Non-Euro mod lang degree course guide

This course offer students the chance to get to grips with the language and cultures of a major non-European country or countries?Photo: Jeff Blackler/Rex Features

"Any man who does not make himself proficient in at least two languages other than his own is a fool." Martin H. Fischer

What qualification do you leave with?

Usually a BA. Scottish universities typically offer MAs.

What does it cover?

Chinese courses seem likely to grow in popularity, as the country's economic boom drives new career opportunities for British graduates with linguistic capabilities. Degrees vary in the extent to which they emphasise contemporary Chinese – Leeds offers a course entitled "modern Chinese" – or the language in its classical form: London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) expects all students to study classical Chinese alongside the modern form for at least two years. Generally, options allow students to focus on subjects ranging from art and archaeology to literature and religion, and there are also chances to learn about Chinese business and enterprise.

Japanese is said to be one of the world's hardest languages, its lack of connection and similarity with English making it a challenging subject for many. Students on most courses will grapple with reading and writing the characters of the Japanese language, while building fluency in conversation, grammar and comprehension. Japanese degrees generally give undergraduates the chance to explore both the ancient origins of Japanese culture and its hi-tech contemporary expression, as well as taking modules on linguistics, the politics of Japan and its neighbours, and, in some cases, on the language and culture of proximate societies including China, Korea and Thailand.

Students wanting to immerse themselves in the language, cultures and often conflict-laden histories of the Indian subcontinent have a range of courses to choose from. At SOAS, South Asian Studies covers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with undergraduates specialising in one of six languages. At Edinburgh, students can take South Asian Studies in combination either with Social Anthropology or Sociology. At Leeds, a range of joint honours degrees cover South East Asian Studies, embracing Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. SOAS also offers courses in languages including Burmese, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean, while Sheffield also offers Korean.

Undergraduates attracted to the language and civilisations of the Middle East also have a range of possible destinations. Arabic – language, culture, history and politics – is taught at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester and SOAS, all of which also offer Persian, while Oxford, Manchester, SOAS and King's College London teach Turkish. Hebrew is taught at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and University College London. Middle Eastern Studies is offered by universities including Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Finally, students can take a degree in African studies at either Birmingham or at SOAS. Academics at Birmingham have particular expertise in West Africa, but the course covers the entire continent, including the historic relationship with Europe, the experience of the African diaspora in the Caribbean and the interaction of African peoples with Islam. Students also get the chance to learn the West African language of Yoruba. At SOAS, Yoruba is one of six languages taught, with the focus being on the culture, history and politics of sub-Saharan Africa.

What to expect

A chance to focus on any of a huge range of cultures, with language learning usually central.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Generally, an A-levels in the language to be studied is not required, with universities expecting that most students will begin language learning from scratch. In some cases, a language degree of some sort is preferred. Universities often make requirements of higher grades at GCSE in subjects such as English, maths and a language.

Career prospects

Modern linguists are generally in demand, and the small numbers of students taking many of these degrees will give them highly specialised skills in the jobs market. Graduates emerging with knowledge of the language and societies of countries including China, Japan and India will find business opportunities associated with the trade the UK does with these powerful economies. Graduates from the featured subjects also find work in non government organisations such as the United Nations, Oxfam and other charities, in the civil and diplomatic services, in teaching and in journalism.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Cambridge, Oxford, the School of Oriental and African Studies, Cardiff and Nottingham as the top five universities for East and South Asian Studies (including Chinese and Japanese) according to an index based on student satisfaction; entry standards; an assessment of the quality of the university's research; and graduate prospects. The guide does not provide ratings for other subjects listed here.

Performing arts degree course guide

What does it cover?

There tend to be three main elements to music degrees: performance, composition and musicology – the historical and scientific study of music – although the precise balance between the three can vary by course. It will also be heavily influenced by the individual's option choices. Universities can give the individual the option of tuition in up to two instruments along with the chance to build expertise of historical developments in music over the centuries and skills in critical analysis. Universities also offer specialist music courses, in subjects including popular music, music technology and music industry management, while joint honours degrees in combination with subjects as diverse as computing and fine art are also popular.

Drama and theatre studies degrees also blend the practical with the theoretical. Students get tuition in acting and in vocal skills, alongside studying the literature of the theatre: some courses cover dramatic writing from the classical era to today, with Shakespeare also prominent. Universities also offer chance to acquire a foundation in the skills of stage management, lighting, theatrical sound engineering, costume creation and stage design, while there are ample opportunities to take part in full-scale theatrical productions and some courses also allow the chance to take theatre to schools and care homes.

Dance degrees tend to focus on choreography and technique, underpinned by modules allowing opportunities for analysis of human movement, and teaching which puts the subject in its historical and cultural context. Students will become familiar with a range of types of dance, from ballet to street dance, and learn to engage critically with their own work and that of others. There are often opportunities to work with professional dancers, while productions are widely and understandably a staple of students' experiences. Some universities offer modules in which students perform for specific audiences outside the university, including in schools.

What can you expect?

