Studying Humanities in Clearing
If you’re faced with the prospect of going through Clearing it can be difficult to know what to study, particularly if you’ve changed your mind about your original course.
For those of you looking for a degree that will show you both how humans process their experiences and how they document them then studying a subject classed as a “Humanities” subject might be the right choice.
Here’s more about Clearing and Humanities subjects
What is Clearing?
“Clearing” is the UCAS process of matching students without university places to universities with course vacancies. You’ll be entered into Clearing if you meet any of the following criteria:
- You applied to university after 30th June 2023
- You were not made any offers by universities
- You did not meet the conditions set by universities
- You have not yet applied for university
Clearing officially opens on A Level results day, 17th August 2023, and closes on 17th October 2023. This means you have until then to find yourself a university place.
Birkbeck University of London, London Metropolitan University, and the University of Kent all offered Humanities course vacancies during Clearing last year.
However, places fill quickly during Clearing, usually within a week after Clearing opens, so you’ll need to be organised to get on the course you really want.
Take a look at our Clearing section for more great advice on getting into your university of choice.
Which subjects are “Humanities” subjects?
For as long as people have been able to document their lives and experiences they have been doing just that. Whether through art, language, writing, philosophy, or music, the human race has been cataloguing its existence for thousands of years.
Any subjects that are related to the processing, expressing, or documenting human experience are known as Humanities subjects.
These include:
- English Literature
- English Language
- History
- Archaeology
- Classical Civilisations
- Philosophy
- French
- Spanish
- German
- Religious Studies
- Theology
- Art
- Music
You may also find that subjects such as Asian Language and Culture, Linguistics, and Theatre and Performance Studies are often put into the Humanities category.
Why should I choose to study Humanities?
Although the Humanities subjects aren’t generally vocational degrees there are still many transferrable skills you can gain from studying them. Having strong critical analysis skills, being able to gather and evaluate evidence, and constructing a well-balanced argument based on that evidence will be helpful in many career paths.
Taking a Humanities degree also teaches you how to understand different perspectives, combine knowledge and evidence, and interpret text or other sources.
What can I do with a Humanities degree?
The transferrable skills you’ll learn whilst studying for your degree can be applied to any number of different life contexts and careers. Popular career options after graduation include:
- Copywriter
- Museum curator
- Press Officer
- PR Executive
- Support Worker
- Translator
- SEO content creator
- Historic environment consultant
- PhD researcher
- Teacher
Many students who complete an undergraduate degree in a Humanities subject also choose to go on to further study. There are many options for students wishing to take a Masters or PhD.
Whether you continue to study after graduation or go straight into a job there are plenty of promotion or career development opportunities to be had in any of the industries listed above.
Swansea University: Humanities
If you are interested in studying humanities at University make sure you pay a visit to the Swansea University: Humanities department. At Swansea University: Humanities, you can find a wide range of humanities subjects on offer, an exciting learning environment and innovative teaching.
