Politics and Philosophy

Politics and philosophy is a pairing with a long intellectual tradition, connecting two disciplines that have always been in conversation about fundamental questions of power, justice, authority, and the good life. Politics examines how societies make collective decisions, how power is distributed and contested, and how institutions and policies shape public life. Philosophy provides the conceptual tools to think more rigorously about the foundations of political life: what justifies political authority, what are the grounds of legitimate dissent, how should we think about justice, freedom, equality, and democracy, and what do we owe to each other as citizens and as human beings.

At the University of Nottingham, this three-year, full-time degree develops your analytical abilities across both disciplines. You will engage with political science alongside political philosophy and moral theory, learning to think carefully about both how power operates in practice and how it should be constrained and directed by principle. The programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, extending your learning into professional and international contexts alongside your academic studies.

Graduates from politics and philosophy degrees are found across a wide range of careers. Government, the civil service, law, journalism, policy research, international organisations, NGOs, education, and the charitable sector all draw on the analytical and communicative skills this combination develops. Philosophy's contribution to the degree is particularly valued in roles that require careful ethical reasoning, the evaluation of competing arguments, and the ability to think clearly about complex normative questions.

Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in political philosophy, political science, law, or public policy, building deeper expertise for research or professional careers.