While the accent for many will be on honing their performance skills, these degrees also provide academic and practical understanding of the foundations of these subjects which will be invaluable for some in future careers.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

For music, not all universities insist on an A-level in the subject, but performance to grade 8 is often required. Applicants may also be required to provide a recording of themselves performing.

For drama, universities vary in their requirements, some of them stipulating drama and theatre studies, others allowing English literature or wider humanities courses, and another group not specifying particular subjects. Many courses, though, will ask students to take part in an interview, audition or workshop.

For dance, some universities require or prefer dance or performing arts A-level, but they are in the minority. Students should expect to be interviewed and/or to undergo an audition.

Career prospects

Music graduates go on to jobs as performers, including in professional orchestras, and in composition (including film music composition) and music technology. They also take up work in arts administration, music teaching, publishing and journalism.

Drama graduates go on to become actors, directors, writers, designers, stage managers, technicians, drama teachers, TV researchers, producers and presenters and arts administrators, as well as entering wider careers such as public relations, marketing and publishing.

For dance, some graduates go on to teach, via Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses, while others find work either as dancers or behind-the-scenes work in dance companies. Dance therapy is another possible route, as, after further training, is physiotherapy.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, King's College London and Sheffield as the top five universities for music according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects. For drama/dance, Warwick, King's College London, Queen Mary, Manchester and Bristol top the guide's rankings.

Universities need Pepys as much as Newton

Leszek Borysiewicz: a university is defined by the breadth of its mission?Photo: ADRIAN SHERRATT / REX

For more than 800 years, the University of Cambridge has been a crucible of knowledge and culture. Our students and scholars – from Wordsworth, Wittgenstein and Pepys to Newton, Darwin and Crick – have contributed to society across the centuries. We value, in the widest sense, creativity and research across all disciplines.

Yet the current economic climate is encouraging many outside academia to assess universities’ impact in narrow, utilitarian terms, concentrating only on economic benefit or benefit to individual graduates and their employability. I believe that as global political and economic uncertainty increases, so does the danger of this viewpoint.

Cambridge is rightly celebrated for its innovation in science and technology – from the structure of the atom to the structure of DNA – and the university has more Nobel Prize winners than any other higher education institution in the world, in literature, economics and peace, as well as chemistry, physics and medicine. This reminds us that a university is not defined solely by science and technology but by the breadth of its mission.

And so it is essential that the full range of universities’ contributions is valued appropriately by the society we serve. The arts and humanities – which my colleague Professor Stefan Collini describes as “a series of disciplined attempts to extend and deepen understanding of human activity in its greatest richness and diversity, across times and cultures” – are an indispensable part of that contribution.

I am not alone in my concern. Reflecting on Cardinal Newman’s ideas on the role of the university, my predecessor as vice-chancellor, Professor Dame Alison Richard, observed: “The dichotomy between 'useful’ and 'not useful’ is itself increasingly 'not useful’.” With an anthropologist’s view of the benefits of biodiversity, she made a powerful case for its academic equivalent: “The case for breadth centres on the proposition that the greatest challenges facing the world today are of huge complexity and global scope, best tackled by people whose education enables them to integrate different fields of knowledge and work across conventional academic boundaries.”

As we face the aftermath of one recession and struggle to avoid another, governments are, reasonably, focused on short-term financial perspectives. But as an 800-year-old academic institution and one of the world’s leading universities, Cambridge has a responsibility to take the long – as well as the broad – view.

Recent debates on higher education have focused on undergraduate teaching, obscuring the true scope and nature of universities by neglecting their research role – even though the benefit to students of being taught by those with active research careers is transformative.

To address complex questions of critical importance requires research across many disciplines and over the long term. Cancer prevention offers a good example, not least because the disease presents a complex challenge: the core problem cannot be addressed by science alone.

I trained as a doctor and spent most of my career in academic clinical medicine, studying cervical cancer. A UK-wide vaccination programme has been under way since 2008 and take-up has been excellent. But just as a safe and effective vaccine depends on the best clinical research, in a society that exercises free choice, successful take-up depends on a programme whose acceptability to patients must be informed by rigorous social science research that complements and completes the medical science.

This is not to argue that humanities and social science research exists only to serve science, technology and medicine. Understanding the causes and consequences of human behaviour is an end in itself, and there are many examples of arts and humanities research at Cambridge that bring social benefit or help illuminate pressing global concerns.

Migration and multiculturalism are two of those concerns, and in March this year, Cambridge launched a collaboration with two German universities using the latest research on German history to shed new light on immigration and guest workers.

Given that declining populations mean Western Europe as a whole must face up to a need for immigration, we should welcome the fact that historical scholarship can help inform this debate.

Closer to home, academics from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics recently set up the Cambridge Bilingualism Network. Working in local primary schools where pupils speak dozens of languages, the Network is bringing the latest linguistic research into the classroom to help parents and teachers nurture the gift of bilingualism.

In economic hard times, who will look to the long term? Governments will not; stockmarkets cannot; businesses dare not. Instead, we must look to our universities, which by virtue of their autonomy can build the disciplinary breadth and long-term vision to discharge that responsibility.

Over 800 years we have discharged it to the benefit of Britain and the world, and we discharge it best by remaining committed to the arts and humanities. Cambridge this week is celebrating these disciplines and how they enrich all our lives, in the third annual Festival of Ideas – a showcase for Collini’s description of richness and diversity, across times and cultures.

Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz is vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge

IT and Computer Science degree course guide

Computer scientists are much sought after by employers and can command high salaries?Photo: BRC Designs/Rex Features

"The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed." William Gibson

What qualification do you leave with?

Students usually leave with BSc but at University College London there are both MEng courses which stretch for an extra year as well as a three year BSc programme.

Degrees are usually three years but combined Masters courses as well as many opportunities to study

What does it cover?

Most computer science courses combine two strands, basic theories behind computer functions (ie algorithms) and more applied work such as Java programming. The initial course at UCL is 'Computer Architecture' which gives students a basic understanding of the structure of computers and the ways in which they hold information. Other common areas of study are professional specifications for software projects and the workings of microprocessors. Students then finish their degree with a large individual project which, at UCL, has included students designing commercially available iPhone applications and software which manages the reams of data already gathered on the athletes likely to compete in London 2012. Goldsmiths, University of London, run undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes that include the application of computer science to the arts, media, music, design, games, psychology and business.

At undergraduate level at the University of Bedfordshire, 17 specialist BSc degrees courses are on offer.

What can you expect?

Whilst most people think some kind of voodoo magic enables our phones to receive emails, computer science students are amongst the few humans who can fully comprehend how small devices like laptops and phones manage to do all the things we ask them to.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

UCL requires students to have mathematics at A level and – for their mathematical computation programme – further mathematic too. Some institutions will only require strong GCSE results in maths but students need to show that this is an area that they are passionate about and determined to succeed in.

Career prospects

It may have become a hackneyed truism but computers play an increasingly fundamental part in our lives, from managing financial transactions between international corporations to letting us stream television programmes we've missed earlier in the week. This therefore gives computer scientists a shaman-like position in society, opening doors to well-paid jobs across the public and private sectors.

Top places to study

The latest Complete University Guide (published in April 2011) rates Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, UCL and Bristol as the top five universities for this subject according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research, and graduate prospects.

Physics degree course guide

Students initially look at the theoretical strands of physics, from waves and lasers to quantum mechanics and relativity?Photo: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features

"Physics is imagination in a straight jacket." John Moffat, physicist

What qualification do you leave with?

Students get a BSc or an MPhys if they do a combined undergraduate and masters degree.

Usually a three year degree but with all the possible specialisms and opportunities for further study, it's not difficult to find students on four year programmes.

What does it cover?

Such is the breadth of physics – it does seek to understand the entire universe – there are many areas which students can concentrate on later in their degrees such as the physics behind sound and music to electromagnetism. Students looking for the chance to concentrate on extraterrestrial and intergalactic areas of study might want to go straight into an Astronomy or Astrophysics degree, where the birth of our Solar System, planetary structure and the behaviour of stars are all explored if they are yet to be fully explained.

What can you expect?

Physicists may be still on the hunt for a theory of everything but what they do know is still pretty impressive. From the origins of our universe to the power involved in a motorway accident, Physicists are very good at finding an opportunity to apply their skills to answer the most profound questions and to better understand the details of everyday life.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Students will find it difficult to be accepted – or to keep up if they are – unless they've taken Physics and Maths to A-level.

Career prospects

From the progress of nanotechnology to the reams of data that the Large Hadron Collider is currently accumulating, the edge of human knowledge is creeping further into unchartered territory so whilst the jobs and areas of research of tomorrow might be impossible to predict, the need for physicists to explore and explain the universe will undoubtedly always be there.

Top places to study

The latest Complete University Guide (published in April 2011) rates Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews, Durham and Imperial College as the top five universities for this subject according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects.

Other modern European languages degree course guide

Modern linguists are generally in demand, thanks to their ability to communicate where others fail?Photo: Markku Ulander/Rex Features

"Language is the dress of thought." Samuel Johnson

What qualification do you leave with?

Usually a BA. Scottish universities typically offer MAs

What does it cover?

Portuguese, Scandinavian and Russian/Eastern European studies enable students to get to grips with languages and cultures which are less widely-studied in the UK. This potentially gives graduates in these subjects scarcity value for employers, while often these courses benefit from having small teaching groups. All these courses include linguistic study, from beginner level, throughout the degree, and also offer a year abroad at university, working in a school or on work placement.

Portuguese, which outside the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is usually offered in combination with another subject in a joint honours degree, gives students the chance to acquire fluency in the language, histories, literature, film and wider culture not only of Portugal, but of Brazil and of African nations including Angola and Mozambique. It is also possible to study Portuguese as part of Hispanic Studies courses which also embrace Spanish language and culture. (See Spanish/Hispanic Studies).

