BA Philosophy and Classical Studies with Placement Experience

Examine fundamental philosophical concepts, explore the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome, and gain vital professional skills with our BA Philosophy and Classical Studies with Placement Experience degree.

Philosophy and Classical Studies at the 澳门六合彩开奖记录 will equip you with the ability to think logically, to evaluate arguments critically, and to challenge your own ideas and those of other people.

In Philosophy, you will learn about the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures, from leading experts whose research strengths lie especially in moral philosophy and the philosophy of the mind and language.

Small class sizes in both our Department of Philosophy and Department of Classics ensure that students receive dedicated individual attention.

In Classical Studies, you will learn about the literature, history and culture of ancient civilisations. Through the study of translated texts you can discover how the ancient world has influenced modern literature and culture. You will explore themes of poetry, tragedy and love in classical literature, art, and performance. You can also enhance your knowledge of the ancient world through Latin and Greek language modules or gain an understanding of the period through different media, for example through drama and films from Ben-Hur to Gladiator.

In the Department of Classics, 95% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Classics). Modules such as Ancient Philosophy will give you a chance to combine what you have learned in Philosophy and in Classical Studies, as you learn about the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Our findings also feed directly into your learning, with 96% of students saying that our teaching staff were very good or good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2023, 96.43% of respondents studying in the Department of Classics)

Professional placement

This four-year degree includes an integrated, year-long work placement between your second and final year of study.

Supported by our dedicated placement team, you'll gain real-world experience and a range of transferable skills that are highly valued in the workplace. Your placement will enable you to put your newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice, and also provide opportunities for you to build your network.

We have excellent links with a diverse range of employers from industry, the public sector and the charity sector, meaning that we can help you find placements for a variety of career paths.

Over the years, students in the Department of Philosophy have completed a wide range of placements. Roles have included:

Education and Engagement Assistant
HR Intern
Communications Co-ordinator
Azure Specialist.

Students have worked at organisations such as the House of Commons, the 澳门六合彩开奖记录, Microsoft, and Enterprise Mobility.

Recent placements have also enabled students to examine philosophical issues in the workplace – for example, working at a zoo to learn more about the ethical treatment of animals.

If you would prefer to study this course without a placement year, you can choose our three-year BA Philosophy and Classical Studies course.

Placement support

Our dedicated placement co-ordinator will support you throughout securing a placement, during the placement, and while transitioning back to university life.

From your first year, we will guide you through the career planning process and support you in identifying paid placements suited to your individual career interests. We'll also review your CV and application forms, build your confidence for interviews, tests and assessment centres, and help you prepare for receiving feedback.

Overview

Small class sizes in both our Department of Philosophy and Department of Classics ensure that students receive dedicated individual attention.

Professional placement

This four-year degree includes an integrated, year-long work placement between your second and final year of study.

Education and Engagement Assistant
HR Intern
Communications Co-ordinator
Azure Specialist.

Students have worked at organisations such as the House of Commons, the 澳门六合彩开奖记录, Microsoft, and Enterprise Mobility.

Recent placements have also enabled students to examine philosophical issues in the workplace – for example, working at a zoo to learn more about the ethical treatment of animals.

If you would prefer to study this course without a placement year, you can choose our three-year BA Philosophy and Classical Studies course.

Placement support

Our dedicated placement co-ordinator will support you throughout securing a placement, during the placement, and while transitioning back to university life.

Entry requirements A Level BBB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BBB

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the 澳门六合彩开奖记录’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Compulsory modules

Reason and Argument

Explore arguments in different contexts such as newspaper opinions, social media spats and philosophical treaties. You’ll develop critical thinking and logic to evaluate claims and arguments.

Great Works in Philosophy

You’ll delve into the most important philosophical works, considering the significance of each text and analysing the arguments within them to sharpen your critical skills.

Texts, Readers, and Writers

Develop the knowledge and skills required to succeed in academic study of the ancient world including the literature, writing and numeral systems of ancient Greece and Rome.

Ancient Song

Discover a range of lyric poetry from ancient Greece and Rome and consider a range of thematic approaches to reading the surviving texts.

Optional modules

Radical Philosophy

Question your assumptions and beliefs by exploring radical philosophical claims. You’ll compare and contrast different ways of doing philosophy, such as phenomenology and deconstruction.

Global Justice

Discover global perspectives on justice and freedom, from the Buddha to Christian female mystics, to acquire new insights and question your own beliefs and ideas.

Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic

Investigate a period marked by profound socio-political changes in Rome and discover the evidence for ancient history and modern methodological approaches, considering the relevance of Roman antiquity to issues in the modern world.

Latin 1-3

You’ll be taught elements of the Latin language, literature, and culture to enable you to read the language at an elementary level.

Ancient Greek 1-3

Learn elements of the Ancient Greek language, literature, and culture, enabling you to read the language at an elementary level.

Philosophical Skills for Life

Develop the skills needed to produce persuasive and nuanced academic arguments, research, and referencing. You’ll learn how to identify limitations and advantages of philosophical writing.

These are the modules we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest teaching and research methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the 澳门六合彩开奖记录.

Optional modules

Ethical Argument

Develop your knowledge and skills by considering arguments in moral philosophy and contribute to debate by learning how to argue in a charitable but critical way.

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy

Explore the concerns of society by asking questions within contemporary political philosophy. You’ll enhance your ability to think reflectively and critically about the role of fairness in society.

Ancient Epic

Discuss interpretations of Greek and Latin epic hexameter poetry such as the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aieneid.

Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander

Discover the Greek classical age (479-323 BC), how to interact with sources, and principles and methods central to the study of ancient history.

My Mother's Sin and Other Stories

Discover Greek poetry and fiction from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. You’ll consider historical, sociocultural, and wider literary developments of the period and how they illustrate attitudes to the ancient past.

Greek Sculpture and Architecture

Gain knowledge of sculpture and architecture in the Greek world, from its beginnings to the end of the Hellenistic period and consider how, why, where and when these media developed.

Curatorship and Collections Management

Explore the methods used by professionals to store, catalogue, and research objects, and to communicate their meanings to the public. You’ll receive an induction to these methods and undertake assignments based on objects in the University’s collections.

Latin 2-4

Further your knowledge of the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of Latin to increase your confidence when reading authors in the original Latin.

Ancient Greek 2-4

Develop your skills to become competent reading ancient Greek authors and further your knowledge of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of the language.

Careers for Classicists and Ancient Historians with Placement

Complete a work or academic placement in summer to enhance your employability. You’ll relate your experience of exploring career paths to selected careers in the ancient world.

Careers for Classicists and Ancient Historians

Set yourself targets in order to make impactful job applications following your graduation, relating your experience of exploring career paths to selected careers in the ancient world.

Ancient Drama

Discover ancient drama by examining their content, themes, and performance style and uncovering the context in which they were produced.

Roman History: From Republic to Empire

Gain knowledge of the historical, political, social, and economic developments of the imperial era of Rome, using various sources to investigate the impact of the Roman world on the present day.

Museum Learning and Engagement

Critically examine the learning role of museums in society. Explore learning theory, programme and event management, while also learning about resource design, evaluation, and visitor research. You'll hear from museum-based learning and engagement professionals and observe and evaluate learning resources and events.

Meaning and the Mind

Consider questions such as How can there be minds in a physical world? How does a mental state (like a memory or a perceptual experience) come to represent the world? What role does consciousness play in the mind? Discuss and analyse some of the core arguments in philosophy of mind, including with historical reference to the figures who originally formulated those arguments.

Global Philosophies

Participate in cross-cultural conversations about global issues such as gender, race, social identities, and death. You will be introduced to and taught how to analyse a range of concepts, including Buddhist, Jain, and African American critical theories, performative theories, and phenomenological theories.

Aesthetics

Explore topics that are central to philosophical aesthetics including beauty, definitions of art and truth in literature. This will enable you to develop critical understanding of philosophical problems raised by art and aesthetic experience.

Philosophy through the Ages: The Minds that Shaped our World

You’ll engage with a range of ideas and theories from classic texts that mark some of the most important and influential ideas in philosophy, from Socrates to the present day.

Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism

Investigate the concept of knowledge and analyse and evaluate some of the core arguments in contemporary epistemology. You will learn about the different theories of knowledge and explore famous works from Ernest Sosa, Alvin Goldman, David Lewis, Edward Craig, and Miranda Fricker.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the 澳门六合彩开奖记录.

Placement year

Optional modules

Dissertation in Classics

Investigate a topic within classics to form the basis of an extended piece of original research or an original artistic production. To prepare for the dissertation you’ll participate in workshops and submit an assessed proposal.

Independent Learning Module

Choose a philosophical topic that fascinates you to form the basis of an extended essay. This will enhance your independent learning skills, self-awareness and ability to reflect on your progress and strengths.

Dissertation in Philosophy

Engage in original and independent research to produce an extended essay that focuses on a philosophical topic of your choice. You’ll also submit an assessed research proposal and give a presentation.

Independent Project in Classics

Conduct research, explication and documentation of a topic presented in a format different from the traditional dissertation. You’ll prepare for the project by participating in workshops and submitting an assessed proposal.

Philosophy of Language: Animals, Babies, Colours, and Language Death

Engage with questions concerning meaning, language and communication. To address these, you'll engage with foundational texts in linguistics, psychology and anthropology and research informed by developments in the cognitive sciences.

Free Will and Responsibility

Investigate the concepts of freedom and responsibility using philosophical thinking and by applying approaches from different cultures.

Latin 3-6

Practice unseen translation to improve your language skills and achieve greater fluency in Latin with increased knowledge of the language’s grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.

Ancient Greek 3-6

Increase your fluency in Ancient Greek by practicing unseen translation and developing advanced knowledge of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.

'Race' and Ethnicity in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds

Challenging the notion that ‘race’ and racism are modern concepts, you’ll explore racial and ethnic otherness in Greek and Latin texts along with how classical texts continue to shape our thinking on these issues.

From Classroom to Courtroom

Consider the relationship between theory of rhetoric and the practice of oratory in antiquity by examining the construction of ancient speeches and the skills required for composing and delivering them.

Early Chinese Philosophy

Deepen your understanding of the history of philosophy. You’ll focus on early Chinese philosophy to include the Confucian and daoist traditions, as well as moral, social, and political philosophy.

Current Moral Philosophy

Explore current debates in ethics, roughly focusing on material published in the last 20 years. These debates could be totally new, or they could be current takes and debates about much older issues (such as Aristotle's ethics).

Fairness

Learn about leading contemporary theories of fairness, including the relation of fairness to impartiality, equality, proportionality, need, desert, and free-riding. You'll address conflicts between fairness and other values, while developing your skills in dealing with abstract moral concepts and normative arguments.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Explore and debate critical issues in business ethics from a moral, practical and, sometimes, political perspective. You will learn about topics such as the morality of sweatshop labour, the ethics behind advertising, and the corporate obligation to do what is right.

Society and State in Ancient Greece

Study the classic works in Ancient Greek political philosophy, including some or all of Aristotle's Politics and Rhetoric and Plato's Republic and Gorgias. You'll look at the philosophers' conceptions of politics, society, and government, and examine their relevance to modern concerns and issues.

The Scandal of Film

Study the role films play in our cultural lives. Explore film in relation to reality, the human condition, philosophy and art.

Hume and Wittgenstein

Speech Attacks: Bullshit, Lies, Propaganda

Discuss the foundations of speech act theory and examine ways that it has been applied to philosophical problems in feminist theory and political and social theory. Explore lies and bullshit, and what (if anything) is wrong with these uses of language. And we will discuss the nature of propaganda and 'fake news' and how to resist its effects.

Paradoxes

Explore some of the great contemporary and historical paradoxes in philosophy, and their proposed solutions. Philosophy is full of paradoxes – logical, semantic, metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and others, which shed light on big philosophical issues.

Metaphysics

Discover metaphysics, one of the foundation stones of philosophy, and how the way we deal with metaphysical problems affects our approach to problems in many other areas of philosophy, such as philosophy of mind and epistemology.

Philosophy of Religion

Explore central topics within the philosophy of religion. You’ll examine contemporary ideas and their historical origins, evaluating their significance and validity.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the 澳门六合彩开奖记录.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,535 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

New international students: £25,250 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

Tuition fees

To find out more about how the 澳门六合彩开奖记录 sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Placement year fees

If you spend a full year on placement, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact placements@reading.ac.uk.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

Throughout your degree you will have the opportunity to complete career-related modules. These enable you to think about what career you would like and what skills you will require.

In addition, our Careers team will support you with:

CV writing, placement applications and interview techniques
developmental workshops, career advice sessions and recruitment events
career mentoring and training sessions.

Your placement will provide you with experience of applying for roles and a year’s worth of valuable work experience to help you stand out. Many students in the School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics are offered jobs from their placement providers after they have completed their placement.

Studying Philosophy and Classical Studies will equip you with a range of transferable skills in clear thinking, logical analysis and the critical assessment of argument. Such skills are greatly valued in a variety of professional careers such as law, politics, management and marketing. Overall 91% of graduates from Classics and 94% of graduates from Philosophy are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation [1].

Our recent graduates have gone on to a wide variety of careers, including work in accountancy and banking, government and the civil service, law, heritage and museums, teaching, publishing, public sector management, libraries and archives, and media research and production.

Recent employers include GCHQ, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the University of Oxford, the British Museum, the NHS, the Environment Agency, and Sotheby's.

Around one in four of our students continue onto postgraduate study, including conversion courses and teacher training.

[1] Based on our analysis of HESA data (c) HESA 2024, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22 includes all Classics responders and all Philosophy responders.

澳门六合彩开奖记录