Skip to main content

Undergraduate Study

BA Philosophy and History - 2025 entry

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code VV51
Duration 3 years
Entry year 2025
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline Philosophy
Contact

Web: Enquire online
Phone: +44 (0)1392 723192

Typical offer

View full entry requirements

A levels: AAA
IB: 36/666
BTEC: DDD

Contextual offers

A-Level: ABB
IB: 32/655
BTEC: DDM

Overview

  • By combining the study of two complementary subjects, you will develop analytical and reasoning skills while deepening your knowledge of philosophy and history across different time periods and countries
  • You’ll learn how to develop your own views and assess other historians’ and philosophers’ takes on issues and topics
  • Our broad range of optional modules in your second and third years gives you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions
  • The Philosophy and History student societies will give you the chance to make friends, attend socials and seminars and hear from guest speakers
  • Get ready for your future career by developing a range of skills valued by a wide range of employers from the media to teaching and the public, private and charity sectors

View 2024 Entry

Request a prospectus

Open days and visiting us

How to apply

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Top 10 icon

Top 10 in the UK for Philosophy

8th in The Complete University Guide 2025

Arrows crossing over icon

Commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research

Graduation cap and diploma icon: symbolizing academic achievement and success.

88% of graduates in or due to start employment or further study fifteen months after graduation

Based on full-time, first degree, UK domiciled graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes survey 2020/21

An image of a globe on a stand, depicted through a line drawing, showcasing the continents and countries of the world.

Opportunities to study abroad

Entry requirements (typical offer)

Qualification Typical offer Required subjects
A-Level AAA n/a
IB 36/666 n/a
BTEC DDD n/a
GCSE C or 4 English Language
Access to HE 30 L3 credits at Distinction Grade and 15 L3 credits at Merit Grade N/A
T-Level Distinction N/A
Contextual Offer

A-Level: ABB
IB: 32/655
BTEC: DDM

Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers.

Other accepted qualifications

View other accepted qualifications

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

NB General Studies is not included in any offer.

Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply

Additional selection criteria

We are looking for well-qualified students with a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.

In addition to the specific requirements listed above, we look for excellent A level* results/predictions and we may also take into account results up to and including GCSEs* and AS Levels* as part of our holistic assessment of an application.

*Equivalent qualifications will be considered. For more information about our equivalencies for specific qualifications please contact our Admissions Office.

Course content

The Philosophy and History degree programme is made up of compulsory (core) and optional modules, which are worth 15 or 30 credits each. Full-time undergraduate students need to complete modules worth a total of 120 credits each year.

Depending on your programme you can take up to 30 credits each year in another subject, for instance a language or business module, to develop career-related skills or just widen your intellectual horizons.

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

45 credits of compulsory History modules, 45 credits of compulsory Philosophy modules, 15 credits of optional History modules, and 15 credits of optional Philosophy modules.

Compulsory modules

a - You must take at least 3 out of the 5 core Philosophy modules

b - You must select HIH1421 Understanding Medieval and Early Modern History OR HIH1422 Understanding Modern History.

CodeModule Credits
PHL1002A Knowledge and Reality 1 [See note a above]15
PHL1002B Knowledge and Reality 2 [See note a above]15
PHL1005A Evidence and Argument 1 [See note a above]15
PHL1006 Introduction to Philosophical Analysis [See note a above]15
HIH1137 Becoming a Historian: Core 15
HIH1421 Understanding Medieval and Early Modern History [See note b above]30
HIH1422 Understanding Modern History [See note b above]30
PHL1013 Philosophy of Morality [See note a above]15

Optional modules

c - Select 15 credits of either the final core Philosophy module, or one of the Stage 1 Option Philosophy modules

d - Select 15 credits from Stage 1 Option Modules History

CodeModule Credits
PHL Stage 1 CH Philosophy option modules 2023-4 [See note c above]
PHL1004 Philosophical Problems 1 15
PHL1007 Philosophical Reading 1 15
PHL1009 Philosophies of Art 15
PHL1010 Introduction to Asian Philosophy 15
PHL1013 Philosophy of Morality 15
PHL1112 Philosophy of Film 15
History Stage 1 Option modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
HIH1402 Britain, America, and the Global Order, 1846-1946 15
HIH1618 Body, Border, Partition: Understanding Violence in South Asia 15
HIH1140 Confinement, Care, Cure: Psychiatric Institutions in the Twentieth Century 15
HIH1412 Early Modern Magic and Witchcraft 15
HIH1614 Environment and Industry, 1750-1950: Global Perspectives 15
HIH1053 Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages 15
HIH1600 Images of Stalinism 15
HIH1585 Ladies of the Night: Prostitution in the Victorian World 15
HIH1607 JFK 15
HIH1002 Losing an Empire, Finding a Role: Britain Since 1945 15
HIH1042 Murder in Early Modern England 15
HIH1411 From Wigan Pier to Piccadilly: Britain between the Wars 15
HIH1501 The Viking Phenomenon 15
HIH1506 The First Day of the Somme 15
HIH1532 The History of Strategic Thinking 15
HIH1596 The Good War? The United States in World War II 15
HIH1612 Renaissance Florence 1350-1550 15

