Undergraduate Course

BA Philosophy

(Including Foundation Year)

Now In Clearing

Overview

The details

Course: Philosophy (Including Foundation Year)

UCAS code: V502

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Full-time

Duration: 4 years

Location: Colchester Campus

Based in: 糖心Vlog Pathways

Our BA Philosophy (including Foundation Year) could be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entry requirements for a three-year version of our arts and humanities courses and you want a programme that improves your skills to support your academic performance.

Open to UK and EU applicants, this four-year course includes a Foundation Year (known as Year Zero) which is delivered by our 糖心Vlog Pathways Department followed by a further three years of study in our School of Philosophical Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies.

During Year Zero you will study on our Arts and Humanities Pathway which will cover topics such as Analysing Film, Text and Image; and Theory of Knowledge. At the end of Year Zero all students who pass the Arts and Humanities Pathway will have a choice of which course to progress with. As well as BA Philosophy students on the Arts and Humanities Pathway could also study BA Art History or BA History, amongst other courses.

Our four-year BA Philosophy (including foundation year), will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your academic skills in order to support your academic performance. Our five-year version of this course enables you to study abroad during your fourth year of study.

This course includes a foundation year (Year Zero), followed by a further three or four years of study depending on whether you choose to study abroad for a year.

After successful completion of Year Zero in our 糖心Vlog Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with our School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies.

At 糖心Vlog, we take philosophy back to its roots in everyday existential, social and political problems. We embrace the relevance of philosophy to other forms of enquiry 鈥� political, cultural, legal, medical, aesthetic 鈥� and bring this to bear on urgent issues in public life, such as the controversial issues raised by mental health legislation or public policy regarding end of life care.

We cover a wide range of topics from the meaning of life to capitalism and its critics, from ancient philosophy to current trends in European thought; and we have particular strengths in the areas of:

Ethics
Political philosophy
Philosophy of religion
European philosophy (including critical theory, phenomenology, and existentialism)

Why we're great.

We equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed at 糖心Vlog and beyond.
Guarantee a place on your chosen course upon successful completion of your foundation year.
Small class sizes allow you to work closely with your teachers and classmates.

Study abroad

Your education extends beyond our University campus. We support you in this by providing the option of an additional year. The five-year version of our degree allows you to spend the fourth year studying abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the four-year course.

Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.

If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to 糖心Vlog for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university

Our expert staff

Our open-minded and enthusiastic staff are known for our unique combination of Anglo-American and European philosophy, and as a leading centre for critical theory, phenomenology, German idealism and medical humanities. Some recent projects and publications include:

Timo J眉tten's major new Leverhulme-funded research project, Competition and Competitiveness
Irene McMullin's Existential Flourishing: A Phenomenology of the Virtues (Cambridge, 2018)
Steve Gormley's Deliberative Theory and Deconstruction: A Democratic Venture (Edinburgh, 2020)

Specialist facilities

By studying within our for your foundation year, you will have access to all of the facilities that the 糖心Vlog has to offer, as well as those provided by our department to support you:

We provide computer labs for internet research; classrooms with access to PowerPoint facilities for student presentations; AV facilities for teaching and access to web-based learning materials
Our new Student Services Hub will support you and provide information for all your needs as a student
Our social space is stocked with hot magazines and newspapers, and provides an informal setting to meet with your lecturers, tutors and friends

Our School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies also offers excellent on-campus facilities:

An exciting programme of research seminars, reading groups and mini-courses that help you expand your philosophical knowledge beyond what you learn on your course
A comprehensive which will direct you to the best source of advice and support in the case of personal or academic difficulties
A variety of philosophy textbooks and journals in the

Your future

Many employers want graduates who can think logically and creatively about practical problems. Philosophy develops these skills, providing you with:

The ability to understand all sides of a dispute objectively and without forming a premature opinion
The ability to work in a team, taking a collaborative approach to problems
The ability to interpret dense text and to communicate effectively
Analytical and problem-solving skills

Philosophy graduates are therefore well-suited to a wide range of occupations, including law, PR, journalism and the media, the Civil Service, charity work, banking, and the NHS. Our recent graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies.

