BA Philosophy

With our BA Philosophy, examine some of our most fundamental ideas about truth, reality, right and wrong and challenge society's views about them.

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.

This degree offers you the chance to study a wide variety of topics, from a number of different philosophical traditions. In the first year, you'll take six modules and only one is compulsory: Reason and Argument. This module will introduce you to the general skills required for all philosophy. You can also select modules from outside the department.

In years two and three you will have the opportunity to explore your interests in more depth, with topics such as environmental and business ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

You will be taught in small interactive seminar groups, encouraging discussion and debate with teaching staff and fellow students. You will be encouraged to undertake work placements, and there is the opportunity to study abroad in your second or third year. In 2022, we achieved a 95% satisfaction score for BA Philosophy (National Student Survey 2022).

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.