| UCAS code | VV51 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Philosophy |
| Contact | Web: Enquire online |
| Typical offer | A levels: AAA |
|---|---|
|
A-Level: ABB |
| UCAS code | VV5C |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Philosophy |
| Contact | Web: Enquire online |
Overview
- By combining the study of two complementary subjects, you will develop analytical and reasoning skills while deepening your knowledge of philosophy and history across different time periods and countries
- You’ll learn how to develop your own views and assess other historians’ and philosophers’ takes on issues and topics
- Our broad range of optional modules in your second and third years gives you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions
- The Philosophy and History student societies will give you the chance to make friends, attend socials and seminars and hear from guest speakers
- Get ready for your future career by developing a range of skills valued by a wide range of employers from the media to teaching and the public, private and charity sectors
Top 10 in the UK for Philosophy
7th in The Complete University Guide 2024
Commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research
88% of graduates in or due to start employment or further study fifteen months after graduation
Based on full-time, first degree, UK domiciled graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes survey 2020/21
Opportunities to study abroad
Entry requirements (typical offer)
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level | AAA | n/a |
| IB | 36/666 | n/a |
| BTEC | DDD | n/a |
| GCSE | C or 4 | English Language |
| Access to HE | 30 L3 credits at Distinction Grade and 15 L3 credits at Merit Grade | N/A |
| T-Level | Distinction | N/A |
| Contextual Offer | A-Level: ABB |
Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers. |
| Other accepted qualifications | ||
| English language requirements |
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country. |
|
NB General Studies is not included in any offer.
Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply
Additional selection criteria
We are looking for well-qualified students with a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.
In addition to the specific requirements listed above, we look for excellent A level* results/predictions and we may also take into account results up to and including GCSEs* and AS Levels* as part of our holistic assessment of an application.
*Equivalent qualifications will be considered. For more information about our equivalencies for specific qualifications please contact our Admissions Office.
Course content
The Philosophy and History degree programme is made up of compulsory (core) and optional modules, which are worth 15 or 30 credits each. Full-time undergraduate students need to complete modules worth a total of 120 credits each year.
Depending on your programme you can take up to 30 credits each year in another subject, for instance a language or business module, to develop career-related skills or just widen your intellectual horizons.
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Stage 1: 45 credits of compulsory History modules, 45 credits of compulsory Philosophy modules, 15 credits of optional History modules, and 15 credits of optional Philosophy modules.
Compulsory modules
a You must take at least 3 out of the 5 core Philosophy modules
b You must select HIH1421 Understanding Medieval and Early Modern History OR HIH1422 Understanding Modern History.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHL1002A | Knowledge and Reality 1 [See note a above] | 15 |
| PHL1002B | Knowledge and Reality 2 [See note a above] | 15 |
| PHL1005A | Evidence and Argument 1 [See note a above] | 15 |
| PHL1006 | Introduction to Philosophical Analysis [See note a above] | 15 |
| HIH1137 | Becoming a Historian: Core | 15 |
| HIH1421 | Understanding Medieval and Early Modern History [See note b above] | 30 |
| HIH1422 | Understanding Modern History [See note b above] | 30 |
| PHL1013 | Philosophy of Morality [See note a above] | 15 |
Optional modules
c Select 15 credits of either the final core Philosophy module, or one of the Stage 1 Option Philosophy modules
d Select 15 credits from Stage 1 Option Modules History
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHL Stage 1 CH Philosophy option modules 2023-4 [See note c above] | ||
