BA (Hons)

Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

V520

Do life’s biggest questions stir a desire in you to delve deeper – to understand and debate, for example, the meaning of life, the existence of God and how we can protect the planet we live on? Our course examines the different perspectives of great minds and thinking on such momentous issues and equips you to engage with these discussions in an informed and critical way. 

Person on a mountain looking out to the sunset

Course overview

Our unique Philosophy, Religion and Ethics degree is not simply studying these fields separately but explores questions at the intersection of these disciplines. You get to set philosophical ideas in conversation with religious traditions, rituals and sacred texts, engaging in stimulating debates about right and wrong, life and death, faith and politics. 

At Winchester, you study the grand narrative of the philosophical tradition, from ancient Greece to the world of existentialism and post-modernity. Each year you analyse the meaning and significance of classic philosophical works from thinkers as diverse as Aristotle, Fanon, Ibn ‘Arabi, and de Beauvoir.

In analysing the texts produced by great intellects, you grow as a writer, debater and thinker. And it’s not all about heavyweight thinkers – you have the chance to consider material practices rather than just ideas: for example, to study what burial rituals tell us about our relation to death rather than just what books say. 

You engage with major contemporary societal issues and learn to develop nuanced positions on them: for example, on the complex clashes between freedom, security, liberation, feminism and national identity at stake in recent European bans on items of Muslim dress. A philosophy degree might engage with some of that but only at an abstract level and without delving into the concepts and values of the community at stake. Our aim is to help our students become independent critics of society and effective problem solvers. 

 

What you need to know

Course start date

September

Location

Winchester campus

Course length

  • 3 years full-time
  • 6 years part-time

Apply

V520

Typical offer

104-120 points

Fees

From £9,250 pa

Course features

  • Learn from history’s smartest thinkers to analyse the profound questions at the heart of religion, philosophy and ethics from multiple perspectives
  • Benefit from extra weekly talks and seminars by major international thinkers across the campus on questions relating to your course
  • Gain real-world work experience as a part of your degree programme by volunteering for a placement with a range of organisations, from charities to think tanks 
  • Visit and engage with religious sites and communities, from practicing mosques and synagogues to the centuries-old religious sites of Winchester, Salisbury and Glastonbury

Course details

Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market.            

You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups.

In addition to the formally scheduled contact time such as lectures and seminars, you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.

Independent learning

Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.

Overall workload

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity.

While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.

Year 1 (Level 4): Teaching, learning and assessment: 192 hours. Independent learning: 1008 hours

Year 2 (Level 5): Teaching, learning and assessment: 180 hours. Independent learning: 1020 hours

Year 3 (Level 6): Teaching, learning and assessment: 168 hours. Independent learning: 1032 hours

Please note these are indicative hours for the course. 

Teaching in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics is highly student centred and interactive. Through the course, we will help and encourage you to develop skills of independent learning and research, critical judgment and confident communication of your ideas and conclusions to others. Classes are relatively small and you will work with fellow students on group presentations, projects and website designs. These types of assessment are used alongside the more traditional essay, commentary and exams.

Location

Taught elements of the course take place on campus in Winchester.

Teaching hours

All class based teaching takes places between 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wednesday afternoons are kept free from timetabled teaching for personal study time and for sports clubs and societies to train, meet and play matches. There may be some occasional learning opportunities (for example, an evening guest lecturer or performance) that take places outside of these hours for which you will be given forewarning.

Assessment

Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.

We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.

Percentage of the course assessed by coursework

The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:

Year 1 (Level 4)*: 87% coursework. 0% written exams. 13% practical exams.

Year 2 (Level 5)*: 87% coursework. 0% written exams. 13% practical exams.

Year 3 (Level 6)*: 82% coursework. 13% written exams. 5% practical exams.

Please note these are indicative percentages and modes for the programme.

Feedback

We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.

Further information

For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.

Modules

Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions

Modules

Joining the Conversation

In this module we will focus on a key debate, topic or dilemma in the Christian tradition to collectively develop your academic skills. These skills will include textual analysis, research, note taking and academic writing. This module will show how lectures, reading and independent work might be utilised for effective written assessment. Students will be trained to read primary and secondary texts, and work within the parameters of Higher Education with increased confidence. Important topics for your success at university such as what constitutes good essay structure, understanding assessment criteria and how your work is marks, along with how to reference texts and avoid committing plagiarism will be introduced through this module.

