Course: Liberal Arts B.A.

It is, if…

• You are interested in key issues of our globalised world such as social justice, migration flows, climate change, gender relations, challenges posed by artificial intelligence or an increasingly digitally networked world.  
• You would like to pursue these and many other questions within the framework of a broad, interdisciplinary and methodologically sound academic education.
• You want to benefit from a challenging education which stresses critical thinking and building responsible personalities.
• You are interested in spending a financially subsidised semester abroad at a one of our Erasmus+ partner universities.
• You want to benefit from a programme which trains you specifically in key academic skills through core courses such as academic writing, digital literacy, presentation and rhetoric etc.
• You want to study in an intercultural environment together with students from all over the world in a highly attractive and student-friendly city.

It is not, if...

• You are particularly or even exclusively interested in one or two specific academic subjects. In this case (and if you have sufficient German), you might be better off studying in the combinatorial bachelor's programme at the University of Regensburg.
• You find it difficult to concentrate on longer and more complex texts (non-fiction or fiction) or if you simply have no interest in reading any text of a longer format.
• You struggle to understand English texts, for example on the level of a newspaper, or if you cannot follow most English-language films without subtitles, then maybe studies in your native language are preferable.

On the combined Bachelor's degree programme in Humanities (B.A.), you will study two or three subjects at the same time. The degree programme can be combined from a wide range of subjects. You can either choose a second major subject (60 ECTS) or two Minor Subjects (30 ECTS each) in addition to the Bachelor's subject (90 ECTS).

The degree programme also includes a final thesis (10 ECTS) and a free elective courses in (20 ECTS). The total workload corresponds to that of a single-subject degree programme.

The subjects involved in the combined Bachelor's programme can be found in the list of BA combined subjects (German version).

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) information brochure provides (German version) (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible) an in-depth insight into the Bachelor's degree programme in the humanities .

Voluntary internships often complement the degree programme in order to explore different professional fields as well as to acquire practical skills and apply theoretical knowledge.

1st Semester:

• Introductory Module: foundational courses in History, Social Sciences, and Cultural-/Literary Studies
• Transferable Skills: Academic Writing*
• Language Course: English B2.2 or another language if you already have a C1 level in English

2nd Semester:

• “Gateway-Semester”: Three courses on the same overarching theme, each from one of the three disciplines
• Language Course: English C1.1 or another language
• Transferable Skills: Choose one course (Digital Literacy, Intercultural Communication, Presentation & Rhetoric, ‘Great Books’)

3rd Semester:

• Two interdisciplinary phenomenon-based courses**
• Regular Course: a discipline-specific course
• Transferable Skills: One additional course from the list above

4th Semester:

• Two interdisciplinary phenomenon-based courses**
• Regular Course: a discipline-specific course
• Transferable Skills: One additional course from the list above

5th Semester:

• Two interdisciplinary phenomenon-based courses**
• Regular Course: a discipline-specific course
• Transferable Skills: One additional course from the list above

6th Semester:

• Erasmus semester abroad OR
• Stay-Home Option: a six-week internship and an internship colloquium, several Area Studies courses

7th Semester:

• Thesis-Related writing course
• Colloquium
• Bachelor thesis

When?
The procedure takes place once a year for admission in the winter semester. The application deadline is July 15.

Who must participate?
All applicants are required to complete the aptitude assessment procedure.

What is assessed?
The programme is looking for applicants with:

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• A substantial interest in social, historical, and cultural contexts
• Solid English language proficiency

How does the procedure work?

First Stage:
School grades – particularly in German/native language, English, history, and another subject in the humanities or social sciences – as well as the overall grade of the higher education entrance qualification are evaluated. Depending on the outcome, the procedure may be successfully completed or terminated at this stage.

Second Stage (if necessary):
Applicants who fall within a middle range in the first stage or whose grades are not (yet) fully available must additionally complete either a written aptitude test or a selection interview (in English). This stage assesses skills in interdisciplinary and critical thinking, and understanding of cultural, social, and historical contexts.

Application
Applications must be submitted through the University of Regensburg’s online application portal (external link, opens in a new window). Please register on the portal (click on "Apply and enrol as student") and follow all the steps described there. Should you run into any problems, please let us know and we will help you.

Required documents include information about the higher education entrance qualification (your secondary school leaving certificate), and proof of English language proficiency (at least level B1+, but we very strongly recommend a level of B2+!). For applicants with a German "Abitur": your English level is usually stated on your school leaving certificate.

If you're unsure whether you already have the recommended level of B2 or higher in English, you can test your skills with these free online test:

Cambridge English Language Assessment (external link, opens in a new window) (please choose the "General English" test)

British Council Online English Level Test (external link, opens in a new window) (to take this test, you need to register on the British Council website first - a quick and easy process).

If you don't reach the recommended level of at least B2 in these tests, it might be good to reconsider whether a degree that is completely taught in English is the right choice for you at this stage.

Please note: if you are an international candidate and do not have a German "Abitur", please make sure your individual university entrance qualification allows you to enrol in our degree programme. If it does not, we can unfortunately not consider you as a candidate. The uniassist homepage has a very helpful tool that will help you find out whether your entrance qualification allows you to study in Germany and if so, which subjects. See here (external link, opens in a new window). If your country is not listed or you are in any way unsure of the result, please contact us and we will try to help.

If you have any questions about the programme content, the subject requirements and the specific structure of the programme, please contact the

Course-related information and advice

The General Student Advisory Service (ZSB) supports you with all questions relating to your studies - from the decision to study and admission to the course of study and successful graduation.

If necessary, the ZSB will refer you to the appropriate contact person.

General Student Advisory Service