Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Sociology

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

This French and History degree offers you flexibility and variety. You'll become fluent in an internationally important language, and gain a deep understanding of contemporary French culture. Your history modules will give you a global perspective on past societies. You'll spend a year in a French-speaking country to develop your language skills and boost your employability.

French is spoken in countries throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Speaking the language with confidence will open up travel and work opportunities across the world.

You’ll start your language studies at the right level based on your existing ability in spoken and written French. You’ll have excellent resources to support you at the Centre for Language Study.

You can explore a wide range of topics in History, including conflict and culture in world histories, empires, and the First World War.

As well as studying French and History, you’ll develop advanced analytical skills.

A special module in year 2 will make sure you’re ready for working and studying abroad in year 3. You can spend the year in countries such as:

• France
• Belgium
• Switzerland
• Belgium
• Canada
• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• La Réunion

Study the history, influence and the many genres of film, from Hollywood to Europe, and world cinema on our Film and German degree with year abroad. You'll look at the cultural context of the various styles and movements, and the work of key filmmakers. You'll explore the language, culture and politics of Germany and can study German films across all genres.

On this joint course at Southampton, you'll study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record. You'll look at familiar classics alongside modern cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You'll take German language modules based on your ability, and will spend your third year in a German-speaking country. Your year abroad will improve your language and linguistic skills.

As part of this course you can:

• take modules to learn more about German history and culture
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our Centre for Language Study, including a dedicated German resources room
• join a website for anyone interested in German life, language and culture
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

Explore 19th century English literature in-depth with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the opportunity to specialise in the culture and history of the 19th century, covering topics such as:

• Key debates in 19th century studies
• The literary marketplace and its cultures
• Changes to aesthetics and taste during the 19th century
• Issues of gender, race, class, science and capitalism
• Material culture and print culture

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a career in teaching, publishing, librarianship or cultural heritage.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced-level research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries.

This pathway is linked to the Southampton Centre for Nineteenth-Century Research, where an interdisciplinary group of over 70 staff, student and external researchers debate key issues in 19th century studies. The centre also hosts events including guest speakers, seminars and conferences.

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method.

You’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Become fluent in Spanish and gain valuable experience spending a year living and working in a foreign country on this BA Spanish degree. You’ll get personalise your degree to areas that interest you. You could take another language, choose modules from other subject areas, improve your employability skills, or explore Hispanic culture and history.

Following our unique system of language development, you’ll start at a level that matches your ability in Spanish. This means we can personalise your learning so you make the best progress.

As part of the year abroad you can choose to:

• Work as an English assistant in a school
• Study at a university
• Take a work placement

You could choose to go to Spain or Latin America - we have links in Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

This course has a strong focus on employability. You’ll have the option to take practical modules looking at teaching, you could take advantage of our vacation work placement schemes, and you’ll develop a wide range of transferable skills.

Study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record with our Film Studies degree. Immerse yourself in the subject, from the earliest projected images to the present day. Learn how to view Hollywood blockbusters, European and world cinema with a critical eye.

You’ll study familiar classics alongside contemporary cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You’ll deepen your understanding and enjoyment of film and develop your critical thinking as part of a lively community.

You can choose to spend a semester or a summer abroad at one of our partner universities, including: South Korea, Sweden, Ireland, Hong Kong and the Czech Republic.

You can also hone your filmmaking skills with our student-led filmmaking, TV and radio societies. They offer training and equipment to help you try out directing, producing, scriptwriting, sound or camera work.

As part of this film degree you can:

• explore British, European and world cinema
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• take modules from other courses, such as English, history and music
• volunteer at a cinema to develop new skills, such as team leading, projection and digital design
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

We offer a 4-week summer school at Dongguk University in Seoul. This includes film and cultural orientation courses.

Discover the cultural heritage industry on this master’s degree at the University of Southampton. Gain the knowledge and skills to specialise in an area relevant to your interests. You’ll graduate from this MA with the expertise for a successful career in the sector, or for further study at PhD level.

This UK master’s degree in cultural heritage studies will give you key knowledge of both land-based and maritime heritage. It covers everything from art, film and literature to the built environment and archaeological remains.

You’ll gain essential experience through field trips, meeting industry practitioners, and the chance to apply for a work placement with one of our heritage partners.

When you apply we'll ask you to choose one of the following pathways:

• cultural heritage: study the main issues and debates around the subject, including legal and ethical issues, and how heritage is managed and presented
• heritage and museums: gain a behind-the-scenes insight into how museums communicate the past, drawing on our links with museum and heritage partners
• heritage and public history: gain a specialist insight into the ways history is presented to non-academic audiences
• heritage and the arts: develop specialist practical skills in communicating in different genres and platforms in publishing, broadcasting, heritage management, and arts curation

The course content will vary depending on the pathway you study, but modules covering essential aspects of the subject are common to all pathways.  

