BA Psychology and Philosophy
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UCAS code
CV85 -
A level offer
Course closed for September 2023 entry -
Year of entry
2023/24 See 2024/25 entry -
Course duration
Full Time: 3 Years
-
Year of entry
2023/24 See 2024/25 entry -
Course duration
Full Time: 3 Years
With the BA Psychology and Philosophy you will explore the inner workings of the mind, and examine some of our most fundamental ideas about truth, reality, right and wrong.
Develop a broad overview of modern psychology and philosophy on this British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course.
In psychology you will study the subjects required for BPS qualification, including cognition, neuroscience, development, personality and social psychology. The final year will then allow you to build upon this knowledge by exploring areas of interest in greater depth. The vast majority of modules in this year are optional and are regularly revised in order to incorporate the latest developments in psychology. Recent modules have included topics such as self-control, social cognition of non-verbal behaviour and adaptive control of thought. Should you wish to study abroad, you can spend a term of your final year at a partner institution.
You will be able to take advantage of the Department of Psychology's neuroimaging facilities, observation rooms and research laboratories. Additionally, we have three in-house NHS clinics and the world-renowned Charlie Waller Institute for Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments on-site.
Studying 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 will give you an understanding of the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures. You will be taught by leading experts whose research strengths lie especially 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.
The philosophy elements are flexible, allowing you to shape your studies to your interests. In the first year you will take at least two modules, one of which is compulsory. "Reason and argument" will introduce you to the general skills required for all philosophy. In years two and three you will have the opportunity to explore your chosen topics in more depth, with modules such as "Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences", "Philosophy of crime and punishment" and "Philosophy of religion".
In the final year of your degree you will carry out an original piece of research on a philosophical psychology topic of your choice. You may even have the opportunity to present your work at conferences, and a number of past projects have won awards from the BPS and British Neuroscience Association.
Placement
Placements are encouraged 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 will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement during the first year of your course. This can take place at an outside organisation such as a charity, or with one of our in-house NHS clinics. These include anxiety, speech and language therapy, and dementia. Alternatively, you can volunteer as a research assistant on a range of projects within the Department.
During your final year, you can opt to spend a term studying at a university abroad. We have links with many European institutions, as well as places further afield including locations in Australia, USA and Canada.
Overview
With the BA Psychology and Philosophy you will explore the inner workings of the mind, and examine some of our most fundamental ideas about truth, reality, right and wrong.
Develop a broad overview of modern psychology and philosophy on this British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course.
In psychology you will study the subjects required for BPS qualification, including cognition, neuroscience, development, personality and social psychology. The final year will then allow you to build upon this knowledge by exploring areas of interest in greater depth. The vast majority of modules in this year are optional and are regularly revised in order to incorporate the latest developments in psychology. Recent modules have included topics such as self-control, social cognition of non-verbal behaviour and adaptive control of thought. Should you wish to study abroad, you can spend a term of your final year at a partner institution.
You will be able to take advantage of the Department of Psychology's neuroimaging facilities, observation rooms and research laboratories. Additionally, we have three in-house NHS clinics and the world-renowned Charlie Waller Institute for Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments on-site.
Studying 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 will give you an understanding of the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures. You will be taught by leading experts whose research strengths lie especially 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.
The philosophy elements are flexible, allowing you to shape your studies to your interests. In the first year you will take at least two modules, one of which is compulsory. "Reason and argument" will introduce you to the general skills required for all philosophy. In years two and three you will have the opportunity to explore your chosen topics in more depth, with modules such as "Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences", "Philosophy of crime and punishment" and "Philosophy of religion".
In the final year of your degree you will carry out an original piece of research on a philosophical psychology topic of your choice. You may even have the opportunity to present your work at conferences, and a number of past projects have won awards from the BPS and British Neuroscience Association.
Placement
Placements are encouraged 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 will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement during the first year of your course. This can take place at an outside organisation such as a charity, or with one of our in-house NHS clinics. These include anxiety, speech and language therapy, and dementia. Alternatively, you can volunteer as a research assistant on a range of projects within the Department.
During your final year, you can opt to spend a term studying at a university abroad. We have links with many European institutions, as well as places further afield including locations in Australia, USA and Canada.