| PHL1004 | Philosophical Problems 1 | 15 |
| PHL1007 | Philosophical Reading 1 | 15 |
| PHL1009 | Philosophies of Art | 15 |
| PHL1010 | Introduction to Asian Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL1013 | Philosophy of Morality | 15 |
| PHL1112 | Philosophy of Film | 15 |
| HISS S1 new BA SH opt 2023-4 [See note d above] | ||
| HIH1002 | Losing an Empire, Finding a Role: Britain Since 1945 | 15 |
| HIH1014 | The Body in Eighteenth-Century Britain | 15 |
| HIH1042 | Murder in Early Modern England | 15 |
| HIH1043 | The Collapse of Communism in Central-Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union | 15 |
| HIH1051 | Everyday Life in the Anglophone Caribbean, c.1900-1966 | 15 |
| HIH1053 | Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages | 15 |
| HIH1138 | Medieval, Manufactured? Uses and Reuses of the Middle Ages | 15 |
| HIH1408 | The Dissolution of the Monasteries | 15 |
| HIH1411 | From Wigan Pier to Piccadilly: Britain between the Wars | 15 |
| HIH1501 | The Viking Phenomenon | 15 |
| HIH1505 | The First Crusade | 15 |
| HIH1506 | The First Day of the Somme | 15 |
| HIH1585 | Ladies of the Night: Prostitution in the Victorian World | 15 |
| HIH1586 | Early Modern Venice: Representations and Myths | 15 |
| HIH1597 | Serfdom in Late Medieval England | 15 |
| HIH1600 | Images of Stalinism | 15 |
| HIH1607 | JFK | 15 |
| HIH1612 | Renaissance Florence 1350-1550 | 15 |
| HIH1614 | Environment and Industry, 1750-1950: Global Perspectives | 15 |
| HIH1615 | Imperial Science, Race, and Exploration in the Long 19th Century | 15 |
| HIH1616 | Producing Poverty: Peasants in a Global Perspective, 700-1300CE | 15 |
| HIH1618 | Body, Border, Partition: Understanding Violence in South Asia | 15 |
| HIH1140 | Confinement, Care, Cure: Psychiatric Institutions in the Twentieth Century | 15 |
| HIH1539 | Early Modern Things: Materials as Historical Sources | 15 |
| HIH1534 | Maritime Power in the Age of Nelson | 15 |
| HIH1532 | The History of Strategic Thinking | 15 |
| HIH1412 | Early Modern Magic and Witchcraft | 15 |
Stage 2: 45 credits of compulsory Philosophy modules, 15 credits of optional Philosophy modules, 60 credits of optional History modules
Compulsory modules
e You must take at least 3 out of the 6 core Philosophy modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHL2010A | Philosophy of Mind 1 [See note e above] | 15 |
| PHL2043 | Philosophical Research [See note e above] | 15 |
| PHL2015 | Body and Mind [See note e above] | 15 |
| PHL2016 | Metaphysics [See note e above] | 15 |
| PHL2018 | Philosophy of Language [See note e above] | 15 |
| PHL2118 | Moral agency in social context [See note e above] | 15 |
Optional modules
f Select 15 credits from Stage 2 Philosophy Option Modules or a further core module from above.
Select 60 credits from a single History Route A, B, C or D . You must take HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age if you intend to select HIH3005 History Dissertation or HIH3006 Research Dissertation in the final stage).
History Route A
2 History option modules. Ancient History Dissertation in final stage
History Route B
HIH2002 Uses of the Past + 1 other History option. Ancient History Dissertation in final stage
History Route C
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age + 1 other History option. History Dissertation in final stage
History Route D
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age + HIH2002 Uses of the Past. History Dissertation in final stage
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHL Stage 2 CH Philosophy option modules 2023-4 [See note f above] | ||
| PHL2013 | Philosophy of Social Science | 15 |
| PHL2021 | Symbolic Logic | 15 |
| PHL2022 | Sex and Death: Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology | 15 |
| PHL2026 | Philosophy of Science | 15 |
| PHL2038 | The Self | 15 |
| PHL2040 | Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Communicative Capitalism | 15 |
| PHL2041 | Feminist Philosophy: Gender, Race and Class | 15 |
| PHL2042 | Philosophical Frontiers | 15 |
| PHL2045 | Aesthetics | 15 |
| PHL2052 | Epistemology | 15 |
| PHL2053 | History of Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL2054 | Philosophy of Psychiatry | 15 |
| PHL2056 | The Nature of Normativity | 15 |
| PHL2061 | Philosophy of Law | 15 |
| PHL2111 | The Deep Past, History and Humanity | 15 |
