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Philosophy, Literature and Classics BA (VQ58)

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Discover more about our Philosophy, Literature and Classics degree at Warwick

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VQ58

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Bachelor of Arts (BA)

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3 years full-time

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26 September 2022

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Department of Philosophy

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University of Warwick

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Combining the study of tremendously rich and influential traditions, this degree explores the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, which are still vital to literary and philosophical work today. Throughout the course, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills needed to understand and appreciate these vital relationships.

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Your first year lays the foundations, including the option to study either Latin or Ancient Greek, while your second and third years offer enormous choice of modules across all three departments.

Your first year core module - Problems in Philosophy and Literature – is taught jointly across departments. You also have the option of taking a jointly supervised dissertation or independent project in your final year, giving you the opportunity to combine these interests directly.

If you wish to expand your experience beyond your study at Warwick, we can support you to apply for an intercalated year abroad or on a work placement. This extends the duration of your degree to four years, with your third year spent abroad or on placement, and will be reflected in your degree qualification (i.e. BA Philosophy, Literature and Classics with Intercalated Year).

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In Year One, study is distributed as follows: 15 CATS in a combined module, 30 CATS in Philosophy, 30 CATS in English, 30 CATS in Classics, plus 15 CATS of options in any of the three.

In Years Two and Three, 90 CATS are distributed evenly across the three departments, plus 30 CATS of options in any of the three.

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Our main teaching methods are lectures, lecture-discussions, and seminars alongside private study and study skills sessions.

Our students benefit from expert guidance from staff in developing strong analytical and critical skills, and our students highly rate the feedback they receive. In addition to compulsory teaching, we also offer many extra academic activities, including optional lectures, colloquia, discussion groups and workshops.

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Seminar sizes are typically 12-15 students. Lectures vary by module from 20-220.

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Typically three hours of contact time per week per module, in most cases this would be two hours lecture and one hour seminar but is variable depending on teaching methods.

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We track your progress and provide you with feedback through regular non assessed work, assessed essays and written examinations.

Your final degree classification is based on assessed essays, other assessed work (which may include, for example, group work or video presentations), examinations and an optional dissertation or individual project. Your second and third year work carries equal weight in determining your final degree classification. The intermediate and final years each count for 50% of your degree.

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A level typical offer

AAB to include grade A in English Literature or English Language and Literature or Latin or Greek.

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB including an A in English Literature or Latin or Greek. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

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IB typical offer

36 to include 6 in Higher Level English Literature or English Language and Literature or Latin or Ancient Greek.

IB contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 34 including 6 in Higher Level English Language and Literature or Latin or Greek. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

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We welcome applications from students taking BTECs as long as essential subject requirements are met.

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Year One

Introduction to Philosophy

You'll have a wide-ranging introduction to philosophy, including ancient, continental, moral and political philosophy, followed by epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and aesthetics, and logic. You'll learn to engage critically with different viewpoints and critically analyse and evaluate arguments central to philosophy.

Problems in Philosophy and Literature

This module introduces you to the combined study of philosophy and literature, bringing literary theory, criticism and philosophical thinking about literature to the study of epistemology, and metaphysics and ethics. You will study the latter key areas of philosophy as represented by the work of Descartes and John Stuart Mill respectively. You will move on to articulate your own interpretations of texts by authors such as Proust, Coetzee, Nietzsche and Beckett. To read, discuss and write reflectively about philosophical and literary texts, and you will combine the approaches and concerns of the two disciplines.

Modes of Reading

What is a reader? How is our understanding and perception of a text formed? What does it mean to think critically when we read? This module allows you to explore these questions by putting a spotlight on the question of critical thinking in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. By studying a series of literary texts in relation to some of the most influential literary and cultural theorists of the last hundred years, you will take your own position on everything from Marxism, queer and feminist theory to ecocriticism and postcolonial critique.

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Epic into Novel

Tracking the transition from the epics of the ancient world to the novels of modernity, this module introduces you to some of the most influential and formative works of world literature. You will study central texts of the classical world, such as Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid; the ancient Indian epic The Mahābhārata; Milton’s Paradise Lost; as well as novels like Henry Fielding’s bawdy comedy Tom Jones and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o’s novel of decolonising Kenya, A Grain of Wheat. Reading across history and cultures, between languages and genres, you will develop the skills to analyse narrative, character, and style.

Year Two

History of Modern Philosophy

You will discover the metaphysical and epistemological ideas of great Empiricist philosophers Locke, Berkeley and Hume on substance, qualities, ideas, causation and perception. You will then explore Kant's ideas, including metaphysics, space, self-awareness, causation, scepticism and freedom. You will develop skills in critical engagement, articulating your own views of the relative strengths and weaknesses of these arguments and interpreting key philosophical ideas.

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• Latin or Greek Language
• Latin or Greek Literary Texts
• Aristotle
• Politics and Poetics in Greek and Latin Literature
• Literature, Theory and Time
• Topics in Philosophy and Literature
• Food and Drink in the Ancient Mediterranean

For a list of current philosophy optional modules, click here.

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Find out more about fees and funding

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There may be costs associated with other items or services such as academic texts, course notes, and trips associated with your course. Students who choose to complete a work placement or study abroad will pay reduced tuition fees for their third year.

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Graduates from our Philosophy single and joint honours degrees have gone on to pursue careers as: • Authors, writers and translators • Legal professionals • Marketing professionals • Management consultants and business analysts • Chartered and certified accountants • Teaching and educational professionals

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Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include: • Philosophy Orienteering/Scavenger Hunt • Identifying Your Skills, Strengths and Motivators for Philosophy Students • Thinking about Work Experience for Philosophy Students • Careers in the Public Sector • Warwick careers fairs throughout the year [Find out more about careers support at Warwick. https://warwick.ac.uk/services/careers/careers_skills]