BAEnglish with Philosophy

Study location	United Kingdom, Egham, Surrey
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	3 years
Study language	English
Awards	BA
Course code	Q3V5

Entry qualification

High school / secondary education (or higher) A Level Grade B English Literature or English Language & Literature Five GCSEs graded A*-C or 9-4 including English and Maths The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

Language requirements	English IELTS: 7.0 overall (with 7.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in each remaining subscore) CAE: 185 overall (with no less than 185 in writing and a minimum of 162 in all other subscores)

Other requirements	At least 1 reference(s) must be provided. A motivation letter must be added to your application.

More information	royalholloway.ac.uk/..with-philosophy.aspx

Overview

Interested? To learn more about this study programme, entry requirements and application process, please contact one of our consultants in a country nearest to you.

Programme structure

Year 1

English: Introduction to Medieval Literature
This module introduces you to the earliest literary writings in English, covering a span of eight hundred years, from 700 to 1500. You will cover an extensive range of genres and texts – from Beowulf to Arthurian romance, and dream vision to religious drama, and think about issues of vital concern and interest to medieval writers and audiences: religion, love, violence, the supernatural, and kingship and society.

English: Critical Foundations – Thinking as a Critic
The aim of this module is to help you make the transition into university level work by introducing them to reading, writing and thinking as a critic. The module focuses on developing the abilities and skills of literary criticism and introducing the concepts, ideas and histories that are central to English as a discipline, including questions about interpretation, periodization, form, genre, canon, value, intention, narrative, voice, framing and identity.

Engish: Re-orienting the Novel
This module introduces students to the origins, developments and innovations of the novel form through a range of contemporary, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century novels. Organised thematically, the module considers earlier novels in relation to contemporary examples.

English: Introducing English Poetry
The module is designed to introduce you to a variety of major poems in English from the Renaissance to the present day. By the end of the course, you will be able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of a wide range of poems from Shakespeare to the present; a familiarity with a variety of poetic forms; an understanding of how poetry functions; and the necessary skills for analysing poetic technique.

Epistemology and Metaphysics
In this module you will develop an understanding of some of the key problems that have preoccupied contemporary philosophers. You will look at logical questions relating to the structure of arguments, epistemological questions about the sources and limits of knowledge, and consider metaphysical questions that explore the relationship between minds, bodies, and the possibilities of human freedoms.

Introduction to Logic
In this module you will develop an understanding of the formal study of arguments through the two basic systems of modern logic – sentential or propositional logic and predicate logic. You will learn how to present and analyse arguments formally, and look at the implications and uses of logical analysis by considering Bertrand Russell’s formalist solution to the problem of definite descriptions. You will also examine the the broader significance of findings in logic to philosophical inquiry.

Mind and Consciousness
In this module you will develop an understanding of the relationship between the mind and the brain. You will examine the key theories, from Descartes’ dualist conception of the relationship between mind and body through to Chalmers’s conception of consciousness as ‘the hard problem’ in the philosophy of mind. You will also consider some of the famous thought experiments in this area, including Descartes’s and Laplace’s demons, the Chinese Room and the China Brain, Mary and the black-and-white room, and the problem of zombie and bat consciousness.

Introduction to Aesthetics and Morals
In this module you will develop an understanding of the central problems and debates within moral philosophy and aesthetics. You will look at questions relating to both metaphysical and ethical relativism, including the ways we view our moral commitments within the world, how the individual is related to society, and the value and nature of the work of art. You will also examine approaches from the history of philosophy, including the Anglo-American tradition and recent European philosophy.

Year 2

English: Contemporary Debates in Literary and Critical Theory
This module provides an advanced introduction to influential areas of criticism and theory. It will introduce you to the work of key thinkers on literature and the interpretation of literature. It will help you to develop your own ideas and arguments about the texts they you are studying across your degree. The course does not offer answers, but will introduce you to (as the title says) ‘Debates’ about literature, allowing you to better make up their own mind and develop your own opinions about literature and its interpretation.

Introduction to European Philosophy 1 – From Kant to Hegel
In this module you will develop an understanding of the major debates in European and some Anglo-American philosophy. You will look at the key texts by eighteenth and nineteenth century philosophers Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, examining the continuing significance of their ideas. You will consider the major espistemological, ethical and aesthetical issues their idea raise, and the the problems associated with the notion of modernity. You will also analyse the importance of the role of history in modern philosophy via Hegel’s influence.

Mind and World

Year 3

All modules are optional

Optional modules

In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Career opportunities

Right now, we’re running work placement schemes with The Daily Telegraph, the BBC’s Newsnight and a number of publishing companies. Take part in one of our schemes and you’ll boost your employability: not just with something that looks good on your CV, but with real skills to help you understand and prepare for a career. In the course itself, we put a strong emphasis on your employability. So the skills you’ll gain won’t just be for the field of English study – though many of our students go on to postgraduate study there – but in areas like research, presentation, teamwork, negotiation and communication. The skills you’ll get on our course are designed to help you in a whole range of careers.

In your second year, you’ll meet with your personal tutor group, to work on planning your career beyond university. In the past, graduates from this course have gone on to careers in law, journalism, publishing, finance, business, teaching, marketing and the media. If you want to learn more about what our graduates are doing now, find out at the department’s website.