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Combined Honours or Liberal Arts Degree?

Hii! My name is Georgia and I would really like some undergraduate degree advice to ease my mind moving into my degree this September.

Even though I am set to happily study BA English and French at the University of Nottingham, I’m naturally having doubts.
The course is great, which isn’t what I want to talk about - Despite the degree being combined, Modern Foreign Languages (the french side) is actually the “lead” and has more french modules than English; I would have loved the reverse of this.
I like French, but I would really prefer more English, and I suppose I’m worried that the “combined” aspect isn’t so…combined? (And before anyone asks did I consider a 75/25 combined honours split, yes, however I didn’t love any of the universities that offered this).

Did anyone doing a Combined honours degree feel the same way, or was the degree evenly-weighted?

While nobody can really tell me “what to choose” as it is my choice, I don’t know whether a Liberal Arts degree would be better for me, as I think I might thrive doing mainly English modules with other sectors like languages, film, etc.
I think it’s the “free” aspect of Liberal Arts that scares me however! And the idea of having a degree that has a different title, does the end degree name depend on what you pick? Like “English and French Liberal Arts” or just “Liberal Arts” despite the modules you pick? (I hope this makes any sense)

Should I switch courses?

And I would also like to ask did anyone switch to similar courses at a similarly late time and regret it, or alternatively make the right decision?

Thanks if anyone can help me, and apologies for the long thread!

Reply 1

beautifulworld

during your university years, will there an opportunity for you to do languages or films in work experience? this might make up for the lack of these subjects in the modules, if you are okay with this.

i don't know if the modules you pick will affect the degree name... i would ask the academic counselor :smile:

if you switch courses, i would make sure i do what is necessary to receive the top grades

Reply 2

martin7

Original post by GeorgiaC0925

Even though I am set to happily study BA English and French at the University of Nottingham, I’m naturally having doubts.
The course is great, which isn’t what I want to talk about - Despite the degree being combined, Modern Foreign Languages (the french side) is actually the “lead” and has more french modules than English; I would have loved the reverse of this.

An "X and Y" joint honours programme is normally split equally between the 'X' and the 'Y' disciplines.

That's how it looks for the course you refer to; see https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studywithus/ugstudy/courses/UG/English-and-French-BA-Jt-Hons-U6UENLFRY.html

Under "Course overview" it says "Your time will be divided equally between these two complementary subjects".

If you click on the (i) icon next to the "Modules" heading, you can see how the programme is structured across the four years.

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 3

GeorgiaC0925

Original post by martin7

Thank you, I do recognise that it is evenly weighted, but because the department of modern languages and cultures is the lead department, my subject tutors are all from that department and I think it just worried me a little that I wouldn’t be involved with English. Thanks though.
I just don’t know whether a liberal arts degree would allow me to study more English, is what I’m trying to say, or whether it isn’t worth a whole different degree, even though it would be cool to do some modules in environmental science and arts and cultures too! I’m indecisive if you can’t tell already. Anyone done liberal arts?