| PHL2114 | Aristotle's Ethics | 15 |
| PHL2117 | Philosophy and Psychedelics | 15 |
| PHL2119 | Animal Minds and Animal Ethics | 15 |
| PHL2120 | Philosophy and Sociology of Race | 15 |
| PHL2123 | Philosophy of Medicine | 15 |
| PHL2126 | Mind and World in Contemporary Japanese Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL2127 | Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL2046A | The Holocaust, Genocide and Society | 30 |
| PHL2096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 |
| HISS S2 BA CH opt A 2022-3 History Pathway A | ||
| HIH2014A | Decolonisation and the Collapse of the British Empire, 1919-1968 | 30 |
| HIH2032A | Europe 1650-1800: From Enlightenment to Romanticism | 30 |
| HIH2036A | Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 | 30 |
| HIH2186A | Deviants and Dissenters in Early Modern England | 30 |
| HIH2209A | African American History | 30 |
| HIH2218A | Religion, Society and Culture in Tudor England | 30 |
| HIH2224A | African Modernities: Popular Cultures in Twentieth Century Africa | 30 |
| HIH2234 | Sailors, Slavery and Piracy: The Atlantic World, 1600 - 1800 | 30 |
| HIH2590 | An Age of Iron? Europe in the Tenth Century | 30 |
| HIH2592 | Science, Empire, and Natural History Museums: A Global Perspective | 30 |
| HIH2587 | The Other Renaissance: Religion, Knowledge, and Power in the Twelfth Century | 30 |
| HIH2011A | Forgetting Fascism, Remembering Communism: Memory in Modern Europe | 30 |
| HIH2037 | American Frontiers: The West in U.S. History and Mythology | 30 |
| HIH2137A | Inventing Modern Man: Constructions of Mind, Body, and the Individual, 1400-1800 | 30 |
| HIH2138A | History of Development: Ideologies, Politics, and Projects | 30 |
| HIH2145A | Spain from Absolutism to Democracy | 30 |
| HIH2179A | The American Empire | 30 |
| HIH2185A | China in the World, 1500-1840 | 30 |
| HIH2208A | Medieval Paris | 30 |
| HIH2233 | The British World c.1860-1975 | 30 |
| HIH2591 | Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 | 30 |
| HISS S2 BA CH opt B 2022-3 History Pathway B | ||
| HIH2002 | Uses of the Past | 30 |
| HIH2037 | American Frontiers: The West in U.S. History and Mythology | 30 |
| HIH2137A | Inventing Modern Man: Constructions of Mind, Body, and the Individual, 1400-1800 | 30 |
| HIH2138A | History of Development: Ideologies, Politics, and Projects | 30 |
| HIH2145A | Spain from Absolutism to Democracy | 30 |
| HIH2179A | The American Empire | 30 |
| HIH2185A | China in the World, 1500-1840 | 30 |
| HIH2208A | Medieval Paris | 30 |
| HIH2233 | The British World c.1860-1975 | 30 |
| HIH2591 | Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 | 30 |
| HIH2011A | Forgetting Fascism, Remembering Communism: Memory in Modern Europe | 30 |
| HISS S2 BA CH opt C 2022-3 History Pathway C | ||
| HIH2001 | Doing History: Perspectives on Sources | 30 |
| HIH2014A | Decolonisation and the Collapse of the British Empire, 1919-1968 | 30 |
| HIH2032A | Europe 1650-1800: From Enlightenment to Romanticism | 30 |
| HIH2036A | Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 | 30 |
| HIH2186A | Deviants and Dissenters in Early Modern England | 30 |
| HIH2209A | African American History | 30 |
| HIH2218A | Religion, Society and Culture in Tudor England | 30 |
| HIH2224A | African Modernities: Popular Cultures in Twentieth Century Africa | 30 |
| HIH2234 | Sailors, Slavery and Piracy: The Atlantic World, 1600 - 1800 | 30 |
| HIH2590 | An Age of Iron? Europe in the Tenth Century | 30 |
| HIH2592 | Science, Empire, and Natural History Museums: A Global Perspective | 30 |
| HIH2587 | The Other Renaissance: Religion, Knowledge, and Power in the Twelfth Century | 30 |
| HISS S2 BA CH opt D 2022-3 History Pathway D | ||
| HIH2001 | Doing History: Perspectives on Sources | 30 |
| HIH2002 | Uses of the Past | 30 |
Stage 3: 120 credits of compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Students spend this stage at an approved partner University. The year abroad comprises a 120 credit placement module. Assessment is normally based on the credits gained at the partner institution abroad.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SSI3999 | Year Abroad | 120 |
Stage 3: 0-30 credits of compulsory Philosophy modules, 0-30 credits of compulsory History modules, 30-60 credits of optional Philosophy modules, and 30-60 credits of optional History modules.
