BA (Hons) Philosophy Bachelor's degree at the University of Birmingham
BA (Hons) Philosophy at University of Birmingham. At Birmingham, Philosophy challenges you to examine fundamental questions about knowledge, ethics, existence and meaning through structured argument and rigorous analysis.
About this course
Course details for prospective students on our BA Philosophy undergraduate degree programme at the University of Birmingham, UK. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Philosophy is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Birmingham, based in Edgbaston campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Philosophy graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,000. (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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 90% (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 9 modules
- Problems of Philosophy ACore10 credits
- Problems of Philosophy BCore10 credits
- Art of Persuasion A: Propaganda and Public DiscourseCore10 credits
- Art of Persuasion B: Philosophical TextsCore10 credits
- Moral and Political PhilosophyCore20 credits
- Philosophical TraditionsCore20 credits
- Reasons to BelieveCore20 credits
- Philosopher's Toolkit ARequired20 credits
- Philosopher's Toolkit BRequired20 credits
Year 2 15 modules
- Aesthetics through HistoryOptional20 credits
- Climate and Environmental EthicsOptional20 credits
- Elements of MetaphysicsOptional20 credits
- Experience and Reason: Early Modern PhilosophyOptional20 credits
- Feminist PhilosophyOptional20 credits
- LogicOptional20 credits
- Philosophy of Mental HealthOptional20 credits
- Philosophy of Mind and LanguageOptional20 credits
- Science and NatureOptional20 credits
- Sex, Ethics & PhilosophyOptional20 credits
- The Ethics of KillingOptional20 credits
- Media in PracticeOptional20 credits
- Professional SkillsOptional20 credits
- Professional Skills – FreelanceOptional20 credits
- Sustainable Development: Climate, Culture, Society and PolicyOptional20 credits
Year 3 12 modules
- Philosophical ProjectRequired40 credits
- Being Good and Doing Right: Issues in Contemporary Moral TheoryOptional20 credits
- Fake News: Social Media, Truth Verification and Digital InvestigationOptional20 credits
- Fantastic Beasts and How to Understand them: Topics in Philosophy of BiologyOptional20 credits
- It's About Time!Optional20 credits
- Just WarOptional20 credits
- NietzscheOptional20 credits
- Philosophy of MathematicsOptional20 credits
- Prejudice Race + GenderOptional20 credits
- Reason and BeliefOptional20 credits
- Social JusticeOptional20 credits
- Topics in Philosophy of ReligionOptional20 credits
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
A course like this normally builds from core philosophical problems to specialist depth over three years. In your first year, you'll usually study Introduction to Philosophy (covering knowledge, mind and reality), Ethics (moral theories and their application), and Logic & Critical Reasoning (formal tools for evaluating arguments). Year two typically moves to History of Philosophy (ancient to modern thinkers), specialised options such as Philosophy of Mind, Religion, or Political Philosophy, allowing you to pursue areas of interest. By year three, you'll engage with advanced seminars in current research and undertake a sustained independent philosophical dissertation. Throughout, specialisations in ethics & applied ethics, philosophy of science, logic, and other areas remain available to shape your focus.
Who it's for
This course suits you if you're drawn to big conceptual questions and enjoy unpicking how arguments work. You'll thrive here if you're comfortable with abstract thinking, willing to challenge assumptions (including your own), and keen to develop persuasive writing and reasoning skills. Philosophy demands patience and precision; you'll find yourself reading carefully, questioning claims, and defending positions in discussion. If you want to understand how knowledge works, what makes something ethical, or how language shapes thought, and you're ready to think hard about it, this is the degree for you.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 85% of Philosophy & Religion graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. Starting salaries across the field range from £23,500 to £30,000; after five years, graduates earn between £25,500 and £36,000 (figures based on national Graduate Outcomes and LEO data). Philosophy graduates enter fields including law, public policy, education, publishing, business analysis and further academic research, careers where analytical rigour and clear communication are valued.
University & format
This BA (Hons) Philosophy course is studied full-time over 3 years at the University of Birmingham, a public Russell Group university based on the Edgbaston campus. Instruction is in English. The degree is recognised as a nationally recognised UK degree-awarding body. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
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 | 85% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
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.
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 V500). 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
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Birmingham →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 | £28,000 | £24,500 – £30,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £25,500 | £21,000 – £30,500 | 100 |
| 5 years after | £32,000 | £26,500 – £42,000 | 105 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. 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. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. 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 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
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: 45; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) Philosophy worth it?
It depends. BA (Hons) Philosophy adds about +£50,630 over the first ten years vs. going straight to a job, but on these earnings the payoff is slower than average.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 17.5. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
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
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £28,000. 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 90.7% · in work or study 80% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Birmingham
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 Edgbaston campus
1,313 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 University of Birmingham from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Birmingham; 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 University of Birmingham’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 University of Birmingham and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Birmingham
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Common questions
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