Philosophy with Year Abroad

Philosophy is the discipline that asks the questions that other subjects take for granted: what can we know, and how? Is there a God? Are our minds separate from our bodies?

What makes an action right or wrong? How should power be organised and justified? At the University of Southampton, this four-year full-time degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to engage with philosophical traditions and scholarship in another country and to broaden your academic perspective beyond the UK.

Southampton's programme grapples with the most profound questions in the Western philosophical tradition while also developing the critical thinking and analytical skills that are among the most transferable attributes any undergraduate education provides.

You will study the major areas of the discipline: epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, logic and the philosophy of mind, engaging with major historical figures and with live debates in contemporary philosophy. The analytical tradition of philosophy taught in most British universities demands clarity of expression, precision in argument and the ability to identify what is really at stake in philosophical disputes, all of which the programme develops systematically. The year abroad places your philosophical education in an international context and enriches your understanding of how philosophical traditions differ across national and cultural boundaries.

A typical entry tariff of around 136 points is expected.

Philosophy graduates are found across an exceptionally wide range of careers: law, journalism, the civil service, management consulting, the technology sector, education, ethics advisory roles in healthcare and business, and academic philosophy all attract philosophy graduates. The analytical rigour the degree develops is valued wherever complex problems require clear thinking and the ability to reason under uncertainty, which encompasses most professions of consequence. Many graduates proceed to postgraduate study in philosophy or in related fields including law, politics and ethics.