Compulsory modules
Route A or B taken in Stage 2 - Select PHL3040 Philosophy Dissertation
Route C or D taken in stage 2 - Select either HIH3005 History Dissertation or HIH3006 History Research Dissertation.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHL3040 | Philosophy Dissertation | 30 |
| HIH3005 | General Third-Year Dissertation | 30 |
| HIH3006 | Research Project Dissertation | 30 |
Optional modules
Route A or B taken in Stage 2 - Select 30 Credits of Philosophy Options. Select a History Special Subject for 60 credits.
Route C or D taken in stage 2 - Select 30 credits from Concepts Modules, or 30 credits of option modules from outside of History via modularity. Select 60 credits of Philosophy options.
If choosing option modules outside of your named subjects, you must make sure that your total for both History and Philosophy is 90 credits each over the second and final year. This is to insure you meet the requirements needed for the degree title.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHL SF BA CH opt 2023-4 Philosophy Options | ||
| PHL3013 | Virtues and Vices | 15 |
| PHL3014 | Symbolic Logic | 15 |
| PHL3018 | Sex and Death: Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology | 15 |
| PHL3026 | Philosophy of Science | 15 |
| PHL3038 | The Self | 15 |
| PHL3078 | Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Communicative Capitalism | 15 |
| PHL3079 | Feminist Philosophy: Gender, Race and Class | 15 |
| PHL3080 | Philosophical Frontiers | 15 |
| PHL3045 | Aesthetics | 15 |
| PHL3052 | Epistemology | 15 |
| PHL3053 | History of Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL3054 | Philosophy of Psychiatry | 15 |
| PHL3056 | The Nature of Normativity | 15 |
| PHL3061 | Philosophy of Law | 15 |
| PHL3111 | The Deep Past, History and Humanity | 15 |
| PHL3113 | Practical Ethics | 15 |
| PHL3114 | Aristotle's Ethics | 15 |
| PHL3117 | Philosophy and Psychedelics | 15 |
| PHL3118 | Animal Minds and Animal Ethics | 15 |
| PHL3119 | Philosophy and Sociology of Race | 15 |
| PHL3122 | Philosophy of Medicine | 15 |
| PHL3125 | Mind and World in Contemporary Japanese Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL3126 | Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy | 15 |
| PHL3046A | The Holocaust, Genocide and Society | 30 |
| PHL3096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 |
| THE3185 | Incarnation: Topics in Philosophical Theology | 30 |
| SPA3001 | Debates, Issues and Practices | 15 |
| History UG Final Year Special Subjects 2024-5 Special Subjects | ||
| HIH3415 | Everyday Stalinism: Life in the Soviet Union, 1928-53 | 60 |
| HIH3416 | Critics of Empire | 60 |
| HIH3417 | The Yes, Minister Files: Perspectives on British Government since 1914 | 60 |
| HIH3422 | Street Protest and Social Movements in the Modern Era | 60 |
| HIH3426 | Health and its Politics in the 20th Century | 60 |
| HIH3430 | From the Grand Tour to Gladiator: Modern encounters with the ancient world | 60 |
| HIH3433 | Beyond Cannibalism: Indigenous Peoples and the European Colonisation of Brazil, 1500-1822 | 60 |
| HIH3434 | The Body in Early Modern England | 60 |
| HIH3436 | Engendering Empire: Making the British Imperial World | 60 |
| HIH3437 | Death to the Traitors: Rebellion and Resisting Tyranny in the Middle Ages | 60 |
| HIH3438 | The Rise of Capitalism in Britain 1660-1830 | 60 |
| HIH3439 | Women's Experience in Britain: Race, Class and Gender since 1945 | 60 |
| HIH3441 | Britons Abroad: The Experience of Travel, c. 1650-1900 | 60 |
| HIH3442 | From Its Cradle to Its Grave? The National Health Service in Britain, 1948-Present | 60 |
| HIH3444 | Them and Us: Imagining the Social "Other" in Britain since the 1880s | 60 |
| HIH3448 | Britain in an Age of Revolution: War, Society and Culture, 1789-1815 | 60 |
| HIH3450 | Decolonisation and Colonial Conflict | 60 |
| HIH3451 | Borders and Mobilities in Postcolonial South Asia | 60 |
| HIH3452 | Whiteness: A Global History | 60 |
| History UG Final Stage Concepts History Concepts | ||
| HIH3329 | The Future of History | 30 |
| HIH3330 | Communications | 30 |
| HIH3331 | Elites | 30 |
