Philosophy and Politics with Year Abroad

About this course
What is freedom? What makes a state legitimate? Should we prefer Democracy over other forms of government? On this BA in Philosophy and Politics, you’ll delve into questions that have challenged philosophers and political theorists throughout history. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the interconnection between philosophical thought and political realities, and explore fundamental and far-reaching issues concerning ethics, human welfare and social justice. Through a wide range of modules, you’ll gain the critical skills required to analyse theoretical and applied issues, from classical political and philosophical theory, up to cutting-edge issues of climate change, sex and gender, and international trade.

A degree in Philosophy cultivates a deep understanding of human existence, thought, morality, and the nature of reality. Graduates are equipped with impeccable analytical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills – valuable assets in virtually any profession. This is reflected in our Graduate Outcomes where 95% of our Philosophy graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation” (Graduate Outcomes, 2022/2023, published 2025).

Key features of the course

• Customize your degree, with a wide range of optional modules, within Philosophy and Politics and across other disciplines.

• Benefit from small group sizes and personalized attention from lecturers and tutors, with a chance to explore your ideas in depth.

• Career skills are embedded at every stage of our course

• Access to the Southampton Ethics centre, nurturing inter-disciplinary research and outreach, and the Hartley Library, home to the University Archives & Special Collections.

• Study and research through cutting-edge technology at the Digital Humanities facilities, such as virtual reality, 3D scanners and printers, and a 360 degree fully immersive audio-visual centre.

• Spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions.

Student Support
Our courses are taught by philosophy experts with an exceptional breadth of interests. We offer high number of contact hours on a wide range of programmes, with a focus on small-group teaching and one-on-one tuition. Beyond academics, you’ll have access to wellbeing resources, peer mentoring, and careers advice, all in a friendly, welcoming community.

Further information
The BA Philosophy and Politics with Year Abroad is a four-year, full-time course at our Avenue Campus. For details, visit our course page.

The programme is designed to ensure that your learning is progressive. You will move from developing foundational skills in Philosophy and Politics in the first year, to leading your own self-directed research project in the final year.

Year 1: Develop foundational skills in critical thinking and analysis, through modules such as Reason and Argument and Introduction to International Relations.
Year 2: Deepen your understanding of both subjects and the links between them, with the dedicated module Rationality, Preference, Wellbeing and Fairness.
Year 3: Year Abroad
Year 4: Personalise your degree through a self-directed dissertation project on any topic in Philosophy and/or Politics, and will choose from a range of specialist modules, each led by active researchers in the field.

You will also have the option of further tailoring your degree by choosing optional modules outside of Philosophy and Politics, with subjects including digital humanities and modern languages.

For a full list of modules available please visit the course page.

On this course you will learn through a range of activities that may include lectures, classes and tutorials, coursework, individual and group projects, and independent learning (studying on your own).

You will be able to demonstrate what you have learnt through a variety of assessment methods, such as debates, essays, oral presentations, developing websites, dissertations, individual and group projects, written and practical exams.

You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor who will offer support and advice throughout your studies. You will also receive feedback throughout your course, enabling you to identify areas for improvement before your work is formally assessed.