Philosophy and Politics with Year Abroad
UCAS Code: VL54
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Typical offer: AAB to ABB If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: ABB to BBB and grade A in the EPQ We are committed to ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a student’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Students who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows: ABB to BBB Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit OR 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D3 D3 M2 to D3 M2 M2 in three principal subjects Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects. Cambridge Pre-U's can be used in combination with other qualifications such as A Levels to achieve the equivalent of the typical offer, where D3 can be used in lieu of A Level grade A or grade M2 can be used in lieu of A Level grade B.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pass, with 34 to 32 points overall with 17 to 16 points at Higher Level Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects. Applications where Higher Level subjects have been studied without the full Diploma, will also be considered on a case by case basis. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP): Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H1,H2,H2,H2,H2,H2-H1,H2,H2,H2,H3,H3
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 to H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A to B in an A level Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AA to AB in two A levels Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Distinction, Distinction, Distinction to Distinction, Distinction, Merit in the BTEC National Extended Diploma Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
AAB to ABB from three A levels or AA to AB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
UCAS Tariff
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About this course
A Philosophy and Politics degree at Southampton provides you with an opportunity to explore fundamental and far-reaching issues concerning human welfare and social justice, political ideals and political realities. The programme provides you with the opportunity to focus on fundamental questions concerning the legitimacy of the state, the nature of freedom and human rights, and the relationship between politics, law and morality. The year abroad will give you the opportunity to study for an additional academic year at a partner university in another part of the world. Destinations include Europe, Asia and North America.
Modules
Introduction to International Relations; Political Systems; Reason and Argument; Political Ideas; Ethics; Knowledge and mind; Freedom and responsibility; Philosophy of religion; Early Greek philosophy; Philosophy of art; Existentialism; Political philosophy; Metaphysics; Moral philosophy; Philosophy of mind; Philosophy of language; Epistemology; Applied ethics; Philosophy of fiction; Gender, philosophy and feminism; Philosophy of science; Environmental ethics; Happiness and wellbeing; Philosophy of mathematics; Philosophy of sex; Philosophy of emotion; Philosophy of film; Kant; Nietzsche; Kierkegaard; Heidegger; Wittgenstein.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Main Site - Highfield Campus
Philosophy

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How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Philosophy
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Philosophy
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?Although there aren't a lot of jobs around for professional philosophers, philosophy degrees are a relatively popular option, with more than 2,000 students graduating in a philosophy-related subject in 2015 - a little down on previous years, but still healthy. Nearly a quarter of philosophy graduates take a postgraduate qualification, and it's a relatively common subject at both Masters and doctorate level — so if you think academic life might be for you, think ahead about how you might fund further study. For those who go into work, philosophy grads tend to go into teaching, accountancy, consulting, journalism, PR, housing, marketing, human resources and the arts while a few go into the computer industry every year, where their logical training is highly rated.
Politics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Philosophy
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£24k
£27k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£23k
£26k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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