Scandinavian Studies courses are available at the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and University College London. Students get the chance to learn Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, while encountering the literature of their specialist country from the Middle Ages to the modern period, studying the history and politics of the region and being given the chance to specialise in aspects ranging from linguistics to music. Specialist options include "The Enlightenment in Scandinavia", "Ingmar Bergman and cinema" and "Nordic welfare states and social democracy". UCL also offers modules covering Finland and Iceland, and a course in Viking Studies.

Russian/Eastern European studies is more widely offered, and allows students to investigate these rapidly developing though persistently enigmatic societies, their often traumatic histories and their rich cultural backgrounds. Students will be able to select options including a focus on Russian writers including Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, on modern Russian history, on individual personal experiences of the Soviet regime and, in some courses, to take complementary language study in Czech, Polish or Ukrainian.

European Studies tends to emphasise contemporary continental politics and history, which students can study while building fluency in one or two European languages. Some courses, such as that at University College London, also offer students the chance to specialise in aspects of European civilisation much wider than politics, including anthropology, law, philosophy and urban planning, while modules taught at the University of Essex include "sociology of the new Europe" and "art, sex and death in 18th century Europe". Students will also learn about the institutions and politics of the European Union.

What to expect

A chance to follow your interests in learning about fascinating cultures less commonly investigated in this country.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

These degrees tend not to insist on the relevant language at A-level, as they offer teaching in the subject for beginner linguists. Teaching is, however, generally tailored so that those who do have proficiency will be taught at a higher linguistic level in the degree's initial years. Many courses require or prefer a language of some kind at A-level. Good GCSE grades in English, maths and sometimes a language are also often stipulated.

Career prospects

Modern linguists are generally in demand, and those fluent in either Portuguese, in Scandinavian languages or in Eastern European languages have the added advantage that their skills are relatively rarely found in Britain. Graduates with Portuguese, benefiting from the language's connection with Brazil, and Russian linguists, will gain in particular from the fast-developing opportunities associated with these countries' booming economies. Graduates in these subjects find work as translators/interpreters, in international companies, in journalism and broadcasting, in teaching and in the civil and diplomatic services. European Studies graduates are particularly well-placed to work within the institutions of the European Union.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, St Andrews and Bath as the top five universities for Iberian Languages according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects. For Russian and East European Languages, the guide's top-ranked universities are Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Exeter and Bristol. The guide does not provide ratings for Scandinavian Studies and European Studies.

Forensic Science degree course guide

Television programmes and scientific advancements have made forensic science an exceptionally popular career choice?Photo: United National Photographers/Rex Features

"Nature composes some of her loveliest poems for the microscope and the telescope." Theodore Roszak

What qualification do you leave with?

Students leave with a BSc but many students specialise in crime scene science as a postgraduate.

It usually takes three years to complete a BSc.

What does it cover?

Students usually begin with getting a good grounding in some of the fundamental scientific ideas which underpin forensic science such as cellular chemistry, genetics, physiology and criminal psychology. Students are then gradually able to apply these ideas to forensic settings and at the University of Bedford this culminates with students working with new areas of forensics such as DNA profiling and compiling legal case studies. Students at Teesside University have access to a mock courtroom and must produce a professional standard photographic portfolio for assessment.

What can you expect?

Students might find the glamour of CSI quickly dissipates and human tragedy comes to the fore but forensic scientists are responsible for keeping us safe from some of our most dangerous fellow citizens.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Applications come from quite a diverse pool of students but at least one science at A level will usually be expected.

Career prospects

The government's own Forensic Science Service warns potential applicants that "generally, all applicants have achieved a high standard with many having gained a PhD, Masters or other postgraduate qualification". This means that if students are looking to take a role in a forensic science lab then their undergraduate studies might be only the beginning of a long process. Alternatively, a student's broad legal and scientific knowledge can make him/her useful employees in a large range of research and management roles in both the public and private sectors.

Top 10 computer science degree courses

IT and computer science degree students at Edinburgh University are the most privileged when it comes to the amount of money spent on them by their department. Just under ￡20,000 was spent on each of the 455 graduates last year. The course also has one of the lowest student to staff ratios in the country, with eight students to one teacher. Unsurprisingly, 85 per cent of course graduates left saying how satisfied they were.

This list is compiled from data on employment prospects provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. For a full comparison see the Telegraph University and Course Finder tool.

Picture: ITV/Rex Features

Agriculture & Forestry degree course guide

Agriculture and forestry degrees have emerged as vital fields of science, applied art, and technology.?Photo: LYNN M. STONE / Nature Picture Library/Rex Features

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver." Martin Luther

What qualification do you leave with?

Commonly students leave with a Bachelor of Science (BSc).

Most students complete their studies in three years but many institutions will expect you to have built up a number of months of work experience before you begin (perhaps to make sure students are used to waking up before dawn).

What does it cover?

Farming in the UK is changing and farmers are being forced to diversify. For this reason core early courses now often include business and food production as well as crop and livestock science. Environmentalism and even agricultural marketing are included in agricultural degrees and institutions such as the Royal Agricultural College and Harpers College organise paid placements on farms whilst larger institutions such as the highly-ranked University of Nottingham have their own out-of-town campuses where students can learn about farming, the environment and animal husbandry first hand. The University of Nottingham also offers an Agriculture and European Studies degree which allows students to gain an extra language (complete with relevent terminology) and experience farming methods in another country. The National School of Forestry at the University of Cumbria runs a Forestry and Woodland Managment undergraduate degree and a masters degree in Forest Ecosystems Management which enable students to design sustainable forests and better understand the inner workings of the UK's wooded regions. A range of Agricutural and Forestry degrees enable students to concentrate on animal welfare, soil science, environmentalism, business management and many other specialisms.

What can you expect?

A lot of walking outdoors, getting muddy shoes, rosy cheeks and frozen hands. Students will come away with the tools to appreciate and protect one of the UK's most valuable and yet threatened resources: our green spaces.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Nottingham's top-rated agriculture course usually requires two A-levels in science subjects whilst the forestry course accredited by the University of Cumbria looks for roughly the equivalent of three Cs at A-level from students. More than many subjects, agriculture and forestry students will be expected to have shown a commitment prior to arriving for interview and work experience or previous employment in the sector is as good as mandatory for many institutions.

Career prospects

As well as the obvious career route into farming or gamekeeping, students find employment in consultancy, working for companies that support farming, country park management and environmentally focused charities and businesses.

Top places to study

The latest Complete University Guide (published in April 2011) rates Nottingham, Reading, Harper Adams, Aberdeen and Queen's Belfast as the top five universities for this subject according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects.

Top 10 medicine courses

The University of Oxford offers medicine degree students the best combination of employment prospects and course satisfaction, according to the Telegraph University and Course Finder tool.

Last year, 100 per cent of its students found employment within six months of graduating. 95 per cent of those students declared themselves satisfied with the course.

The school is also very generous: last year it spent ￡47,784 per student, more than any other institute named in this top 10.

‧ For a full comparison see the Telegraph University and Course Finder tool.

Picture: Charles Bowman, Robert Harding, John Lawrence / Rex Features

Geography and environmental science degree course guide

It's very possible that some of this century's most important figures will be geographers?Photo: KPA/Zuma/Rex Features

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida

What qualification do you leave with?

As geography covers areas of anthropology, chemistry, biology and history and many other diverse subjects, both BA and BSc degrees are available.

Three years is the standard length but the opportunities to study abroad and/or learn a language to aid the research process means students can easily extend their degree by one year.

What does it cover?

In the first year, students are usually taught the basics behind the two major areas of geography: human and physical. This might mean studying immigration and urban development as well as theories behind earthquakes and cloud structure. The vast array of fields of study mean that second and third year are often dominated by elected options where students can concentrate on subjects such as deforestation, climate change, earth history and tectonics. Oxford University offers courses in the geographies of finance and studies in post-Communist Russia in latter years and the London School of Economics' whole department concentrates on studying societies, history and other areas of human geography. Sussex, meanwhile, offers a final year course in the biogeography of tropical rainforests as part of their BSc programme.

What can you expect?

Gone is the stereotype of the boring geography lessons that plagued older generations' school lives. Thanks to climate change, globalisation and events such as 2011's Japanese earthquake, geography has become political and moved to the cutting edge of scientific research.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Geography, for most places, is a must. Other A-level requirements are usually dictated by the areas of study on which a student wishes to focus. A BSc programme that looks into declining polar bear numbers might not look too kindly on a sociology qualification but it would be useful for a programme that concentrates on urbanisation and developing economies.

Career prospects

Individuals who can advise local government or business on being more environmentally friendly are extremely valuable and the growing importance of climate change and conservation in the political arena means that 'green' industries are growing rapidly. This focus also makes a career in research – exploring the world's most interesting corners – a very real possibility for many graduates.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Durham and Bristol as the top five universities for geography and environmental science according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects.

Other creative arts: film studies/photography, craft, imaginative writing degree course guide

Craft BAs tend to last three years. FdA craft courses usually take two years.

Imaginative writing degrees usually last three years.

What does it cover?

The emphasis in film-related courses tends to vary, depending on the institution, between developing a more academic understanding of cinema and the moving image, and hands-on practical work creating films. Examples of the former approach include the course at Southampton, where modules on "early silent cinema from 1825 to 1928" and "utopian and dystopian science fiction cinema" compete for students' attention beside practical work in a modern video production suite. Courses in film production and cinematography, by contrast, see much more emphasis on building vocational skills of production, directing and editing. Nevertheless, almost all courses include both theoretical/critical and practical modules.

Photography courses tend to have the development of students' photographic skills at their core, with critical, contextual and historical modules used in support to build students' analytical understanding. Courses often culminate in a final degree show of students' work. At universities including Leeds and Roehampton, undergraduates can combine film studies and photography.

