COVID-19 update
Find out about how we'll be delivering our courses in 2020.
Examine some of our most fundamental ideas about truth, reality, right and wrong and challenge society's views about them with our BA Ethics, Value and Philosophy.
Studying ethics, value and philosophy at the University of Reading will equip you with the ability to think logically, to evaluate arguments critically, and to challenge your own ideas and those of other people.
We are one of the only universities to offer BA Ethics, Value and Philosophy. You will learn about the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures, with an emphasis on moral philosophy and the theory of value. You will be taught by leading experts and authorities whose research strengths lie in moral philosophy and the philosophy of the mind and language. You will also have the chance to study non-Western philosophies, especially Indian philosophy.
This flexible degree allows you to shape your studies to your interests. Only two modules are compulsory in your first year: Values and Virtues is an introduction to moral philosophy; Reason and Argument introduces you to the skills required for all philosophy. You can select four other modules of your choice, with some from outside philosophy if you choose. In years two and three you will have the opportunity to explore your chosen topics in more depth, with modules such as Ethics and Animals, Philosophy of Crime and Punishment and the Environmental Ethics.
Additionally, in your second or final year you can explore the subjects of Ethics, Value and Philosophy from another cultural perspective at one of our partner universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan or Australia. You will be taught in small, interactive seminar groups, encouraging discussion and debate with teaching staff and fellow students.
Placement
We encourage you to take placements as they provide you with a chance to put your newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice as well as allowing you to gain valuable real-world experience.
You can undertake a placement at any point in your degree and work in a company or charity relevant to your final year studies. For example, a previous student worked at a zoo to learn more about the ethical treatment of animals.
Other students have chosen to study abroad for one term in their second or final year. Partner institutions include universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan or Australia.
For more information, please visit the Philosophy website.Overview
Examine some of our most fundamental ideas about truth, reality, right and wrong and challenge society's views about them with our BA Ethics, Value and Philosophy.
Studying ethics, value and philosophy at the University of Reading will equip you with the ability to think logically, to evaluate arguments critically, and to challenge your own ideas and those of other people.
We are one of the only universities to offer BA Ethics, Value and Philosophy. You will learn about the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures, with an emphasis on moral philosophy and the theory of value. You will be taught by leading experts and authorities whose research strengths lie in moral philosophy and the philosophy of the mind and language. You will also have the chance to study non-Western philosophies, especially Indian philosophy.
This flexible degree allows you to shape your studies to your interests. Only two modules are compulsory in your first year: Values and Virtues is an introduction to moral philosophy; Reason and Argument introduces you to the skills required for all philosophy. You can select four other modules of your choice, with some from outside philosophy if you choose. In years two and three you will have the opportunity to explore your chosen topics in more depth, with modules such as Ethics and Animals, Philosophy of Crime and Punishment and the Environmental Ethics.
Additionally, in your second or final year you can explore the subjects of Ethics, Value and Philosophy from another cultural perspective at one of our partner universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan or Australia. You will be taught in small, interactive seminar groups, encouraging discussion and debate with teaching staff and fellow students.
Placement
We encourage you to take placements as they provide you with a chance to put your newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice as well as allowing you to gain valuable real-world experience.
You can undertake a placement at any point in your degree and work in a company or charity relevant to your final year studies. For example, a previous student worked at a zoo to learn more about the ethical treatment of animals.
Other students have chosen to study abroad for one term in their second or final year. Partner institutions include universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan or Australia.
For more information, please visit the Philosophy website.Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall
Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.
Typical offer
BBB
International Baccalaureate
30 points overall
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDM
Extended Project Qualification
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.
Pre-sessional English language programme
If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP1RA | Reason and Argument | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP1ML | The Meaning of Life | DR Luke Elson |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP1RG | The Right and the Good | PROF Philip Stratton-Lake |
PP1RP | Radical Philosophy | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PP1MM | Mental Machines | DR Nat Hansen |
PP1GJ | Global Justice | DR Shalini Sinha |
PP1EL | Elementary Logic | DR Severin Schroeder |
PP1WRI | Writing the Philosophical Essay | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PO1IPI | Introduction to Political Ideas | DR Rob Jubb |
PO1INE | Inequality | DR Jonathan Golub |
PO1FRE | Freedom | DR Rob Jubb |
MT1CC | The Science of Climate Change | PROF Nigel Arnell |
PO1BRI | British Society | DR Dawn Clarke |
ML1IL | Introduction to Linguistics | DR Federico Faloppa |
ML1GEC | Greats of European Cinema | PROF Julia Waters |
MM1F10 | Student Enterprise | DR Lebene Soga |
LS1GL | Globalization and Language | DR Tony Capstick |
LW1SOC | Law & Society | MRS Amanda Millmore |
