Course summary

Philosophy helps you to acquire the philosophical skills and background knowledge to enable you to engage with some of the deepest questions human beings have ever asked and History can enable you to understand them through past events. If you want to understand the past to prepare for your future in a changing world, studying History is the way forward. As well as covering modern, early modern and medieval Britain and Europe, our degree course offers considerable scope to study the wider world. You get the chance to question some of the prevailing myths, preconceptions and prejudices which surround the writing of History. Philosophy is for people who find they are bothered by questions that their friends can cheerfully ignore; people who do not want to settle for conventional answers and received wisdom, but want to arrive at answers that stand up to the most searching examination. Studying undergraduate Philosophy here will give you access to world-class talent in fields as diverse as Metaphysics, Philosophy of Psychiatry, Epistemology, Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mind and many others. Both the History and Philosophy departments at the University of Birmingham have a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in an intellectually challenging and stimulating environment. Why study this course? Flexible programme - Our History and Philosophy Joint Honours degree course offers you a wide range of modules so that you can build a degree programme that suits your interests and enables you to develop your skills in both subjects. Present day application - We believe in history as a practical and engaged endeavour that speaks to questions of social inequality, community belonging and even climate change. As a Birmingham student you have opportunities to learn about the uses of history such as through a placement in the heritage sector on our Professional Skills module. Bury yourself in a book – Explore our Cadbury Research Libraries collections consist of over 200,000 rare books dating from 1471 and more than four million manuscript items. Rewarding student experience - At Birmingham we believe that teaching hours should be complemented by a wide-range of academic opportunities and social occasions. Join our community you'll have access to, among many other things, a student experience team who co-ordinate performances, talks, trips, podcasts, quizzes and celebrations and bespoke academic writing advice. Leading the discourse - The Department is at the forefront of philosophical discussion and debate. Our Centres for Global Ethics and Philosophical Religion collaborate across disciplines and borders. Our world leading research as part of Mental Health Humanities at Birmingham is pushing the boundaries of cross disciplinary dialogue in the universities dynamic mental health research agenda. Top 10 for undergraduate Philosophy in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 1st the Department of Philosophy is ranked 1st in the country in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 based on Grade Point Average 9th for History in the Complete University Guide 2023