Almost 4,000 courses fall prey to university funding crisis, with humanities degrees hardest hit

Around 4,000 courses have been discontinued at UK universities over the past year, as financial pressures continue to put a strain on academic budgets.

Despite the rise in tuition fees across England and Wales for both home and international students, financial deficit looms ahead for several UK universities in the coming years.

Less selective universities have been most affected by the cuts, however elite universities, including those in the Russell Group, have not been immune to having to axe courses.

In a striking contrast to Canterbury’s reputation as a historic centre of culture, the University of Kent – which recently announced its merger with Greenwich – axed six courses during the last year, including art history, anthropology, and religious studies.

Four of The Sunday Times’ top 10 universities [Imperial College London, UCL, Bristol, and Warwick] have also had to discontinue degrees over the last year

Almost all the courses cut by Kent were SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy) courses – a pattern which has been reflected across the UK.

Attempting to save £13 million, the University of Bradford closed courses in film and television, as well as chemistry. This is despite Bradford being known for its rich film heritage, becoming UNESCO’s first City of Film in 2009.

Four of The Sunday Times’ top 10 universities have also had to discontinue degrees over the last year.

Imperial College London’s chemical engineering with nuclear engineering Masters’ course has been cut, along with its degree in materials with management.

University College London (UCL) has also cut its Greek and English course, while Bristol has axed single-honours languages degrees, revealing the sheer extent of course cuts.

Modern Foreign Languages have been under particular threat over the past decade, with course enrolments having halved since 2011

Warwick has also not been immune from course cuts, with the University axing its Electronic Engineering degree, as well as courses in Economics and Industrial Organisation.

The British Academy has expressed concerns over cuts to courses and departments, particularly SHAPE courses. Cuts to these courses, the Academy has said, will lead to the loss of diversity in knowledge and ideas and a drop in student choice, especially for students who want to study closer to home.

Modern Foreign Languages have been under particular threat over the past decade, with course enrolments having halved since 2011. Anthropology, classics, English, history, and drama degrees are also among those courses at particular risk of being axed.

Amid cuts in the Welsh capital, one Cardiff University languages student told the BBC that she was “shocked” at the closure of her course, which she said “made her as a person”.

In 2022-23, the international student population in the UK generated approximately £12 billion in tuition revenue.

In a survey of 60 UK institutions, 49% said they had closed courses in recent years, over half (55%) said they had consolidated courses, and 18% have shut entire departments

However, as universities face a drop in international student applications, along with a rise in staff salaries and infrastructure development, many higher education institutions are set to face a budget crisis in the coming years.

In a survey of 60 UK institutions, 49% said they had closed courses in recent years, over half (55%) said they had consolidated courses, and 18% have shut entire departments. Optional modules have also been removed in courses at 46% of these universities.

Professor Margot Finn, Vice-President for Research and Higher Education Policy at the British Academy, has stated that “short-term financial concerns and competition” are putting pressure on universities, and risking future generations’ choice of subjects.

Finn has also called for a review of higher education funding, as well as more regulation over the sector.