Politics and Philosophy, BA (Hons)

Our BA in Politics and Philosophy invites students to explore the foundational ideas of governance, contemporary philosophical debates, and pressing political issues. This programme challenges participants to expand their knowledge, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and apply them to real-world scenarios. By studying areas such as comparative politics, political theory, global security, and philosophical applications, students gain a comprehensive understanding of current affairs and build versatile skills for diverse career paths in the private, public, or charitable sectors. Graduates have pursued roles like parliamentary assistants, civil servants, or policy analysts, with alumni securing positions at organisations including the BBC, Citibank, and the House of Commons.The curriculum begins in year one with foundational modules in political theory, comparative politics, and introductory philosophy, including options on gender, justice, and metaphysics. In year two, students select 60 credits each from politics and philosophy, exploring topics like national identity, global security, ethics, and European philosophy. Year three offers the opportunity to complete a dissertation on a chosen topic, alongside advanced modules aligned with research interests. Note that this course does not award Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

In year one, you will typically take modules that are designed to introduce you to key concepts and theories across the broad field of politics and philosophy. You will explore political theory, comparative politics and start to learn about philosophical thinking. Optional modules cover gender, justice, and society; history of philosophy; metaphysics, science and language; and philosophy of religions. In year two, you choose 60 credits from each politics and philosophy modules. You could choose to look at national identity or global security, ethics or European philosophy. In year three, you will have the option to write a dissertation based on a topic of your choice under the supervision of a member of staff. You may also choose from a wide range of modules related to our research areas.