Ethics and Religion

This module is designed to provide a thorough grounding in the academic study of ethics. Students will explore a range of current moral issues and debates in some or all of the following areas: science, technology and medicine; animals and ecological concern; gender, sexuality and intimate relationships; political, economic and social life. They will develop skills in analysing such debates through the study of selected philosophical, theological and/or religious approaches to moral reasoning. The module will give students an opportunity to develop a critical understanding of key historical and contemporary thinkers and traditions in ethics, and will explore some of the ways in which philosophical, theological and religious forms of moral reasoning have interacted in different times and places.

Living Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism and Eastern Religions

This module introduces students to the scholarly study of Buddhism, Hinduism and/or other eastern-originating religions and their lived traditions and ritual practices. It will introduce students to a small selection of academic debates that are central to Religious Studies, including material religion and religion in diaspora. This will be elaborated in relation to the study of Buddhism, Hinduism and/or other eastern-originating religions and their lived traditions and ritual practices. The module will introduce students to a small selection of key themes in Buddhism, Hinduism and/or other eastern-originating religions and their lived traditions and ritual practices which will enable some measure of comparison and contrast between these. Students will also be taught to differentiate between different types of sources, between description and analysis, and between the general and the particular, in the study of religions.

Philosophy in the Ancient World

In this module we will begin to study philosophy by looking at its establishment in a movement in Ancient Greece. We will focus particularly on the key figures of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. We will pay attention to what philosophy is and what characterises a philosopher, along with key questions relating to metaphysics, epistemology, politics and the polis. Beyond the core figure we will look at earlier Pre-Socratic philosophers and Sophists and ahead to the major Hellenistic schools of philosophy and the philosophers of the Roman Empire.

God, Soul and World in Early-Modern Thought

The Early-Modern period: a time when parts of Classical thought were being rejected while others were being rediscovered. We will look at how a renewed focus on epistemology along with developments in the natural sciences led to a new confidence in the power of reason against superstition and illusion. To develop our skills and knowledge of the diverging rationalist and empiricist traditions that succeeded medieval scholasticism, we will focus in particular on the conceptual accounts and proofs of the existence of God, Soul and World that developed in the succession of debates sparked by Descartes. By investigating their proofs for the existence of God, the immortal soul and the reality of the external world, their explanations for the existence of evil and their accounts of freedom, we will learn to analyse texts carefully and form persuasive arguments with and against them.

Introduction to Political Philosophy

This module introduces significant themes, theoretical perspectives and concepts in political philosophy, and aims to develop an initial understanding of the methodologies and practices of the discipline of political philosophy where it comes into contact with related subject areas such as international relations, economics, the environment and religion. This module examines the philosophical underpinnings of differing systems of government by looking at ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, communism and socialism that originated in the western world and comparing and contrasting systems of government elsewhere in the world where such beliefs have been used, adapted or rejected.

Living Religions: Judaism and Islam

This module introduces students to the scholarly study of Jewish and Muslim traditions. It engages students in the study of a small selection of key themes in Judaism and Islam, notably gender and ritual as well as the study of religion and/in culture. It also provides students with a grounding in both traditions and their key sub-traditions, and includes an exploration of their historical background.

Optional Modules
  • Introduction to Biblical Studies - 15 Credits
  • Contemporary Conversations - 15 Credits
  • The Meaning of Life on Film - 15 Credits

Modules

Kant and the Copernican Revolution

This module focuses on one of the most important books ever written, Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.  Beginning from the intellectual milieu it emerged from – Rationalism vs. Empiricism, Hume’s scepticism and Rousseau’s view of freedom – this module will focus on understanding the text’s general importance, along with focusing in detail on particular key sections of its argument. These might include the notion of transcendental idealism and the thing-in-itself, Kant’s account of the nature of space and time, Kant’s defence of causal reasoning, the limitations Kant imposes on our knowledge of metaphysical entities – such as God, freedom and the self – and the role of non-epistemic forms of assertion such as faith and hope in these domains.