We also work with the university's to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Entry requirements

Clearing entry requirements

We currently have places available in Clearing across a range of courses, with most offers at BBC–CCD (112–88 UCAS tariff points) or equivalent. Grade requirements may be lower in some cases, and some courses may also have subject specific requirements. We consider each application individually so get in touch if your grades are below those outlined here.

English language requirements

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements, including component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found

If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

English language shelf-life

Most English language qualifications have a validity period of 5 years. The validity period of Pearson Test of English, TOEFL and CBSE or CISCE English is 2 years.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

Pre-sessional English courses

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Pending English language qualifications

You don鈥檛 need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.

If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please email ugquery@essex.ac.uk.

Additional Notes

If you鈥檙e an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the Year 1 Year 2 Final Year

COMPONENT 01: CORE

Research and Academic Skills for University

(30 CREDITS)

This module is designed to support students in their academic subject disciplines and to strengthen their confidence in key skills areas such as: academic writing, research, academic integrity, collaborative and reflective practices. The students are supported through the use of subject-specific materials tailored to their chosen degrees with alignment of assessments between academic subject modules and the skills module.

COMPONENT 02: CORE

Post-War Britain: Identity, Culture, Conflict and Change

(30 CREDITS)

After the Second World War, the United Kingdom underwent a series of political, societal, and cultural changes that were to have a profound effect on its perception of itself, its and its changing world role. This module offers an introduction to the historical events and processes that have helped to shape the contemporary United Kingdom, focusing on a range of issues including those of identity 鈥� of what it means to be British in the modern age. It examines the principle causes and phases of change during this period (including, perhaps most importantly, conflict) and the effect these changes have had on British society, its culture, and its people. This module develops skills that will enable students to have an understanding of modern Britain, so that they are able to critique the actions of players and the beliefs of thinkers and thus become possible agents of future change, through interpreting information, thinking critically, assessing evidence and undertaking research. The module does not require any prior knowledge or experience of studying British history.

COMPONENT 03: CORE

Analysing Film, Text and Image

(30 CREDITS)

This interdisciplinary module aims to introduce students to a selected number of films, texts and artworks. Students who complete the module successfully will gain a broad overview and understanding of the creative process across different media. Films, texts and artworks will be studied in detail, giving students a chance to describe, analyse and reflect on the work in question. This will be done both in class during discussions, screenings, and close readings, and at greater length in assignments. An important aspect of the module lies in learning about some of the theoretical frameworks available to analyse the subject matter, and in becoming familiar with the vocabulary used to discuss and describe film, literature, and artwork. Students will be encouraged to become familiar with using key terms accurately and appropriately in their work.

COMPONENT 04: CORE

Theory of Knowledge

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

Introduction to Philosophy

(30 CREDITS)

Begin your study of philosophy with an exploration of epistemology (the theory of knowledge) and identity theory. What does it mean to say that we 鈥榢now鈥� something? What if that something is ourselves? How do our modes of practical interaction with the world and each other shape our ability to know different kinds of objects? Are there vices of the mind that distort our reasoning and lead our practical deliberations astray? How important is trust in a functional knowledge community? What kind of creatures must we be in order to be capable of knowing things? What role does self-responsibility play in effective knowing? What is it to be a self? How does that differ from having an identity or identities? To what extent are our identities determined by others? Are they up to us? How can the study of philosophy help us with these questions?

COMPONENT 02: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 03: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 04: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 05: COMPULSORY

Beyond the BA: Skills for the Next Step

(0 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

Rationalists and Empiricists

(15 CREDITS)

What is the nature and limits of human knowledge? Does our common-sense view of the world have a philosophical foundation? Does sensory experience provide the only path to knowledge of the world or can we gain knowledge through the exercise of pure reason? What role, if any, does God play in knowledge? What is the relation between the body and the mind? Do we know that the sun will rise tomorrow? Study the philosophical texts of the modern era that helped lay the conceptual foundations for these questions and others. We will begin with a close reading of Descartes' Meditations before exploring both rationalist (Spinoza and Leibniz) and empiricist (Locke and Hume) responses.

COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY

Ethics

(15 CREDITS)

This year, we will explore some of the things that worry people about morality. These are matters that may be thought of as challenges to morality and that seem either to make morality impossible or to undermine our commitment to it. For instance, if morality is just a matter of what we happen to like or dislike, or it is only relative to the standards of one's culture, the idea that we can ask and give moral reasons appears to be undermined, or significantly limited. Analogously, the fact that moral discussions (unlike arguments about matters of fact) often end up in irresolvable disagreements seems to threaten the rationality of moral arguments. The role that matters of luck play in our moral evaluations seems to involve holding people responsible for things that are not really under their control, thus compromising the idea that we can really assess the moral value of their actions. In the first term, we will look at these and other challenges to morality, and we will also explore some of the metaethical questions that these challenges raise: can we say that our moral judgements are capable of being true or false? If they are, does their truth depend on certain moral facts? Can we describe these facts as natural?

COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY

Texts in Practical Philosophy

(15 CREDITS)

This module offers students the opportunity to closely study and discuss a seminal texts in practical philosophy. For example, in a module dedicated to the study of Marx's work, students will read sections of The Communist Manifesto on a weekly basis, supplemented by other works by Marx, critical responses from his contemporaries, and the work of later theorists.

COMPONENT 04: COMPULSORY

Reading texts from the history of philosophy

(15 CREDITS)

In this module we will intensively examine a classic philosophical text, treating it not only as a historical document, but principally with regard to its ongoing contribution to philosophical thinking.

COMPONENT 05: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 06: OPTIONAL

(15 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 07: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS

(15 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 01: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY

Philosophy Capstone Module

(30 CREDITS)

This is an intensive final-year module running over five weeks during the summer term. It involves a guided and structured approach to support you in completing a research project of your own.

COMPONENT 03: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 04: OPTIONAL

(30 CREDITS)

Teaching

Undergraduate students in the School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies typically attend a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar for each module every week (second and final year philosophy lectures are two-hours).

Your teaching mainly takes the form of lectures and classes, the latter involving about 20 students
We believe that discussion is the lifeblood of philosophy, and we try to keep our classes as small as we can for this purpose
Any language classes involve language laboratory sessions
Our classes are run in small groups, so you receive a lot of individual attention

Assessment

Your assessed coursework will generally consist of essays, reports, in-class tests, individual or group oral presentations, and small scale research projects

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£5,760 per year

This fee is set by the UK Government for classroom-based Foundation Years only. Your fee will increase in your next year in alignment with the Undergraduate course fee set by the UK Government.

International fee

£20,475 per year

The will apply in subsequent years.

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Home/UK fees and funding information

International fees and funding information

What's next

Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at 糖心Vlog. We run a number of Open Days throughout the year which enable you to discover what our campus has to offer. You have the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff

Check out our Visit Us pages to find out more information about booking onto one of our events. And if the dates aren鈥檛 suitable for you, feel free to book a campus tour here.

2025 Open Days (Colchester Campus)

Saturday 20 September 2025 - September Open Day

Saturday 8 November 2025 - November Open Day

Find out more

How to apply during Clearing

Once you’ve checked that we have the right course for you, applying couldn’t be simpler. Fill in our quick and easy with as much detail as you can. We’ll then take a look and get back to you with a decision.

Find out more about Clearing

Interviews

We don’t interview all applicants during Clearing, however, we will only make offers for the following courses after a successful interview:

BA Multimedia Journalism
BSc Nursing (Adult)
BSc Nursing (Mental Health)
BA Social Work

The interview allows our academics to find out more about you, and in turn you’ll be able to ask us any questions you might have. Further details will be emailed to you if you are shortlisted for interview.

A sunny day with banners flying on Colchester Campus Square 4.

Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester 鈥� England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Find out more

View from Square 2 outside the Rab Butler Building looking towards Square 3

If you live too far away to come to 糖心Vlog (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tours allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our and to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At 糖心Vlog we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our . The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.