<p>I’m currently a Junior (eleventh grader). I would like to do Liberal Arts after graduating and my dream school is Cambridge (UK). Apparently Liberal Arts originated from here but so far I haven’t been able to find any information that hints at Cambridge offering this. How can I know for sure ?</p>
<p>Secondly, I would like to know that if I did two years of Liberal Arts and then continue on to major in Psychology and Philosophy, would it be possible for me to get an MBA in Business ? Or do I have to major in Maths and Physics to be able to continue on for a Business MBA ? My prefered career path is an investor/banker.</p>
<p>In most traditional English universities (including Oxford and Cambridge) a student is expected to register to study one field exclusively. There is no such thing as a liberal arts general education together with a major or concentration as in US colleges. The general assumption is that high school is where you build your general background not university. </p>
<p>The Cambridge education is based on the Tripos system which is typically a 3 year bachelor program. You can pick from a number of Tripos in the humanities including English, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, history. You can also study law, management or economics. </p>
<p>Thank you for your answer ! So is it correct to understand that I have to pick a major if I wanted to continue with education in the UK ?</p>
<p>Do you know about the answer to my second question then ? Like if I wanted to major in Psychology/Philosophy from Cambridge, would I be able to continue on to study for an MBA in Business ?</p>
<p>And something I have just thought of -Would your app have more of an edge if you applied from the UK to US universities ? And would that be the same case if you applied from a US boarding school to Oxbridge ?</p>
<p>Yes. When you apply to graduate programs in business, you undergraduate major can be anything. Since MBA programs don’t usually take applicants straight out of college, what you do after you graduate determines your chances of getting into a good MBA program.</p>
<p>“And something I have just thought of -Would your app have more of an edge if you applied from the UK to US universities?” No. It’s usually the other way around. Here’s the general preference of international students: 1st choice: going to Ivy Leagues schools, Stanford, MIT, Duke, etc. with financial aid. 2nd choice: going to Oxbridge if didn’t get financial aid at American schools (without aid, graduating from Oxbridge in three years saves about 35-45 percent compared to graduating from Ivies in four years). 3rd choice: going to elite American schools without financial aid (most expensive option).</p>
<p>“And something I have just thought of -Would your app have more of an edge if you applied from the UK to US universities ? And would that be the same case if you applied from a US boarding school to Oxbridge?” No. What matters is your SAT. If your SAT is above 2100, then you have a good chance.</p>
<p>Liberal Arts did not originate from Cambridge. As a university founded in the Middle Ages, Cambridge would have focused on the traditional liberal arts in that time period. As the other posters pointed out, however, curricula at present-day British universities require specialization in a particular subject. If your use of the term, Liberal Arts refers to a broad general education, this is not typically a feature of British university degrees. If your use of the term, Liberal Arts refers to expected outcomes of such a program, e.g., analytical skills, writing skills, etc., you could certainly develop your skills in those areas in a Cambridge degree program. </p>
<p>At Cambridge, it is possible to broaden the areas of ones studies by doing a Part I Tripos in a different subject than your Part II Tripos. In Psychology, you typically would do a Part I Tripos in either Natural Sciences or in Social & Political Sciences. You would specialize in either Experimental Psychology or Social & Developmental Psychology in your Part II Tripos. Other pathways might be possible, including a Part I Tripos in Philosophy. Depending on your subjects, however, this might extend the length of your program. For additional details, consult the undergraduate prospectus for the both the Experimental Psychology and Social & Developmental Psychology programs.</p>
<p>You can enter an MBA from a variety of different major. You would not need to major in Math or Physics to continue in an MBA program; Psychology or Philosophy would be appropriate. The better MBA programs typically require a period of relevant work experience for entry.</p>
<p>You do understand that the application process to UK universities is radically different from that of American universities. Check into Cambridge admissions requirements before considering if you want to apply.</p>
<p>If you told someone from the UK that you wanted to study “liberal arts”, they would probably think this was some kind of martial art or a painting programme! In all likelihood they would have no idea what you were talking about.</p>
<p>Education in the UK is very different. It is all about being focussed on one course of study. A “well-rounded” US student would be considered to be unfocussed. That is not a compliment here. </p>
<p>People always post “go to Scotland! It’s just like the US!”. This is so very untrue. Yes, the course lasts 4 years and yes, you can study more than 1 course in the first year (my sister did 3 courses in the first year at Lancaster, which is in Englnad, but that is an aside), but there the similarity ends. You study 3/4 subjects and then you have to specialise in one of them. You cannot switch randomly. For example, if you study English, History and law in year 1, you cannot then study physics in year 2. Study is nearly always cumulative in the UK. You would need to have to knowledge of year 1 physics to understand year 2 physics. There are no core courses or anything like that which you have to take. There isn’t a huge range of subjects and most people take a selection of related subjects.</p>
<p>So yes, there is generally more flexibilty in Scotland, but it’s nothing like being in the US.</p>