University of Bath records 50% increase in applications to study subject, but modern languages continue to decline in popularity

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Chemical engineering and criminology are becoming increasingly popular degree subjects, but the take-up of modern languages continues to fall, according to English universities.

Applications to study chemical engineering at the University of Bath shot up by 50% this year, with computer science courses also in high demand.

Mike Nicholson, the director of student recruitment and admissions at Bath, said: “Why there’s a sudden enthusiasm to become chemical engineers I’m not quite sure, normally it’s linked to a TV programme, but applications for chemical engineering have gone through the roof.”

A-level results show rise in entries for traditional subjects Read more

Computer science has also gained in popularity. “Computer science has been in the doldrums for years, but over the last two or three years, it’s back on the agenda,” said Nicholson. “[But] we are seeing a decline again in modern languages.”

At Birmingham City University, criminology has been extremely popular this year, according to the head of admissions, Julie Mason. Health courses have attracted high volumes of applications, as students seek nursing and midwifery courses before NHS bursaries disappear for 2017 entry, when they will be replaced by loans.

In terms of A-level subjects, there has been a 15% increase in the number of students studying computing, to 6,000, while religious studies has gone up by 6% to 23,000 and economics has risen by 5% to 28,000.

A-level entries this summer show that critical thinking and general studies are falling out of favour, with the former continuing on a downward spiral of 50% to 100 and the latter down by 35% to 12,000.

Leisure and the performing and expressive arts are also down, both by 15%, as the established trend to study traditional academic subjects favoured by elite Russell Group universities continues.