Craft degrees can be categorised as those offering the chance to follow an initially broad-based course, such as in design crafts or three dimensional design, and then to specialise within that course; and those targeted throughout at a specialist craft field, including jewellery, furniture design, textiles, theatrical design and embroidery. Most will combine extensive technical and practical work with more theoretical or conceptual study, interaction with current professionals including work placements, and often the opportunity to showcase your work in a degree show.

Creative writing degrees focus on building students' literary and imaginative skills, with guidance not only from course tutors – many of whom will be professional writers themselves – but often from visiting writers and through discussion with fellow students in workshops. Students will also explore the work of established writers through extensive reading. Britain also boasts several scriptwriting degrees, embracing writing for the theatre and radio alongside television and film, as well as courses focused specifically on writing for the screen. Again, the approach is to focus on developing individual writing capability, while developing background understanding of the craft. Workplace placements are often central to these courses.

What can you expect?

The chance to develop practical creative skills while building theoretical and background knowledge. This will prepare many graduates for a place in Britain's established and often thriving creative industries.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Film studies/photography: universities often prefer candidates to have passed an A-level in English or a media or arts-related subject. There is a strong chance they will want to interview you, too, and you may be asked to provide examples of your creative work.

Craft: some universities prefer candidates to have an A-level or equivalent in art and design or a related subject. Some require students to have taken a foundation course. Many students will be interviewed, and it is routine for candidates to have to produce examples of their work.

Imaginative writing: students can expect to be interviewed, while many universities also ask for examples of their creative writing. Some universities require or prefer undergraduates to have achieved success in English Literature A-level or in wider arts/humanities A-levels.

Career prospects

Film studies/photography. Though there is high competition for entry to the visual industries, they also provide varied career opportunities. Students with experience and flair in visual arts get work in film production, screenwriting, advertising, the video games industry, web design, journalism, and commercial, architectural, art and fashion photography.

Craft: these are vocationally-orientated degrees, preparing undergraduates to put their skills to use in the commercial or artistic worlds, so students generally tend to seek employment directly related to that field, from jewellery to furniture design.

Imaginative writing: some creative writing students do go on to become professional writers of fiction, although this is a highly competitive field. Others go into newspaper and magazine journalism, the book trade, library and archivist work and lecturing, or into the less directly related careers of web design, marketing and publicity and administration. Script/screenwriting students go into writing for TV, film and radio, as well as working in the computer game field, in script reading and editing and in wider careers in the media and communications.

The top 10 nursing degree courses

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Non-Euro lang degree course guide

This course offer students the chance to get to grips with the language and cultures of a major non-European country or countries?Photo: Jeff Blackler/Rex Features

"Any man who does not make himself proficient in at least two languages other than his own is a fool." Martin H. Fischer

What qualification do you leave with?

Usually a BA. Scottish universities typically offer MAs.

What does it cover?

Chinese courses seem likely to grow in popularity, as the country's economic boom drives new career opportunities for British graduates with linguistic capabilities. Degrees vary in the extent to which they emphasise contemporary Chinese – Leeds offers a course entitled "modern Chinese" – or the language in its classical form: London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) expects all students to study classical Chinese alongside the modern form for at least two years. Generally, options allow students to focus on subjects ranging from art and archaeology to literature and religion, and there are also chances to learn about Chinese business and enterprise.

Japanese is said to be one of the world's hardest languages, its lack of connection and similarity with English making it a challenging subject for many. Students on most courses will grapple with reading and writing the characters of the Japanese language, while building fluency in conversation, grammar and comprehension. Japanese degrees generally give undergraduates the chance to explore both the ancient origins of Japanese culture and its hi-tech contemporary expression, as well as taking modules on linguistics, the politics of Japan and its neighbours, and, in some cases, on the language and culture of proximate societies including China, Korea and Thailand.

Students wanting to immerse themselves in the language, cultures and often conflict-laden histories of the Indian subcontinent have a range of courses to choose from. At SOAS, South Asian Studies covers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with undergraduates specialising in one of six languages. At Edinburgh, students can take South Asian Studies in combination either with Social Anthropology or Sociology. At Leeds, a range of joint honours degrees cover South East Asian Studies, embracing Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. SOAS also offers courses in languages including Burmese, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean, while Sheffield also offers Korean.

Undergraduates attracted to the language and civilisations of the Middle East also have a range of possible destinations. Arabic – language, culture, history and politics – is taught at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester and SOAS, all of which also offer Persian, while Oxford, Manchester, SOAS and King's College London teach Turkish. Hebrew is taught at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and University College London. Middle Eastern Studies is offered by universities including Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Finally, students can take a degree in African studies at either Birmingham or at SOAS. Academics at Birmingham have particular expertise in West Africa, but the course covers the entire continent, including the historic relationship with Europe, the experience of the African diaspora in the Caribbean and the interaction of African peoples with Islam. Students also get the chance to learn the West African language of Yoruba. At SOAS, Yoruba is one of six languages taught, with the focus being on the culture, history and politics of sub-Saharan Africa.

