BA PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
BA PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY
What is History? How do we know about the past? What are causes? And what is it to explain events or changes or the decisions that altered the course of history? Many historical questions turn to issues that have important philosophical ramifications. If you love to enquire, not just into the past but into the ideas with which we approach the past, then this degree will allow you to do both and to bring the two together.
With a rich choice of modules in both subjects, our degree offers stimulating opportunities for you to develop as a historian and as a philosopher, exploring how these subjects interact with each other. In your philosophy modules, you’ll examine how philosophical thought and debate has developed over time, and how contemporary questions have emerged from a history of intellectual exchange. In your history modules, you’ll discover how philosophical ideas about politics, religion, ethics and science have changed the course of history in concrete ways.
About
Questions about the human condition, and how we came into our current predicament, are among the puzzles you’ll try to unravel in a Philosophy and History degree. You’ll pursue your enquiries in a rigorous and stimulating intellectual environment, where you’ll discover the distinct and complementary contributions that philosophy and history make to our understanding of human life and experience.
Throughout your degree, you’ll be invited to examine how history and philosophy interact with each other. In year 2, you’ll take our keystone module, Philosophy of History and Politics for Second Years. Here you will draw on the skills, methods and concepts that you have learnt as both a philosopher and a historian. You can choose to follow it up with the complementary module in the following year, Philosophy of History and Politics for Third Years.
In addition to any compulsory modules, you’ll be able to choose from our full range of History and Philosophy modules in your second and third years. All are designed to develop your skills as a thinker, as a historian, as an acute critic and writer, and simply as a person with views and a voice of your own.
During your time with us, you’ll work with leading lecturers and professors in philosophy and history, whose work is discussed the world over. You’ll be listening to them as they develop new ideas and helping them to identify new ways forward.

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Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.Placement Year and Study Abroad
You can expand your horizons by choosing to spend a semester of your second year studying abroad at one of UEA’s partner universities. You spend the autumn semester completing three modules at UEA, then transfer overseas in the spring.
You will not only experience life in a different country and make international connections, but you’ll also make yourself even more attractive to prospective employers, who value the skills of resourcefulness and resilience that studying abroad will bring you.
For further details, visit our Study Abroad section of our website.

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After the Course
Our Philosophy and History graduates go on to do remarkable things in a wide range of professions. The reasoning and research skills you’ll develop will prepare you for all kinds of roles in the professional sphere. They include:
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Precise and effective communication skills
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The ability to analyse data and information, and to correct faulty reasoning
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Listening carefully to others, with empathy and rigorous attention to detail
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Innovative and original ideas supported by reason
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Detailed and precise research and interpretation
Career destinations
Examples of careers you could enter include:
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Law
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Journalism
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Civil service
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Cultural industries
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Teaching or lecturing
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Charity and environmental work

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Assessment for Year 1
The assessment is at the module level and will consist of a mixture of assignments including class tests, essays, class presentations, exams, and journal entries. The marks for these assessments will not contribute to your final degree classification.
You’ll receive constructive feedback on both your formative and summative assessments to help you develop your understanding and skills.
Assessment for Year 2
Assessments are at the module level and consist of a mixture of essays, exams, and class presentations. All assessed work will be preceded by formative work upon which written feedback is provided. This is meant to help you improve your performance in the summative tasks.
Assessment for Year 3
The assessments are the same as Year 2 with the addition of the opportunity to write a 8-9000 word dissertation under the supervision of a member of faculty. The constructive feedback will be substantial throughout so that you can deliver your best work as part of your summative assessment.
Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighing 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.
Assessment for Year 1
The assessment is at the module level and will consist of a mixture of assignments including class tests, essays, class presentations, exams, and journal entries. The marks for these assessments will not contribute to your final degree classification.
You’ll receive constructive feedback on both your formative and summative assessments to help you develop your understanding and skills.
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.Assessment for Year 2
Assessments are at the module level and consist of a mixture of essays, exams, and class presentations. All assessed work will be preceded by formative work upon which written feedback is provided. This is meant to help you improve your performance in the summative tasks.
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.Students may take no more than one supervised dissertation module, but they may also take a special subject in Philosophy in addition to a dissertation. Students wishing to take the Philosophy dissertation or special subject module must complete the form circulated in advance of the enrolment fair. Students should aim to pick an even balance of credits in each semester. Students can take a maximum of 30 credits of level 5 modules in their final year of studies. Most students will choose four 30-credit modules at year three. It is also possible to take two 30-credit modules, and three 20-credit modules. Students taking the latter route will need to select two 20-credit modules from Range C plus the 20-credit module PPLP6147A .
Assessment for Year 3
The assessments are the same as Year 2 with the addition of the opportunity to write a 8-9000 word dissertation under the supervision of a member of faculty. The constructive feedback will be substantial throughout so that you can deliver your best work as part of your summative assessment.
Your final degree result is based on the marks for all your modules in the last two years, weighing 40:60 so that more importance is attached to the fully mature work of your third year.