Joint Honours

What it is

A joint honours degree splits your time between two academic subjects, usually 50/50 or 60/40. You attend lectures and seminars in both departments, follow two sets of assessments, and complete a dissertation or final project that touches at least one of the disciplines.

Typical combinations include Business and Marketing, English and History, or Computing and a language. Some universities also offer joint honours routes with optional study abroad or professional placements.

Why it matters

Joint honours allow you to keep doors open if you enjoy multiple subjects or want a cross-disciplinary career. Admissions tutors look for applicants who can manage mixed workloads and explain the connection between their subjects in a personal statement.

From a funding perspective, Student Finance treats joint honours like any other full-time degree, but you should plan your timetable carefully so part-time work or childcare does not clash with two sets of exams.

Common mistakes

• Underestimating timetable clashes: Two departments may schedule compulsory classes at the same time, so stay in close contact with course admins.
• Writing a generic personal statement: Explain why the combination makes sense rather than describing each subject separately.
• Assuming equal assessments every year: Some courses rebalance credits in Year 3, so review the structure ahead of time.

How UniStart helps

UniStart highlights joint honours routes inside the course search filters, so you can compare how each university splits modules. Advisors can also help you plan a personal statement that ties your subjects together clearly without sounding repetitive.

Next steps

• Use the UniStart app to shortlist joint honours courses and flag their key deadlines.
• Book a call with an advisor to map out workload and placement opportunities.
• Read our multi-subject personal statement checklist to prepare your UCAS draft.