Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Discover how human civilisations evolved, and why people and societies have changed over time. Through the latest techniques and technologies, you'll investigate how our ancestors lived, from the earliest human origins, to Neolithic Britain, and Ancient Egypt. On BSc Archaeology with Year Abroad you could look into climate change at the end of the last ice age or what the chemical composition of human bones can tell us about diet during the medieval period.

You'll focus on scientific methods and techniques with options including:

• Studying human and animal bones
• Physics and chemistry of archaeological material
• Laboratory techniques for dating
• Maritime archaeology

You'll learn through research-led projects, practical field experience and field trips. You'll do a minimum of 3 weeks' fieldwork as part of an active research project. This could include:

• Excavating archaeological sites
• Recording a standing building
• Geophysical surveys
• Collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields

We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories for Southampton BSc archaeology year abroad students to use. You'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive the practical training needed for a career in archaeology.

You'll study archaeology with a year abroad at one of our partner institutions such as the University of Malta or the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. This will give you the chance to discover the theories and findings in exotic locations and boost your career opportunities.

We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.

Explore people's changing relationships with the world’s oceans and seas on this science-focused maritime archaeology master's degree at the University of Southampton. You’ll study the technologies of seafaring, histories of environmental change, and underwater landscapes. This subject incorporates elements of traditional archaeology, ethnography, maritime history and marine science.

This MSc version offers the same course content as our MA Maritime Archaeology degree but you’ll take a more science-based approach through your module choices and dissertation topic.

The course draws on the world-leading expertise of the Centre for Maritime Archaeology to offer an unparalleled breadth and depth of content.

The course is designed to allow rapid development of the diverse academic knowledge and practical skills required to work in this field, including:

• The latest methods for data acquisition and integration
• Academic research and dissemination
• Archaeological fieldwork

This means you’ll cover all aspects of maritime archaeology, from those who wish to focus on field-based activities, both above and under water, through to laboratory or library-based research.

With this bachelor's degree in German and Spanish linguistics, you'll become proficient in both German and Spanish, and study contemporary culture, society, politics, history, literature and cinema. You'll specialise in Linguistics and explore the structure, use and psychology of both languages. You'll also spend a year abroad in a German- or Spanish-speaking country.

Following our unique system of language development, you’ll start at a level that matches your ability in both German and Spanish. This means we can personalise your learning and you'll make the most rapid progress at each stage of the course.

In Linguistics, you'll study the nature of speech, the structure of language, phonetics, how languages are learnt and their social context.

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

The third year is spent in a Spanish- or German-speaking country, giving you the opportunity to enhance your linguistic and cultural proficiency. You could choose to spend a year in Spanish-speaking Latin America, Spain, Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

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.

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

Using our language development system, we’ll make sure you start at a level that matches your ability in German and Spanish. This means you can start one of these languages from scratch. You’ll make rapid progress in both languages through this personalised approach.

You'll use our dedicated Centre of Language Study at Avenue campus. The Centre includes dedicated German and Spanish resources rooms, two language laboratories and an extensive multi-media collection.

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 German and 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, Germany, Austria, Switzerland or Latin America - we have links in Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Become a highly proficient linguist in French, German and Spanish on this 4 year Modern Languages degree. You'll develop a strong understanding of the cultures and societies you study by spending a year abroad, before graduating prepared for professions in which these languages are a key requirement.

This programme will immerse you in international experiences. This is our broadest range of languages offered, and will prepare you to communicate and work in a range of diverse and multilingual contexts.

You will:

• Become highly proficient in French, German and Spanish
• Develop your knowledge and understanding of key aspects of the cultures and societies you study, enabling you to ‘read’ and interpret different cultural traditions
• Get to know foreign cultures first hand by spending a year abroad, either as a student or in a work placement
• Develop a range of communicative and intercultural competencies, as well as analytical, research and personal skills

Knowing a range of languages opens up many opportunities in today's globally interconnected economy. French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and it’s an official language in much of Africa and Asia.

German has around 95 million speakers, and is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It also comes first in terms of first-language speakers in the European Union and the EU.

Spanish is the second most spoken language by native speakers in the world, with over 400 million speakers in 21 countries. Proficiency here can give you an insider's view of Spanish and Latin American cultures, whilst also setting you apart when doing business with emerging economies in the Americas.

This programme complements your language learning with modules on:

• History and contemporary society
• Literature and film
• Ethnography and anthropology
• Linguistic studies

You can choose to combine these areas of study for a broad-based curriculum or focus on the area that interests you most.

Become fluent in German while studying a range of topics within German studies, including contemporary culture, society and politics, history, literature and cinema. You'll also specialise in German Linguistics and explore the structure, use and psychology of language around the world.

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 Centre for Language Study.

As well as becoming competent with written and spoken German, you’ll study topics within the broader field of German studies, focusing especially on the 20th and 21st Centuries.

In your first and second years, you will take a range of compulsory modules in German and choose options in areas of linguistic analysis such as psycholinguistics, discourse Analysis, and phonetics. Your second year also includes preparation for your year abroad.

During your third year you’ll study abroad at one of our Erasmus exchange partner institutions.

In your final year, in addition to your language and linguistics modules, you can choose from a range of advanced modules covering areas such as translating and interpreting, linguistics, language education, and globalisation. You can also choose to do a Modern Languages dissertation.

The transferable skills you’ll gain on this course mean after graduation your employment opportunities are highly varied, both in the UK and abroad.

Philosophy and Film share similar perspectives, from the value of art to national identity and politics. At Southampton, we offer this exciting film and philosophy degree for movie lovers and abstract thinkers. Here you'll learn to analyse deep, theoretical ideas, and explore film as an art, an industry and a passion.

You'll explore Film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record. From early Hollywood films to European and world cinema, you'll study the first projected images, today's digital movies and much more in between.

Philosophy modules will give you a strong grounding in ethical, logical and critical thought. You can examine the most fundamental questions we face, in a rigorous and systematic way.

You'll research and discuss the theories and philosophies that have shaped film studies as a subject. These include:

• psychoanalysis
• postmodernism
• structuralism

 As part of this course you can:

• take modules in film noir, animation, horror and sci-fi
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• get involved in our outreach events that bring philosophy to the wider public
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

We offer a 4-week summer school at Dongguk University in Seoul. This includes film and cultural orientation courses.

Explore another culture on this BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Year Abroad degree. Learn about the ancient world and understand the foundations of how we live today. You'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. Research and archiving skills will prepare you for further study, or for a wide choice of careers, including heritage management and archaeological research.

Study ancient history and archaeology with year abroad to learn key topics in both subjects and experience another country.

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 BA Ancient History and Archaeology Placement you can:

• Spend your third year at a partner university in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia
• 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 archival research skills
• Do at least 3 weeks of field work as part of an active research project, including excavating archaeological sites or collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields
• Challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek

This joint honours history and archaeology degree offers you plenty of hands-on experience. You'll take part in at least 3 weeks of fieldwork in the UK or overseas. You'll explore and understand a range of periods, from the dawn of human history to the Cold War and 17th century witchcraft trials.

Archaeology looks at the past through the study of physical remains, including buildings, artefacts and the landscape itself. History draws on written and oral sources.

This historical archaeology degree will give you in-depth knowledge of both subjects, and develop your understanding of earlier human societies. You'll learn how to use and understand historical sources. You'll also learn how to identify and excavate archaeological sites, extracting as much information as possible from materials and records.

This course includes a wide variety of optional modules, covering subjects such as:

• American slavery
• Women's history in modern Britain
• Apocalyptic visions of history
• The French Revolution
• Human origins
• Landscapes and seascapes
• Emergence of civilisation

As part of this BA in history and archaeology you can choose to:

• Study abroad for a year or a semester
• Take a minor subject in a different subject area

You'll develop valuable skills for any future career, including:

• Problem solving
• Teamwork
• Project management