45 credits of compulsory Philosophy modules, 15 credits of optional Philosophy modules, 60 credits of optional History modules

Compulsory modules

e - You must take at least 3 out of the 6 core Philosophy modules 

CodeModule Credits
PHL2010A Philosophy of Mind 1 [See note e above]15
PHL2043 Philosophical Research [See note e above]15
PHL2015 Body and Mind [See note e above]15
PHL2016 Metaphysics [See note e above]15
PHL2018 Philosophy of Language [See note e above]15
PHL2118 Moral agency in social context [See note e above]15

Optional modules

f - Select 15 credits from Stage 2 Philosophy Option Modules or a further core module from above.


Select 60 credits from a single History Route A, B, C or D . You must take HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age if you intend to select HIH3005 History Dissertation or HIH3006 Research Dissertation in the final stage).

History Route A
2 History option modules. Ancient History Dissertation in final stage

History Route B
HIH2002 Uses of the Past + 1 other History option. Ancient History Dissertation in final stage

History Route C
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age + 1 other History option. History Dissertation in final stage

History Route D
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age + HIH2002 Uses of the Past. History Dissertation in final stage

CodeModule Credits
PHL Stage 2 CH Philosophy option modules 2023-4 [See note f above]
PHL2013 Philosophy of Social Science 15
PHL2021 Symbolic Logic 15
PHL2022 Sex and Death: Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology 15
PHL2026 Philosophy of Science 15
PHL2038 The Self 15
PHL2040 Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Communicative Capitalism 15
PHL2041 Feminist Philosophy: Gender, Race and Class 15
PHL2042 Philosophical Frontiers 15
PHL2045 Aesthetics 15
PHL2052 Epistemology 15
PHL2053 History of Philosophy 15
PHL2054 Philosophy of Psychiatry 15
PHL2056 The Nature of Normativity 15
PHL2061 Philosophy of Law 15
PHL2111 The Deep Past, History and Humanity 15
PHL2114 Aristotle's Ethics 15
PHL2117 Philosophy and Psychedelics 15
PHL2119 Animal Minds and Animal Ethics 15
PHL2120 Philosophy and Sociology of Race 15
PHL2123 Philosophy of Medicine 15
PHL2126 Mind and World in Contemporary Japanese Philosophy 15
PHL2127 Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy 15
PHL2046A The Holocaust, Genocide and Society 30
PHL2096 Cyborg Studies 15
History CH Stage 2 Route A modules 2024-5 History Pathway A
HIH2036A Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 30
HIH2037 American Frontiers: The West in U.S. History and Mythology 30
HIH2041 The First Welfare State? England's Poor Law, 1520-1835 30
HIH2016A Living Through the Global: Colonial Migrants and the British Empire from the Eighteenth Century to the Present 30
HIH2137A Inventing Modern Man: Constructions of Mind, Body, and the Individual, 1400-1800 30
HIH2138A History of Development: Ideologies, Politics, and Projects 30
HIH2145A Spain from Absolutism to Democracy 30
HIH2208A Medieval Paris 30
HIH2210A The Russian Empire, 1689-1917 30
HIH2218A Religion, Society and Culture in Tudor England 30
HIH2238 Slavery, Revolution, Independence: Saint-Domingue and Haiti, 1685-1838 30
HIH2241 Rise and Demise of Communism in Global Perspective 30
HIH2587 The Other Renaissance: Religion, Knowledge, and Power in the Twelfth Century 30
HIH2590 An Age of Iron? Europe in the Tenth Century 30
HIH2591 Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 30
HIH2594 Europe in the Era of the Great War, 1908-1923: Crisis, Conflict and Collapse 30
History CH Stage 2 Route B modules 2024-5 History Pathway B
HIH2002 Uses of the Past 30
HIH2591 Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 30
HIH2587 The Other Renaissance: Religion, Knowledge, and Power in the Twelfth Century 30
HIH2036A Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 30
HIH2238 Slavery, Revolution, Independence: Saint-Domingue and Haiti, 1685-1838 30
HIH2016A Living Through the Global: Colonial Migrants and the British Empire from the Eighteenth Century to the Present 30
HIH2210A The Russian Empire, 1689-1917 30
HIH2138A History of Development: Ideologies, Politics, and Projects 30
HISS S2 BA CH opt C 2022-3 History Pathway C
HIH2001 Doing History: Perspectives on Sources 30
HIH2014A Decolonisation and the Collapse of the British Empire, 1919-1968 30
HIH2032A Europe 1650-1800: From Enlightenment to Romanticism 30
HIH2036A Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 30
HIH2186A Deviants and Dissenters in Early Modern England 30
HIH2209A African American History 30
HIH2218A Religion, Society and Culture in Tudor England 30
HIH2224A African Modernities: Popular Cultures in Twentieth Century Africa 30
HIH2234 Sailors, Slavery and Piracy: The Atlantic World, 1600 - 1800 30
HIH2590 An Age of Iron? Europe in the Tenth Century 30
HIH2592 Science, Empire, and Natural History Museums: A Global Perspective 30
HIH2587 The Other Renaissance: Religion, Knowledge, and Power in the Twelfth Century 30
History CH Stage 2 Route D modules History Pathway D
HIH2002 Uses of the Past 30
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age 30

