Philosophy and Economics

UCAS code: VL51

Here's what University of Southampton says about its Philosophy and Economics course.

About this course An Economics and Philosophy degree at Southampton provides you with an opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to fundamental questions of human welfare, social justice, political ideals and economic realities. Both subjects encourage you to train your skills in critical thinking and rigorous analysis. You’ll develop an understanding of philosophical issues such as ethics, reason, and responsibility, as well as study broad principles in economics, and develop knowledge in a specialist area, such as labour economics, principles of finance, or econometrics. The course is taught by active researchers, allowing you to engage with the latest developments in the field, including artificial intelligence and climate change.

A degree in Philosophy cultivates a deep understanding of human existence, thought, morality, and the nature of reality. Graduates are equipped with impeccable analytical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills – valuable assets in virtually any profession. This is reflected in our Graduate Outcomes where 95% of our Philosophy graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation" (Graduate Outcomes, 2022/2023, published 2025)

Key features of the course:

• Customize your degree, with a wide range of optional modules, within Economics and Philosophy and across other disciplines.

• Benefit from small group sizes and personalized attention from lecturers and tutors, with a chance to explore your ideas in depth.

• Career skills are embedded at every stage of our courses and a dedicated introductory module focuses on internships, online training, and professional skill-building.

• Explore the Social sciences laboratory and the Financial laboratory (FinLab), a realistic trading room environment

• Study and research through cutting-edge technology at the Digital Humanities facilities, such as virtual reality, 3D scanners and printers, and a 360 degree fully immersive audio-visual centre.

Study Support You’ll be taught by supportive experts who know you as an individual. Small-group seminars and personal tutors will help you build confidence. Beyond academics, you’ll have access to wellbeing resources, peer mentoring, and careers advice, all in a friendly, welcoming community.

Further information The BA Economics and Philosophy is a three-year, full-time course at our Avenue Campus. You can also apply to add a year abroad or placement year, extending your degree to four years. For details, visit our course page.

The programme is designed to ensure that your learning is progressive. You will move from developing foundational skills in Philosophy and Economics in the first year, to leading your own self-directed research project in the final year. Over the course, you will delve into a range of modules in theoretical and applied subject areas, as guided by your personal interests.

Year 1: You will develop foundational skills in critical thinking and economic analysis. Year 2: You will deepen your understanding of both subjects and the links between them, with dedicated modules such as Rationality, Preference, Wellbeing and Fairness. Year 3: You will personalise your degree through a self-directed dissertation project on a topic of your choice, and will choose from a range of specialist modules, each led by active researchers in the field.

You will also have opportunities to tailor your learning through student-selected units and an elective placement.

For a full list of modules available please visit the course page.

The learning activities for this course include the following:

• lectures
• classes and tutorials
• coursework
• individual and group projects
• independent learning (studying on your own)