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Philosophy

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

UCAS Tariff

128

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Philosophy

**Why Lancaster?**
Our distinctive programme includes both Western and non-Western philosophy, with a strong emphasis on how ideas connect up with practical issues
Learn from academics who contribute to discussions about public policy and law in the UK and overseas
Gain practical experience with an internship organised by the Richardson Institute for Peace Studies, known for its cutting-edge research
Take part in events organised by our lively Philosophical Society, including debates, essay prizes and visits by guest speakers
Achieve a degree that prepares you for a wide range of career paths and is well-regarded by employers across the spectrum
Intrigued by fundamental questions such as the nature of right and wrong? Truth and knowledge? Faith and reason? Keen to learn how philosophers from both Western and non-Western traditions have discussed these topics? Philosophical ideas can help us understand and respond to contemporary practical issues, as well as timeless problems of human existence.

**A rich and varied programme**
You’ll study famous thinkers from the Western tradition of philosophy, such as Plato, Kant, Descartes and Nietzsche. You’ll also learn from our experts in non-Western philosophy with their insights into Indian and Islamic traditions. We also place particular emphasis on how philosophy is relevant to daily life.

You may wish to specialise in the more practical side of philosophy, exploring moral and political questions such as obligations to future generations or the basis of ethics. Or you may opt to focus more on the more theoretical side, exploring logic or the relationship between mind and body. You’ll discover connections between abstract and more practical ideas – for example, how the nature of knowledge connects with scientific enquiry, communication and even conspiracy theories.

**Putting your studies into practice**
You can apply for one of the internships offered every year by the Richardson Institute for Peace Studies, based in our department. These are research projects in external organisations such as NGOs, think tanks, charities and faith-based organisations. We also offer placement opportunities in a range of organisations, from roles in arts and heritage organisations, to media and marketing agencies.

The University runs short, overseas trips to give you the chance to experience a different culture. In the past these have included Malaysia, India, Ghana, China and the US, visiting the J.F.K Presidential library, the United Nations and the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

The Uni


Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Read full university profile

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.

87%
Philosophy

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

83%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
48%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

79%
Library resources
95%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
67%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
50%
Male students
50%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

16%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
14%
Teaching and educational professionals
11%
Other elementary services occupations

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.

£18k

£18k

£25k

£25k

£24k

£24k

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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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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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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