Entry requirements Course closed for September 2023 entry
Applications for 2023/24 entry (September start dates) are now closed. Please view the 2024/25 course page for information about the next year of entry.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP1RA | Reason and Argument | DR George Mason |
PY1DMH | Debates in Mental Health | DR Dan Jones |
PY1IPR | Introduction to Psychological Research | DR Eugene McSorley |
PY1LAL | Learning about Learning | PROF Philip Beaman |
PY1PAB | The Person and the Brain | DR Juliane Honisch |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP1EL | Elementary Logic | DR Sev.J. Schroeder |
PP1GJ | Global Justice | MISS Michela Bariselli |
PP1ML | The Meaning of Life | DR Luke Elson |
PP1MM | Mental Machines | DR Nat Hansen |
PP1RG | The Right and the Good | DR Charlotte Newey |
PP1RP | Radical Philosophy | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PP1WRI | Writing the Philosophical Essay | DR Nat Hansen |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PY2CBP | Cognitive and Biological Psychology | DR Lydia Yee |
PY2DAL | Development across the lifespan | DR Rachel Pye |
PY2RMP | Research methods in Psychology | DR Alana James |
PY2SID | Social Psychology and Individual Differences | DR Emma Pape |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP2EA1 | Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live | DR Luke Elson |
PP2GP1 | Global Philosophy 1 | MISS Michela Bariselli |
PP2HKW1 | Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1 | DR Sev.J. Schroeder |
PP2IDR1 | Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1 | DR Walter Veit |
PP2MM1 | Meaning and the Mind 1 | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP2OID1 | Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1 | DR George Mason |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PY3P | Project | DR Katie Barfoot |
PY3PPP | Project for Psychology & Philosophy Students | DR Katie Barfoot |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PP3AEST | Aesthetics | DR Sev.J. Schroeder |
PP3BESR | Business Ethics and Social Responsibility | DR Charlotte Newey |
PP3CP | Chinese Philosophy | PROF John Preston |
PP3FAI | Fairness | DR Charlotte Newey |
PP3FWR | Free Will and Responsibility | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PP3HGML | Happy, Good and Meaningful Lives | DR Luke Elson |
PP3LANG | Philosophy of Language: Animals, Babies, Colours, and Language Death | DR Jumbly Grindrod |
PP3REL | Philosophy of Religion | DR George Mason |
PP3SCF | The Scandal of Film | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
PP3SPA | Speech Attacks: bullshit, lies, propaganda | DR Nat Hansen |
PP3SVR | Science, Values and Reality | PROF John Preston |
PP3WMA | Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Mind and Action | DR Sev.J. Schroeder |
PY3ACT | Adaptive Control of Thought | PROF Philip Beaman |
PY3AV | Active Vision | DR Eugene McSorley |
PY3BE | Behavioural Economics | DR Rachel McCloy |
PY3CA | Cognitive neuropsychology of ageing | DR Jayne Freeman |
PY3CMC | Computational Models and Methods in Psychology | PROF Ingo Bojak |
PY3CNWM | Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention and Working Memory | DR Eva Feredoes |
PY3DMC | Dietary and Metabolic influences on cognition | DR Daniel Lamport |
PY3DPA | The Developmental Psychopathology of Anxiety | MRS Shannon Wake |
PY3EBL | Eating behaviours across the lifespan | DR Sarah Snuggs |
PY3FPR | Face Perception and Recognition | DR Katie Gray |
PY3FPT | Forensic Psychology: Theory and Practice | MRS Mette Whittaker |
PY3HP | Health Psychology | PROF Kate Harvey |
PY3LDM | Brain Mechanisms of Learning and Decision Making | PROF Anastasia Christakou |
PY3MLB | Music, Language and the Brain | DR Fang Liu |
PY3MPO | Motivation and Performance in Organisations | DR Amanda Branson |
PY3NFD | Neuropsychology of frontostriatal disorders | DR Aileen Ho |
PY3RCD | Reward Dysfunction in Clinical Disorders | DR Ciara McCabe |
PY3SC | Social Cognition | DR Lorella Lepore |
PY3SCN | Social Cognition of Nonverbal Behaviour | DR Juliane Honisch |
PY3SCO | Self Control | DR Julia Vogt |
PY3SE | Science of Emotion | PROF Carien Van Reekum |
PY3SNC | Sensory Perception in Neurodevelopmental Conditions | DR Teresa Tavassoli |
PY3TAR | Typical and Atypical Reading | DR Rachel Pye |
PY3TSP | Topics in Social Psychology | DR Emma Pape |
PY3VRB | Virtual Reality and the Brain | DR Peter Scarfe |
PY3VTA | Vision in typical and atypical development | DR Catherine Manning |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*
New international students: £24,500
*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
As a graduate of this course you will be qualified for further training to become a professional psychologist. Our BA Psychology and Philosophy course is accredited by the British Psychological Society and provides you with the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership.
This course will provide you with a range of transferable skills, including analytical qualitative abilities, writing experience, presentation skills and the ability to think and analyse scientifically. Additionally, skills in clear thinking, logical analysis and the critical assessment of argument are greatly valued in a variety of professional careers such as law, politics, management and marketing.
Your psychology skills will enable you to work for organisations such as the NHS, civil services, schools or charities. Skills learned on the course also open up many doors within the private sector, such as HR, recruitment, management consultancy, publicity, finance and journalism.
As a philosophy graduate you could also find employment in the civil service, journalism, consultancy, finance, local and central government. Recent employers have included the Ministry of Defence, Cambridge University Press, Yellow Media Works, local authorities and other universities.
Alternatively you can choose to further develop your skills by moving into research, teacher training or postgraduate studies.