There is plenty of flexibility within the pathways themselves, allowing you to build the skillset that best suits your chosen career path.

Gain in-depth knowledge and develop your research interests on this MA philosophy degree. Whether you’re planning to take your research to a higher level, or want to build on your undergraduate studies, this UK course will meet your needs. You’ll study the central issues in philosophy, and follow your own interests through a range of optional modules.

Philosophy at the University of Southampton is renowned for its research excellence in areas such as aesthetics, normativity and the history of philosophy. 

On this Philosophy MA you’ll gain a thorough training in research skills as you study key works of the discipline. 

Compulsory topics cover ideas such as such as mind, knowledge and reality, and the philosophy of value. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of options covering particular areas and philosophers, from Wittgenstein to classical Indian philosophy. 

During your studies you’ll learn how to research, analyse, and present key transferable skills that will be invaluable to your future career.

Explore postcolonialism and world literature with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the chance to specialise in postcolonial and world literary culture, covering topics such as:

• Legacies of colonialism and imperialism
• Aftermath of decolonisation
• Relationship between gender and nationalism
• Fault lines in postcolonial national narratives

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a career in teaching, librarianship, museums and galleries, publishing or heritage.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries.

This pathway is linked to the Southampton Centre for Imperial and Postcolonial Studies. This group brings together academics, writers and research students to explore the practices, experiences and legacies of imperial power in a global setting, from the early-modern period to the present. The centre also hosts events including seminars, workshops and conferences.

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method.

You’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Philosophy and English literature have between them tackled some of the biggest questions of our age: Is there a god? What is morality? What does it mean to be human? On this joint honours course you’ll examine these and other fundamental concepts from 2 complementary angles, enriching your understanding and appreciation of each discipline in the process.

This BA degree will give you an excellent education in literature, theory and critical thinking.

In your degree you can:

• Learn about philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Explore philosophy and literature through diverse times and places, from Viking to Victorian eras, from Eastern to African settings
• Study themes like the Islamic Golden Age, classical Indian philosophy, and holocaust literature
• Study abroad at one of our partner institutions
• Explore contested narratives, for example, race and culture in American literature

You’ll be taught in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds directly into the course content.

Compulsory modules provide a strong grounding in philosophical and critical thought, while optional modules give you the freedom to pursue your own interests in subjects as varied as scriptwriting, short stories and Islamic philosophy. You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules.

Build the skills you need for a career in archaeological research or the heritage industry with this flexible archaeology master’s. You’ll gain practical experience and benefit from our close ties with museums and organisations involved in commercial archaeology, heritage management and fieldwork.

We’re ranked Top 30 in the world for archaeology (QS World University Rankings, 2019)

With this MSc in Archaeology you can personalise your studies to areas that interest you, without having to specialise in a particular area. We bring expertise together from across the University, including the National Oceanography Centre, Humanities, Medicine, Engineering and Winchester School of Art, to help you gain both scientific skills and cultural understanding through a range of optional modules.

This master's in archaeology enables you to develop your skills in a practical way, whilst learning from theoretical and period-based insights. You’ll have full access to a wide range of dedicated facilities and specialist teachers.

These include:

• A dedicated library
• A large collection of stone tools and hominin skulls
• Specialist isotope labs and a scanning, imaging and micro-CT suite
• An extensive collection of human and animal skeletons

We have relationships with a number of leading heritage institutions and companies. You’ll have the opportunity to spend 4 weeks on placement with one of these institutions, where you’ll gain valuable real-world experience of the archaeology sector and heritage industry. Previous placements have included Historic England, Wessex Archaeology and The Nautical Archaeology Society.

In addition to your vocational training, you'll develop advanced research skills. When you write your dissertation you’ll be able to embed with one of our research groups to undertake original research on a topic that you choose. There is the possibility that this work will be published.

Southampton is close to the World Heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury and we have research projects engaged with both sites, as well as a range of other archaeological projects across the globe.

We offer 4 pathways on our MSc Archaeology degree. If you’re not sure which area of archaeology you want to specialise in, then this general pathway gives you the chance to explore a number of different areas.

Your other Archaeology MSc pathway options are:

• Archaeology Bioarchaeology - Gain specialist skills in human anatomy and faunal analysis to make sense of the past. Benefit from dedicated archaeology laboratories and specialist research.
• Archaeology Higher Archaeological Practice - Discover our Archaeological Practice master's degree at the University of Southampton. Learn how to get a job in archaeology and commercial archaeology.
• Archaeology Palaeoanthropology - Discover our Palaeoanthropology master's degree at the University of Southampton. Learn to analyse stone tools and hominin skulls to understand our evolution.