About this course
Is there a god? Are our minds separate from our bodies? How much can we ever really know? On this 3-year BA Philosophy degree, you'll grapple with some of the most profound questions. You'll also develop critical thinking and analysis skills that will be essential in your future career.
This course will help you develop your own thoughts on abstract issues and introduce you to philosophical debate. You'll explore questions in core areas, such as:
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ethics
-
epistemology
-
metaphysics
-
philosophy of mind
-
political philosophy
You'll apply philosophical thought to practical questions on subjects including:
-
global poverty
-
future generations
-
sex and gender
-
artificial intelligence
As part of this course you can:
-
get involved in many events, including talks by visiting philosophers and activities arranged by the student-led Philosophy Society
-
take part in the Philosophy Café, where you can discuss philosophy in an informal, relaxed atmosphere
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develop research and presentation skills
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choose from a wide range of optional modules to follow your interests
-
explore subjects as varied as scriptwriting and Islamic philosophy
This degree is also offered with a year studying abroad.
Course location
This course is based at Avenue.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Download the programme specification
The programme specification sets out the learning outcomes of this course and details how the course is taught and assessed.
Entry requirements
For Academic year 202223
A-levels
ABB
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer:
BBB and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience.
Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows:
BBB
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 32 points overall with 16 points at Higher Level
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
International Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements.
Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction, Merit in the BTEC Extended Diploma
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus B in an A level
Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AB in two A levels
BTEC additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit
Access to HE additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Irish Leaving Certificate
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 B2
Irish certificate additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 M2 M2 in three principal subjects
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Welsh Baccalaureate
ABB from 3 A levels
or
AB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
European Baccalaureate
77% overall
Other requirements
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
IELTS score requirements
- overall score
- 6.5
- reading
- 6.0
- writing
- 6.0
- speaking
- 6.0
- listening
- 6.0
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
-
our Access to Southampton scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
-
skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
For Academic year 202122
A-levels
ABB
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer:
BBB and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience.
Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows:
BBB
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 32 points overall with 16 points at Higher Level
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
International Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements.
Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction, Merit in the BTEC Extended Diploma
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus B in an A level
Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AB in two A levels
BTEC additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit
Access to HE additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Irish Leaving Certificate
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 B2
Irish certificate additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 M2 M2 in three principal subjects
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Welsh Baccalaureate
ABB from 3 A levels
or
AB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics.
Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
European Baccalaureate
77% overall
Other requirements
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
IELTS score requirements
- overall score
- 6.5
- reading
- 6.0
- writing
- 6.0
- speaking
- 6.0
- listening
- 6.0
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
-
our Access to Southampton scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
-
skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
COVID-19: we've made some changes to the structure of the course for this academic year. Download the programme specification addendum in 'About this course' to learn more.
BA philosophy ensures that your learning is progressive and the first year gives you a grounding for the rest of your studies.
We have a broad and flexible curriculum, and offer a combination of small group and one-on-one tuition each year.
You'll have the freedom to shape your degree to suit your interests by choosing modules from a wide range of options, including modules outside philosophy.
You can enhance your studies by selecting:
You don't need to choose your modules when you apply. Your academic tutor will help you to customise your course.
Year 1 overview
You’ll take compulsory modules to develop your essential reasoning and argument skills. We'll introduce you to core areas of philosophy and the contributions of major figures.
You’ll also choose from optional modules such as:
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Ancient Greek philosophy
-
faith and reason
-
existentialism
Year 2 overview
You’ll take a compulsory module where you'll learn about the history of philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries.
You’ll also choose from a range of optional modules to investigate the theories, views and arguments in central areas of philosophy. These include:
-
moral philosophy
-
aesthetics
-
logic
-
ethics of global poverty
Year 3 overview
For your dissertation, you’ll demonstrate your research and planning skills by completing an independent research project.
You’ll also select further optional modules. These usually cover topics which academic staff are actively researching, and will introduce you to the latest thinking.
