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Philosophy at UEA
Find out more about studying Philosophy at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreBA (Hons) Philosophy with a Foundation Year
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- V50F
- Typical Offer
- CCC
- Contextual Offer
- CDD
- Course Length
- 4 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2027
Other Start Dates
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Course Overview
Why BA Philosophy with a Foundation Year at UEA?
Philosophy tackles the big questions shaping our world, from AI and animal rights to justice and trust. Studying philosophy builds the critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills employers value most.
Why choose UEA?
- Real-world challenges: Apply philosophical ideas to today’s biggest issues
- Prepare for your degree: Whether you don't yet have the required grades, or need a little extra support, we’re the perfect choice
- Build vital skills: Improve your critical thinking and communication abilities that open doors to diverse, impactful careers
What is BA Philosophy with a Foundation Year?
The Philosophy Foundation Year is your gate to your BA Philosophy degree, where you build essential academic skills. You’ll shape your own goals and objectives. You’ll gain the confidence to engage with the subjects at a degree level.
You can shape your degree. Make connections between different disciplines. Combine history, politics, and literature, to answer your questions. You’ll access all the opportunities and resources that UEA and Norwich have to offer, from the Media Suite to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.
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Careers
Career Pathways
After graduating from our BA Philosophy with a Foundation Year degree or a similar Arts and Humanities discipline, you could progress onto careers such as:
- Teaching and Education: Inspire critical thinking in schools, colleges, or universities as a teacher, lecturer, or educational developer
- Civil Service and Policy: Shape decisions in government departments and public institutions as policy officers, analysts, or advisers
- Journalism and Media: Question assumptions and communicate complex ideas clearly as a writer, editor, or broadcaster
- Law: Apply your logical reasoning and ethical analysis as a solicitor, barrister, or legal researcher
- Marketing and Communications: Influence and persuade as a copywriter, brand strategist, or communications manager
Career Support
During your foundation year, we’ll help you find your academic interests and career possibilities. You’ll have access to networking opportunities. You’ll recieve personal support through workshops, and one-to-one appointments at UEA’s careers service. You can get advice on CV writing, job applications, internship applications, and available opportunities.
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
After the Course
After finishing your foundation year, you can start your BA Philosophy degree.
You may also request to transfer onto another undergraduate course within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. This may be subject to taking certain required prerequisite modules. You’ll have an academic adviser who will help you in this path.
If you develop interest in creative writing, you’ll need to submit a writing sample (c. Five pages) to apply for the creative writing degree.
Your foundation year helps you develop your unique academic interests and passions so that you make the wisest choice for your future degree.
Study and Modules
Structure
During your foundation year, you’ll study a mixture of compulsory and optional modules. This enables you to tailor your studies to your interests, ensuring you’ll develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to achieve your full potential during the rest of your degree.
You’ll hone essential critical thinking and skills of analysis, plus have the opportunity to discover a range of academic approaches and methodologies. Together with your lecturers and peers, you’ll explore important theories and ideas in the Humanities. You’ll learn how they relate to their political, social, historical, and cultural contexts. For example, you might study ideology and myth, post-colonialism, gender and sexuality, or power. We also provide you with the space to practice necessary, core skills to build your confidence as you progress with your studies. For example, you’ll learn how to research, write, and properly reference your assignments, as well as how to make the most out of the amazing study and support resources that UEA has to offer.
We seriously explore how new knowledge in the Humanities is created. By combining your interests and learning from the course, you'll be able to design your own project. With our support, you'll learn how to break a larger task into manageable stages, gaining hands-on experience in planning, research, and problem solving. These core skills will not only be at the centre of your future degree but are at the heart of longer-term professional success. This step-by-step structure will build your confidence and show how complex ideas can grow and synthesise as you follow a process and make connections. Working through each stage in this dynamic way will develop your creativity, resilience, and you’ll become a successful independent learner.
There are a range of subject-specific topics for you to choose from throughout your Foundation Year. You may choose to focus on history, literature, visual culture or politics. Alternatively, you could decide to study a language. By combining disciplines, you’ll be able to investigate key areas of your future degree while gaining an interdisciplinary perspective. This is your opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills in subjects closely tied to the rest of your degree or even try something new.
For information on subsequent years, please see the full BA Philosophy course.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 20)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
We’ll provide a supportive and rewarding learning environment where you’ll study with dedicated lecturers from UEA’s Interdisciplinary Institute for the Humanities. This will shallow out the curve between your previous learning experiences and your future degree programme. Modules are delivered through a variety of methods, with a range of study tasks to prepare you for the different types of learning and teaching you’ll meet later on.
Through lectures, training sessions, and course work, you’ll develop key skills in areas such as writing, analysis, and critical evaluation of scholar arguments. Award-winning lecturers who are specialists in their fields will teach you during your foundation year. Our innovative and engaging lectures are informed by the latest research on the field.
Your foundation fear will be an intensive course. You’ll need to work independently between classes to make sure you’re fully prepared for seminars, workshops, and assessments. We’ll help you to make the most of the resources and facilities available to you at UEA. We’ll support you as you develop your ability to study independently, cultivating skills that will be of great benefit in your degree, and your later career.
Assessment
During your Arts and Humanities Foundation Year, you may be assessed in different ways. Written tasks like essays, reflective work, and source-based analyses, or oral presentations help you explore different learning styles. Through these assessments, we’ll familiarise you with the format and expectations of degree-level assessment.
Our innovative methods enable you to learn from both teamwork and lectures. While working with peers and teachings staff, you’ll build confidence in your abilities and become a more independent learner. Feedback from your assessments helps you improve your written work and research skills.
You’ll have an adviser, too. Through individual tutorials, they’ll ensure you’re on the path.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK fee-paying students only. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies(opens in a new window) page.
- Contextual Offers
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes(opens in a new window).
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
A Levels
CCC
Contextual offer: CDD
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: MMM
Contextual offer: MMP
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities & Social Sciences pathway. Pass the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
T Levels
Obtain an overall Pass.
- Further Examples of Typical Entry Requirements
International Baccalaureate
28 points overall.
Irish Leaving Certificate
6 subjects at H4
Scottish Highers
BBCCC or above.
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable.
Scottish Advanced Highers
DDD or above.
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (with a minimum 5.5 in all components)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
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- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Progression
Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement, or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
Progression from a Foundation Year may also be dependent on meeting the prerequisite module requirements of the course you wish to progress to. Please note subsequent changes to study or course can affect your tuition fee liability and the amount you are required to pay.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2027/28 are:
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UK Students: £5,760
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International Students: £24,250
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships(opens in a new window) for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Apply for this course through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), using UCAS Hub.
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: