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Uni

What degree can I do with the a levels of history geography and philosophy

Reply 1

Most humanities or social science subjects to start with, plus quite a few more - it's easier to really list the ones you couldn't potentially do!

So generally you probably wouldn't be well placed to do a languages degree due to no A-level language (in the target language or otherwise), although you can do languages ab initio at uni and some may consider applicants with a strong GCSE result in one or more languages in lieu of any language A-levels for an ab initio language. Joint honours courses with an ab initio language may be more likely to not require a background at A-level in a language :smile:

Visual and performing arts courses sometimes require or prefer a relevant A-level subject and normally require a portfolio or audition as applicable - so unless you are prepared with a portfolio or performance piece/monologue/etc for audition, those might not be options right now. Of course it's possible to develop such things outside of a formal curriculum though.

Economics and joint honours courses in it normally requires A-level Maths, so unlikely to be a possibility; there are a few economics degrees which don't require A-level Maths but bear in mind you will study that content and beyond during the degree so make sure that's something you actually want.

Psychology courses usually require at least one "core" science A-level (i.e. maths/biology/chemistry/physics), although there are a few which may not require that or which may accept e.g. geography or psychology in lieu of one of those. Note due to BPS accreditation requirements, all BPS accredited psychology degrees include a certain amount of scientific and statistical content though.

English literature and similar literature degrees (e.g. comparative literature) usually require A-level English lit so probably not an option.

STEM courses usually require A-levels in sciences/maths, although these are frequently available with a foundation year for people who do well in their A-levels but took the "wrong" subjects because they didn't know what they wanted to do. Some examples include Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton, etc. So you still have a lot of options within this realm!

Healthcare professions courses usually require some relevant work experience/volunteering, and some (e.g. medicine, pharmacy, radiography) require specific subjects in sciences. Some are available with a foundation year although these may be restricted to students who meet specific widening participation/contextual flags.

Pretty much most options beyond that are available to you. History, archaeology, politics, religious studies, anthropology, Egyptology, law, business management, Viking and Old Norse studies, etc, etc! Also when you include foundation years this extends to really most STEM courses too - marine biology, chemistry, physics, maths, CS, every variety of engineering you can think of, etc. There's lots of options out there and remember that there are a lot of subjects available at degree level you'll never have encountered at A-level :smile:

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 2

McGinger

Liberal Arts - multi-discipline Humanities degree - Liberal Arts BA | University of Leeds
American Studies - American Studies, undergraduate courses : University of Sussex
Global Development - BA (Hons) Geography with Global Development with a Year Abroad 2025/26 | UEA
Social Anthropology -BASS Social Anthropology and Philosophy (2025 entry) | The University of Manchester
Archaeology - Archaeology and Heritage (BA) - Undergraduate, University of York
Law - no specific A levels needed - Law (Study Abroad) LLB Hons (M101) - Lancaster University

Reply 3

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by Addirommel

What degree can I do with the a levels of history geography and philosophy

Hi @Addirommel,

With A-levels in History, Geography, and Philosophy, you have a lot of degree options, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Some potential degree choices include: History, Geography, Philosophy, Politics & International Relations, Sociology or Law.

Other possibilities a bit outside of the field include: Education, if you’re considering teaching or Business/Management, some universities accept humanities A-levels for these.

Since you don’t have a science or maths A-level, degrees in psychology, economics, and some geography courses might be trickier to access, but there still might be options depending on the university.

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep