BA (Hons) Philosophy Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BA (Hons) Philosophy at Durham University. Philosophy at Durham runs across four years rather than the more usual three, giving you an additional year to move between rigorous conceptual study and its wider application before you graduate.
About this course
BA (Hons) Philosophy is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Historical, philosophical and religious studies graduates from this provider, 82% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 68% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £31,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Philosophy & Religion, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 85; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 82% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 3 modules
- Concepts, Methods & Theories in Arts & HumanitiesCompulsory
- Scholarship in Higher Education (Extended)Compulsory
- Advanced Scholarship in Higher Education for Arts, Business and Social SciencesCompulsory
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The four years are organised so that abstract skills build steadily towards independent, applied work. Early on, you'll cover core theory: the central branches of philosophy, including how philosophers argue, what counts as good reasoning, and the major historical and contemporary positions on questions of knowledge, existence and value. Alongside this sits training in research and methods, where you learn to read primary philosophical texts critically, construct your own arguments, and understand the methodological debates that shape the discipline. As you progress, the course opens out into specialist options and applied practice, such as philosophy of mind, political philosophy, ethics or logic, depending on what you find yourself drawn to. The final stages centre on an independent project, where you take a question of your own choosing and develop it into a sustained piece of philosophical work, supported by staff but driven by your own judgement. Professional skills are woven through the degree too, the kind of clear writing, structured argument and critical analysis that transfer well beyond academic philosophy. Across all of this, the emphasis is less on memorising positions and more on learning to think carefully, argue precisely and defend a view under scrutiny.
Who it's for
This course suits people who enjoy questioning assumptions others take for granted, the sort of person who, in a conversation, keeps asking "but why do we think that?" rather than letting things pass. You don't need to have studied philosophy before; what matters more is a genuine appetite for close reading, patient argument and the discomfort of not always reaching a tidy answer. Some weeks will feel slow and demanding, working through a dense text line by line or trying to work out where exactly an argument goes wrong; others will feel exhilarating, when an idea you've been circling suddenly clicks into place. Because the degree runs four years, it suits students who are comfortable with a longer, more gradual build towards independent work, and who like the idea of eventually choosing their own question and following it through on their own terms in the independent project. It's also a good fit for people who don't yet know exactly what they want to do afterwards but want a degree that sharpens how they think, write and argue, whatever direction that ends up taking. Given the typical entry profile, most successful applicants have studied A-levels or equivalent, with the most common UCAS tariff among accepted students falling between 160 and 175 points, useful context on who tends to succeed here, rather than a fixed requirement.
Careers & job market
Philosophy graduates rarely follow a single predictable career path, and national data reflects that spread rather than a narrow pipeline. Across Philosophy & Religion courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing, and 60% of those in work are in roles classed as highly skilled or continuing into further study, figures that describe the national graduate outcomes picture for this subject area, not outcomes specific to Durham. Nationally, reported earnings for these graduates start at between £23,500 and £30,000 fifteen months after graduating, sit at £20,825 to £29,400 after three years, and rise to a range of £25,500 to £36,000 after five years; these are national Graduate Outcomes and LEO figures and should be read as indicative ranges rather than anything resembling a guaranteed salary. It's also worth noting that 90% of students on courses in this field nationally continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed, which speaks to how manageable the transition into this kind of study tends to be once underway. The skills built through sustained argument, careful reading and independent research are the kind that transfer into a wide variety of graduate roles, even where the connection to philosophy itself isn't obvious from the job title.
University & format
Durham University is a public, Russell Group institution founded in 1832, with around 19,520 students in total, and this course is based on the Durham campus, studied full-time over four years and delivered in English. The UCAS code for this course is V501, and among recent entrants, 97% held A-levels or equivalent qualifications, typically within the 160–175 UCAS tariff range.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 97% |
| Other | 2% |
| an Access course | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code V501). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Philosophy & Religion graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £31,000 | £26,000 – £36,000 | 85 |
| 3 years after | £30,500 | £24,500 – £39,500 | 495 |
| 5 years after | £41,000 | £29,500 – £57,500 | 535 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 85; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in philosophy & religion · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Philosophy & Religion nationally
National figures for Philosophy & Religion graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 85; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Philosophy & Religion courses at the same study level.
Compared with 497 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 12% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 545; response rate: 52%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Philosophy & Religion graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Philosophy & Religion graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Schools & universities
- Think tanks
- Charities & NGOs
- Civil service
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Philosophy & Religion graduates.
Philosophy AdjunctCommonwealth Of VirginiaTeaching Fellow in Ethics and Political Philosophy - DurhamDurham UniversityIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
82% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £31,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 82.6% · in work or study 82% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Historical, philosophical and religious studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Philosophy & Religion right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Durham University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
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