdisciplinary humanities — three years full-time, with online and distance routes available.
Core methods spine — close reading, historical method, philosophical argument and cultural analysis taught in sequence.
London-rich seminar programme with study visits to the British Library, the National Gallery and the V&A.
Annual long essay — extended writing project with named tutor supervision.
Final-year dissertation of 8,000–10,000 words on a topic of your own design.
Three study modes — central-London seminars, fully online cohorts, or distance learning with structured deadlines.

What You Will Learn

The BA Arts and Humanities is structured around the methods and habits a humanities graduate is hired for — close reading, argument-building, archival literacy and the discipline of writing under deadline. You leave able to read a complex text with care, situate it historically, and write about it with clarity.

Literary criticism — close reading, narrative theory, comparative analysis across periods.
Historical method — primary and secondary source criticism, periodisation, historiographical debate.
Philosophical argument — logic, ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of mind.
Art and visual culture — formal analysis, iconography, museum and gallery studies.
Cultural theory — encoding/decoding, hegemony, identity, post-colonial criticism.
Research methods — archival work, bibliographic search, citation discipline.
Academic writing — thesis construction, citation systems (MHRA, Chicago, Harvard).
Public-facing writing — translating academic analysis for general readers and editors.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers with strong A-Levels who want a serious, broad humanities education rather than an early specialism.
International students looking for a UK honours degree taught in central London.
Mature applicants returning to study who want a flexible interdisciplinary route, often part-time or online.
Career changers preparing for postgraduate study or for editorial, policy or cultural-sector work.

Career Pathways

BA Arts and Humanities graduates enter a wide range of UK and international graduate destinations. The degree is not vocational, but the skills it builds — argument, evidence, writing — are sought across editorial, policy, cultural-sector and education employers. Typical first-destination roles include:

Editorial Assistant (publisher, magazine, broadcaster)
Research Assistant (think tank, policy unit, academic department)
Cultural Programme Coordinator (gallery, museum, arts venue)
Civil Service Generalist (Fast Stream, departmental graduate scheme)
Heritage Engagement Officer (charity, heritage site)
Educational Materials Writer (publisher, exam board)

Graduates progress to a Master's degree in literature, history, philosophy, cultural studies, museum studies or interdisciplinary humanities at LSJHML or another UK university.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; humanities applicants are asked for a short writing sample.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.