MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Biomechanics
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BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year)
Twickenham
INTAKE: September
Program Overview
The BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year) at St. Mary's University, Twickenham, is a dynamic and highly flexible four-year undergraduate degree designed for students who seek a broad intellectual foundation combined with significant real-world professional experience. This interdisciplinary program encourages students to defy traditional subject boundaries, allowing them to explore and connect diverse fields across the arts, humanities, and social sciences, such as History, English Literature, Creative Writing, Film, Politics, and Theology. By fostering a deep understanding of complex issues through various lenses, the Liberal Arts degree cultivates exceptional critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and communication skills. The integrated year-long work placement, typically undertaken between the second and final academic years, offers unparalleled opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in a professional setting, gain vital commercial awareness, and forge crucial industry connections, significantly enhancing graduate employability and confidence in a competitive job market.
Curriculum: The curriculum for the BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year) at St. Mary's is structured to promote intellectual breadth while allowing for specialisation, with the added benefit of practical professional experience. In the first year, students engage with core modules such as "Rethinking Modernity" and "The Public Role of the Arts and Humanities," alongside a selection of optional modules from across at least two different subject study areas. This multi-disciplinary approach continues into the second year with core modules like "Working with the Liberal Arts" and "Researching the Liberal Arts," allowing students to deepen their understanding of chosen subjects. Major pathways are available in areas like Creative Writing, English, Film and Screen Media, History, Political Science, and Theology, requiring a minimum selection of modules from the chosen area. The third year is dedicated to the compulsory "Placement Year," where students gain hands-on experience in an industry setting. The final academic year includes a core "Independent Study" module, where students undertake a significant self-directed project, further demonstrating their interdisciplinary research and critical analysis capabilities, complemented by additional optional modules to tailor their expertise. Assessments are varied and can include essays, public presentations, group projects, and media outputs like films or podcasts.
Research Focus: The BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year) program at St. Mary's University is deeply informed by the diverse and active research interests of its academic staff within the School of Liberal and Creative Arts. While the degree itself emphasises broad interdisciplinary understanding, students are strongly encouraged to engage in critical inquiry and independent research, culminating in their final-year "Independent Study" project. This project allows students to explore a topic of their choice, drawing on methodologies and insights from multiple disciplines, often reflecting the cutting-edge research conducted by their lecturers. Faculty expertise spans a wide array of areas, including literary studies, historical analysis, film theory, political thought, and theological studies, ensuring that teaching is research-led and provides students with exposure to contemporary academic debates and diverse scholarly approaches. The placement year can also provide inspiration and practical context for their independent research.
Industry Engagement: Industry engagement is a significant and integrated component of the BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year) program at St. Mary's University, capitalising on its advantageous location near London's vibrant cultural, media, and business sectors. The compulsory year-long industrial placement is a pivotal feature, offering students direct exposure to professional environments such as theatres, concert halls, museums, heritage sites, publishing houses, and charities. This provides invaluable practical experience, direct exposure to professional environments, and enables students to build essential industry networks. The university's Employability Service actively supports students in securing placements, providing guidance on applications and interview preparation. The curriculum itself integrates practical skills development through innovative assessments, including public presentations, group problem-solving, and the creation of media outputs, directly aligning with employer demands for dynamic and adaptable graduates.
Global Perspective: The BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year) program at St. Mary's University cultivates a strong global perspective by encouraging students to explore diverse cultures, historical periods, and philosophical traditions from around the world. The interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum naturally leads to a comparative study of societies, belief systems, and political structures, fostering an understanding of global interconnectedness. Modules often address contemporary global challenges such as migration, climate change, and international conflict, viewed through the lenses of history, politics, and ethics. The skills developed in understanding complex global issues are further enhanced by the professional context of the placement year, which may involve working within international organisations or businesses with a global reach. This comprehensive exposure prepares graduates for careers in an increasingly internationalised world, where understanding different perspectives and cultures is paramount for effective communication and problem-solving.
Location
Twickenham
Score
IELTS 6
Tuition Fee
£ 17100
Undergraduate Entry Requirements
Academic Qualifications: Applicants should have successfully completed their secondary education with a minimum overall score of 70% or equivalent in their respective country's grading system.
English language proficiency:
- IELTS: A minimum overall score of 6.0 or 6.5 with no individual component below 5.5.
- TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 80.
- PTE Academic: A minimum overall score of 55.
