Course summary
Studying BA Philosophy and Psychology allows you to confront and study profound questions concerning human psychology and the nature of the human mind. There are numerous areas of overlap making these subjects particularly suitable to study alongside each other. Within the philosophy discipline you will confront questions such as ‘What does a flourishing human life look like?’ Embarking on this subject will equip you with the skills needed to think carefully and deeply about what matters in a good life, and how individual happiness is related to friendships, relationships, family, society, the political system and culture. The psychology element is designed to give you an understanding of the mind and behaviour in humans and non-human animals. You will get the chance to study people in terms of their internal mental processes, the biological mechanisms that underlie their behaviour, and the social and developmental context in which they act. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four. Philosophy is a new subject for many students, so in your first year you will follow a range of introductory courses, introducing the fundamental philosophical subject areas. You will also take a number of comparable introductory modules in psychology. In your second year, you will further increase your knowledge by taking four compulsory modules in philosophy and psychology, and you also have a wide selection of optional modules to choose from for both subjects. The third year includes a dissertation that allows a deep, independently driven, exploration of a topic of your choice.
Modules
Year 1 Core modules: Ethics and Values provides a structured introduction to moral philosophy, including applied ethics, by exploring key moral concepts and showing how they influence moral practices and theories. Knowledge and Reality introduces philosophical problems in epistemology (the study of knowledge), and metaphysics (the study of reality and ourselves). Introduction to Psychological Research introduces key research methods and statistical techniques used in psychology. Examples of optional modules: Reading Philosophy; Science, Medicine and Society; Introduction to Psychology 1: Cognitive and Biological Psychology; Introduction to Psychology 2: Developmental and Social Psychology. Year 2 Core modules: Philosophy of Mind provides a grounding in modern philosophical psychology and an understanding of those key concepts required for a proper characterisation of the mind, from both a first-person and a third-person perspective. Social and Developmental Psychology provides a broad knowledge and understanding of research and theory in some of the key areas of developmental psychology and examines the contribution that social psychology has made to an understanding of the relations between people and social structures involving people. Cognitive and Biological Psychology develops an understanding of theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches in cognitive and biological psychology, with particular emphasis on visual neuroscience and visual cognition. Advanced Psychological Research develops your experimental design and statistics knowledge. In this module you will also discuss psychological research in a tutorial context and develop skills in studying classic papers in psychology. Examples of optional modules: Language, Logic and Reality' Early Modern Philosophy; Moral Theory; Fundamentals of Logic; History of Science and Medicine; Political and Social Philosophy; Philosophy of Religion; Philosophy of Science; The Philosophy of Economics and Politics: Theory, Methods and Values. Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking a placement year or year abroad) Core modules: Differential and Clinical Psychology will develop your knowledge of theory and research in differential psychology, the study of psychological differences and similarities between people and understanding of theory and research in atypical and clinical psychology. Psychology Project. Drawing on skills developed through the course you will work as a pair or a small group to carry out an investigation in psychology. You will formulate a research question, investigate and analyse the issue and interpret the results before writing up an individual 4,500-word project report. Philosophy Short Dissertation. In the short dissertation you will conduct an extensive study or survey of a philosophical problem or author, under the guidance of a supervisor, and produce a written account of your findings. Examples of optional modules: Revolutions in Modern Philosophy: Kant and other Trailblazers; Philosophical Issues in Contemporary Science; Aesthetics; Twentieth-Century European Philosophy; Applied Ethics; Issues in Contemporary Ethics; Biomedical Ethics Past and Present; Metaphysics; History and Philosophy of Psychiatry.
Assessment method
Modules are assessed by essays, some by an end-of-year examination and some by a combination of the two. In your final year, you will submit a dissertation that details your own original work. This is a great way to explore a topic that you are passionate about, and to showcase the many skills that you have gained during your degree.
How to apply
This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you’re eligible to apply.
EU
Wales
England
International
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Republic of Ireland
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- CV85
- Institution code:
- D86
- Campus name:
- Durham City
- Campus code:
- O
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - AAA
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDD
Access to HE Diploma - D: 30 credits M: 15 credits
Scottish Higher - AAAAB
Scottish Advanced Higher - AAA
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 37 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015) - Not accepted
Extended Project - Not accepted
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H2, H2, H2, H2, H2
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal - D3, D3, D3
GCSE/National 4/National 5
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - DDD
T Level
Our contextual offer for this programme is A level BBB (or equivalent) plus a Grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics. To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
English language requirements
Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.
English language requirements
https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Student Outcomes
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
EU | £25500 | Year 1 |
England | £9250 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
International | £25500 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Provider information
Durham University
The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE