Philosophy and Politics with a Year Abroad

Some of the major issues in recent times, such as the cost-of-living crisis, Brexit, the American presidency of Trump, climate change and Covid-19, have not only generated substantial interest in politics, but have also prompted reflection on key philosophical concepts such as democracy, freedom, truth and justice.

The BA Philosophy and Politics degree at Swansea University enables you to explore fundamental questions about the world around us and the kind of society that we want to live in. These include what it means to be free, the most desirable form of democracy, the nature of the self, and how to live a morally good life. You will also be able to engage with more theoretical issues, such as debates about truth and reality, whilst learning about political methodologies and political institutions.

The programme also offers you opportunities to develop a range of important skills, such as critical reasoning, argument development, and ethical and political analysis. By exploring the ways that philosophy and politics connect, and how they can be combined, you will be able to understand, and engage with, the major social challenges that we face.

You will study at our Singleton Park Campus, in beautiful parkland, overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula.

The first year of the programme offers a grounding in core topics in politics and philosophy, including areas such as political philosophy, which sits at the intersection of the two subjects, and demonstrates the important ways in which they can combine and enrich each other. Other modules will introduce you to essential political and research methods, alongside data analysis. This provides a fundamental basis in philosophy and politics, which is built upon in each subsequent year.

In years two and three, you can explore how philosophical visions of ideal societies have been formulated throughout the history of Western society, examining historical attempts to realise these ideals. Other modules will explore historical and contemporary issues across politics and philosophy, and will also consider how equality intersects with economic and political policy, and decision-making.

Reflecting the nature of philosophy and politics, the primary mode of assessment is written essays, in which you can undertake detailed analysis of existing philosophical ideas and arguments, as well as developing your own. However, the programme includes a diverse range of assessment types, including paired critical exchanges, policy reports and analyses, group presentations, audio-visual dialogues, reading diaries and oral exams. These are designed to foster your effective communication skills across a range of media and formats, as well as team-working skills and technological competencies.

This programme includes opportunities to undertake a Semester or Year Abroad, enhancing your learning and offering invaluable life experience.

This course also offers you the opportunity to spend a Year in Industry, in the UK or overseas, enabling you to gain valuable workplace experience. The University advocates for paid-only placements, which on average have a salary of over £20,000. Unpaid placements are considered on a case-by-case basis.

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Interpreting Politics: The Faces and Uses of Power; Foundations in Social Sciences Research and Academic Skills; Disinformation, Ideology, and Bias: Researching and examining political data; Freedom, Justice and Equality: Key Debates in Political Philosophy; Critical Reasoning; Living Well and Doing Good: An Introduction to Ethics.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Global Justice and Human Rights in the Age of Globalisation; The History of Political Thought; Philosophy of the Enlightenment; Philosophy of Mind; The State and Political Institutions; America in Crisis: From the Tet Offensive to Trump; Plato's Republic; A Matter of Life and Death: Exploring Existential Philosophy; Contemporary Moral Controversies; Global Summit Simulation; British Politics and Public Policy.

In Year 3: Modules will be dependent on which partnership University you choose to study at.

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including: Dissertation; The Philosophy and Politics of Identity; Philosophy, Mental Health and Illness; Philosophy of Mind; Researching Politics; Capitalism and Justice; Genocide; Plato's Republic; Reality and Cognition: Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology; Global Environmental Politics.

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:

• Presentations
• Group Work
• Original Writing

Throughout your undergraduate Philosophy and Politics degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.