- Some programs may have specific subject prerequisites or additional requirements.
St. Mary’s University Twickenham offers a variety of scholarships to support international students in financing their education and rewarding academic achievement. These scholarships are designed to ease the financial burden and recognize the talents and hard work of students coming from all over the world.
International Student Scholarships: St. Mary’s provides International Student Scholarships for students from a range of countries. These scholarships are typically partial fee reductions, aimed at making education more affordable. Eligible students are selected based on academic merit, financial need, and their potential to contribute to the university community. The scholarships are open to both undergraduate and postgraduate international students.
Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship: The Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards available to international students at St. Mary’s University. This scholarship offers a significant reduction in tuition fees for high-achieving students, with eligibility determined by academic performance and specific course requirements. Students from a variety of regions, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America, are encouraged to apply for this highly competitive scholarship.
Country-Specific Scholarships: In addition to general international scholarships, St. Mary’s offers country-specific scholarships for students from certain regions. These scholarships provide additional financial assistance and are designed to support students from areas where educational opportunities may be limited. International students from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas are often eligible for these specialized scholarships.
Sports Scholarships: For students excelling in sports, St. Mary’s University provides Sports Scholarships. These awards are available to talented athletes who demonstrate the potential to represent the university in competitive sports. Sports scholars benefit from personalized coaching, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and financial support to help balance academic and athletic commitments.
The BA (Hons) Liberal Arts (with a Placement Year) at St. Mary's University, Twickenham, cultivates a highly versatile and adaptable skillset, significantly strengthened by a year of invaluable professional experience. This interdisciplinary degree fosters exceptional critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and communication abilities, empowering graduates to apply their broad knowledge and analytical prowess to complex challenges across various sectors. The integrated placement year allows students to gain practical insights, build professional networks, and refine their skills in real-world settings, making them highly competitive and well-rounded professionals equipped to navigate a rapidly evolving job market.
Marketing and Communications Specialist: With strong communication, analytical, and creative skills honed through diverse studies and practical experience from a marketing/PR placement, Liberal Arts graduates are well-suited for roles in marketing, advertising, public relations, and digital communications, where understanding human behaviour and crafting compelling narratives is key.
Journalist / Content Creator: The emphasis on rigorous research, critical analysis, and effective writing, combined with potential placement experience in media organisations or content agencies, makes graduates ideal for journalism, editorial roles, publishing, or content creation across various platforms.
Policy Officer / Researcher (Public Sector/NGOs): The ability to analyse complex information, understand diverse perspectives, and formulate reasoned arguments, often applied during a placement in a government department, think tank, or NGO, makes Liberal Arts graduates valuable assets in policy development, research, and advocacy.
Human Resources (HR) Professional: A Liberal Arts degree fosters strong interpersonal skills, an an understanding of human behaviour, and problem-solving abilities, all crucial for roles in human resources, employee relations, talent acquisition, and organisational development. A placement in an HR department would provide excellent practical grounding.
Education Professional (Teacher/Administrator): Many Liberal Arts graduates pursue careers in education, either as teachers (often requiring a postgraduate qualification like a PGCE) or in educational administration and development. The broad subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, possibly informed by an education-related placement, are highly beneficial.
Arts and Heritage Administrator / Curator: With studies potentially encompassing history, literature, and film, and practical experience from a placement in cultural institutions like museums, galleries, theatres, or heritage sites, graduates can manage operations, curate exhibitions, or develop public programmes.
Management Consultant: The critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills inherent in a Liberal Arts education, coupled with commercial awareness gained during a relevant placement, are highly desirable in management consulting, where graduates help organisations analyse challenges and develop strategic solutions.
Event Manager: The ability to plan, organise, manage logistics, and communicate effectively across different stakeholders, sharpened during an events-focused placement, makes Liberal Arts graduates well-suited for event management roles in corporate, non-profit, or entertainment sectors.
Project Manager: The capacity for interdisciplinary thinking, problem-solving, and coordinating complex tasks, significantly enhanced by practical experience from a project-based placement, makes graduates adaptable to project management roles across various industries, from technology to publishing.
Analyst (Data/Research): While not explicitly a technical degree, Liberal Arts students develop strong research, analytical, and critical evaluation skills. With additional training in data tools and insights gained from a research-focused placement, they can pursue roles as analysts, interpreting data to provide insights for businesses or research organisations.
