Philosophy and History (Including Placement Year)

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If you are worried about meeting our offer level or have any questions, please contact our admissions team on

ugquery@essex.ac.uk who will be happy to discuss your options.

who will be your host organisation for the period of the placement (a minimum of 30 weeks). You are responsible for securing the placement, with support from the School and University.

BA (Hons) Philosophy and History Degree | University of Essex

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BA (Hons) Philosophy and History

Undergraduate Course

(Including Placement Year)

Start date

October 2026

October 2027

Study mode

Full Time

Course options

+ Placement Year

+ Year Abroad

Ask a question

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Overview

Course content

Entry requirements

What's next?

Open Day Registration

How to apply

The details

Philosophy and History (Including Placement Year)

UCAS code:

Start date:

Study mode:

Full-time

Duration:

Location:

Based in:

Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)

What is BA Philosophy and History?

Our BA Philosophy and History combines the study of ideas with the exploration of the past, allowing you to investigate how human societies, beliefs, and institutions have developed over time. By bringing together two complementary disciplines, you will examine both the historical events that have shaped the world and the philosophical questions that help us understand them.

History provides insight into the people, cultures, and events that have influenced societies across different periods and regions. Philosophy encourages you to question assumptions, analyse arguments, and engage with fundamental questions about knowledge, ethics, politics, religion, identity, and human nature. Together, these subjects help you develop a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped human thought and experience.

Taught by internationally recognised academics within the School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies, you will benefit from research-led teaching across both disciplines. Through historical investigation, philosophical debate, and independent research, you will develop the critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills that are highly valued across a wide range of careers.

Why this course

Study ideas and events together: Explore how philosophical thinking has shaped historical developments and how historical contexts have influenced major philosophical debates.

Develop highly transferable skills: Build advanced abilities in critical analysis, research, argumentation, problem-solving, and communication.

Learn from two complementary disciplines: Combine historical investigation with philosophical enquiry to gain a richer understanding of society, culture, and politics.

Explore diverse periods and perspectives: Study topics ranging from ancient civilisations and early modern history to contemporary philosophy, ethics, political thought, and cultural change.

Research-led teaching with contemporary relevance: Examine how historical understanding and philosophical thinking contribute to debates surrounding democracy, justice, identity, human rights, and social change.

Who should apply

The Curious Investigator: Students who want to understand both the historical events that shaped the world and the ideas behind them.

The Critical Thinker: Applicants who enjoy analysing evidence, evaluating arguments, and exploring complex questions from multiple perspectives.

The Future Professional: Students seeking a versatile degree that develops research, communication, and analytical skills valued across many career sectors.

What you’ll learn

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to reflect new developments in both historical scholarship and philosophical enquiry. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to curriculum developments and innovation.

In your first year, you will build strong foundations in both disciplines, studying key historical themes and periods alongside core philosophical questions concerning knowledge, ethics, identity, and political thought. You will learn how historians and philosophers approach evidence, arguments, and interpretation.

As you progress, you can explore a wide range of historical periods, regions, and themes while engaging with major philosophical traditions and thinkers. You may examine topics such as political revolutions, empire, religion, war, social change, ethics, philosophy of history, political philosophy, and European thought.

In your final year, you will undertake independent research that allows you to pursue your own interests within philosophy, history, or at the intersection of both subjects.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Your learning experience

Undergraduate students in the School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies typically attend lectures and seminars each week, with additional contact hours introduced during the second and final years of study.

Taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, and discussion-based learning.

Engage with both historical evidence and philosophical texts, learning how to construct and defend well-supported arguments.

Research-led teaching informed by the latest developments across both disciplines.

Additional modules in later years help develop specialist knowledge and independent research skills.

Small-group seminars encourage active participation, allowing you to discuss historical interpretations, debate philosophical questions, and develop your own perspectives in a supportive academic environment.

The interdisciplinary nature of the course enables you to engage with ideas and research across related subjects including politics, law, sociology, cultural studies, religion, international relations, and social theory.

Careers and outcomes

A degree in Philosophy and History equips you with a powerful combination of analytical, research, and communication skills. Graduates develop the ability to evaluate complex information, construct persuasive arguments, interpret evidence, and think critically about contemporary issues.

Graduates have gone on to careers in law, journalism, public policy, education, heritage and museums, the Civil Service, international organisations, media, business, charity and non-governmental organisations, and many other sectors.

Throughout your studies, you will have access to employability support, career development opportunities, and guidance from academic staff. We also work closely with the University's Student Development Team to help students explore internships, placements, voluntary work, and graduate career opportunities.

The intellectual flexibility, historical understanding, and critical reasoning skills developed through Philosophy and History provide an excellent foundation for both professional careers and further postgraduate study.

Why we're great.

We are world-renowned for our combination of Continental and Anglo-American philosophy.

Our Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA) is the most comprehensive Latin American art research resource in the UK.

Work with active industry professionals.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

What this means

You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.

Core with Options

You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.

Compulsory

You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

Compulsory with Options

You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

Optional

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The UK academic level of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term

SP: Spring term

SU: Summer term

FY: Full year

AP: Autumn and Spring terms

PS: Spring and Summer terms

AS: Autumn and Summer terms

Placement Year

Final Year

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

Introduction to Philosophy

(30 CREDITS)

Begin your study of philosophy with an exploration of epistemology (the theory of knowledge) and identity theory. What does it mean to say that we ‘know’ something? What if that something is ourselves? How do our modes of practical interaction with the world and each other shape our ability to know different kinds of objects? Are there vices of the mind that distort our reasoning and lead our practical deliberations astray? How important is trust in a functional knowledge community? What kind of creatures must we be in order to be capable of knowing things? What role does self-responsibility play in effective knowing? What is it to be a self? How does that differ from having an identity or identities? To what extent are our identities determined by others? Are they up to us? How can the study of philosophy help us with these questions?