Nietzsche, Freud and Atheism

This module will track the unfolding of atheist thought from ancient atomism to the contemporary New Atheist movement. However, it will focus particularly on two influential atheist thinkers whose thought mark the cusp of the Twentieth Century – Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. Their controversial methods of genealogical analysis and psychoanalysis exist in a critical relationship to western society, its values and the philosophical tradition, diagnosing forms of sickness at the heart of many of our most cherished institutions. It is for this that they earned the title “masters of suspicion”, but what characterises such suspicious discourses? We will turn in particular to the suggestion that traditional notions of truth and falseness might be replaced in philosophy by a vocabulary of health and sickness.

Optional modules
  • Aesthetics - 15 Credits
  • Ancient Languages: New Testament and Greek - 15 Credits
  • Ancient Languages: Old Testament and Hebrew - 15 Credits
  • Angels and Demons - 15 Credits
  • Aspects of Islam - 15 Credits
  • Bioethics - 15 Credits
  • Buddhism: Traditions and Transformations - 15 Credits
  • Christianity, Race and Colonialism - 15 Credits
  • Contemporary Christian Theology - 15 Credits
  • Early Christian Spirituality and Neoplatonism - 15 Credits
  • Exploring Judaism - 15 Credits
  • Gender, Sexuality and the Bible - 15 Credits
  • Gospel Study - 15 Credits
  • Great Philosophical Texts - 15 Credits
  • Hegel, Marx and Dialectical Thought - 15 Credits
  • Hinduism and Modernity - 15 Credits
  • Indigenous Religion - 15 Credits
  • Intrigues, Doctrines and Heresies: The Early Church Councils - 15 Credits
  • New and Alternative Religions - 15 Credits
  • Orthodox Christianity - 15 Credits
  • Political Theology - 15 Credits
  • Questions in Metaphysics - 15 Credits
  • Radical Christian Texts - 15 Credits
  • Religion in Contemporary Britain - 15 Credits
  • Religion, Ethics and War - 15 Credits
  • Religion, Ritual and Society - 15 Credits
  • Science and Religion - 15 Credits
  • The Church and Politics - 15 Credits
  • Volunteering for Theology, Religion and Philosophy - 15 Credits
  • Wittgenstein and the Philosophy of Language - 15 Credits
  • Improving Communities through Social Action - 15 credits
  • Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Management - 15 credits
  • Global Christianities - 15 credits
  • Exploring Teaching as a Career - 15 Credits

Modules

Dissertation

In conversation with a member of academic staff, students select an appropriate area of investigation. In 8-10,000 words, students must engage with their chosen topic using critical methodologies, evidence and argument. The topic chosen must be one which relates to the subject matter of their programme and which permits the demonstration of independent research, study and reflection.

Phenomenology and Existentialism

As the Second World War ravaged the globe, the existentialism movement formulated itself as a wave that would transform post-war values and culture. With one foot in the phenomenological method of philosophical investigation and the other in more literary works, a series of thinkers produced a set of works that are still being responded to. In this module we will look at some of those works by thinkers such as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Levinas, Camus and Merleau-Ponty – along with some of their critics. We will see how the very notion of what it is “to be” and particularly “to be human” was put in question by these thinkers, what it meant to live “authentically” and how these thinkers rethought human finitude and freedom. This will be related to developments beyond philosophy, such as the role of such thinking in art, politics and religion.

Contemporary Philosophy

In this module students will engage in detail with a particular philosopher whose major works date from the late-Twentieth Century onwards or with a philosophical theme that is discussed in contemporary philosophy. This module will be research-led, with the tutor presenting a thinker or theme that they themselves are currently or recently engaged in researching. Students will be expected to engage with the tutor’s research work alongside other material over the course of the module. Examples of recent versions of this module include looking at Foucault’s History of Madness in relation to debates surrounding anti-psychiatry or looking at the gaze in contemporary cinema using the works of Derrida and Lacan.

