Program Overview

Politics and Philosophy BA

Overview

The Politics and Philosophy BA course at the University of Nottingham provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the ideas and ideals that underpin governments, as well as the pressing philosophical debates of our day. The course aims to equip students with a broad range of skills and knowledge that will open doors to a variety of career paths.

Course Structure

The course is structured into three years, with each year consisting of six 20-credit modules. Students must take 120 credits in a year, which are typically spread across six 20-credit modules. Each module assumes roughly 200 hours of taught and independent study.

Modules

Year One

• Introduction to Comparative Politics
• Introduction to Political Theory
• Mind, Knowledge, and Ethics
• Political Theory in Practice
• Reasoning, Argument, and Logic
• Gender, Justice, and Society
• Metaphysics, Science, and Language
• Philosophy of Religions

Year Two

• An Introduction to Metaethics
• Arts Work Placement Module
• Being, Becoming and Reality
• British Party Politics
• Buddhism and the World
• Continental Philosophy
• Democracy and its Critics
• Employing the Arts
• Experiencing National Identity
• Freedom and Obligation
• Global Security
• How Voters Decide
• Intermediate Logic
• International Political Economy and Global Development
• International Politics in the 20th Century
• Knowledge and Justification
• Mind and Consciousness
• Normative Ethics
• Philosophy of Art
• Politics and Public Policy in China
• Social and Global Justice
• Social Philosophy
• Space, Time, and Motion
• The Nature of Meaning
• The Transformation of European Politics
• Topics in Asian Philosophy

Year Three

• Advanced Logic
• Advanced Topics in Aesthetics
• African Politics
• Authenticity and Existentialism
• Buddhist Philosophy
• China in Global Politics
• Communicating Philosophy
• Dirty Talk
• Dissertation in Politics and International Relations
• Environmental Ethics
• Ideas and Politics in Contemporary Britain
• Inside Out: The UK and the EU
• Knowledge, Ignorance and Democracy
• Left and Right in Contemporary Politics
• Marx
• The Middle East and the World
• Mind, Psychology and Mental Health
• Philosophy and Mortality
• Philosophy Dissertation
• Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Play, Games and Recreation
• Political Challenges and Multiple Crises in the Global Economy
• Political Parties and Party Systems Around the Globe
• Political Violence
• Politics Placement
• Race and Politics
• Responding to Extremism: Politics, Power, and Ethics
• Secret Intelligence and International Security
• Special Relationship? Anglo-American Security Relations
• The EU as a Global Power
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Morality of Capitalism
• The Politics of Ethnic Conflict
• The Politics of Human Rights
• The Politics of Inequality
• The Russo-Ukranian War
• The Struggle for Democracy
• Theories of the Modern State

Assessment

Assessment methods include coursework, dissertation, essay, examinations, presentation, and project work.

Careers

The course provides students with a wide range of careers to choose from, including private, public, and charitable sectors. Graduates develop careers in print and television journalism, broadcasting, television and film production, advertising, marketing, and personnel, as well as the commercial and financial sectors. Some go into party politics as parliamentary assistants, councillors in local government, and even MPs; others work for the civil service and in research and data analysis.

Fees

The tuition fee for the 2026/27 academic year is £9,535 for UK undergraduate students.

Campus

The University Park Campus covers 300 acres, with green spaces, wildlife, period buildings, and modern facilities. It is one of the UK's most beautiful and sustainable campuses, winning a national Green Flag award every year since 2003.