What to expect

A chance to focus on any of a huge range of cultures, with language learning usually central.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Generally, an A-levels in the language to be studied is not required, with universities expecting that most students will begin language learning from scratch. In some cases, a language degree of some sort is preferred. Universities often make requirements of higher grades at GCSE in subjects such as English, maths and a language.

Career prospects

Modern linguists are generally in demand, and the small numbers of students taking many of these degrees will give them highly specialised skills in the jobs market. Graduates emerging with knowledge of the language and societies of countries including China, Japan and India will find business opportunities associated with the trade the UK does with these powerful economies. Graduates from the featured subjects also find work in non government organisations such as the United Nations, Oxfam and other charities, in the civil and diplomatic services, in teaching and in journalism.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Cambridge, Oxford, the School of Oriental and African Studies, Cardiff and Nottingham as the top five universities for East and South Asian Studies (including Chinese and Japanese) according to an index based on student satisfaction; entry standards; an assessment of the quality of the university's research; and graduate prospects. The guide does not provide ratings for other subjects listed here.

Non-European modern languages degree course guide

This course offer students the chance to get to grips with the language and cultures of a major non-European country or countries?Photo: Jeff Blackler/Rex Features

"Any man who does not make himself proficient in at least two languages other than his own is a fool." Martin H. Fischer

What qualification do you leave with?

Usually a BA. Scottish universities typically offer MAs.

What does it cover?

Chinese courses seem likely to grow in popularity, as the country's economic boom drives new career opportunities for British graduates with linguistic capabilities. Degrees vary in the extent to which they emphasise contemporary Chinese – Leeds offers a course entitled "modern Chinese" – or the language in its classical form: London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) expects all students to study classical Chinese alongside the modern form for at least two years. Generally, options allow students to focus on subjects ranging from art and archaeology to literature and religion, and there are also chances to learn about Chinese business and enterprise.

Japanese is said to be one of the world's hardest languages, its lack of connection and similarity with English making it a challenging subject for many. Students on most courses will grapple with reading and writing the characters of the Japanese language, while building fluency in conversation, grammar and comprehension. Japanese degrees generally give undergraduates the chance to explore both the ancient origins of Japanese culture and its hi-tech contemporary expression, as well as taking modules on linguistics, the politics of Japan and its neighbours, and, in some cases, on the language and culture of proximate societies including China, Korea and Thailand.

Students wanting to immerse themselves in the language, cultures and often conflict-laden histories of the Indian subcontinent have a range of courses to choose from. At SOAS, South Asian Studies covers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with undergraduates specialising in one of six languages. At Edinburgh, students can take South Asian Studies in combination either with Social Anthropology or Sociology. At Leeds, a range of joint honours degrees cover South East Asian Studies, embracing Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. SOAS also offers courses in languages including Burmese, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean, while Sheffield also offers Korean.

Undergraduates attracted to the language and civilisations of the Middle East also have a range of possible destinations. Arabic – language, culture, history and politics – is taught at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester and SOAS, all of which also offer Persian, while Oxford, Manchester, SOAS and King's College London teach Turkish. Hebrew is taught at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and University College London. Middle Eastern Studies is offered by universities including Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Finally, students can take a degree in African studies at either Birmingham or at SOAS. Academics at Birmingham have particular expertise in West Africa, but the course covers the entire continent, including the historic relationship with Europe, the experience of the African diaspora in the Caribbean and the interaction of African peoples with Islam. Students also get the chance to learn the West African language of Yoruba. At SOAS, Yoruba is one of six languages taught, with the focus being on the culture, history and politics of sub-Saharan Africa.

What to expect

A chance to focus on any of a huge range of cultures, with language learning usually central.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Generally, an A-levels in the language to be studied is not required, with universities expecting that most students will begin language learning from scratch. In some cases, a language degree of some sort is preferred. Universities often make requirements of higher grades at GCSE in subjects such as English, maths and a language.

Career prospects

Modern linguists are generally in demand, and the small numbers of students taking many of these degrees will give them highly specialised skills in the jobs market. Graduates emerging with knowledge of the language and societies of countries including China, Japan and India will find business opportunities associated with the trade the UK does with these powerful economies. Graduates from the featured subjects also find work in non government organisations such as the United Nations, Oxfam and other charities, in the civil and diplomatic services, in teaching and in journalism.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Cambridge, Oxford, the School of Oriental and African Studies, Cardiff and Nottingham as the top five universities for East and South Asian Studies (including Chinese and Japanese) according to an index based on student satisfaction; entry standards; an assessment of the quality of the university's research; and graduate prospects. The guide does not provide ratings for other subjects listed here.

Geography degree course guide

It's very possible that some of this century's most important figures will be geographers?Photo: KPA/Zuma/Rex Features

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida

What qualification do you leave with?

As geography covers areas of anthropology, chemistry, biology and history and many other diverse subjects, both BA and BSc degrees are available.

Three years is the standard length but the opportunities to study abroad and/or learn a language to aid the research process means students can easily extend their degree by one year.

What does it cover?

