Philosophy: University of Birmingham

Philosophy is the ideal discipline for people who find they are bothered by questions that their friends can cheerfully ignore, and for people who don’t want to settle for conventional answers and received wisdom, but want to arrive at answers that stand up to the most searching examination.

What is Philosophy?

What is Philosophy? Well, a large part of doing Philosophy is learning how to evaluate claims and arguments and finding reasons to disagree with them: and  learning how to understand what others think and write, and being able to examine their arguments for weak spots and errors. This is an ability which carries over into your whole life.

The ability to criticise other people’s views and arguments effectively isn’t the whole story, however. Good philosophy requires clarity and rigour of thought, but also calls for imaginative flexibility and inventiveness. It’s all very well being able to argue convincingly that the standard arguments for the existence of God don’t work, but can you do any better? Or can you think of principled reasons why the existence of God just can’t be proved? Once you start being able to formulate and justify your own views, you are really starting to think like a philosopher.

About the department

The Philosophy Department at Birmingham consists of about 11 full-time members of academic staff, supported by our administrative staff and several part-time teaching assistants. The academic staff have expertise across a range of topics within philosophy, and we normally teach the topics that are close to our own research, so that students are taught by people who are really interested in the topic and are in touch with the latest philosophical ideas and developments.

Their ethos is friendly and informal, and we are always happy to talk to their students about philosophical questions or problems, provide additional feedback on their academic performance, or discuss any problems they might be having with their degree programme. We provide written feedback on all coursework essays, identifying strengths and weaknesses so that students’ essay-writing skills improve as they progress though their degree programme.

First year

First-year modules include: Knowledge and Reality (what is the world like, and how – if at all  – do we come to know about it?); History of Philosophy; Logic; and The Individual and Society (covering moral and political philosophy). There are also two seminar-only modules: Philosophical Texts I (where you learn how to analyse and criticise some texts on a variety of topics) and Independent Study I (where you learn essay-writing and research skills and apply them by writing an essay on a philosophical topic of your choice). Single Honours students take all of the above, plus a Module Outside the Main Discipline.

Second year

In the second year, all students are given some freedom of choice, so you can pursue the topics and questions that interest and inspire you. Modules currently on offer include: Thought and Language; Topics in the History of Philosophy; Philosophy of Science; Philosophy of Mind; and Meta-ethics. There is  also Philosophical Texts II, where you focus on a single classic book by a particular author (you will have a range of texts in different areas to choose from), and Independent Study II, which gives you the opportunity to further hone your essay-writing skills and to write another essay on a question of your own devising.

Third year

In the third year there is even more choice of modules. Some areas (like ethics and metaphysics) will be familiar to you, but will be studied at a more advanced level; others, like the philosophy of Schopenhauer, will be new to you. Modules currently on offer include: Contemporary Moral Theory; Philosophy of Religion; Philosophy of Psychology; Issues in Contemporary Metaphysics; Testimony; Philosophy of Language; Schopenhauer; and Marx. Another option is the Philosophical Project module, for which you research and write an extended essay with the help of a supervisor who advises you and generally guides you through the process.

Teaching and assessment

Most modules are taught by a mixture of lectures and small group discussions. Some (for example, Philosophical Texts) are taught just in small group discussion seminars, while the Philosophical Project module is taught by one-to-one supervision.

Most first-year modules are assessed by both an essay written during the year and an exam at the end of the year, with each given equal weight. Logic is assessed by worksheets throughout the year and an exam at the end of the year. Philosophical Texts I and Independent Study I are assessed by an essay.

The assessment for second- and third-year modules also varies. Many modules are assessed by two fairly short essays, while some are assessed by an essay and an exam. The Philosophical Project module is assessed by a single long essay of about 6,000 words.

Career opportunities

Philosophy graduates have a range of general skills that are highly prized by graduate employers: they want employees who can understand complex information, write clearly and effectively, build a case for a particular view, strategy or course of action, respect the views of others even if they disagree with them, and generally think for themselves. Philosophy graduates often go on to pursue highly successful careers in professions like law, journalism, and teaching, as well as in commerce and industry.

Other ways to study Philosophy

Philosophy can be combined equally with another subject in a wide choice of Joint Honours programmes. It may also be studied as a Minor subject or as a Module Outside the Main Discipline by students majoring in another subject.

Entry requirements

• Number of A levels required: 3
• Typical offer: ABB–BBB
• General Studies: accepted
• International Baccalaureate Diploma: 32–34 points

Other qualifications are considered – see the entry requirements section for full details

Contact details

• Admissions Tutor: Dr Mark Walker
• Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)121 414 6059
• Email: philosophy@bham.ac.uk

For general information about open days

• Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3374
• Website: http://www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/visitsopendays/

Main University Switchboard

• Postal address: The University of Birmingham
  Edgbaston
  Birmingham
  B15 2TT
  United Kingdom
• Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3344
• Fax: +44(0)121 414 3971

Admissions

• Email: admissions@bham.ac.uk
• Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8900
• Website: www.marketing.bham.ac.uk/admissions_recruitment

Student Recruitment

• Email: schools-liaison@bham.ac.uk
• Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3374
• Website: www.marketing.bham.ac.uk/recruitment

International Relations

• Email: international@bham.ac.uk
• Tel: +44 (0)121 414 2894
• Website: www.international.bham.ac.uk