BA
Philosophy and Politics BA (Hons)
Gain an understanding of the human mind, organisations and political power.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BA
UCAS Code
LV25
Course length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
AAA
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £ per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £ per year
Overview
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.
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BA
UCAS Code
LV25
Course length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
AAA
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £ per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £ per year
What you'll study
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 core module 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.
Core modules
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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.
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The Philosophical Traditions
introduces a range of philosophical approaches which provides grounding for the key explanatory and interpretative skills expected at later stages of the degree. The module also introduces the practice of researching and writing philosophy by examining ways in which philosophers shape knowledge in particular areas.
Optional modules
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Philosophy (two modules)
In recent years optional modules have included: Ethics and ValuesKnowledge and RealityReading PhilosophyBeing Human: An Introduction to Post-Kantian PhilosophyScience, Medicine and Society
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Politics (two modules)
In recent years optional modules have included: Researching Politics and International RelationsIntroduction to Comparative PoliticsIntroduction to International RelationsIntroduction to Comparative Politics
Core modules
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Political 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.
Optional modules
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Philosophy (two modules)
In recent years optional modules have included: Moral TheoryPhilosophy of MindLanguage, Logic and RealityFundamentals of LogicEarly Modern MavericksPhilosophy of ReligionPhilosophy of ScienceHistory, Science and MedicineThe Philosophy of Economics and Politics: Theory, Methods and Values.Feminist PhilosophyEpistemologyWorld Philosophies A selection of our optional modules are available as elective modules taught within a single term.
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Politics (three modules)
The selection of optional modules offered by each department changes from time to time. This is an indicative list, to give you an overview of the different kinds of modules that we have offered in recent years. Examples of optional modules typically available at Level 2 include: International TheoryPolitics and International Relations of East AsiaFoundations of Western Political ThoughtSovereignty, State and EmpireClass, Nation and Party in British PoliticsAnalytical PoliticsDemocracy, Conflict and American PoliticsCapitalism: History and TheoryMiddle East and the International SystemGender and Politics
Core modules
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Dissertation
The final year includes a philosophy or politics-focused in which you research a topic in depth and present your findings and conclusions.
Optional modules
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Philosophy (two modules)
The selection of optional modules offered by each department changes from time to time. This is an indicative list, to give you an overview of the different kinds of modules that we have offered in recent years. Examples of optional modules typically available at Level 3 include: Issues in Contemporary EthicsMetaphysicsTwentieth Century European PhilosophyKant's Critical Philosophy and Other RevolutionsPhilosophy, Climate Change and the EnvironmentHistory and Philosophy of Psychiatry
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Politics (two modules)
The selection of optional modules offered by each department changes from time to time. This is an indicative list, to give you an overview of the different kinds of modules that we have offered in recent years. Examples of optional modules typically available at Level 3 include: Theories of LibertyElections and British PoliticsDemocracy and Discontent in the European UnionMarx and MarxismAre Voters Really Rational?
Learning
You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, informal but scheduled one-on-one support, and self-directed learning, such as research, reading and writing. Seminars and tutorials are much smaller groups than lectures, with tutorials often involving no more than eight students working with a professor or lecturer; seminars and workshops can be larger but are still small enough to allow one-on-one interaction with tutors; some of these also allow hands-on experience of the kind of work professional political scientists perform. This emphasis on small-group teaching reflects a conscious choice to enhance the quality of the learning experience rather than the quantity of formal sessions. In fact, the degree is designed to feature fewer formal sessions and more independent research as you move from your first to your final year.Assessment
Assessment varies by module but may include essays, end-of-year examinations or a combination of the two. Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on self-directed learning, such as research, reading and writing. 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.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
£ per year
International / EU Students
£ per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - £ per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - £ per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Find out moreDepartment Information
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Philosophy is an ancient and diverse discipline that is fundamental to our understanding of what it is to be human. Amongst the most prestigious departments in the UK, at Durham we pride ourselves on our excellence in teaching and research and we are committed to the pursuit of philosophical knowledge and understanding. Our distinctive, research-led approach to learning means that our undergraduate courses are constantly shaped in line with research and to reflect contemporary study in the area. We offer a range of single and joint honours degrees with flexible pathways to suit your interests and career aspirations. As well as covering more traditional areas of philosophy, such as ethics and values, philosophical traditions and moral theory, our curriculum also highlights the relevance of philosophy to current issues in the world. This includes modules relating to the ethics of science and medicine. You can further develop your skills and experience with the opportunity to spend a year studying overseas or on a work placement. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
The Department of Philosophy is located at Old Elvet in the picturesque city of Durham. We occupy a listed building in this ancient part of the city, near the medieval Elvet Bridge, and within easy walking distance of the Students’ Union, the colleges and Durham’s historic centre with its Castle and Cathedral.
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Events
Undergraduate students are invited to attend the Department’s extensive programme of research-related activities, including weekly lectures and seminars, many of which are given by renowned UK and overseas philosophers. Recent visitors have included Amie Thomasson, Noam Chomsky and Peter Singer.
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Find out more -
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Based in the School of Government and International Affairs, we offer a range of courses that are flexible and interdisciplinary in nature. Alongside the study of political theory, comparative politics, and international relations you can choose from a wide selection of modules in areas that align with your interests. You can also apply to add a work placement or year abroad to your studies, adding an extra dimension to the learning experience. As a research-intensive discipline we employ a range of techniques that integrate new and innovative research into the curriculum and introduce a variety of research-oriented skills and projects. You will be taught by academics with a genuine passion for their subject, whose areas of expertise include government, political theory, political economy and international relations. Regional expertise covers areas such as Europe, East Asia, the Middle East and the wider Muslim world, Africa and America. As well as incorporating our own research into the undergraduate syllabus we also welcome visiting professors to work with students at all levels. Our students graduate as self-aware, reflective and ambitious global citizens, equipped with the critical skills to succeed in the workplace, both inside and outside of the political arena. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
Set in its own grounds 1.5 miles from Durham’s historic city centre, the modern Al-Qasimi Building, by our students loving referred to as "The Ski Lodge", is home to the School of Government and International Affairs.
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Research institutes
Providing a social centre to our students as well as an exceptional environment for learning, it is also a base for a number of research institutes including the Global Policy Institute, the Institute of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and the Durham Global Security Institute, which host a number of academic events throughout the year open to all students.
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any other usps?
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Find out more -
Career Opportunities
Of those UK/EU students who graduated in 2022/23:
84%
80%
£25,000
HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk
Employability
More Information
In studying philosophy at Durham, you will learn as much about how to think about difficult questions, as you will learn about the answers that can be given to them. You will be equipped for life with an ability to detect bad argument, whether in politics, in the media, or in discussion with the people you live and work with, and an ability to produce better arguments of your own.
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