Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Enhance your skills with a master's in creative writing at the University of Southampton. This programme challenges you to cross boundaries and become an expert in 5 areas of contemporary writing:

• Fiction
• Scriptwriting
• Creative non-fiction
• Writing for young people
• Poetry

You’ll also be able to tap into the University’s rich resources in theatre, music, art, and the sciences. On completion of your degree, you’ll be ready for careers in publishing and arts administration.

Our Master of Arts in Creative Writing is a stimulating course which will prepare you to be a professional writer. You’ll have opportunities to publish and edit an anthology, take part in a literary festival, and pursue creative collaborations with everyone from scientists to visiting actors. Your fellow students will come from all over the world and bring with them a wide range of experiences and writing traditions.

You'll be taught by practicing writers, focusing on your own creative writing as well as studying contemporary work. Your lecturers will include four-time novelist Rebecca Smith, award-winning fiction writer and Washington Post freelancer Carole Burns, experimental poet Sarah Hayden, and the highly acclaimed non-fiction writer Philip Hoare.

You'll study with faculty staff and students from countries all over the world, including India, Columbia, Pakistan, Iceland, the USA, Nigeria, and of course the UK. This gives the programme an international focus, and will expose you to a wide range of experiences and writing traditions.

You can take part in a lively programme of literary events, including our own 'Writers in Conversation' reading series. We hold this event 3 times each semester, featuring authors such as Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan, American writer Gish Jen, and BBC scriptwriter Stephen M. Thompson. We'll also encourage you to take advantage of the University's rich arts environment, including the on-campus Turner Sims Concert Hall and affiliation with Southampton's John Hansard Gallery.

Our Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing also hosts regular events, readings, and conferences. Recent visitors to the centre include Caroline Bergvall, Lavinia Greenlaw and Amitav Ghosh.

We’ll provide you with a supportive environment in which to learn, grow and develop your writing skills, and help you think deeply and critically about your work. You can specialise in topics that interest you, and choose from a wide variety of optional modules offered by the School of Humanities.

Explore the evolution, biology and behaviour of humankind through the study of our Stone Age ancestors. With this specialist master’s in palaeoanthropology you’ll gain expertise in the analysis of stone tools and hominin skulls to understand our evolutionary journey. You’ll work closely with experts in our Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO) and benefit from opportunities to apply your learning in real-world settings.

We’re ranked Top 30 in the world for archaeology (QS World University Rankings, 2019).

Your specialist palaeoanthropology learning will cover:

• handling and interpreting stone tools
• the role of evolutionary models, experimental testing, primatological data and ethnographies in the study of human origins
• developing methods to interrogate meaning from collections of stone tools
• using SPSS statistical analysis software

Palaeolithic symbolism and language, migration and responses to environmental change
Beyond your specialist modules you can personalise this palaeonthropology MSc to your areas of interest.

We bring expertise together from across the University, including Medicine, Humanities, the National Oceanography Centre, Engineering and Winchester School of Art, to help you gain both scientific skills and cultural understanding through a range of optional modules.

This is a very practical degree, but you don’t need prior knowledge of biology or anthropology. You’ll be based in our dedicated John Wymer Laboratory, with its own specialist library and large collection of stone tools and hominin skulls. Staff, PhD students and MSc students work in the same space, creating a lively learning environment. As a student on this course you automatically become a member of the CAHO research group.

You’ll have the opportunity to apply your skills on a 4-week placement, where you’ll gain valuable real-world experience of the archaeology sector and heritage industry. Previous placements have included Historic England, Wessex Archaeology and The Nautical Archaeology Society.

This  Palaeoanthropology course offers a balance between vocational and research skills. During your dissertation you’ll be able to embed with one of our research groups to do original research on a topic of that you choose. There is the possibility that this work will be published.

Southampton is close to the World Heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury and we have research projects engaged with both sites, as well as a range of other archaeological projects across the Globe.

If you’d prefer a less specialised archaeology master’s degree, or you’d like to focus on a different specialism, you can choose from our 3 other Archaeology MSc pathways. When you join us you’ll have 2 weeks in which you can change pathway if you wish.

Gain in-depth knowledge of the English language and its cultural impact on this BA English Language and Literature degree. Discover how English emerged, how it continues to change, and how it varies across its millions of speakers. You’ll explore writing in varieties of English from the early medieval period to the present day, as well as from around the world.

You'll combine both literary and linguistic approaches to the subject on this flexible course.

You’ll study topics such as:

• The history and development of the English language  
• The cultural significance of English and its unique global status
• Phonetics, language acquisition and the psychology of language (psycholinguistics)

Optional modules mean you can adapt the course to match your interests. Topics you can choose to study include:

• The Renaissance
• 18th or 19th century writing
• Arthurian literature
• Children's literature

You’ll learn from expert academics and graduate ready for a career across industries like:

• Education
• Mass media
• Advertising and marketing
• Speech therapy
• Writing and publishing

You’ll also be able to make use of our Lifelong Learning programme, which provides extracurricular teaching of some 12 languages.

Our degree programmes are informed by research carried out in our leading Research Centres, including the Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research and the Centre for Global Englishes.

This BA Philosophy, Ethics and Religion degree provides you with the opportunity to explore deep  and far-reaching issues. You will engage with questions that have puzzled great thinkers for millennia, and are still relevant today: How should we live? What can we really know? Can religious beliefs be justified? And what is their role in society? How can we apply philosophy to real world problems such as global poverty?

You will explore these fundamental issues using the philosophical method of reasoned argument and critical scrutiny. You’ll investigate ethical questions and the nature of religion in society, across a wide range of fields including anthropology, history, and politics.

Our broad curriculum allows you to approach topics from multiple perspectives, with the flexibility to pursue your own interests. You can also take modules outside your main degree subject, to diversify your learning.

• Develop an understanding of basic philosophical arguments in matters of ethics, reason, and responsibility
• Study questions such as the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world
• Learn about the ethics of global poverty, science and technology, plus moral questions, and the nature of moral judgments
• Apply philosophical thought to language, morality, sex and other important aspects of life

You’ll learn in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment. You can also take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, study a language, or choose from a range of cross-disciplinary modules

Learn about the ancient world and find ways to understand the foundations of how we live today. On BA Ancient History and Archaeology, you'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. Your research and archiving skills will prepare you for further study, or for a variety of career options. These include heritage management and archaeological research.

Studying archaeology and ancient history will give you an insight into both subjects and you'll be able to explore the topics that interest you through optional modules.

You'll have the choice of a wide range of historical topics, from Ancient Egypt to the rise of Islam in the Middle East. You can also learn what happened during the conquests of Alexander the Great and at the end of the Roman Empire.

The complementary subject of archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. These include buildings, monuments, artefacts, biological remains, written sources and landscape. On this ancient history and archaeology degree you can:

• Learn from experts in the ancient world (including history, archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, philosophy and film)
• Use cutting-edge technology to discover and map new sites, or develop research skills
• Do at least 3 weeks of field work, including excavating archaeological sites or collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields
• Challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek

With this degree, you’ll develop strong language skills in both French and Spanish and gain a comprehensive understanding of both cultures. You’ll also spend a year living and working abroad, building your fluency and considerably boosting your employment prospects.

Using our language development system, we’ll make sure you start at a level that matches your ability in French and Spanish. This means, if you’re a strong student, you can start one of these languages from scratch - and make rapid progress in both.

You’ll have the freedom to tailor your degree to areas that interest you. You could, for instance, take a third language, take modules from other subject areas, or explore more about French or Spanish linguistics, history and culture.

In your year abroad you can choose to:

• Work as an English assistant in a school
• Study at a university
• Take a work placement

You could choose to go to Spain, France, Switzerland or Latin America - we have links in Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Through our innovative scheme in Mexico, developed in partnership with the Mexican Education Ministry, you could work as a Language Resources Assistant in a University.

Explore English literature in-depth with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the opportunity to pursue literary topics and genres from a wide selection of authors and periods, including:

• Shakespeare
• Jane Austen
• Holocaust literature
• Victorian print culture
• literature and law

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for careers in teaching, publishing and arts administration.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced-level research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries. We'll help you examine how literature shapes the public understanding of diverse fields such as:

• Climate change
• Economics
• Medicine
• Religion

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method. You can specialise with one of 4 subject-specific pathways, or take a more general approach by choosing modules from each pathway.

The information on this page refers to the general pathway.

Across all pathways, you’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• Develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• Raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• Explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Learn about the history and structure of English, and its use in different societies. Explore its development and the linguistic science behind it. You'll spend a year studying at a partner university abroad to experience a new culture and develop your skills. You can also choose from a wide range of modules that follow your interests and career goals.

This course will give you an advanced knowledge of contemporary English, its development, systems and use around the world. You'll learn analytical, research and personal skills relevant to a range of careers.

You'll spend your third year studying at a partner university in countries such as:

• Australia
• Hong Kong
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• Czech Republic
• Canada
• Switzerland

You’ll take a range of modules on topics including:

• Applied linguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Language teaching
• English around the world

You can also study a foreign language and take modules in related disciplines, such as philosophy and film.

As part of this course you can:

• Choose an area that interests you for your dissertation topic
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Access a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events

This course will give you training and expertise that are of special interest to many employers. It provides the knowledge and skills to follow a wide range of careers.

This degree will give you complete proficiency in German and you’ll gain valuable experience spending a year living and working in a foreign country.

Following our system of language development, you’ll start at a level that matches your ability in German. This means we can personalise your learning so you make the best progress.

You’ll also have all the resources you need to support you in our excellent Centre for Language Study.

You’ll have the freedom to tailor your degree to areas that interest you. Whether you want to learn another language, take modules from other subject areas, improve your employability skills, or explore German culture, society, or history, the choice will be yours.  

In your year abroad you can choose to work as an English assistant in a school, study at a university or take a work placement. Our partner universities in the Erasmus programme are in Germany and Austria.

This German course has a strong focus on employability. You’ll have the option to take practical modules looking at teaching, you could take advantage of our vacation work placement schemes and you’ll develop a wide range of transferable skills.

Develop your passion for reading and your talent for languages. Discover new ways to think about literature from around the world. At Southampton, you'll study German language and culture, and English literature together to improve how you understand them. You can examine the linked histories, influences and works of German and English writers. You'll also get to experience a new culture with a year abroad.

This dynamic English and German degree course shows you the connections between literature, language and culture. Our English modules cover writing from around the world and its connection to politics, the arts, identity and more.

In your German studies, you can take modules that feed your love of history and culture, or you may choose to focus on linguistics. You can shape your degree to suit your interests or career aspirations.

You'll spend your year abroad at one of our partner universities in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, among others.

As part of this course you can:

• Use our Centre for Language Study, including a German resources room
• Join one of 40 student-led performing arts groups
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Use a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events
• Get one-to-one tutorials on writing from our Royal Literary Fund Fellows