Course Overview
Our Philosophy degree allows you to study and debate important philosophical questions with expert academics and your peers. How should we live? Is there a God? Are we free to act as we wish if everything is determined by prior causes? Why should we obey the law? Can science discover all the facts that can be known?
These are some of the many challenging questions you will engage with in a Philosophy degree. At Lancaster, we approach these questions through the history of Philosophy - studying figures such as Plato, Descartes, Kant and Nietzsche - and also via contemporary philosophical debate.
In your first year, you'll gain an understanding of some of the core areas of Philosophy by taking Introduction to Philosophy plus two other modules. In your second and third years, you can choose from a wide range of optional modules such as Philosophy of the Mind; Ethics and Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Science. You'll also engage in one-to-one study with a member of academic staff for your third year dissertation on a specific philosophical topic of interest to you
Related Courses
Modules
Lancaster degree programmes are flexible, offering students the opportunity to cover a wide selection of subject areas to compliment their degree. The following is an example list of modules which our previous students have studied. For a full list contact the Politics, Philosophy and Religion department.
Year 1
- Introduction to Philosophy
Year 2
- Ethics: Theory and Practice
- Knowledge and Reality
- Philosophy of the Mind
- Western Philosophy and Religious Thought
Year 3
- Dissertation
- Moral, legal and political philosophy
- Themes in the Philosophy of the Sciences
- Philosophy of Science
- Aesthetics
- Philosophy of the Human Sciences
Lancaster University offers the chance to follow a structured study programme or the option to devise a more flexible programme. We divide academic study into 2 sections - Part 1 (Year 1) and Part 2 (Year 2, 3 and sometimes 4). In Part 1 you will take three modules of study which, depending upon your programme, will be drawn from one, two or three different academic subjects, a higher degree of specialisation then develops in subsequent years. For more information about our teaching methods at Lancaster visit our Teaching and Learning section.
For further information about the department, staff and courses please visit the Politics, Philosophy and Religion department website.
Entry Criteria
A-level: AAB
General Studies: Accepted as one of 3 A-levels
Preference: Minimum of two A-levels
Key skills: Not included in offer
Scottish Highers: ABBBB
Irish Leaving Cert: Offers will be made on the basis of 5 or 6 Higher level subjects. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (01524 592028) for further information
International Bacc: 35 pts overall with 16 pts from best three HL courses
Mature students: Applications welcomed.Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (01524 592028) for further information
IELTS: 6.5
Careers
Our Philosophy graduates have gone on to work in accountancy, local government, banking, the Civil Service, teaching, nursing, fashion and journalism. Others have pursued postgraduate degrees.
A Philosophy degree helps you develop skills in critical reasoning, clarity of thought and communication. These skills are very much at a premium in the employment market. Over 40% of graduate vacancies are open to students of any discipline. Employers look for clear thinking, broad vision, independence, the capacity to locate and analyse problems and exercise judgement in their solution, to present situations lucidly and argue effectively for favoured courses of action. Your degree will equip you with these skills.
Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, but that you also graduate with relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our Employability section for full details.
Studying
Teaching and Learning Methods
At Lancaster we offer a broad range of learning environments designed to best support the requirements of your chosen degree programme. These may include lecture and tutorials, interactive workshops, laboratory sessions, other practical activities, student-led seminars and web-based elivery.
The modules which make up a programme of study are assessed using a variety of different methods, enabling students to demonstrate their capabilities in a range of ways. Typical coursework assignments include laboratory reports, essays, literature reviews, short tests, short and sharply focussed critical reports, poster sessions and oral presentations. Formal examinations include short answer questions, essays and data analysis. Multiple choice formats are also employed where appropriate. Students are supported in the production of final year project reports and dissertations. Details of the assessment methods for individual modules can be accessed via the university's online module catalogue.
In addition to these learning and teaching methods we encourage independent study, meaning you take responsibility for your own learning. For more information visit our Teaching Approach page.
Assessment Methods
We offer you a variety of stimulating and effective approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. This enables you and your tutors to explore the very latest thinking within your subject and develops your skills in problem solving, analysis and critical reflection, communication, application of knowledge and modern technologies.
As a University, we commit to providing all our undergraduates with a minimum number of contact hours per week, providing you with timely feedback on your work and a maximum number of 15 students per seminar group.
Funding
Lancaster University has committed £2.7m in scholarships and bursaries to help with your fees and living costs. Our financial support depends on your circumstances and how well you do in your A-levels (or equivalent academic qualifications) before starting study with us.
Lancaster University's priority is to support every student to make the most of their life and education. For students starting their study with us in 2013, over 600 each year will be entitled to bursaries and/or scholarships to help them with the cost of fees and/or living expenses. For UK students entering in 2013 we will have the following financial support available:
- An Academic Scholarship of £2,000 for the first year of study to any student from the UK entering with A*, A*, A or equivalent academic qualifications
- An Access Scholarship of £1,000 per year for all UK students from households with an income of less than £42,600 who achieve grades of A*, A, A or the equivalent academic qualifications
- A Lancaster Bursary of £1,000 per annum for all students from England with a household income of more than £25,000 but less than £42,600
- As part of the National Scholarship Programme, a £1,000 Bursary, a £1,000 Fee Waiver and a £1,000 Accommodation Discount in the first year of study, for students from England with a household income of less than £25,000. Plus a Lancaster Bursary of £1,000 in subsequent years.
*All of the financial awards above are subject to approval by the Office for Fair Access July 2012.
For full details of the University's financial support packages including eligibility criteria, please visit our fees and funding page
View details of our current Undergraduate fees.