Optional modules
  • Aesthetics - 15 Credits
  • Ancient Languages: New Testament and Greek - 15 Credits
  • Ancient Languages: Old Testament and Hebrew - 15 Credits
  • Angels and Demons - 15 Credits
  • Aspects of Islam - 15 Credits
  • Bioethics - 15 Credits
  • Buddhism: Traditions and Transformations - 15 Credits
  • Christianity, Race and Colonialism - 15 Credits
  • Contemporary Christian Theology - 15 Credits
  • Early Christian Spirituality and Neoplatonism - 15 Credits
  • Exploring Judaism - 15 Credits
  • Gender, Sexuality and the Bible - 15 Credits
  • Gospel Study - 15 Credits
  • Great Philosophical Texts - 15 Credits
  • Hinduism and Modernity - 15 Credits
  • Indigenous Religion - 15 Credits
  • Intrigues, Doctrines and Heresies: The Early Church Councils - 15 Credits
  • New and Alternative Religions - 15 Credits
  • Orthodox Christianity - 15 Credits
  • Political Theology - 15 Credits
  • Questions in Metaphysics - 15 Credits
  • Radical Christian Texts - 15 Credits
  • Religion in Contemporary Britain - 15 Credits
  • Religion, Ethics and War - 15 Credits
  • Religion, Ritual and Society - 15 Credits
  • Science and Religion - 15 Credits
  • Senior Seminar - 15 Credits
  • The Church and Politics - 15 Credits
  • Volunteering for Theology, Religion and Philosophy - 15 Credits
  • Wittgenstein and the Philosophy of Language - 15 Credits
  • Improving Communities through Social Action - 15 Credits
  • Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Management - 15 Credits
  • Global Christianities - 15 Credits

Entry requirements

104-120 points

Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:

  • A-Levels: BCC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
  • BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
  • International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
  • T Level: Merit in a T Level

Additionally, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications. To find out more about UCAS tariff points, including what your qualifications are worth, please visit UCAS.

In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE’s are required:

GCSE English Language at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not. If you hold another qualification, please get in touch and we will advise further

If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold. UCAS have further information about studying as a mature student on their website which may be of interest.

International points required

If English is not your first language, a formal English language test will most likely be required and you will need to achieve the following:

  • IELTS Academic at 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (for year 1 entry)
  • We also accept other English language qualifications, such as IELTS Indicator, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and TOEFL iBT

If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by contacting our International Recruitment Team via our International Apply Pages.

 

2024 Course Tuition Fees

  UK / Channel Islands /
Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland 

International

Year 1 £9,250 £16,700
Year 2 £9,250 £16,700
Year 3 £9,250 £16,700
Total £27,750 £50,100
Optional Sandwich Year* £1,850 £3,340
Total with Sandwich Year £29,600 £53,440

Additional tuition fee information

If you are a UK student starting your degree in September 2024, the first year will cost you £9,250**. Based on this fee level, the indicative fees for a three-year degree would be £27,750 for UK students.

Remember, you don’t have to pay any of this upfront if you are able to get a tuition fee loan from the UK Government to cover the full cost of your fees each year.

UK Part-Time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £77.08 and a 15 credit module is £1,156. Part-time students can take up to a maximum 90 credits per year, so the maximum fee in a given year will be the government permitted maximum fee of £6,935.

International part-time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £139.14 and a 15 credit module is £2,087.

* Please note that not all courses offer an optional sandwich year.

**The University of Winchester will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year.

Additional costs

As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.

There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the optional costs for this course:

Mandatory

Printing and Binding

The University is pleased to offer our students a printing allowance of £5 each academic year. This will print around 125 A4 (black and white) pages. If students wish to print more, printer credit can be topped up by the student. The University and Student Union are champions of sustainability and we ask all our students to consider the environmental impact before printing.

Optional

Core texts

Core Texts are available from the University Library; however, students will be strongly encouraged in some modules to purchase a copy of a key work that the module focuses on. Some Core texts can be bought second hand, or as an ebook which can often reduce this cost. Indicative cost £100 per academic year. 

Study abroad

Students have the option to study a semester abroad in the USA in their second year of study. For more information about Study Abroad please click here

Field trips

In year 2 and/or year 3, students may undertake field studies to explore the diversity of religions, cultures and traditions - previous trips have included India, Istanbul and Jerusalem. The cost of a field trip is dependent on location and duration. An indicative cost for previous trips is between £800 and £1200.

SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS

We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Graduates enter a wide range of careers in such areas as teaching (philosophy, religion or ethics), charity/Non-Governmental Organisation work, and employment in both the public and private sectors.

The University of Winchester ranks in the top 10 in the UK for graduates in employment or further study according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021, HESA.

Pre-approved for a Masters

If you study a Bachelor Honours degrees with us, you will be pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible, you will need to apply by the end of March in the final year of your degree and meet the entry requirements of your chosen Masters degree.

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