| HIH3332 | Sexualities | 30 |
| HIH3333 | Heroes | 30 |
| HIH3334 | Civil Wars | 30 |
| HIH3335 | Violence | 30 |
| HIH3336 | Revolutions | 30 |
| HIH3337 | Race | 30 |
Course variants
UCAS code: VV5C
Our four-year ‘with Study Abroad’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, studying with one of our many partner universities.
Why Study Abroad?
Living and studying in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. Students who have studied abroad demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where they stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language – all key qualities that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment environment.
Where can I Study Abroad?
We have partnership arrangements with many prestigious institutions across the globe. Exactly where you can apply to study will depend on the subjects you are studying at Exeter. For a full list please visit the Study Abroad website.
Does it count towards my degree?
Credit for academic work during your year abroad is arranged by agreement between the University of Exeter and the host institution. These marks are then translated back into your degree at Exeter. If you are Studying Abroad for a semester or full year, your time abroad will count toward your final degree. Please refer to your College Study Abroad co-ordinator for further details.
How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?
For the year that you spend studying abroad you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter, but nothing to your host university – for more information visit our fees pages. You will continue to receive a maintenance loan if you are eligible for this whilst on your Study Abroad year.
Fees
Tuition fees for 2024 entry
UK students: £9,250 per year
International students: £23,700 per year
Scholarships
The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*. Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.
* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.
Learning and teaching
How will I learn?
We use a wide range of teaching methods as well as encouraging independent study with an increasing emphasis on seminar discussion and project work in your second and third years
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
- Project work
- Practical exercises, project and group work
- Independent study
How will I be assessed?
- Exams
- Essays
- Projects
- Practical assignments
You must pass your first year modules in order to proceed but your performance at this level does not count towards your final degree classification.
Optional modules outside of this course
Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.
Proficiency in a second subject
If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.
- A Foreign Language
- Law
- Social Data Science
- Entrepreneurship
- Leadership
Your future
As a Philosophy graduate you will be well prepared for a number of careers including teaching, the media, business, social research, work in the public and charity sectors, and the legal profession. Throughout your studies you will develop a range of professional, academic and personal skills including:
- Analytical, critical and independent thinking
- Independent research
- Problem solving
- Discussion and group work
- Collecting, assessing and presenting evidence
- Written and verbal communication
- Articulating ideas and constructing arguments
- Organising, planning and time management
Career paths
The broad range of transferable skills gained on a Philosophy and History degree enable graduates to pursue further study or employment in a wide range of careers including:
- Teaching and research
- Local or national government
- The Civil Service
- Business and finance
- Charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the UK and abroad
- Marketing and public relations
- Management and administration
Further study
A History degree may also lead to further study or research and recent graduates have progressed to postgraduate courses in:
- MA Conflict, Security and Development
- Graduate Diploma in Law
- MA English Literary Studies
- MA History
- MSC International Management
- PGCE
