27-05-2025
Cardiff University set to scale down music and languages degrees but scrap two others
Cardiff University has announced it plans to close its ancient history and religion and theology degrees, and scale down its music and modern languages courses.
The university announced plans to make 400 staff – around 7% of the workforce – redundant and reduce a number of degree courses, initially including nursing, in January, with that number then reduced to a proposed 286 in April, after a number of staff had already opted for voluntary redundancy.
In an update sent to staff on Tuesday, Cardiff University's vice-chancellor, Professor Wendy Larner, said it now proposes to retain its offerings of modern languages and music research and education but with revised structures and a smaller staff base, within a new School of Global Humanities.
That new school would continue to offer undergraduate and postgraduate music degree programmes, but with revised entry targets and content, while also continuing its offering of modern languages programmes, but to smaller cohorts and primarily in French, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese.
But degrees in ancient history, and religion and theology, would come to an end after students enrolling this September for 2025-26 complete their courses.
Professor Larner said: "Having considered the case very carefully, we have decided not to revisit the proposal to cease named single and joint honours degrees in ancient history, and religion and theology. I do understand that this will be very disappointing news for all academics who are deeply committed to these disciplines.
"We will of course continue to offer our current set of degree programmes for 2025-26 and are committed to teaching all students entering next September until the completion of their degree in these subjects."
Addressing staff, the vice-chancellor acknowledged the "anxiety that the Academic Future project has created for many of you, and I hope that today's announcement brings some reassurance. There is much work yet to be done to realise the ambitions of this new School, and I hope you will feel able to play a part in this."
Professor Larner added that the new School of Global Humanities would seek to expand the university's translation degree provision, continue to offer Languages for All "with the languages offered there shaped by student demand", and develop a "new suite of degree programmes to fulfil the ambitions of the new School – challenge-oriented, inclusive, co-created and committed to advancing the Public Humanities agenda".
The new proposal will now be put to University Council on 17 June for its approval.
In April, the university announced that an 'alternative proposal' had been put forward which would see the university retain adult, child and mental health nursing, with a smaller number of undergraduates being recruited.
