The undergraduate program provides students a foundation in philosophical thinking, introducing them to the full range of philosophy’s sub-disciplines, from ethics to metaphysics. Students learn to think clearly, logically, and independently. Interested students will be prepared for graduate level study in philosophy and related areas; many of our students have gone on to join prestigious international graduate programs.

The study of philosophy develops analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically. It allows you to apply these skills to questions ranging from how we acquire knowledge and form moral judgements to the nature of language, art and literature. Since many works of literature are shaped by the dominant philosophical ideas of their epoch, study of philosophy can illuminate that intellectual background.

The degree offers you the opportunity to work closely with our staff in courses based upon their own expertise and current research. It will introduce you to the cutting edge of recent developments in analytic philosophy, from the practical and applied, to the most theoretical end of the subject. This programme reflects developments at the forefront of the discipline, drawing upon our staff’s extensive and internationally recognised expertise in philosophy of perception, epistemology, philosophy of emotion, moral philosophy and more backed my thorough research work.

The degree offers you the opportunity to work closely with our staff in courses based upon their own expertise and current research. It will introduce you to the cutting edge of recent developments in analytic philosophy, from the practical and applied, to the most theoretical end of the subject. This programme reflects developments at the forefront of the discipline, drawing upon our staff’s extensive and internationally recognised expertise in philosophy of perception, epistemology, philosophy of emotion, moral philosophy and more.

By pursuing research in Philosophy at Birmingham, you will joining a vibrant and dynamic research community thanks to the Department’s diverse research interests and approaches. Our expert supervision spans a wide range of areas, including: Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Logic; Philosophy of Mathematics; Moral Philosophy (theoretical and practical); Metaphysics and Epistemology; and Philosophy of Religion. You can study in traditional PhD format, or through our PhD by Papers option. Rather than writing a single book-like thesis examining a single topic, a PhD by Papers gives you the choice of writing a thesis comprising of several separate (though thematically unified) papers, in the style of philosophy journal articles.