Master of Arts in Philosophy

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

At Southampton, English is an interdisciplinary course. You’ll see how literature connects with areas such as film, science, performance and politics. You can study everything from medieval travellers’ tales to modern fictions of globalisation.

With our advice, you can shape your BA English degree to suit your own development. For example, you can:

• Write avant-garde poetry
• Study Victorian sensation fiction
• Take a range of modules on women writers

Your studies will include critical analysis, presentations and group work. These will help you develop your conceptual thinking, communication and research skills.

As part of this course you can:

• Join one of 40 student-led performing arts groups
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Use a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Learn a modern language at any level
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events
• Get one-to-one tutorials on writing from our Royal Literary Fund Fellows

You’ll have the opportunity to study abroad, spending a semester, a summer or even a full year at one of our global partner universities.

On this BA German and Philosophy degree you will become fluent in German and develop your abilities of philosophical analysis. You will also spend a year living and working in Germany or Austria.

You will start at a level that matches your ability in spoken and written German, which will help you to progress quickly. You will have excellent resources to support you. The Centre for Language Study at Southampton has everything you need.

You can also choose from modules covering areas including linguistics, translation and globalisation.

In philosophy, you'll explore the most fundamental questions about who we are, and examine philosophical thought from ancient times right up to the present day. You'll study the nature of existence, knowledge, truth and ethics.

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

Discover how human civilisations evolved, and why people and societies have changed over time. Through the latest techniques and technologies, you'll investigate how our ancestors lived, from the earliest human origins, to Neolithic Britain and Ancient Egypt. On BSc Archaeology you could look into climate change at the end of the last ice age or what the chemical composition of human bones can tell us about diet during the medieval period.

Archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains, such as:

• Buildings
• Monuments
• Artefacts
• Biological remains
• Written sources
• Landscape

Whether in the laboratory or on a dig, you'll develop transferable skills by exploring questions about people in the past and in the present.

On this archaeology BSc, you'll focus on scientific methods and techniques, with options including:

• Studying human and animal bones     
• Physics and chemistry of archaeological material
• Laboratory techniques for dating
• Maritime archaeology

You'll learn through research-led projects and practical field experience. You'll do a minimum of 3 weeks’ fieldwork as part of an active research project. This could include:

• Excavating archaeological sites
• Recording a standing building
• Conducting geophysical surveys
• Collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields

We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories. Here, you'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive the practical training needed for a career in archaeology.

We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.

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.

Modern History at Southampton challenges you to critically interpret histories of societies. The study of politics encourages you to explore people’s organisation and behaviour.

You'll spend your third year at a partner university. You can choose from locations in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia.

On this course you can:

• Study the modern history of an extraordinary range of places, from Western Europe and the Americas, to Africa and South Asia
• Examine the rare artefacts from the university’s own collections, as well as take part in guided visits to other museums and galleries
• Learn about democracy, the modern state, comparative politics and international relations

Develop your passion for reading and your talent for languages. Discover new ways to think about literature from around the world. At Southampton, you'll study the French language and culture, and English literature together to improve the way you learn. For example, you can deepen your understanding of the novel form and the culture of cities. Experience another culture with a year abroad.

This dynamic BA English and French course shows you the connections between literature, language and culture. Our English modules cover writing from around the world and its connection to politics, the arts, identity and more.

In your French studies, you can take modules that feed your love of history and culture, or you may choose to focus on linguistics. You can shape your degree to suit your interests or career aspirations.

You'll spend your year abroad at one of our partner universities in Europe, in Canada or in Guadeloupe, La Réunion or Martinique.

As part of this course you can:

• Use our Centre for Language Study, including a French resources room
• Join one of 40 student-led performing arts groups
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Use a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events
• Get one-to-one tutorials on writing from our Royal Literary Fund Fellows

Become fluent in a major international language, deepen your understanding of Linguistics and spend a year in a French-speaking country. You can complement your language learning with modules on History, Contemporary Society, Literature and Film.

What you learn on this French and Linguistics degree will prepare you for work across the world. French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and it’s an official language in much of Africa and Asia.

You’ll start at a level that matches your ability in spoken and written French, which helps ensure rapid progress. You’ll also have excellent resources to support you. The Centre for Language Study at Southampton has everything you need.

A module in year 2 prepares you for the following year abroad. You can spend the year in countries such as:

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

We have partner universities in the Erasmus exchange programme across France and Switzerland.

Gain in-depth knowledge of the English language and its cultural impact on this BA English Language and Literature degree. Discover how English emerged, how it continues to change, and how it varies across its millions of speakers. You’ll explore writing in varieties of English from the early medieval period to the present day, as well as from around the world.

You'll combine both literary and linguistic approaches to the subject on this flexible course.

You’ll study topics such as:

• The history and development of the English language  
• The cultural significance of English and its unique global status
• Phonetics, language acquisition and the psychology of language (psycholinguistics)

Optional modules mean you can adapt the course to match your interests. Topics you can choose to study include:

• The Renaissance
• 18th or 19th century writing
• Arthurian literature
• Children's literature

You’ll learn from expert academics and graduate ready for a career across industries like:

• Education
• Mass media
• Advertising and marketing
• Speech therapy
• Writing and publishing

You’ll also be able to make use of our Lifelong Learning programme, which provides extracurricular teaching of some 12 languages.

Our degree programmes are informed by research carried out in our leading Research Centres, including the Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research and the Centre for Global Englishes.

Learn about the history and structure of English, and its use in different societies. Explore its development and the linguistic science behind it. You'll spend a year studying at a partner university abroad to experience a new culture and develop your skills. You can also choose from a wide range of modules that follow your interests and career goals.

This course will give you an advanced knowledge of contemporary English, its development, systems and use around the world. You'll learn analytical, research and personal skills relevant to a range of careers.

You'll spend your third year studying at a partner university in countries such as:

• Australia
• Hong Kong
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• Czech Republic
• Canada
• Switzerland

You’ll take a range of modules on topics including:

• Applied linguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Language teaching
• English around the world

You can also study a foreign language and take modules in related disciplines, such as philosophy and film.

As part of this course you can:

• Choose an area that interests you for your dissertation topic
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Access a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events

This course will give you training and expertise that are of special interest to many employers. It provides the knowledge and skills to follow a wide range of careers.