Options include:
-
studying the work of Nietzsche or Heidegger
-
looking at classical Indian or Islamic philosophy
-
philosophy of sex
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
For entry in Academic Year 2021-22
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules in year 1:
In both public and private life, we face difficult and pressing ethical questions every day. Should we give a proportion of our wealth to those in developing countries? Should we allow doctors to perform abortions or euthanasia and, if so, under what circ...
We all make moral judgements every day. Today you might have decided not to push into a queue because it would be unfair. You might think that murder is wrong but that it is still not permissible for the state to take an innocent life in retribution. You ...
Human beings have free will, and that is why they are responsible for their actions and choices. Or so we tend to think. But is it really so? Are our choices and actions not determined by factors outside our control—are they not the inevitable upshot of c...
According to rationalists, we can discover important truths about reality through the use of reason alone. The Rationalists of the 17th century, such as Descartes, Malebranche, Spinoza, and Leibniz, helped to found modern philosophy. In their seminal work...
One of the main reasons the study of Philosophy is valued by employers is that it develops an ability that is invaluable in all sorts of contexts: the ability to reason rigorously and correctly. All Philosophy modules aim indirectly to develop this skill,...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:
Philosophy has always progressed by being aware of its past, and it has been said that the legacy of the ancient Greek thinkers to Western philosophy is nothing less than Western philosophy itself. The ancients invented our subject, and Plato and Aristotl...
How should I live my life and does it matter that I do so in good faith? What is it to live an authentic existence in light of the fact that that existence will at some point end? How is living authentically or in good faith related to being oneself, an i...
Debates between believers and non-believers are often fierce and can appear intractable, while the differences between them leads to social tension, conflict, and even war. Non-believers frequently charge believers with irrationality; in response, believe...
Both individuals and society attach great importance and value to certain works of art, including poems, novels, films, plays, symphonies, and paintings. Most of us spend a considerable amount of our limited time and resources acquiring, creating, experie...
Year 2 modules
You must study the following module in year 2:
The 17th and 18th centuries, a period of great intellectual and social upheaval, saw the rise of Modern Philosophy. In continental Europe, the 'Rationalism' of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz argued for the capacity of reason to arrive at knowledge and und...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:
You might watch a stunning film, hear a delightful song, enjoy a beautiful sunset, read a dreadful poem, attend an elegant dance, or see a garish building. Experiences like this can stimulate thoughts and feelings of great depth, and provide pleasure or d...
Epistemology is dedicated to questions about the nature and structure of knowledge and justified belief. Some central questions in epistemology include: - What is knowledge? Why is it valuable? - To gain knowledge from a reliable source, does one n...
Ethics of Global Poverty examines the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world. Among the questions we will examine are: What obligations do we have to help strangers in need? What bases might such obligations have? Are s...
How will the arts get working again after Covid-19? This is a critically important question for everyone who cares about them, artists and audiences alike. If you’re a student considering a career in the arts you’ll want to know where fresh opportunities ...
Ever since Aristotle, philosophers have been interested in developing formal systems of logic to refine our ability to distinguish valid from invalid arguments and to further our understanding of the nature of logic and validity. The aim of this module is...
We all make moral judgments and think about moral questions. For instance, you might think that torture is typically wrong but wonder whether it may sometimes be right. Whereas normative ethics tries to answer these questions, metaethics is concerned with...
Metaphysics is the study of what kinds of things there and what they are like in the most general terms. We have both a common sense picture of the world and a scientific picture of the world, and sometimes these two appear to conflict. Part of the job of...
Moral philosophy is concerned with questions of right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and vice. Such questions are familiar: can it be right to lie to someone to avoid hurting their feelings? Is it okay to favour my friends and family, or should I be impa...
Can there be a proof that God exists? Or might phenomena such as suffering serve to show that an omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent being cannot exist? Such questions are central to the philosophy of religion; attempting to answer them leads us to ...
Philosophy of mind explores questions about the nature of the mind and mental states – states such as perceptual experiences, beliefs, desires, and emotions. What is the mind? Is it an immaterial substance? Is it the brain? Is it something like a computer...
Year 3 modules
You must study the following module in year 3:
Students taking this module undertake research on a philosophical topic of their choice (subject to approval by the Department), and write a dissertation of 8,000 words on that topic.
