UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
Philosophy may be studied on its own as a Single Honours degree or in a variety of
combinations: as part of a Joint Honours,
an Interdisciplinary Honours or a
Major/minor Honours programme. The
programmes normally extend over three years, or four years in the
case of Joint Honours with languages and those including Foundation
English Language. Students take six modules per year, each module
being worth 20 credits. Each year you should therefore accumulate
120 credits in order to progress. Every programme offers the
possibility of gaining a Certificate after the satisfactory
completion of one year's study (120 credits), or a Diploma after
two years (240 credits). It is also possible to study any of our
programmes on a part-time basis (see
below).
Philosophy appeals to people with a wide range of interests and
aptitudes, with backgrounds in the sciences or the arts. To help
you decide if Philosophy is the right choice of subject for you, we
list some of the key features of studying the subject, some of the
personal qualities we look for in our students and how you might
demonstrate these in your application on the page Is Philosophy the Right Subject for Me?
Modules
For more details on the programme structures and modules, please
click on the programme titles. Information about individual
Philosophy modules may also be accessed directly via the Module Catalogue.
Single Honours
There are two ways of studying philosophy as a Single Honours
subject. In the first year you, five of six modules are core
Philosophy modules, giving you a solid grounding in the subject
discipline. For the sixth, you may choose among a number of other
modules to make up the credit balance. In each year you may, if you
wish, take up to 20 credits outside Philosophy. The BSc is aimed at
applicants with a science background. There no restrictions on
module choice in either programme, though there is an expectation
that students taking the BA will take the Philosophy Dissertation
in their final year.
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Joint Honours
Philosophy may be taken in the following combinations. In terms
of annual credits, these are 60/60 combinations (in each year
students take 60 credits in each subject). The modules studied are
precisely the same as those for Single Honours students, but as a
Joint student you take only half of them.
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Interdisciplinary Honours
These degrees enable you to take a wider range of related
courses while specialising in one of them. In the first year the
credit combination is 40/40/40, after which you may vary it to suit
your interests.
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Major/minor Honours
These degrees are available in 80/40 annual credit combinations
except Law with Philosophy - 100/20. There are no restrictions on
which Philosophy modules you may take. The Law with Philosophy and
Psychology with Philosophy programmes are professionally
accredited.
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Including Foundation English Language
We also have three four year programmes specifically designed
for overseas students who require some additional English language
supervision before entering into the study of their chosen
subject(s). These programmes are not suitable for absolute
beginners in English and require IELTS 5.0 or the equivalent level
of English language competence.
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Part-time
Courses
We also offer part-time Certificates, Diplomas or Degrees after
the satisfactory completion of two, four and six years' study
respectively on any of the above programmes. Applications for the
part-time programmes should be made directly to the
department and not through UCAS.
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