Program Overview

---

BA Philosophy

Overview

Philosophy is the study of the most general and fundamental features of reality - including ourselves - and the knowledge and beliefs we have about that reality which are embodied in our concepts, theories and practices.

The BA (Hons) in Philosophy course enables you to learn how to develop and justify your own answers to some of the most fundamental and important questions:

• Can I know that I'm not trapped inside The Matrix?
• What makes something the morally right thing to do?
• Do we have free will?
• Does God exist?
• Is the human mind just a lump of grey matter?

While we'll explain some of the existing answers to these questions, and the reasons why one might think those answers are correct, our focus is on teaching you how to critically assess these arguments and develop and argue for your own answers.

You will develop useful skills including:

• how to present an effective and rigorous argument;
• how to develop criticisms of other people's arguments and views;
• how to explain difficult material clearly and concisely; and
• how to deal with the fact that on most of the questions in life, reasonable people can believe radically different things.

These skills are value for your career as well as in everyday life, whether you're deciding what to do, having an argument with a friend, or simply reading a newspaper.

Aims

• Deliver structured yet flexible study, informed by current research, in which you critically evaluate, and think through philosophical arguments and problems for yourself.
• Provide you with a curriculum where you study texts and questions central to the analytical tradition in philosophy and from outside that tradition.
• Develop your subject-specific knowledge, cognitive, intellectual and transferable skills, preparing you for further academic study and employment.
• Employ an appropriate variety of teaching and assessment methods and use learning resources effectively and efficiently.
• Provide an effective induction programme, and academic and pastoral support to enhance your progress and academic development.

Special features

• Study Abroad

If you would like to broaden your horizons and your degree, you can apply to study overseas for a year at one of our partner universities. You apply in Year 2 to spend a year abroad in Year 3.

If successful, you will put together a programme of study at the host university in consultation with your Academic Exchange Advisor, to complement your studies at Manchester.

You will then come back to Manchester to study for a fourth year and graduate with a degree title including ‘with International Study'.

• Professional Experience Year opportunity

You can apply in Year 1 to do a Professional Experience Year. If you meet the criteria, the Professional Experience Team and Careers Service will work with you to find a placement in your second year.

You will then complete your Professional Experience Year in third year extending your degree to four years. Your degree title will be extended to include 'with Professional Experience'.

Teaching and learning

Course units feature formal and interactive lectures supported by smaller tutorials or seminars where you explore the contents of lectures and recommended reading in depth.

Tutorials, seminars, group discussions, essay-writing and presentations improve your written and oral communication skills.

You are assigned an Academic Advisor who takes a friendly interest in your progress and can advise you on selecting course units and career opportunities.

All permanent members of Philosophy teaching staff are internationally recognised researchers publishing their work in journals and books and giving talks around the world.

Coursework and assessment

Course units are normally examined by a combination of unseen exam and coursework essay.

For course units in logic there are weekly worksheets, which form part of the assessment.

You will complete a dissertation in your final year.

Course content for year 1

Year 1 provides you with a grounding in philosophical traditions, themes and problems.

You can also take 20 credits in an outside subject such as Politics or a language course.

Course units for year 1

• Studying Philosophy
• Critical Thinking
• Introduction to Ethics
• History of Philosophy
• Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology
• Introduction to Philosophy of Mind

Course content for year 2

You will develop and deepen your understanding of issues introduced in the first year, and can choose new and more advanced topics to explore.

You can also take 20 credits in an outside subject, a University College course or the Manchester Leadership Programme.

Course units for year 2

• From Cloud Cuckoo Land to Atlantis: Utopian thinking in the Ancient World
• Philosophy of Religion
• Applied Philosophy
• Philosophy of Race
• Formal Logic
• British Empiricism
• Ethics
• 20th Century Analytical Philosophy
• Philosophy of Science
• Existentialism
• Hegel and Marx

Course content for year 3

Year 3 offers specialised and in-depth explorations of issues led by original researchers in the field. You also undertake a substantial independent piece of research on a topic of your choosing, and can study 20 credits in an outside subject.

Course units for year 3

• From Cloud Cuckoo Land to Atlantis: Utopian thinking in the Ancient World
• Philosophy of Law
• Dissertation Semester 1
• Dissertation Semester 2
• Dissertation (40 credit)
• Philosophy of Language
• Metaphysics
• Special Author:Wittgenstein
• Environmental Philosophy
• Philosophy of Action
• Phenomenology
• Advanced Topics in Aesthetics
• Language & Oppression

Course content for year 4

If completing a year abroad, you will take the Year 3 course content in Year 4.

What our students say

Read profiles of our students to find out more about studying Philosophy at Manchester.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service.

Careers

Career opportunities

The University of Manchester has an excellent reputation for employability. For the past 5 years, we have been in the UK's Top Two most targeted universities by the UK's top 100 employers (High Fliers Graduate Market Report, 2020 - 2024).

Our graduates have progressed to careers in a wide range of sectors, reflecting the broad nature of our courses. Popular routes include journalism and media, charities, consultancy, the civil service, finance, marketing and PR, social work, teaching and law.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for:

• Manchester City Council;
• Royal Bank of Scotland;
• Palgrave MacMillan;
• Lloyds TSB;
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office;
• TeachFirst;
• Siemens.

Postgraduate study presents another option for progression and past graduates have continued their studies in subjects such as philosophy, teaching, law, political theory, business and marketing.

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.The servicecan help you:

• find summer internships or work experience;
• apply for jobs and provide practice interviews;
• access online and interactive services such as practice psychometric tests.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability. The University organises careers fairs and events throughout the year to give you a chance to meet graduate recruiters.

You can also improve your employability by choosing course units in Year 2 from:

• the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning;
• the Manchester Leadership Programme or Manchester Enterprise Centre;
• an extensive list of optional language units.

Entry requirements

A-level

ABB, including at least one of the following A-Level subjects (preference will be given to applicants studying two of these subjects):

• Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.

We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept the combination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.

We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels from the list of acceptable subjects above

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

A-level contextual offer

BBC, including at least one of the following A-Level subjects (preference will be given to applicants studying two of these subjects):

• Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.

We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept the combination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

UK refugee/care-experienced offer

BBC, including at least one of the following A-Level subjects (preference will be given to applicants studying two of these subjects):

• Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.

We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept the combination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

GCSE/IGCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 4 or C in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School for clarification.

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students.

Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.

You can get information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

Advice to applicants

Applicants submitting mitigating circumstances

If you are submitting information about mitigating circumstances that have affected, or are likely to affect, your academic performance, you should include this in the referee's report.

We cannot take into account information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application.

(Examples of mitigating circumstances include family illness, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school of college.)

Home-schooled applicants

If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying.

You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course.

We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.

If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you.

Non-standard educational routes

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.

Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. Further information for mature students can be found here .

Returning to education

We welcome applications from anyone who is returning to education.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

Applicants classed as international students who are studying Foundation Year Programmes, will be considered on the basis they have completed their High School education in full.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are considered equally to other applications up to the point of confirmation. Deferred entry is granted on the discretion of admissions staff, and is normally granted for one year only.

NB Some English Language test results, such as IELTS of TOEFL, are only valid from two years from the test date.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

We consider applicants who are resitting.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you can apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.

In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may refer back to previous applications or registrations at the University.

If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should include additional evidence of your suitability for the course.

If you are applying through clearing you will need to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing places will be subject to availability.

English language requirements

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

• GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C.
• IELTS 6.5 overall with no lower than 6 in any component.
• TOEFL (IBT) 90 overall with a minimum of 20 in each subset.
• iGCSE English (Second Language) grade B
• An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.