Institution
University College of London

Web Site
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-sciences/

Factual description
The BASc (Bachelor of Applied Sciences) Arts and Sciences undergraduate honours degrees launched in 2012 and are at the forefront of the new wave of liberal arts and sciences degrees in the UK. The degree gives the opportunity to create a bespoke programme incorporating both arts and sciences subjects and study innovative Core modules to enhance the link between disciplines. It is possible to study modules across the breadth of UCL's world class expertise and achieve a depth of knowledge needed to thrive in our global society. The first cohort graduated in 2015 and have moved into a wide range of interesting and exciting postgraduate study and graduate employment opportunities.
The BASc Arts and Sciences programmes allow to create a bespoke programme of arts, social sciences and science specialisms that reflect student’s academic interests. It is possible to choose a major and minor pathway and focus on the subjects that interest most. It is possible to take Core courses which encourage interdisciplinary thinking and equip with a range of qualititative and quantitative skills that can be applied to disciplinary interests and future interests.
Arts and Sciences students choose a major and a minor pathway on application; the pathways determine the subjects the student can specialise in. UCL offers four pathways: Cultures, Health and Environment, Sciences and Engineering, and Societies.
Students choosing Cultures or Societies as their major must choose Health and Environment or Sciences and Engineering as their minor pathway, and vice versa. This ensures that everyone studies a mix of arts and sciences courses throughout his/her programme.
50% of study time is spent on the pathways, major and minor combined. The remaining 50% is spent on the Core.
Cultures
What we believe and what we create
• Art History
• Cultural Studies
• Anthropology
• Design and Visualisation
• Film
• History
• Languages
• Literature
• Philosophy
Health and Environment
How our bodies work and the effect of the world on us
• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Biomedicine
• Environmental Sciences
• Geography
• Life Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Psychology
• Science and Technology Studies
Sciences and Engineering
How we investigate and change our world
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Earth Sciences
• Economics
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Science and Technology Studies
• Statistics
Societies
How we are organised
• Archaeology
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• International Relations
• Philosophy
• Political Economy
• Politics
• Sociology
Modules in the Arts and Sciences Core are specially designed to make links between different subject areas and to provide students with the tools necessary for interdisciplinary study between arts and science subjects. These modules will give student’s study breadth but also allow to build student’s interdisciplinary depth.
Many of Core modules are specially designed and written to have impact and relevance to the subject specialisms one studies on the pathways. For example, Quantitative Methods and Mathematical Thinking supports in many modules on the Societies, Health and Environment and Sciences and Engineering Pathways.
Core modules fall broadly into two groups:
Those delivering specific techniques that can be used across all areas of study to make interdisciplinary links - examples of this type of module are Quantitative Methods and Language;
Those modules which approach areas of thought and study in an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary way and so cross usual university subject boundaries - examples of this type of module include Approaches to Knowledge, Qualitative Thinking and Object-based learning.

Relevance in complex systems
It is valuable to offer Core courses that are interdisciplinary in the methods and concepts.

Strong points
The interdisciplinarity approach

Transferability potential
The partition of the Curriculum into Core and Pathways courses.