View Introduction to Philosophy on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY

Rebellious Pasts: Challenging and Creating Histories

The past is never dead. It’s not even past’. In a world of conspiracy theories, toppling statues, and ‘culture wars’, the novelist William Faulkner’s most famous line resonates more than ever. Across the globe, History is co-opted to multiple causes and used to justify contradictory positions. Such uses of History often rely on myths, stereotypes, and misunderstandings. How can we separate political belief, personal opinion, and false information about the past from historical knowledge and understanding?

Rebellious Pasts looks at the creation, consolidation, and operation of historical myths and stereotypes – and at how we, as historians, can use the tools of our trade to identify and challenge misleading representations of the past, replacing them with richer forms of understanding. The module helps you to develop the critical mindset needed to analyse historical arguments wherever you find them, but also the constructive skills essential to researching and writing your own histories. It combines lectures and seminars exploring how history “works” in different contexts with archive visits and library workshops that expose you to the raw materials of History.

On Rebellious Pasts, you will undertake self-directed research drawing upon digitized collections, archives, and heritage sector institutions, and translate your findings into accessible public history artefacts. At its heart, History is the refusal to accept easy assumptions and the insistence on negotiating with evidence, no matter how tricky that is. By the end of the module, you will understand why History is a rebellious discipline – and how to harness its unruly powers.

View Rebellious Pasts: Challenging and Creating Histories on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: OPTIONAL

PY113-4-FY or option(s) from list or Outside option(s)

COMPONENT 04: OPTIONAL

Option(s) from list or Outside option(s)

COMPONENT 05: COMPULSORY

Beyond the BA: Skills for the Next Step

(0 CREDITS)

This course introduces key academic, professional and personal skills to support a successful transition beyond undergraduate study. Students develop confidence in critical thinking, communication, teamwork and self reflection while exploring future study and career options.

View Beyond the BA: Skills for the Next Step on our Module Directory

Exploring History: Research Workshop

History is never neutral. It is always a response to the questions historians choose to ask of the past. Historians decide what questions to ask for all kinds of reasons – out of interest, to aid understanding of specific aspects of the world around them, because certain types of evidence are available, or because the work of other historians has prompted them to think anew. These questions shape the evidence that historians look at, and therefore the kinds of answers they are likely to find. History is always a trialogue between the historian, the questions, and the evidence – and it is therefore a product of the present as well as the past.

Exploring History focuses on the relationship between questions and evidence in forming historical knowledge. Consolidating and extending the skills and abilities introduced in the Year 1 module Rebellious Pasts, it charts the development of the historical discipline, examines specific examples of historical debate (or what is known as “historiography”), and introduces you to different types of historical evidence and ways of analysing this evidence. Through exploring historical debates you will gain new insight into how history is researched, written, and contested. Through in-depth examinations of different kinds of primary sources you will develop new skills in historical research. Finally, you will bring these abilities together to research and write an extended essay on a topic of your choice, developing and practising the skills you will employ in your final year History Research Project.

View Exploring History: Research Workshop on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: OPTIONAL

History option from list

(15 CREDITS)

Recommend PY400-5-AU and/or Philosophy option(s) from list or History option(s) from list

Recommend PY437-5-SP and/or Philosophy option(s) from list

COMPONENT 05: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS

CS200-5-SP or (CS207-5-AU and Philosophy option)

(120 CREDITS)

This module enables you to undertake a full placement year with an external Placement Provider, who will be your host organisation for the period of the placement (a minimum of 30 weeks). You are responsible for securing the placement, with support from the School and University.

View Placement Year on our Module Directory

Philosophy Capstone Module

This is an intensive final-year module running over five weeks during the summer term. It involves a guided and structured approach to support you in completing a research project of your own.

View Philosophy Capstone Module on our Module Directory

Final year History option(s) from list

CS307-6-AU and/or Philosophy option(s) from list

UK entry requirements

112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A-levels.

IB: 29 points in the IB Diploma or 112 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Higher Level subjects.

We accept A-levels, AAQs, BTECs, Access to HE Diploma, T-levels and most other qualifications that hold UCAS tariff points. Acceptability of some non A-level qualifications (such as BTECs) may depend on the subject studied and units taken.

You can calculate your UCAS tariff points on the UCAS website.

Whilst International A-levels and BTECs aren't on the UCAS tariff calculator, we assign them the same tariff points as their UK counterparts.

Don't meet the entry requirements?

We know everyone's journey is different. If your achieved or predicted grades don’t match our entry requirements, you have a non-traditional educational background, or you're returning to study as a mature student, we'd still encourage you to apply. We review every application individually and may be able to offer you a place on this course, or an alternative route such as a foundation year.

Find out more about applying, personal statements, references, visas, deferred entry, extenuating circumstances, and support for mature students on our undergraduate application information page.

Contextual Offers:

We are committed to ensuring that all students with the merit and potential to benefit from an Essex education are supported to do so. We make Contextual Offers to applicants from underrepresented groups residing in the UK. Our Contextual Offers policy outlines the full eligibility criteria.

96 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A-levels.

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We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

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Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Undergraduate Admissions team at ugquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English

IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or specified score in an equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

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Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College

Home/UK fee

£10,050 per year

International fee

£22,575 per year

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

If your course has the option to include a placement year or study abroad, and you choose to do so, you will pay the following:

Placement year

20% of your standard tuition fee for that year

Full year abroad

15% of your standard tuition fee for that year

Single term abroad

Standard tuition fee

Scholarships and financial support

There may be scholarships, bursaries or discounts available to help with the cost of this course.

Fees and funding guide

Home/UK fees and funding information

International fees and funding information

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