The first year
Laying the foundations
The first year of your Philosophy degree introduces you to the subject and provides you with the foundations which you'll need to deepen your philosophical understanding.
Our first year modules cover a broad range of topics: they include the study of moral and aesthetic questions, of the philosophical questions raised by religion and politics, of the subject's remarkable history plus examinations of the nature of knowledge, reasoning and the human mind.
Sample modules
- Knowledge, Justification and Doubt
- Matters of Life and Death
- Mind, Brain and Personal Identity
Teaching, learning and assessmentOur first-year modules cover a wide range of topics: the existence of God and the possibility of life after death, the moral authority of laws and our obligations to society, the nature of mind and its relation to the physical world, logic and critical reasoning, to name only a few. Although many of our first-year modules use the traditional teaching techniques of lectures and seminar groups, we also have special 'inquiry-based' modules where students work autonomously in teams to produce their own research. We have also recently introduced a system of individual tutoring, where advanced undergraduates offer extra help to students taking first-year logic. |
Personal advisersWe aim to make your journey through university life as smooth as possible. With that in mind, every student is assigned a member of our teaching staff as a personal adviser. Your adviser will help you with module choices and give you detailed breakdown of your marks. You can also discuss your academic progress and talk through any problems that may be interfering with your work. You should meet at least once per semester, but you can also approach your adviser at any time if there are things you want to discuss. |
The modular system
Our teaching and assessment system is 'modular', meaning that you acquire a set number of credits for successfully completing course modules.
To continue in Philosophy after a given year, both Single-honours and Dual-honours students must take at least 40 credits - two full modules - in Philosophy. We recommend that Single-honours students take at least 80 credits in the first year (many choose to do more). It's worth noting that, unlike philosophy departments in many other universities, we have no compulsory modules.
Follow the link to find out more about the second year of your Philosophy degree. |