Overview

Questions about knowledge, ethics, the mind and reality sit at the heart of philosophy, a discipline that pushes students to form and defend their own views on some of life's biggest issues. The BA (Hons) Philosophy at the University of York is led by research rated 100% world-leading for impact, with staff who have shaped real debates around AI governance, healthcare ethics and social justice. Students build core skills in reasoning and argument from the first year, before choosing freely from a wide range of specialist modules reflecting the department's own research strengths. The course suits students who want genuine intellectual freedom to follow their own philosophical interests, with an optional dissertation and language modules available alongside core study.

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What You'll Learn

• Power, consent and the language of logic, alongside the nature of knowledge and perception

• Philosophical research skills, including how to present ideas through essays and academic posters

• Ethics, metaphysics and the philosophy of mind, science, religion and language

• How philosophy connects to wider society, communicated through team-based podcast projects

• Specialist option modules such as feminist philosophy, philosophy of physics or AI and human values

• Systematic, logical argument construction, weighing alternative solutions to complex problems

• Critical engagement with social, political and ethical issues facing the contemporary world

• An optional dissertation, or a final year built entirely around modules of your choosing

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to explain key problems and debates across a wide range of philosophical areas, communicating complex ideas clearly in a variety of formats. They will be equipped to develop alternative solutions to open questions, constructing systematic, logical arguments and making measured judgements about the strongest position. Through independent and collaborative work, students will learn to plan and pursue their own projects, refining their thinking in response to critical feedback. Graduates will leave able to apply philosophical methods to real social, political and ethical issues, well prepared for careers spanning government, education, finance, HR, media and the charity sector.