Overview
Philosophy at Aldermere trains you to take an argument apart and to build a better one. You will study the great texts - Plato, Descartes, Hume, Kant - alongside contemporary work on mind, language and morality.
It can be studied on its own or jointly with Politics, Physics or Theology; joint programmes share the core philosophy papers.
- 2Tutorials a week
- 3Joint programmes available
- 1871The year the Union started arguing
Course structure
The outline below shows a typical path through the course. Options change a little each year as tutors join and research moves on.
Year 1
- Introduction to Logic
- Moral Philosophy
- Early Modern Philosophy
- Knowledge and Reality
Year 2
- Philosophy of Mind
- Political Philosophy
- Ancient Philosophy
- One option, e.g. Philosophy of Science
Year 3
- Three options, e.g. Ethics of Technology, Kant, Philosophy of Language
- Thesis of 10,000 words
How you will learn
You will have two tutorials a week with one or two other students, where you discuss the essay or problem set you wrote that week with a tutor. Lectures, seminars of ten to twelve students and practical classes fill the rest of the week. Each student has a personal tutor for the whole degree.
Assessment
Timed papers and a thesis. Logic is examined by problem sets as well as essays.
Entry requirements
- A levels: AAA; Mathematics is useful but not required
- International Baccalaureate: 38 points
- A short philosophy aptitude test, taken online in November
We make contextual offers, typically one grade lower, to applicants from schools that send few students to university. If your qualifications are not listed, the admissions office will tell you what we would expect.
Fees and funding
Tuition for 2027-28 is $38,400 a year, including college membership. Under the Aldermere Promise, students from families earning under $85,000 a year pay no tuition, and partial awards continue up to $150,000. Every undergraduate also receives a $2,000 grant each year for books, travel and equipment.
Careers
Graduates of this programme go on to a wide range of careers. Recent destinations include:
- Law
- Civil service and policy
- Software and data
- Consulting
- Academic research
- Charities and campaigning
I came to learn what the great philosophers thought. I left knowing how to think when nobody has the answer.
Tomasz Nowak Class of 2025
Questions
Can I change programme after I arrive?
Yes, at the end of the first year, if there is space on the programme you want to move to and your tutors agree. Around one student in twenty does.
Is there an interview?
Yes. Shortlisted applicants have a conversation of about twenty-five minutes with two tutors in December, in person or online. It is about how you think, not what you have memorised.
