BA Philosophy

Philosophy is the most ancient of academic disciplines, yet the uncertainties of modern living make the traditional philosophical challenges, even more, pressing in the 21st century.

During the BA in Philosophy at Southampton, you will gain an in-depth knowledge of the core areas of philosophy while pursuing your own interests through optional modules on the great philosophers and key philosophical topics. You will graduate as an independently-minded, confident individual with the skills required for a successful career.

Programme Structure

You will have every opportunity to develop your own thoughts on philosophical issues and to engage in philosophical debate.

Year one offers lecture-based modules focusing on central themes, designed for students new to philosophy as well as those who have some familiarity with the subject, alongside staff-led tutorials involving three to five students.

In year two you will take a core module in the history of philosophy, accompanied by small-group seminars, and choose from a range of optional modules.

Key Facts

• The unusually wide range of courses, with much of our teaching conducted in genuinely small groups.
• High contact hours, including one-on-one supervision by faculty from your first year.
• The flexible curriculum allows you to design your own path of study.

Over 6,500 international students from more than 135 countries choose to study at the University of Southampton each year. In addition, we have links with universities and partners around the world, making us a truly international institution.

Here at Humanities , we are fascinated by people and their activities and achievements over the centuries, from prehistory to the modern day. We are well-known for ground-breaking and internationally-significant research and education across our wide-ranging disciplines, most of which are ranked in the top ten across British universities .

Knowing what makes human beings tick is more important than ever in these turbulent times. Studying for a degree in one of our disciplines offers people new insights into humanity and prompts the kind of intellectual vitality and creative energy that springs from a deep passion for learning and teaching.

Our world-class academic staff provide our undergraduates and postgraduates with the highest level of tuition and support, their expertise always based directly on their personal research.

As well as working within their own fields, our academics work together across the disciplines to further knowledge. This means thought-provoking subjects such as slavery can be examined from several perspectives to give students a comprehensive picture of the complex issues.

Our innovative research centres bring together researchers to focus on broad topics such as the 18th century and Medieval and Renaissance worlds. We also host the unique Parkes Institute for Jewish/non-Jewish Relations and the Parkes Library, one of the largest collections of Jewish archives in Europe.

Our cutting-edge research informs our teaching, which is regularly recognised as second-to-none in the annual National Student Survey. Throughout Humanities, our academic members of staff are friendly and approachable; always willing to help and support their students to succeed.

Postgraduate opportunities for you

Ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2018), with 200 taught courses and more than 90 research courses on offer, Southampton has the world-renowned academics and facilities to help you become the best in your field.

Choosing to study at Southampton means becoming part of a vibrant, postgraduate community.

Take your place at the cutting-edge, among some of the most talented students and academics in the world.

Southampton is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England.

We are situated 75 miles from London; 19 miles from Portsmouth and 12 miles from Winchester. We are only a few minutes from the New Forest National Park which is 219 square miles of beautiful parkland and forest. Much of South-west Hampshire is beautiful countryside which extends into south-east Wiltshire and towards the east of Dorset. We are also very close to Stonehenge, one of the wonders of the world and the best known prehistoric monument in Europe.

Southampton has a population of approximately 220,000 and is one of the UK's most green and pleasant metropolitan areas. Southampton has its own airport and fast rail links to London and the rest of the UK. Being located on the south coast we are the home of Carnival UK and have the largest cruise ships in the world visit us on a regular basis.

Southampton is also the home of Southampton Football Club which competes in the Premier League and The Ageas Bowl, the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club.