Course summary
Studying BA Philosophy and Politics will allow you to develop critical capacities and gain insight into how political theories, organisations and communities work. You will learn skills from both subjects that employers value, including how to analyse evidence, assess experts’ arguments, work collaboratively to solve difficult problems, and write with clarity and precision. Rather than learning a body of work, the philosophical element of your degree will equip you with the reasoning skills needed to formulate, present, defend and criticise philosophical and political positions. The political element is structured around three main streams: Political Thought, Political Institutions and International Relations. As well as developing your research skills, you have the opportunity to study the politics and international relations of specific regions. You will undertake theoretical examinations that help to understand how to make sense of a complex and interconnected world. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to the course, 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. In your second year, you will further increase your knowledge by taking two core modules, Moral Theory and Political Philosophy, and you also have a wide selection of optional modules to choose from across both disciplines. 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). Reading Philosophy allows you to acquire an understanding of the issues of interpretation and comprehension in reading primary authors, through a detailed study of four thematically related texts. Democratic Political Systems provides you with detailed knowledge of two democratic political systems and their context. The module encourages you to critically assess key aspects of these systems and to apply the knowledge gained in order to investigate theories of democratic politics at greater depth. Political Theory lays the basis for a systematic understanding of the role that key political ideals, values and theories play in shaping modern political thought: justifying and critiquing political institutions and public policy, and influencing political behaviour and change. You will be introduced to the contested nature and boundaries of political theories and ideas, offering initial insight into the significance of this contestation for wider human activity. Examples of optional modules: International Security, Interdependence and Organisation; Global Regions in International Relations; Introduction to International Relations; Introduction to Comparative Politics; Being Human: An Introduction to Post-Kantian Philosophy. Year 2 Core modules: Moral Theory develops an understanding of important moral theories past and present and is also intended to provide a background to applied ethics. Political and Social Philosophy examines how philosophical perspectives can aid understanding of social and political issues, and how social and political issues can have relevance to philosophical theories. Examples of optional modules: Philosophy of Mind; Language, Logic and Reality; Fundamentals of Logic; Early Modern Philosophy; Philosophy of Religion; Philosophy of Science; History, Science and Medicine; The Philosophy of Economics and Politics: Theory, Methods and Values. Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking a placement year or year abroad) Core module: The final year includes a philosophy or politics-focused Dissertation in which you research a topic in depth and present your findings and conclusions. Examples of optional modules: Issues in Contemporary Ethics; Metaphysics; Twentieth Century European Philosophy; Applied Ethics; The Ethics of Violence in International Relations; Culture and Conflict in American Politics; The New Germany; Nations and Nationalism.
Assessment method
Assessment varies by module but may include essays, end-of-year examinations or a combination of the two. In your final year, you will conduct your own independent research and submit a dissertation, which allows you to explore in-depth a topic of your choice. Your dissertation will make up one-third of your final-year marks.
How to apply
This course is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact the provider to find out more.
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:
- LV25
- 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
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - DDD
T Level
Our contextual offer for this programme is A level ABB (or equivalent) including A in at least one Humanities or Social Science subject. 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 |
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 |
Channel Islands | £9250 | 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