Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion with Year Abroad

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Philosophy and English literature have between them tackled some of the biggest questions of our age: Is there a god? What is morality? What does it mean to be human? On this joint honours course you’ll examine these and other fundamental concepts from 2 complementary angles, enriching your understanding and appreciation of each discipline in the process.

This BA degree will give you an excellent education in literature, theory and critical thinking.

In your degree you can:

• Learn about philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Explore philosophy and literature through diverse times and places, from Viking to Victorian eras, from Eastern to African settings
• Study themes like the Islamic Golden Age, classical Indian philosophy, and holocaust literature
• Study abroad at one of our partner institutions
• Explore contested narratives, for example, race and culture in American literature

You’ll be taught in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds directly into the course content.

Compulsory modules provide a strong grounding in philosophical and critical thought, while optional modules give you the freedom to pursue your own interests in subjects as varied as scriptwriting, short stories and Islamic philosophy. You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules.

Build on your desire to explore the past, encounter diverse societies and learn how to understand them with a History degree at Southampton. You'll graduate with transferable skills you can take into a variety of careers.

Historians embrace the challenge of understanding a different world and meeting it on its own terms. We trace continuities and explain change, finding new perspectives to make sense of the evidence.

At Southampton, we're committed to the mission of exploring the past. As world-class researchers, we work to generate new knowledge about human societies, from the era of Greek antiquity to the recent 'war on terror'. As your teachers, we'll give you the skills to navigate these worlds and guide you along the way. By the end of your time with us, you'll be able to pioneer your own trails with confidence.

You can study a vast range of history with us, across many time periods (from Cleopatra, to the Nazis, to drones in the 21st Century), places (Britain, Europe, America, Russia, Africa, Asia, and even the moon) and perspectives. You'll learn new things about familiar subjects, as well as exploring the history of a society or culture that is entirely new to you.

To help with your learning, you'll have access to:

• over 100 modules
• document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers, and the Parkes archive - one of the largest Jewish documentation centres in Europe
• leading experts through our visiting lecture and seminar programme

Throughout your degree, you'll build skills in research and communication that will open a wide variety of career options to you. Our BA History degree programmes will challenge you to rethink the stories we tell about the past, while creating a passport for your future.

Improve your knowledge of history and literature in English by studying them together. You could read fiction from Africa to help you understand European political history. You could gain new insights into the reign of James I by immersing yourself in the theatre of his time. A year abroad will enhance your studies and let you experience a new culture.

History at Southampton covers the ancient world to the present day. Our English modules explore writing from around the world and its connection to politics, the arts, identity and more.

With our advice, you can shape your degree to suit your own development. For example, you can:

• Learn to write screenplays
• Study Victorian sensation fiction
• Take several modules on the history and literature of oceans

Your studies will include critical analysis, presentations and group work. These will help you develop your conceptual thinking, communication and research skills.

You can take modules that support your year abroad, such as a modern language or European politics.

Our year abroad partner universities in Europe include:

• Barcelona
• Prague
• Frankfurt
• Lausanne

You can also choose universities outside Europe, including locations in:

• The United States
• Canada
• Australia
• South Korea

As part of this course you can:

• 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

You can deepen your links to our History community by:

• Joining the dynamic, student-run History Society
• Use one of the largest Jewish document centres in Europe, the Parkes Archive

Our MSc Business and Heritage Management master’s degree offers a personalised curriculum. It will develop your knowledge and skills in business and archaeology, and make you an effective manager of the world’s heritage.

The heritage industry is a major contributor to the global economy, employing an increasing number of skilled heritage managers. We’ll guide you through modules to develop your understanding of the economic and legal principles of heritage management around the world. This includes museum displays, site presentations, and how heritage shapes national identities.

You'll learn about the theory and practice of assessing, preserving, presenting and mitigating the impact of development on our shared heritage.

We’ll develop your skills in finance, project management and risk management to give you opportunities in both the public and private sectors. You’ll graduate with the skills to work in a wide range of business and management roles in the heritage, tourism and construction sectors.

Study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record on our film degree with year abroad . Immerse yourself in the subject, from the earliest projected images to the present day. Learn how to view Hollywood blockbusters, European and world cinema with a critical eye. A year abroad will enhance your understanding of visual arts and let you experience a new culture.

You'll study familiar classics alongside contemporary cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You'll deepen your understanding and enjoyment of film and develop your critical thinking as part of a lively community.

You'll spend your third year studying at one of our partner universities abroad. Your options include: South Korea, Sweden, Ireland or the Czech Republic – countries with their own distinctive film cultures. You can take lectures in English but may also improve your languages. We'll help you plan your year abroad to suit your interests.

As part of this course you can:

• explore British, European and world cinema
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• take modules from other courses, such as English, history and music
• volunteer at a cinema to develop new skills, such as team leading, projection and digital design
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

Examine past and present Spanish cultures alongside world history with this degree. You’ll spend your third year abroad practising your Spanish fluency in a Spanish-speaking country. This combined BA degree can help prepare a variety of careers. These include translation, the media, museum curation or teaching in the UK or abroad.

On this Spanish and History degree, you’ll discover the Spanish language, its history and society. You'll gain skills to critically engage with Spanish cultures.

You’ll look at the different ways historians have approached the human past, alongside specific areas in history.

You'll spend your third year immersed in Spanish language and culture in a country where Spanish is spoken. You can choose to be an English language assistant (British Council), study at a university (Erasmus), or be employed through an approved work placement.

As part of this degree, you can:

• Gain fluency in Spanish
• Choose from over 100 modules in History
• Access document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers, and the Parkes archive, which is one of the largest Jewish documentation centres in Europe
• Attend our visiting lecture and seminar programme

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

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 French and Philosophy degree, you’ll become fluent in a major international language and spend a year in a French-speaking country. You'll also study philosophy, which will deepen your ability to analyse and communicate.

What you learn will prepare you for work across the world. French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and it’s an official language in much of Africa and Asia.

You’ll start at a level that matches your ability in spoken and written French, which helps ensure rapid progress. You’ll also have excellent resources to support you. The Centre for Language Study at Southampton has everything you need.

A module in year 2 prepares you for the following year abroad. You can spend the year in countries such as:

• France
• Switzerland
• Belgium
• Canada
• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• La Réunion

We have partner universities in the Erasmus exchange programme across France and Switzerland.

Is there a god? What is freedom? What makes a state legitimate? On this BA Philosophy and Politics degree with placement year abroad you’ll explore questions studied by philosophers and political theorists throughout history. Optional modules give you the freedom to pursue your own interests in topics as varied as Chinese politics and Ancient Greek philosophy.

This degree will give you an excellent education in philosophy and politics. In your degree you can:

• Develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Explore fundamental and far-reaching issues about human welfare and social justice, political ideals and political realities
• Gain foundational knowledge through core modules on democracy and the modern state
• Learn about subfields of  political theory, comparative politics and international relations
• Gain an advanced knowledge of economic skills and employability
• Learn how to conduct and present dissertations and research

You’ll be taught in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds directly into the course content.

You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules. These include topics such as social enterprise, risk management, and living and working on the web.