120 credit of compulsory placement module

Compulsory modules

Students spend this stage at an approved partner University. The year abroad comprises a 120 credit placement module. Assessment is normally based on the credits gained at the partner institution abroad.

CodeModule Credits
SSI3999 Year Abroad 120

0-30 credits of compulsory Philosophy modules, 0-30 credits of compulsory History modules, 30-60 credits of optional Philosophy modules, and 30-60 credits of optional History modules.

Compulsory modules

Route A or B taken in Stage 2 - Select PHL3040 Philosophy Dissertation

Route C or D taken in stage 2 - Select either HIH3005 History Dissertation or HIH3006 History Research Dissertation.

CodeModule Credits
PHL3040 Philosophy Dissertation 30
HIH3005 General Third-Year Dissertation 30
HIH3006 Research Project Dissertation 30

Optional modules

Route A or B taken in Stage 2 - Select 30 Credits of Philosophy Options. Select a History Special Subject for 60 credits.

Route C or D taken in stage 2 - Select 30 credits from Concepts Modules, or 30 credits of option modules from outside of History via modularity.  Select 60 credits of Philosophy options.

If choosing option modules outside of your named subjects, you must make sure that your total for both History and Philosophy is 90 credits each over the second and final year. This is to insure you meet the requirements needed for the degree title.

CodeModule Credits
PHL SF BA CH opt 2023-4 Philosophy Options
PHL3013 Virtues and Vices 15
PHL3014 Symbolic Logic 15
PHL3018 Sex and Death: Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology 15
PHL3026 Philosophy of Science 15
PHL3038 The Self 15
PHL3078 Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Communicative Capitalism 15
PHL3079 Feminist Philosophy: Gender, Race and Class 15
PHL3080 Philosophical Frontiers 15
PHL3045 Aesthetics 15
PHL3052 Epistemology 15
PHL3053 History of Philosophy 15
PHL3054 Philosophy of Psychiatry 15
PHL3056 The Nature of Normativity 15
PHL3061 Philosophy of Law 15
PHL3111 The Deep Past, History and Humanity 15
PHL3113 Practical Ethics 15
PHL3114 Aristotle's Ethics 15
PHL3117 Philosophy and Psychedelics 15
PHL3118 Animal Minds and Animal Ethics 15
PHL3119 Philosophy and Sociology of Race 15
PHL3122 Philosophy of Medicine 15
PHL3125 Mind and World in Contemporary Japanese Philosophy 15
PHL3126 Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy 15
PHL3046A The Holocaust, Genocide and Society 30
PHL3096 Cyborg Studies 15
THE3185 Incarnation: Topics in Philosophical Theology 30
SPA3001 Debates, Issues and Practices 15
History UG Final Year Special Subjects 2024-5 Special Subjects
HIH3415 Everyday Stalinism: Life in the Soviet Union, 1928-53 60
HIH3416 Critics of Empire 60
HIH3417 The Yes, Minister Files: Perspectives on British Government since 1914 60
HIH3422 Street Protest and Social Movements in the Modern Era 60
HIH3426 Health and its Politics in the 20th Century 60
HIH3430 From the Grand Tour to Gladiator: Modern encounters with the ancient world 60
HIH3433 Beyond Cannibalism: Indigenous Peoples and the European Colonisation of Brazil, 1500-1822 60
HIH3434 The Body in Early Modern England 60
HIH3436 Engendering Empire: Making the British Imperial World 60
HIH3437 Death to the Traitors: Rebellion and Resisting Tyranny in the Middle Ages 60
HIH3438 The Rise of Capitalism in Britain 1660-1830 60
HIH3439 Women's Experience in Britain: Race, Class and Gender since 1945 60
HIH3441 Britons Abroad: The Experience of Travel, c. 1650-1900 60
HIH3442 From Its Cradle to Its Grave? The National Health Service in Britain, 1948-Present 60
HIH3444 Them and Us: Imagining the Social "Other" in Britain since the 1880s 60
HIH3450 Decolonisation and Colonial Conflict 60
HIH3451 Borders and Mobilities in Postcolonial South Asia 60
HIH3452 Whiteness: A Global History 60
HIH3448 Britain and the Age of Revolution, 1775-1832 60
History UG Final Stage Concepts History Concepts
HIH3330 Truth 30
HIH3332 Labour 30
HIH3333 In Sickness and in Health 30
HIH3334 War 30
HIH3336 Revolution 30
HIH3331 Elites 30

Course variants

UCAS code: VV5C

Our four-year ‘with Study Abroad’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, studying with one of our many partner universities.