AR1REV | Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present | DR Aleks Pluskowski |
AR1REV10 | Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present [10 credits] | DR Aleks Pluskowski |
AR1EMP | Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome | PROF Roger Matthews |
AR1FOR | Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death | MRS Ceri Falys |
AR1FOR10 | Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death [10 credit] | MRS Ceri Falys |
AP1SB1 | Introduction to Management | DR Yiorgos Gadanakis |
AP1EM1 | Introduction to Marketing | MS Sandra Preciado |
CL1G1 | Ancient Greek 1 | MRS Jackie Baines |
CL1SO | Ancient Song | PROF Ian Rutherford |
CL1RH | Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
CL1L1 | Latin 1 (C) | MRS Jackie Baines |
CL1TR | Texts, Readers, and Writers | PROF Eleanor Dickey |
FA1MM | Modernisms & Mythologies | DR James Hellings |
EC110 | The Economics of Climate Change | DR Stefania Lovo |
EC111 | Economic Policy and Social Problems | PROF Giovanni Razzu |
EC118 | Economy, Politics and Culture in the Roman World | PROF Ken Dark |
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP2EA1 | Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live | DR Luke Elson |
PP2EA2 | Ethical Argument 2: Philosophy and How to Live | DR Luke Elson |
PP2OID1 | Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1 | MR George Mason |
PP2OID2 | Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 2 | DR Charlotte Newey |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP2EA1 | Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live | DR Luke Elson |
PP2GP1 | Global Philosophy 1 | DR Shalini Sinha |
PP2HKW1 | Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1 | DR Severin Schroeder |
PP2GP2 | Global Philosophy 2 | DR Shalini Sinha |
PP2OID1 | Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1 | MR George Mason |
PP2IDR2 | Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 2 | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP2HKW2 | Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 2 | DR Severin Schroeder |
PP2IDR1 | Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1 | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP2MM1 | Meaning and the Mind 1 | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP2MM2 | Meaning and the Mind 2 | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PO2PWS | Politics of the Welfare State | DR Brandon Beomseob Park |
PO2MIR | Modern International Relations | DR Joseph O' Mahoney |
PO2THI | Political Thinking | DR Alice Baderin |
MT2CC | The Science of Climate Change | PROF Nigel Arnell |
MM270 | Practice of Entrepreneurship | DR Norbert Morawetz |
ML2STA | Society, Thought, and Art in Modern Europe | DR Athena Leoussi |
ML2GF | Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature | DR Daniela La Penna |
ML2UNR | Unity, Nationalism and Regionalism in Europe | DR Athena Leoussi |
LS2LAT | Introduction to English Language Teaching | MRS Suzanne Portch |
LS2LNM | Language and New Media | PROF Rodney Jones |
AR2F17 | Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis | PROF Mary Lewis |
AR2M8 | Medieval Europe: power, religion and death | DR Gabor Thomas |
CL2CGH | Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander | PROF Timothy Duff |
CL2RO | Roman History: From Republic to Empire | PROF Annalisa Marzano |
CL2DR | Ancient Drama | PROF Barbara Goff |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP3WMA | Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Mind and Action | DR Severin Schroeder |
PP3MED | Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Mediaeval Philosophy | DR Luke Elson |
PP3REL | Philosophy of Religion | MR George Mason |
PP3RVK | Reason, Value & Knowledge | PROF Philip Stratton-Lake |
PP3SCF | The Scandal of Film | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PP3SPA | Speech Attacks: bullshit, lies, propaganda | DR Nat Hansen |
PP3SSG | Society and State in Ancient Greece | PROF David Oderberg |
PP3AEST | Aesthetics | DR Severin Schroeder |
PP3AF | Are we free? | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PP3DIS | Dissertation in Philosophy | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP3FAI | Fairness | DR Charlotte Newey |
PP3BESR | Business Ethics and Social Responsibility | DR Charlotte Newey |
PP3CP | Chinese Philosophy | PROF John Preston |
PP3HGML | Happy, Good and Meaningful Lives | PROF Philip Stratton-Lake |
PP3ILM | Independent Learning / Extended Essay | PROF John Preston |
PP3LA | Philosophy of Law | MR George Mason |
PO3FPT | Feminism and Political Theory | PROF David Marshall |
PO3USF | US Foreign and Defence Policy since 1950 | DR Graham O'Dwyer |
PO3IPE | International Political Economy | DR Jonathan Golub |
MM302 | Entrepreneurial Project | MR Keith Heron |
ML3LP | Language and Power | DR Federico Faloppa |
ML3IC | Identity and Conflict in Modern Europe | DR Athena Leoussi |
LS3IC | Intercultural Communications | DR Erhan Aslan |
LW3CRY | Criminology | PROF Paul Almond |
GV3ESM | Ecosystems Modelling | DR Shovonlal Roy |
GV3TRC | Tropical Rainforests, Climate & Lost Civilisations | PROF Frank Mayle |
GV3CC | Climate Change | DR Maria Shahgedanova |
BI3BI8 | Neurobiology | DR Nandini Vasudevan |
BI3EF7 | Urban Ecology | DR Phil Baker |
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year
New international students: £19,500 per year
*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Careers
Throughout our degrees students complete career and skills related modules, encouraging them to think about what careers they would like and what skills they will need.
Studying Philosophy will equip you with a range of transferable skills. In particular you'll develop skills in clear thinking, logical analysis and the critical assessment of argument, which are greatly valued in a variety of professional careers such as law, politics, management and marketing. Overall, 92% of graduates from the Department of Philosophy are in work or further study 15 months after the end of their course [1].
Recent graduates have found employment in the civil service, journalism, consultancy, finance, local and central government, and recent employers have included the Ministry of Defence, Cambridge University Press, Yellow Media Works, local authorities and other universities.
Around one in four of our students continue their studies, including conversion courses, and teacher training.
[1] Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18; First Degree responders from Philosophy.