The study of philosophy confronts profound and important questions that arise in all areas of human life – questions such as ‘What does a flourishing human life look like?’ When you choose a philosophy degree, you are embarking on a course which will equip you with the skills needed to think carefully and deeply about what matters in a good life, and how individual happiness is related to friendships, relationships, family, society, the political system and culture.
We offer a distinctive, research-led Philosophy curriculum, incorporating considerable levels of variety and choice. Whatever you choose, you will be taught by internationally renowned experts in the field.
At Durham, you will follow one of the widest-ranging philosophy degrees in the country. Rather than studying one particular school, your degree will equip you with wide-ranging expertise in Anglo-American analytical philosophy and continental philosophy. Each of these has its own distinctive set of issues and approaches to resolving them. We have special expertise in the philosophy of science, and social science, and the history of science and medicine. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, 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 modules, introducing the fundamental philosophical subject areas.
In your second year, you will further develop the critical skills required for independent learning, and modules also become more specifically focused.
In your third year, you will design and carry out your own dissertation which is the cornerstone of the degree.
Course structure
Year 1 modules
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).
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.
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.
Optional modules:
Science, Medicine and Society
Being Human: An Introduction to Post-Kantian Philosophy
Year 2 modules
Optional modules:
The selection of optional modules available on our programme 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:
Philosophy of Mind
Language, Logic and Reality
Early Modern Mavericks
Moral Theory
History, Science and Medicine
Fundamentals of Logic
Political Philosophy
Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of Science
The Philosophy of Economics and Politics: Theory, Methods and Values
Feminist Philosophy
Epistemology
World Philosophy
A selection of our optional modules are available as elective modules taught within a single term.
Year 3 modules
Core modules:
Dissertation
The final year includes a Dissertation on a topic of your choice in which you research a topic in depth and present your findings and conclusions.
Optional modules:
The selection of optional modules available on our programme 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:
Aesthetics
Kant's Critical Philosophy and Other Revolutions
Twentieth-Century European Philosophy
Biomedical Ethics: Past and Present
History and Philosophy of Psychiatry
Ethics in Business Practice
Philosophical Issues in Contemporary Science
Issues in Contemporary Ethics
Metaphysics
Formal and Philosophical Logic
Philosophy, Climate Change and the Environment
Additional Pathways
Students can apply to be transferred onto either the with Year Abroad or with Placement pathway during the second year. Places on these pathways are in high demand and if you are chosen your studies will extend from three years to four.
Accreditation
Studying a philosophy degree will change your outlook on life. Your philosophical training will give you a whole raft of transferable skills that potential employers will value immensely. Skills such as the ability to think critically about a problem or issue, and to work with others and support and encourage others’ learning.
Our graduates proceed to higher-degree study and an academic career; or enter a wide range of professions, including law, the Civil Service and politics, management, public relations, teaching, journalism, media and publishing, marketing, retail and business, IT and financial services.
Take a look at some of the roles taken up by recent graduates from the Department:
International CEO of McDonalds
Government Relations Adviser for Amnesty International Australia
Head of European Policy in the Intellectual Property Office
Writer and columnist at The Guardian
Child Protection Solicitor
Head of Religious Studies and Philosophy at a large secondary school
The degree will be delivered by internationally renowned philosophers using a combination of methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials and self-directed learning, such as research, reading and writing.
Philosophical development is principally a matter of acquiring a range of reasoning skills, rather than familiarising yourself with a body of knowledge. Lectures involve plenty of opportunities for questions and extended discussion, and tutorials consist mostly of structured, critical dialogue in the context of a friendly, supportive environment. Timetabled contact is only a part of the learning process, and its aim is to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the relevant literature yourself and to pursue independent learning.
Assessment
Assessment varies by module, but may typically include essays, examinations and some will involve a combination of the two.
In your final year, you will submit a dissertation, which allows you to explore in depth a topic of your choice.
IB Diploma score – 37
with 666 in higher level subjects.
In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:
We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.
We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study.
We consider each application holistically. Whilst academic achievement is important, it is not the only factor that we consider when assessing applications and applicants who have achieved, or are predicted to achieve, close to our typical offer, but who have not met it exactly, will be welcome to apply if they have a strong application in other key elements, for example can demonstrate merit and potential through their personal statement or their reference.
An interview may form part of the entry requirements for mature students with non-standard qualifications.
We are pleased to consider applications for deferred entry.
If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take an International Foundation Year pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.
Science A levels: Applicants taking Science A levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This applies only to applicants sitting A levels with an English examination board.
The fees for this academic year have not been confirmed yet.
Full-Time Study
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full-time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full-time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only; fees for subsequent years will be confirmed not less than 3 months before the start of the academic year to which the increase is intended to apply and will be published on the Finance webpages.
In deciding the annual level of increase, the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of:
6%, or
the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
Part-Time Study
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of part-time study and are charged proportionately to the Full-Time fee. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
Philosophical training will equip you with a range of theoretical and transferable skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, communication, project management, presenting and researching, that will be of value to employers across a range of industries.
Our graduates work in a vast range of employment sectors worldwide, including law, the Civil Service and politics, management, public relations, teaching, journalism, media and publishing, marketing, retail and business, IT and financial services. Examples of recent employers include Penguin, Random House Publishing, Save the Children, Amnesty International and TheGuardian.
Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:
78%
in work or further study.
Of those in employment:
93%
in highly and medium skilled employment.
£28,900
is the average salary.
(Source: 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)
Department information
Philosophy
Gain a deeper understanding of this complex world and change your outlook on life with this ancient and fascinating intellectual discipline. Philosophy at Durham covers many of the profound and important questions that arise in all areas of human life.
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.
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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V500
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