UCL Arts and Sciences

The UCL Arts & Sciences degree is an interdisciplinary, undergraduate degree at University College London, United Kingdom. It is part of the UCL Faculty of Arts and Humanities for administrative purposes, but it engages fully with all science, social science and humanities faculties across UCL. The degree offers a bespoke programme incorporating both arts and sciences (including social sciences) specialisms with students graduating with a Bachelors in Arts & Sciences (abbreviated "BASc").[1] The programme offers material from almost all UCL departments, including new modules specifically designed for the course by leading UCL academics.[2]

History

The first intake began in September 2012 with 87 students. The intake is now 120 per year and there are 400-450 students on the course in total, including international affiliate students.

Degree

The course offers a choice of both a major and minor pathway from the outset with half of the degree devoted to the pathways: Cultures, Health and Environment, Sciences and Engineering, and Societies. Students are required to study a mix of arts and sciences throughout the degree programme and are also offered the opportunity to study abroad for a year. Half of their programme consists of core courses, including modules on quantitative methods, research projects, philosophy of knowledge, qualitative thinking and a language.[3][4]

A language module forms a significant part of the course (one-eighth of teaching time) with students having a selection of nineteen languages.[5] Furthermore, students are encouraged and supported to take an internship at the end of Year 2.[6]

Facilities

The Arts & Sciences Common Room is located in Malet Place, parallel to Gower Street on the main UCL campus. Otherwise students use the usual departmental facilities where they study their courses.

Staff

Programme Director

Carl Gombrich, ex-Programme Director, was the Principal of UCL’s international preparatory certificates before being appointed Programme Director, Arts and Sciences (BASc) in September 2010, a role he held until March 2019. He has degrees in mathematics, physics and philosophy and was also an opera singer before joining UCL in 2002. He is currently learning Mandarin Chinese. He is the grandson of Ernst Gombrich, the art historian whose work he cites as the inspiration for his efforts to reach across disciplines.[3][7]

Academic Staff

Working closely with the Programme Director, formerly Carl Gombrich, are the Pathway Representatives:

  • Cultures - Thomas Kador[8] and Sara Wingate-Gray.[9]
  • Health and Environment - Beth Parkin[10] and Vincent Walsh.[11]
  • Sciences and Engineering - Brenda Parker[12] and Professor Stephen Price.[13]
  • Societies - Elodie Douarin,[14] Christian Spielmann[15] and Graham Woodgate.[16]

Administrative Staff

The main administrative staff are:

  • Cristy Meadows - Departmental Administrator
  • Elena Méndez-Piedra Paredes - International and Affiliates Officer
  • Angela Vaughn - Undergraduate Officer
  • Natalie Flintoff - Placements and Vacancies Manager.[7]

Modules are taught by a wide range of UCL staff. Notable academics include Hannah Fry from the UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis who teaches Quantitative Methods and Mark Miodownik a UCL materials scientist and broadcaster who runs the second year engineering module.

Value of the course

Malcolm Grant, UCL Provost until 2013, when talking about UCL Arts and Sciences in an interview with the New York Times said that, “I've always felt it was a mistake to make students specialize at such a young age. At 15, how many people know they want to be scientists — or lawyers?”. He explains that, “This program combines the best of the British model, where you progress from year to year, with the fairly significant amount of choice you have in America.” He concludes, “If we can continue to attract the smartest students, as we have done in the first year, I think this will become the principal mode of entry into this university.”[3]

Liberal arts degrees

UCL Arts & Sciences is similar to some liberal arts degrees which also encompass studies in mathematics, science, arts, and languages. There is a growing movement in Europe for a liberal arts education with nearly a dozen being established within the UK in the past couple of years.[17] There are now also many more UK liberal arts degrees for example in the universities of Exeter, Winchester, Birmingham, Kent, and King's College London.[18]

Touting the benefits of liberal arts education, David Oxtoby, president of Pomona College in California said "Narrow training that prepares you for one particular career just doesn't work any more". He believes a liberal arts degree is also good for society. "The broader benefit is preparing educated citizens, people who will take an active part in society, who will be intelligent voters, who can read a newspaper, understand the issues and be part of an educated electorate.".[19]

References
  1. "Prospective Students". Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  2. "UCL launches innovative new Arts and Sciences undergraduate degree". Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  3. Guttenplan, D.D. (May 12, 2013). "In Britain, a Return to the Idea of the Liberal Arts". New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. Worton, Michael. "Big picture from all angles". Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  5. "Language". Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  6. "Internship". Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. "UCL Arts & Science People". UCL. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  8. "Thomas Kador". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  9. "Sara Wingate Gray". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  10. "Beth Parkin". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  11. "Vin Walsh". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  12. "Brenda Parker". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  13. "Steve Price". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  14. "Elodie Douarin". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  15. "Christian Spielmann". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  16. "Graham Woodgate". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  17. "Liberal Arts in the UK". London School of Liberal Arts. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  18. Rosen, Aaron. "College: It's not just 'Made in the U.S.A.'". Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  19. Attwood, Rebecca. "It's the breadth that matters". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
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