In the first year, students are usually taught the basics behind the two major areas of geography: human and physical. This might mean studying immigration and urban development as well as theories behind earthquakes and cloud structure. The vast array of fields of study mean that second and third year are often dominated by elected options where students can concentrate on subjects such as deforestation, climate change, earth history and tectonics. Oxford University offers courses in the geographies of finance and studies in post-Communist Russia in latter years and the London School of Economics' whole department concentrates on studying societies, history and other areas of human geography. Sussex, meanwhile, offers a final year course in the biogeography of tropical rainforests as part of their BSc programme.

What can you expect?

Gone is the stereotype of the boring geography lessons that plagued older generations' school lives. Thanks to climate change, globalisation and events such as 2011's Japanese earthquake, geography has become political and moved to the cutting edge of scientific research.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Geography, for most places, is a must. Other A-level requirements are usually dictated by the areas of study on which a student wishes to focus. A BSc programme that looks into declining polar bear numbers might not look too kindly on a sociology qualification but it would be useful for a programme that concentrates on urbanisation and developing economies.

Career prospects

Individuals who can advise local government or business on being more environmentally friendly are extremely valuable and the growing importance of climate change and conservation in the political arena means that 'green' industries are growing rapidly. This focus also makes a career in research – exploring the world's most interesting corners – a very real possibility for many graduates.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Durham and Bristol as the top five universities for geography and environmental science according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects.

University: there's no better place to be at the age of 18

Welcome to university. You’ve probably received a lot of advice about what lies ahead, but now you have to cast that aside and find your own way. Before you embark, however, can I offer a few words of wisdom? I’ve been at university (as a student or teacher) since 1973, so hear me out.

Life starts here. For most of you, this will be the first time you experience living on your own, away from the watchful gaze of parents. Even those who continue to live at home will find that family life is never quite the same. Dare I say it, but you are now officially an adult.

Be careful. Independence, like Jagermeister, is an intoxicating brew. You are now able to stay out late, drink to excess, and pursue whomever you fancy. (You may have done all that already, but possibly not with such complete abandon.) Beware, though, for the freedom to do anything often turns into a temptation to do nothing. Every once in a while you will need to remind yourself that you’re at university not simply to get a life but also to get an education.

Your time at university will probably be the most turbulent and intense period of your life. A huge horizon stretches before you; you’ll learn and you’ll love with a passion that is frightening. Not all the lessons will come from books; in fact, few of them will. The best thing you’ll learn is how to live with others.

You’ll make friendships that will endure for ever, and the times that you’ve shared with fellow students will, 50 years hence, be bathed in a warm glow. You’ll also probably fall deeply in love, since most students do – some in serial fashion. University produces what I like to call a surge in the urge to merge. So look around during that first lecture: your future spouse could be two rows back, or a few in front.

I love students. I love the fact that, every year, I come into contact with so many bright, inquisitive minds who enrich my life. Most are a credit to good parenting; I constantly find myself hoping that my own children will turn out as well-rounded, dynamic and just plain nice.

Students are the true believers in education – without them, there would be no universities. Most are hungry to learn and still idealistic enough to believe that the little chunk of knowledge they acquire might make the world a better place or, at least, make them a better person. That is what you give me – a belief that progress is still possible.

You’re an elite, but please don’t act like one. Your performance on exams has qualified you for special treatment. While others your age are struggling to find work, or being ground down by it, you have been given three or four years of cossetted treatment in a completely unreal world. The Ivory Tower beats the factory floor hands down. So enjoy yourself, but don’t forget that you have a mandate to fulfil and those who have invested in you rightfully expect a return.

A university education used to be free. It is no longer. Many of you will have to find part-time work to pay your way; some will find that poverty diminishes the educational experience. But always remember: the fees you pay are a small part of what it costs to run a university. Don’t ever forget that the costs of your education are paid in the main by the working people of Britain, the majority of whom have never had the experiences you will enjoy. Higher education is a privilege, not a right.

The football manager Paul Sturrock, a good man, deals every day with young men who take their gifts for granted. They sometimes forget that the ability to kick a ball is not enough by itself to succeed. He has constantly to remind players that if they don’t work hard, they are traitors to their talent. In order to drive that message home, Sturrock occasionally puts those who forget their good fortune on to a roof for a few hours, so that they might understand what life would be like if a living had to be made by fixing slates. There but for the grace of God go you…

A university education will bring untold riches, not all of them financial. Some of you will find your way into highly paid professions, others will land careers which pay no more than the roofer earns. But the experience should not be measured by salary alone. Wealth comes in many forms. Whatever income you eventually earn, you will one day understand that higher education is the best bargain on earth.

When I see young students chatting with new friends in coffee bars during freshers week, I can’t help but enjoy vicariously their blossoming world. There’s no better place to be at the age of 18. The real world will remain on hold while you indulge in glorious enrichment. Enjoy yourself. But don’t blow it. Don’t you dare betray the gifts you’ve been given.

Gerard DeGroot is professor of modern history at the University of St Andrews