Entry requirements
96 UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 2 A levels (or equivalent).
UCAS Tariff Points accepted.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above.
UCAS Tariff
UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 2 A levels (or equivalent).
About this course
Tackle the big questions that have mystified humanity since the dawn of consciousness and learn how the greatest thinkers have tried to answer them. Discuss, debate and develop your thinking as you learn invaluable skills for your future employment.
This course will introduce you to the really big puzzles that have fascinated humanity for centuries. You’ll consider questions like ‘who are we?’, ‘what can we know?’ and ‘what should we do to lead worthwhile lives?’, and learn how past thinkers have attempted to answer them.
With modules that focus on European philosophy, you’ll discuss and debate issues around art, science, literature and politics, and develop your thinking to become more rigorous, systematic and creative.
You’ll study the ideas and arguments of some of the major philosophers in history through their own writings, and explore the fundamental theories of metaphysics, aesthetics, moral and political philosophy and literature.
Philosophy will train you in skills of immediate relevance to today’s society, such as critical analysis, argument, reflection and judgement.
Modules
Year one, core modules
Ancient Philosophy
Rights and Responsibilities
Introduction to Philosophy
Western Civilisation 1: Antiquity to the Renaissance
Western Civilisation 2: Reformation to the Modern Age
Year one, optional modules
Current Topics in Ethics
Year two, core modules
The Rationalists: Early Modern Philosophy
The Empiricists
Mind and World
Ethics
Year two, optional modules
Philosophy of Art
Existence and Authenticity
Applied Ethics
Year three, core modules
Major Project
Varieties of Scepticism
Year three, optional modules
Enlightenment and Modernity: The Philosophical Legacy
Reason and Religious Belief
Philosophy Special Subject
Concepts of Good and Evil
Media and Philosophy
Optional modules available all years
Anglia Language Programme
Assessment methods
For a full breakdown of module options and credits, please view the module structure.
You’ll demonstrate your learning through a combination of exams, essays, portfolios, presentations, reviews and reports, as well as your final-year Major Project.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Cambridge Campus
Humanities and Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Philosophy
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Philosophy
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Although there aren't a lot of jobs around for professional philosophers, philosophy degrees are a relatively popular option, with more than 2,000 students graduating in a philosophy-related subject in 2015 - a little down on previous years, but still healthy. Nearly a quarter of philosophy graduates take a postgraduate qualification, and it's a relatively common subject at both Masters and doctorate level — so if you think academic life might be for you, think ahead about how you might fund further study. For those who go into work, philosophy grads tend to go into teaching, accountancy, consulting, journalism, PR, housing, marketing, human resources and the arts while a few go into the computer industry every year, where their logical training is highly rated.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Philosophy
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£15k
£19k
£19k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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