Undergraduate electives and pathways

Electives: Explore beyond boundaries

Electives give you the opportunity to venture beyond your degree subject and discover disciplines that inspire you. Most of our undergraduate degrees allow you to customise between 25% and 50% of your programme of study. With courses spanning anthropology to data science, creative writing to economics, psychology to sustainability, you can pursue your interests wherever they lead.

Broaden your horizons

Explore entirely new areas of study. Complement your business degree with Spanish. Enhance your computer science knowledge with creative writing. Combine business with communication studies, philosophy and sustainability. Study politics with philosophy and economics. The possibilities are vast.

Build transferable skills

Choose electives strategically to develop capabilities (link to core competencies page) that enhance your employability—from public speaking and data programming to contract law and financial accounting.

Follow your curiosity

Study what genuinely interests you. Whether it’s Shakespeare, sustainability, or Spanish language and culture, electives let you pursue knowledge for its own sake while earning academic credit.

Sample elective disciplines

Our diverse elective offerings include courses in disciplines such as:

• Anthropology
• Art History
• Business
• Communications
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• Data Science
• Economics
• English
• History
• Languages
• Law
• Maths
• Philosophy
• Politics & International Relations
• Psychology
• Sociology

Pathways: Earn recognition for specialisation

While electives offer flexibility, pathways provide structure for students who want to develop recognised proficiency in a particular area.

A pathway is an approved combination of at least three courses in a specific subject or theme, studied across at least two years of your degree in a subject outside your main degree discipline.

Official recognition

Complete a pathway, and you can earn formal recognition alongside your academic record at graduation—demonstrating to employers and postgraduate programmes that you’ve developed substantial undergraduate-level knowledge in that field, in addition to your main degree subject.

Strategic advantage

Pathways allow you to build a complementary skill set that enhances your studies in your main degree subject. Study computer science alongside your business degree. Develop data science capabilities to support your economics studies. Build legal knowledge that strengthens your politics qualification.

Pursue your passion

Choose a pathway in a subject you’re genuinely interested in, creating a more personally meaningful and intellectually rewarding university experience.

Available pathways

You can pursue pathways in:

• Art History
• Business
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• Data Science
• Economics
• English
• History
• Law
• Mathematics
• Philosophy
• Politics and International Relations
• Political Thought
• Psychology
• Sustainability
• Technology and Ethics

The freedom to evolve

Your interests and career goals may develop during your time at university—and that’s exactly as it should be. Electives and pathways give you the flexibility to respond to new opportunities, emerging interests, and changing career aspirations. You might arrive at Northeastern University London certain about your path, only to discover an unexpected passion through an elective. This adaptability isn’t just academically enriching—it’s excellent preparation for a world where the ability to learn, adapt and integrate diverse knowledge is increasingly valuable.

Your unique advantage

When you graduate, you won’t have the same degree as everyone else in your cohort. You’ll have a qualification that reflects your individual interests, strengths and ambitions. Whether you’ve explored widely through electives or built deep knowledge through one or more pathways, you’ll stand out with a distinctive combination of skills and knowledge that’s authentically yours. This is education designed for the real world—flexible, personalised and focussed on preparing you not just for your first job, but for a lifetime of professional growth and intellectual engagement.