Specialist Interest Pathways

You may choose to follow a Specialist Interest pathway, selecting your optional modules from across the University.

Your Specialist Interest pathway will be determined by your interests and goals; your personal tutor will work with you to help you identify a common theme in your interests to base your specialist pathway around. Your pathway will inform your module choices and the topic of your research dissertation in your final year.

For example, your Specialist Interest may be 'Culture and Identity'. You might study this theme from your own perspective, choosing modules in arts, humanities, social sciences, or other disciplines.

You may change the title of your pathway during your studies, and your pathway title will be reflected on your Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR).

Read the transcript for this video.

Examples of Specialist Interest pathways designed by our students include:

Advertisting, Gender, & Cultural Criticism
Apocalyptic Studies
Black British Studies
Business Ethics
Children's Literature and Psychoanalysis

Communications
Critical Sports Studies
Culture and Identity
Health and Human Society
Ecocritical Approaches to Italian Literature

Social Justice
Sustainability
Visual Cultures

The pathway titles listed above were designed by individual students in collaboration with their personal tutors. You are free to pursue your interests, whatever they might be. If one of the above pathway titles does not reflect your passions and goals, we will help you design one that meets your needs.

"There is a focus on making sure you know exactly which pathway is right for you"

“Many Liberal Arts courses tend to leave students on their own to decide what pathway they want to go down, but with Warwick there’s a focus on making sure you know exactly which pathway is right for you.”

Sara | Liberal Arts graduate

Liberal Arts

Specialist Pathway Course Overview

In your first year, you will take 120 CATS of 100-level modules. These will be composed by a combination of your:
Core Modules (30 CATS) + Optional Core Modules (30 CATS) + Specialist Pathway Modules (60 CATS). Click on the sections below for more information.

IP101	Liberal Arts: Principles and Praxis	0 CATS	Terms 1-2
IP121	Truth and Misinformation	30 CATS	Terms 1-2-3

CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE RESEARCH METHODS MODULE:
IP110	Quantitative Methods for Interdisciplinary Research	15 CATS	Term 2
IP108	Qualitative Methods for Undergraduate Research	15 CATS	Term 1
CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE CRITICAL ISSUE MODULE:
IP120	Beauty	15 CATS	Term 2
IP122	Revolution	15 CATS	Term 1

CHOOSE 60 CATS OF SPECIALIST PATHWAY MODULES
*******	Choose 60 CATS from any available and approved 100-level modules that interest you from across the University. These can be from any department that interests you, subject to availability and prerequisites.	2 x 30 CATS or 4 x 15 CATS	Terms 1-2-3

In your second and final years, you will take 120 CATS per year for a total of
240 CATS of 200 and 300-level modules (120 CATS each).

These will be composed by a combination of:
Core Modules (60 CATS) + Optional Core Modules (45 CATS) + Optional Modules (135 CATS).
Click on the sections below for more information.

IP205	Consuming Cultures	30 CATS	Year 2 – Terms 1-3
IP302	Dissertation	30 CATS	Year 3 – Terms 1-3

You must take at least THREE (3) optional core modules between your second and final year (45 CATS total). If you take one of the SCFS Venice Modules, it will count towards this requirement.

NB: Not all modules will run in all years and modules offered are subject to change. The optional modules that we have offered in the past have included the following list:

IP204	The Apocalyptic Imaginary	15 CATS
IP226/IP326	The Liquid Continent	15 CATS
IP304	Posthumous Geographies I: Underworlds	15 CATS
IP305	Posthumous Geographies II: Paradises	15 CATS
IP306	Quantitative Methods: Research Project	15 CATS
IP309	Quantitative Research Methods: Understanding Relationships in Data	15 CATS
IP312	The Quest I: Departures and Heroic Journeys	15 CATS
IP313	The Quest II: Exile and Homecoming	15 CATS
IP315 (Taught in Venice)	A Sustainable Serenissima: Water and the Future of Venice This module is offered through the Alliance Intensive Study Programme Hear about what the 2022-23 module cohort got up to in Venice in July 2022.	15 CATS
IP317 (Taught in Venice)	Venice: Resistance and Representation This module is offered through the Alliance Intensive Study Programme Hear about what the 2022-23 module cohort got up to in Venice in July 2022.	15 CATS

You can see a list of our current offering of optional modules by clicking on this link: Honours-Level Optional Core Modules in Liberal Arts

NB: 200-Level Modules cannot be taken in your final year of study.

CHOOSE 135 CATS OF ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL MODULES
*******	Choose 135 CATS from any available and approved 200- and 300-level modules that interest you from across the University. These can be from any department that interests you, subject to availability and prerequisites.	135 CATS total	Terms 1-2-3

Intercalated Year (optional)

Are you interested in extending your degree by a year? You can do so either via an additional year of study abroad or work placement:

Study Abroad Year

An optional intercalated year abroad is available between your second year and final year. Click here for more information on our Year Abroad partnerships: Liberal Arts Year Abroad Options.

Dr. Bryan Brazeau is the Department's Study Abroad Coordinator. Click here to contact him and find out more.

Work Placement Year

An optional intercalated work placement is available between your second year and final year. Click here for more information on the Intercalated Work Year option: Liberal Arts Intercalated Work Placements.

Bodrun Nahar is the Department's Employability and Placement Manager. Click here to contact her and find out more.