How interdisciplinary is the BA Modern Humanities and Society?

Genuinely interdisciplinary — literature, history, philosophy, cultural and political thought taught in dialogue with cross-reading exercises and essay prompts that require evidence from at least two strands. It is not a sampler course.

Does the BA Modern Humanities and Society include applied work?

Yes. The applied humanities modules — technology and society, environment and humanities, migration and identity — bring humanities methods to bear on live contemporary debates. The dissertation extends that pattern.

Can I study the BA Modern Humanities and Society online?

Yes. Online students follow the same curriculum with weekly cohort seminars, recorded lectures and tutor-supervised research. Distance students complete the same dissertation under remote supervision.

Will the BA Modern Humanities and Society prepare me for civil service work?

It is well aligned with civil service fast-stream eligibility and the policy-analyst skill set — close reading, argument construction, evidence handling, applied reasoning. Many graduates progress into government research and policy roles.

How is the BA Modern Humanities and Society different from a single-subject humanities BA?

A single-subject BA goes deeper into one disciplinary tradition. The BA Modern Humanities and Society teaches you to read and write across disciplines — which suits research, editorial, policy and public-engagement careers where no single discipline holds the answer.

BA Modern Humanities and Society | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Modern Humanities and Society at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree that brings the methods of literature, history, philosophy and cultural study to bear on contemporary public, political and cultural questions. You will read across disciplines, conduct primary-source research, and produce a final-year dissertation that demonstrates serious humanities reasoning applied to a present-day problem.

This BA is built for students who care about contemporary questions — climate, migration, technology, democracy, inequality — and want the humanities methods to think about them properly. By the end of the BA Modern Humanities and Society you can read a public-policy debate inside its longer intellectual history, write argument that holds up in front of specialist and general audiences, and apply humanities reasoning to a non-humanities problem.

Key Features

UK honours degree in modern humanities — three years full-time, with online and distance routes.
Interdisciplinary core — literature, history, philosophy, cultural and political thought taught in deliberate dialogue.
Applied humanities modules in technology and society, environment and humanities, migration and identity.
Primary-source research training using London archives, the British Library and digital collections.
Industry-led masterclasses from working editors, curators, policy researchers and academic humanists.
Final-year dissertation (8,000–10,000 words) applying humanities methods to a contemporary question.

What You Will Learn

The BA Modern Humanities and Society is structured around the analytical and writing skills the public humanities require. You graduate able to read across disciplines and periods, conduct serious primary-source research, and write argument that respects both evidence and audience.

Close reading method — literary, historical and philosophical approaches.
Modern intellectual history — the long shape of contemporary debates from the Enlightenment to the present.
Cultural and political thought — the major frameworks and their applications.
Philosophical analysis — argument mapping, ethics, applied reasoning.
Sociology and social theory for humanists — class, identity, institutions, modernity.
Public humanities — translating scholarly argument for general readers.
Research method — archival, digital, interview-based research and ethics.
Long-form essay craft — structure, evidence, voice, scholarly apparatus.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers interested in contemporary public questions who want serious humanities training to think about them.
International students seeking a UK interdisciplinary humanities degree taught in central London.
Career-changers from journalism, the public sector or the cultural industries returning to the humanities.
Existing humanities students who want a more interdisciplinary degree than a single-subject BA.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the BA Modern Humanities and Society move into research, editorial, policy and cultural-sector roles. Typical first or next roles include:

Humanities Researcher (think tank, university research office, parliamentary research)
Cultural Programme Coordinator (Tate, British Library, festival organisation)
Policy Analyst (civil service fast-stream eligibility, public-interest charity)
Editorial Researcher (longform magazine, broadcast factual)
Lecturer (FE college humanities programme)
Communications Officer (academic society, cultural body, public-interest charity)

Graduates progress to our MA Modern Humanities and Society or to specialist MAs across humanities and social sciences.

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 and a 1,000-word essay sample on a topic of your choice.
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.