Combined Honours
Study two or three of over 20 different subjects. Enhance your independence, confidence, and professional opportunities.
Study multiple subjects
Combined Honours is a challenging but rewarding degree. It offers a wider range of opportunities than a single or joint honours degree.
You can combine two or three subjects for in-depth study in one of the most extensive degree programmes of its kind in the UK.
You'll attend the same lectures and classes as students specialising in each subject. You'll only take a proportion of the options in each subject, so your workload will be the same as any other student.
Combined Honours will help you enhance your independence, adaptability and confidence.
Your flexible degree
Student engagement is core to our provision. We provide many opportunities to get involved in co-managing your degree and supporting your peers.
We work with our students to design and offer modules specific to Combined Honours. We ensure you develop your graduate attributes and do independent research on topics that interest you.
Our level of flexibility is higher than most other Combined degrees on offer, for example:
- you don't have to commit to subjects until arrival
- there's an opportunity to change your mind about subject combinations and modules during the first two weeks of teaching
- you can switch from studying subjects equally to major-minor routes and vice versa
- all subject combinations have the same entry grades
We also offer opportunities to include a work placement year or study abroad year within your degree programme.
I really wanted a course that would give me the flexibility to choose my subjects and modules and tailor my degree to my interests.
Your academic year
Each academic year (Stage) is divided into two semesters. You'll study a total of 120 credits over a Stage, taking no more than 70 credits in any one semester.
Most of the modules on Combined Honours are 10 or 20 credits each, and dissertation modules are 40 credits.
This is so you can easily divide your credits across your chosen subjects.
The modules you take may be assessed either throughout the year, at the end of the semester in which they are taken, or at the end of the Stage.
Subject choices
You can choose two or three subjects to study in Stage 1. You must continue with at least two throughout the remainder of your degree.
In Stage 1, you divide your time equally between the two or three subjects you have chosen. From Stage 2 onwards, you can choose the balance of study between your subjects.
Your degree certificate will reference the subjects you studied in Stages 2 and 3. This allows employers to identify your areas of expertise, for example, BA Combined Honours in English Literature and French.
Stage 1
Modules offered at Stage 1 are worth 10 or 20 credits. You must take 120 credits over the 2 Semesters with no more than 70 credits in any one semester.
You must study two or three subjects in Stage 1.
Three subjects
- Subject A (40 credits) + Subject B (40 credits) + Subject C (40 credits) = 120 credits
Two subjects
- Subject A (60 credits) + Subject B (60 credits) = 120 credits
Stages 2 and 3
You will continue studying subjects from Stage 1. If you studied three subjects, you have the option to drop a third subject at the start of Stage 2. In Stage 2 you also decide the weighting of your subjects.
Each module is worth 20 credits. You must take 120 credits over the two semesters with no more than 70 credits in any one semester.
A minimum of 40 credits and a maximum of 80 credits may be studied in any one subject. Also note that you must take the same credit split in Stage 3 as you take in Stage 2.
Choosing the weighting of your subjects
Combined route option
Students who study three subjects equally receive the 'Degree of BA Combined Honours in Subject A, Subject B and Subject C'. Your certificate lists the subjects alphabetically.
- Subject A (40 credits) + Subject B (40 credits) + Subject C (40 credits) = 120 credits
Joint route option
Students who study two subjects equally receive the 'Degree of BA Combined Honours in Subject A and Subject B'. Your certificate lists the subjects alphabetically.
- Subject A (60 credits) + Subject B (60 credits) = 120 credits
Major and minor route option
Students could study two subjects, majoring in one and minoring in the other.
If they complete the course, they will receive the 'Degree of BA Combined Honours in Subject A with Subject B'. The major subject is always mentioned first.
- Subject A (80 credits) + Subject B (40 credits) = 120 credits
All Combined Honours language students have the opportunity go abroad between Stages 2 and 3 to a country where the studied language is spoken.