You must also choose from the following modules in year 3:
W.B. Yeats writes 'The Second Coming'. Jean Sibelius composes his seventh symphony. Paul Cezanne paints his tenth picture of Mont Sainte-Victoire. All three are clearly acting in artistically creative ways; but how should we understand what they do, wh...
Philosophy flourished in classical India for well over a millennium, with figures in this tradition producing works that are on a par with those of figures in ancient Greece and late antique and medieval Europe. In fact, figures in classical India contri...
We are all familiar with fictions from Romeo and Juliet to Jaws, from The Hobbit to Harry Potter. Despite this familiarity, the nature of fiction and of our engagement with it appears puzzling. On the one hand, fictional characters do not exist. On the ot...
It seems clear that people’s lives can go well or badly. But what is it for one’s life to go well? Does it consist in feeling good more often than feeling bad? Or getting most of what you want? Or does it consist in achievement, friendship, knowledge and ...
How will the arts get working again after Covid-19? This is a critically important question for everyone who cares about them, artists and audiences alike. If you’re a student considering a career in the arts you’ll want to know where fresh opportunities ...
Reading the works of Friedrich Nietzsche is both exciting and troubling. He sets out to undermine the basis of many of our beliefs about values. Christianity, he believed, has had a powerfully negative effect on the potential of human beings. His method o...
For most of us, there is nothing more fundamental than our ability to interact with other people. We cooperate and compete in complex ways. Competing and cooperating in these complex ways requires that we understand and respond to many aspects of each oth...
In this module you will explore some major philosophical questions related to sex. We will begin by considering the nature of sex, discussing a range of theories of sex including the traditional view of sex as essentially connected to reproduction and “pl...
Socrates wants to cross a river and comes to a bridge guarded by Plato, who says: “Socrates, if you say something true, I will permit you to cross. But if you speak falsely, I shall throw you into the water.” Socrates answers: “You will throw me into the ...
We seem to know our own minds - our beliefs, desires, intentions, thoughts, feelings and sensations - in a distinctively secure and immediate way, without having to rely on observation of our own behaviour. Such self-knowledge seems different from knowled...
Wittgenstein is the most important philosopher of the twentieth century. He offers a sustained critique of many of the most common assumptions underlying much contemporary philosophy of mind and language. He explores, among other things, the questions of ...
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- individual and group projects
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Course time
How you'll spend your course time:
Year 1
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:
How we'll assess you
- debates
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
Your assessment breakdown
Year 1:
Year 2
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:
How we'll assess you
- debates
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
Your assessment breakdown
Year 2:
Year 3
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 3:
How we'll assess you
- debates
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
Your assessment breakdown
Year 3:
Academic support
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Course leader
Conor McHugh is the course leader.
Careers
You’ll graduate with a wide range of transferable skills such as
-
critical thinking
-
analysis
-
communication
-
mental agility
-
team working
Career skills are embedded at every stage of our courses and certain modules offer specific teaching in reasoning and communication.
Our Philosophy graduates have secured roles as diverse as:
-
publishing
-
journalism
-
IT
-
human resources (HR) coordinator
-
investment analyst
-
digital marketing coordinator
-
tax consultant
-
data analyst
-
project manager
-
teacher
This degree also provides a good foundation for further study at Masters or PhD level.
Careers services at Southampton
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:
work experience schemes
CV and interview skills and workshops
networking events
careers fairs attended by top employers
a wealth of volunteering opportunities
study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Work in industry
You can choose to spend a year in employment during this course.
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
Fees for a year's study:
- UK students pay £9,250.
- EU and international students pay £18,520.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant that's linked to your chosen subject area.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Funding for EU and international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
How to apply
When you apply use:
- UCAS course code: V500
- UCAS institution code: S27
What happens after you apply?
We will assess your application on the strength of your:
- predicted grades
- academic achievements
- personal statement
- academic reference
Some candidates will be invited to a selection day.
If the Admissions Tutor decides to invite you to a selection day we will send you an email. This will include information on how to prepare and what to expect during the session.
We aim to respond to you within 2 to 6 weeks with a decision about your application.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
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