Why Study Abroad?

Living and studying in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. Students who have studied abroad demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where they stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language – all key qualities that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment environment.

Where can I Study Abroad?

We have partnership arrangements with many prestigious institutions across the globe. Exactly where you can apply to study will depend on the subjects you are studying at Exeter. For a full list please visit the Study Abroad website.

Does it count towards my degree?

Credit for academic work during your year abroad is arranged by agreement between the University of Exeter and the host institution. These marks are then translated back into your degree at Exeter. If you are Studying Abroad for a semester or full year, your time abroad will count toward your final degree. Please refer to your College Study Abroad co-ordinator for further details.

How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?

For the year that you spend studying abroad you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter, but nothing to your host university – for more information visit our fees pages. You will continue to receive a maintenance loan if you are eligible for this whilst on your Study Abroad year.

UCAS code: VV52

Our four-year ‘with Employment Experience’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements within the UK as part of your degree.

Why choose to include Employment Experience?

Undertaking graduate-level work during your degree unlocks a world of experience that allows you to develop essential employability and interpersonal skills that relate to your degree and future career. A work placement will dramatically boost your confidence, enhance your CV and develop graduate level skills and competencies that employers are looking for.

Where will I do my work placement?

The sector you choose to work within is very much your choice as you will be responsible for finding and organising your placement. We will provide plenty of guidance and support during your first and second years which will prepare you to research and apply for placements. Ultimately, the university will give final approval to your placement to make sure you have a valuable experience.

How does it affect my tuition fees and funding?

For your ‘Year In Industry’ you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your year of work placement/s.

Find out more

Visit our website to learn more about employment experience opportunities.

UCAS code: VV53

Our four-year ‘with Employment Experience Abroad’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements as part of your degree.

Why choose to include Employment Experience Abroad?

Spending up to a year living and working in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. By carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements abroad you can demonstrate to employers your adaptability, cultural awareness, independence and resourcefulness and, depending on where you stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language.

Where will I do my work placement?

The sector and country you choose to work within is very much your choice as you will be responsible for finding and organising your placement. We will provide plenty of guidance and support during your first and second years which will prepare you to research and apply for placements. Ultimately, the university will give final approval to your placement to make sure you have a valuable experience.

How does it affect my tuition fee?

For your ‘Year In Industry’ you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your year of work placement/s.

Is the placement paid?

You will be paid in accordance with the rules of the country you work in and there may be visa restrictions or requirements which you need to consider when applying.

Find out more

Visit our website to learn more about employment experience opportunities.

Fees

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

UK students: £9,250 per year
International students: £24,700 per year

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*. Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.

Find out more about tuition fees and scholarships

Learning and teaching

How will I learn?

We use a wide range of teaching methods as well as encouraging independent study with an increasing emphasis on seminar discussion and project work in your second and third years

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Project work
  • Practical exercises, project and group work
  • Independent study

How will I be assessed?

  • Exams
  • Essays
  • Projects
  • Practical assignments

You must pass your first year modules in order to proceed but your performance at this level does not count towards your final degree classification.

Optional modules outside of this course

Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.

Proficiency in a second subject

If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.

  • A Foreign Language
  • Data Science
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation
  • Law
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Social Data Science

Find out more about proficiency options

Expand text

Your future

As a Philosophy graduate you will be well prepared for a number of careers including teaching, the media, business, social research, work in the public and charity sectors, and the legal profession. Throughout your studies you will develop a range of professional, academic and personal skills including:

  • Analytical, critical and independent thinking
  • Independent research
  • Problem solving
  • Discussion and group work
  • Collecting, assessing and presenting evidence
  • Written and verbal communication
  • Articulating ideas and constructing arguments
  • Organising, planning and time management

Career paths

The broad range of transferable skills gained on a Philosophy and History degree enable graduates to pursue further study or employment in a wide range of careers including:

  • Teaching and research
  • Local or national government
  • The Civil Service
  • Business and finance
  • Charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the UK and abroad
  • Marketing and public relations
  • Management and administration

Further study

A History degree may also lead to further study or research and recent graduates have progressed to postgraduate courses in:

  • MA Conflict, Security and Development
  • Graduate Diploma in Law
  • MA English Literary Studies
  • MA History
  • MSC International Management
  • PGCE

 

 

Expand text