Course summary
With our BA Philosophy course, you'll examine some of our most fundamental ideas about truth, reality, right and wrong, and challenge society's views about them. Studying philosophy at the University of Reading will equip you with the ability to think logically, to evaluate arguments critically, and to challenge your own ideas and those of other people. We will give you an understanding of the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures. You will be taught by leading experts whose research strengths lie especially in moral philosophy and the philosophy of the mind and language. You will also have the chance to study non-Western philosophies, especially Indian philosophy. Philosophy is a flexible degree allowing you to shape your studies to your interests. You take six modules in your first year and only one is compulsory: Reason and Argument will introduce you to the general skills required for all philosophy. You can also select modules from outside the department. In years two and three you will have the opportunity to explore your chosen topics in more depth, with modules such as Ethics and Animals, Philosophy of Crime and Punishment and Philosophy of Religion. We achieved a 96% overall satisfaction score for BA Philosophy in the National Student Survey, 2020. You will be taught in small interactive seminar groups, encouraging discussion and debate with teaching staff and fellow students. You will be encouraged to undertake work placements, and there is the opportunity to study abroad in your second or third year. Placement We encourage you to take placements as they provide you with a chance to put your newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice as well as allowing you to gain valuable real-world experience. You can undertake a placement at any point in your degree and work in a company or charity relevant to your final year studies. For example, a previous student worked at a zoo to learn more about the ethical treatment of animals. Other students have chosen to study abroad for one term in their second or final year. Partner institutions include universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan or Australia. Careers Philosophy will give you a range of transferable skills. In particular, skills in clear thinking, logical analysis and the critical assessment of argument are greatly valued in a variety of professional careers such as law, politics, management and marketing. Recent graduates have found employment in the Civil Service, journalism, consultancy, finance, local and central government, and recent employers have included the Ministry of Defence, Cambridge University Press, local authorities and other universities. 92% of graduates from the Department of Philosophy are in work or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18; First Degree responders from Philosophy). Around one in four of our students continue their studies, including conversion courses and teacher training.
Course details
Modules
Sample modules may include:
- Reason and Argument
- Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy
- Global Philosophy
- Are we Free?
- Happy, Good and Meaningful Lives.
How to apply
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:
- V500
- Institution code:
- R12
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
Contextual offers for this programme are typically two grades beneath our standard entry requirement, e.g. BCC.
English language requirements
Test | Grade | Additional details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | 7 | We require a minimum score of 7.0 overall with at least 6.0 in each element of the test (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). |
TOEFL (iBT) | 100 | We require a minimum score of 100 overall with no less than 20 in Listening, Writing and Reading and 21 in Speaking. |
Cambridge English Advanced | A | We require a grade A or a score of 185 overall with no element less than 169. |
Cambridge English Proficiency | C | We require a grade C or a score of 185 overall with no element less than 169. |
PTE Academic | 76 | We require a minimum score of 76 overall with at least 64 in each element of the test (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). |
Institution's Own Test | Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP). We require a minimum score of 7.0 overall with at least 6.0 in each element of the test (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). | |
Trinity ISE | Pass | Only ISE III and ISE IV are acceptable and we require a Pass in each element. |
Full list of acceptable English Language Tests
Unistats information
The student satisfaction data is from students surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 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
England | £9250 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
EU | £19500 | Year 1 |
International | £19500 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
Provider information
University of Reading
Whiteknights House
PO Box 217
Reading
RG6 6AH