Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy

at Keele University United Kingdom

Whether you want to understand Brexit, the crisis in the Middle East or climate change, you need to understand why governments make particular decisions and how different groups interact within states and across borders.

A degree in International Relations and Politics at Keele will equip you with the necessary tools to understand and explain how power operates and how we might begin to tackle the most pressing domestic and global challenges. You will study contemporary and policy-relevant issues such as democracy, global inequality, protest, globalisation, regime change, energy security, environmental sustainability, human rights, gender politics and terrorism.

You can underpin these issues through an in-depth study of particular countries such as Britain, the United States and Russia, as well as regions in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

You will learn a range of analytical and quantitative skills including practical experience using professional software such as Bloomberg and Stata. You will explore the economic behaviour of households, businesses and governments, the functioning of markets and the effects of fiscal and monetary policies. You will examine topics like, the behaviour of financial institutions, such as banks, hedge funds and portfolio managers, their instruments and how they interact in markets. Wider contemporary issues such as the ethics of banking and lending markets will also be analysed.

The course will equip you with a range of skills and capabilities, both subject-related and more general lifelong skills of analytical ability, critical thinking and advanced numeracy. You will develop an awareness in using professional software tools, such as Bloomberg and Stata. These tools will enable you to analyse and interpret economic and financial data.

The current uncertainty about the social and political future has led to the emergence of new forms of post-truth and conspiratorial politics, which make it extremely difficult for people to make reasonable decisions about their lives. In this context, one of the key purposes of the Social and Political Sciences programme is to equip students with the rigorous methodological, theoretical, and analytic skills that underpin the social and political sciences in order to identify real world problems, collect information about them, and produce analyses designed to suggest workable solutions moving forward into an uncertain future.

Given the situation of the contemporary world in the middle of a period of enormous transformation, these skills will be essential for students concerned with equipping themselves for employment in a rapidly changing world, but also vital for people who want to contribute to social and political transformation for the better.

This course draws on the expertise of scientists within the disciplines of life sciences, chemical sciences and geosciences. You will develop the scientific understanding and practical skills needed to tackle many of the world’s major environmental and societal problems such as climate change, food security, water resources, pollution and conservation. Alongside studying topical global environmental issues, you will have the opportunity to develop a broad range of practical, laboratory and field-based skills to take into future employment.

Combining this course with BSc (Hons) Geography allows you to focus specifically on your preferred area of physical geography. You will explore the Earth's varied landscapes and the complex, potentially fragile, global systems that connect them. You will also learn about the rapidly evolving science at the heart of global environmental change and discover new ways of understanding and appreciating the natural world around us. This programme has been accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers).

This programme is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES), meaning you can gain free membership of the IES to support your personal and professional development in the environmental sector. The programme is also accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and therefore you may apply for free Student Membership of the IEMA which provides a range of benefits.

BA (Hons) Geography at Keele allows you to focus specifically on your preferred area of human geography, or to explore Geography as an integrated discipline concerned with people and their environment. You will develop interdisciplinary perspectives, problem-solving skills and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources.

Your course may include training in professional and research skills, and opportunities for either a module or a whole year of work placement.

This single honours programme has been accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Ecology and conservation field and lab skills are taught comprehensively across the programme, including extensive use of our green campus. Fieldwork and residential field courses are an integral part of the programme throughout, as are employability skills.

The goal of medicinal chemistry is to support the search for new drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease and cancer. You’ll work in well-equipped laboratories, and learn to conduct effective independent research. You’ll develop valuable skills for employment, such as problem solving, presentation and communication.

Biology at Keele focuses on the amazing world of organisms – from how they’ve evolved to their relationships with the environment and each other. Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past.

You’ll consider a range of biological concepts which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, and the related philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll engage in activities to strenghten your skillset which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs.

Immerse yourself in literary texts from the English Renaissance to contemporary American graphic novels. As an English and American Literature student at Keele, you'll examine the full chronological range of English and American literature, considering their direct intersections from the nineteenth century onwards. You might study poets like Lord Byron, Derek Walcott and Allen Ginsberg, dramatists including Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and Tennessee Williams, and novelists such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry James and Jackie Kay. Our intellectually stimulating and engaging approach to exploring a wide variety of literary genres  produces intelligent, perceptive, socially aware and compassionate individuals who are able to make a real impact.

Physics is a fundamental, curiosity-driven discipline, with applications in many other areas of science and technology. You will gain an understanding of the subject fundamentals such as quantum mechanics, relativity and electromagnetism, and will apply this knowledge to solve problems, plan investigations and report your work.

By combining Physics with Education, you will learn how social, political and economic factors may impact on the application of physics knowledge in schools. You will explore the present and future developments in education and professional practice, which will prepare you for a career in teaching.

Studying Physics for three years as part of a combined programme will lead to a degree accredited by the Institute of Physics.

The MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations is distinctive as it is one of the most diverse collections of Masters pathways in the UK. The programme offers the possibility of developing an individual specialism as well as learning about broader issues in the pathway, and in wider fields of Politics and International Relations. You will gain a thorough grounding in the philosophical and practical issues underpinning study and research in Politics and International Relations. You will study 3 compulsory core taught modules, 4 optional modules and a dissertation over 12 months. 

Key benefits of studying for the MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations include; small class sizes, expert dissertation supervision on cutting-edge issues and debates, a dynamic academic community, strong student-staff relations and stimulating extra-curricular seminars and workshops. Staff and students regularly organise research events, which provide important opportunities for learning, networking and collegial debate on contemporary political and philosophical issues. For example, we host an annual Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, a bi-annual European Consortium on Political Research environmental politics PhD summer school, and in recent years have organised several ESRC-funded (Economic and Social Research Council) seminar series.