BA (Hons) Politics and Philosophy Bachelor's degree at Manchester Metropolitan University
BA (Hons) Politics and Philosophy at MMU. As a nationally recognised UK degree, it equips you with rigorous training across core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.
About this course
BA (Hons) Politics and Philosophy is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at MMU, based in Main Campus. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £30,000. (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)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Political Debates and IdeologiesCore
- The Making of Modern Britain: Political Culture and SocietyCore
- A Critical Introduction to the History of PhilosophyCore
- Visions of the Good LifeCore
Year 2 11 modules
- Ethics and its CriticsCore
- Modern Political ThoughtCore
- Comparative and Regional PoliticsOptional
- Critical Perspectives on War and SecurityOptional
- From Making It To Faking It: The Philosophy Of TechnologyOptional
- Gender, Race and SexualityOptional
- Global Political ThoughtOptional
- Nietzsche and SartreOptional
- Social and Public PolicyOptional
- The Power of Protest and Popular CultureOptional
- Fit for the FutureCore
Year 3 15 modules
- Global Political Order and DisorderCore
- Politics and Philosophy Independent ProjectCore
- Alternative Approaches to the Philosophy of ReligionOptional
- Ethics and the AnthropoceneOptional
- EU In TurmoilOptional
- Postcolonial Perspectives: Decolonising NarrativesOptional
- Public and Social Policy AnalysisOptional
- The Politics of Climate Change and SustainabilityOptional
- Beyond Beauty, Beyond the Body: Aesthetics and the Philosophy of the BodyOptional
- Critical Political ThoughtOptional
- Information and SecurityOptional
- Philosophy of EducationOptional
- The Art of Dying WellOptional
- Political and Revolutionary PhilosophyOptional
- Transatlantic Foreign PolicyOptional
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
You'll study philosophy and politics together, beginning with core ideas about knowledge, morality and reasoning. Year 1 typically covers Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, and Logic & Critical Reasoning. As you progress, you'll move into specialist areas such as Ethics & applied ethics, Philosophy of mind, Religion & theology, Political philosophy, Logic, and Philosophy of science. In Years 2 and 3, a course like this normally combines the history of philosophical thought with deeper engagement in your chosen specialisms, culminating in an advanced seminar and a substantial dissertation where you develop your own philosophical argument.
Who it's for
This course suits those seeking flexible study whilst developing critical thinking in political and philosophical thought. Part-time study allows you to balance academic work with employment or other commitments. You'll engage with foundational ideas and contemporary debates across both disciplines, building analytical and communication skills applicable across sectors.
Careers & job market
Across Philosophy and Religion courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Starting salaries range from £23,500 to £30,000; after five years, graduates earn between £25,500 and £36,000. Around 60% of working graduates move into highly skilled roles or pursue further study.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied part-time at Manchester Metropolitan University, a public university founded in 1842, at the Main Campus. Instruction is in English. Manchester Metropolitan is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree will be nationally recognised. The university holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
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.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
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 VL53). 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 Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. 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 MMU →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 | £30,000 | £24,500 – £35,000 | 1465 |
| 3 years after | £18,000 | £9,000 – £22,500 | 15 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 1,465. Cohort 2021-22.
- 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.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 3-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.
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
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.2 out of 10: NSS 81.9%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Manchester Metropolitan University
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 Main Campus
8 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 MMU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by MMU; 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 MMU’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 MMU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at MMU
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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