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BA (Hons) Philosophy and English Language

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Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
Fees: See below
Full details
UCAS code: V5Q1
Institute code: H36
Study abroad option
Work placement option
Find out more

Entry requirements

The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.

UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB requirement
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.

UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB requirement
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.
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UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Access Course Tariff	IB requirement
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112-120 points

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Access Course Tariff	IB requirement
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112-120 points

Why choose this course?

Your Philosophy lecturers are all active researchers
Optional modules in forensic and clinical linguistics
Conduct psycholinguistic experiments in our eye tracking suite

We give you:

A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
CV-building potential through extra-curricular activities

What's the course about?

What is it for sounds, gestures and marks on paper to have meaning? What are the various uses to which we can put language, and how does it manage to have the effects it has? How do we learn language? And how does the language we use reflect society, the nature of our thoughts, and what we take reality to be like?

Our BA Philosophy and English Language degree allows you to examine the nature of language, through two distinct approaches. You’ll develop a range of skills in analysing the structure of the English language and how it is used in a variety of situations, while exploring and challenging the assumptions about the nature of language, its limits and how it functions.

In your first year, alongside core linguistics modules, you’ll learn to think critically by examining how language may be used – and misused – in reasoning and persuasion. You’ll also study social and political philosophy, covering topics such as freedom of speech, and examine the nature of mind and reality.

All our philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our English language lecturers are research-active academics working in cutting-edge areas such as language and gender, formulaic language, corpus studies, bilingualism, bilingual processing and codeswitching.

Core modules in your second year focus on English grammar and the sounds of English. You can explore theories of how and why language developed and study language-related real-life problems such as plagiarism and crime investigation in forensic linguistics. In Philosophy, you may explore a wide variety of topics, including the option to learn some languages of logic.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too.

One final-year option is corpus studies in English language, which will develop your research skills through your use of Sketch Engine, a text analysis tool that allows you to search vast samples of language, or corpora. In Philosophy, there is the option to study more advanced contemporary themes and theories in the philosophy of language, and also to take a module which focuses in particular on Ludwig Wittgenstein’s influential work on the nature of language.

Your main campus is College Lane

This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

What will I study?

Philosophy students benefit from being part of a lively and active academic community. You’ll learn through formal courses and extracurricular seminars, while our small group teaching helps you to find your feet in the academic environment. There are plenty of opportunities to discuss critical issues with staff and fellow students, including an optional residential weekend each year.

English Language students benefit from being part of a supportive, research-active academic community. From tutorials and group work to psycholinguistic experiments including eyetracking, we use a range of engaging, student-centred teaching methods to help you work confidently and creatively. You’ll dive into real-life data, get involved in research and learn from guest experts. You’ll have the opportunity to get involved in activities that will complement your studies, such as working for student media channels. Not only do these enhance your experience, they also make for a more impressive CV.

Level 4

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Reason and Persuasion	15 Credits	Compulsory
We live in a world of persuasion. Advertisers would persuade us to buy their products while politicians press their policies on us. In personal life too, others want us to see things their way. We, of course, want others (colleagues, friends and family) to agree with us, to be persuaded by our arguments. Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speech and writing. It has been studied both for academic interest and for its practical, business and legal usefulness since ancient times. This module will explore the reasons why some persuasive efforts work while others do not. It will develop your ability to judge when you ought to be persuaded by the arguments of others and to present your own views in a way that increases their persuasive force.
Social and Political Philosophy	15 Credits	Compulsory
How should our society function and what implications does this have for the individual? How should goods (e.g. property, services, rights, liberties, power) be distributed in society? On what basis can some people claim ownership of property? What is exploitation and how might it be addressed? What is equality? On what basis can someone 'in authority' tell me what (or what not) to do? And if I don't do as they say, on what basis can I be punished for it? What is a legitimate way to protest against a state? What are rights? Do all humans have rights or are some to be excluded? What are our obligations to future generations, to non-human animals, and to the environment in general?
Mind, Knowledge and Reality	15 Credits	Compulsory
Sometimes we misperceive the world. Sometimes, whilst asleep, we take ourselves to be doing things which we are not in fact doing. And, furthermore, there is no evidence we could bring to bear which would eliminate the possibility that an evil demon is continually deceiving us about how the world is. To what extent does all of this undermine our claims to know anything? What is the link between reality and the way we perceive it? Can we at least know that we have a mind, if not a body? What is the relationship between the mind and the body? What is the relationship between mind and body and being a person? What does it take the remain the same person over a lifetime? Indeed, how can anything undergo change and yet remain the same thing?
Religion and the Contemporary World	15 Credits	Optional
Is religion a mental illness or a source of mental health? Is it a tool for political oppression or a tool for liberation? Can it be understood at all from a secular point of view? In this module, we look at the place of religion in the contemporary world. We examine how different academic disciplines (e.g. psychology, political theory, sociology, philosophy, phenomenology, theology) have shaped our contemporary understanding of religion. With this background in place, we consider the way in which religious traditions engage with important contemporary controversies about such issues as gender, sexuality, multiculturalism, the media, war and peace and the environment. In exploring these controversies, we examine questions such as: Is religion inherently sexist? Does it condemn homosexuality? How accurate are media representations of religious groups and their beliefs? Do religious groups have different rights? Does religion promote war or prohibit it? Is religious environmentalism possible?
The Meaning of Life	15 Credits	Optional
Does anything give meaning to life? Does the fact that we will die render our striving to achieve anything of significance ultimately futile, even ridiculous? Would God's existence or non-existence have any bearing on an answer to this question? Does it even make sense to ask about the meaningfulness of our lives? Might we better approach the meaning of life through thinking about what it would take for activities within a lifetime to have meaning?
Ethics	15 Credits	Optional
Can you be harmed by something without ever experiencing it as a harm? Is what we experience all that should matter to us? What should we value? What is an ethical dilemma and is there a good way to resolve them? Can you be held morally responsible for something which is to some extent not within your control? To what extent should you be held morally responsible for anything? What are we even doing when we make ethical claims?
Philosophy of Fiction	15 Credits	Optional
Fiction is philosophically interesting in many ways. How do we establish what is true in a fiction? Can the impossible happen in fiction? How, if at all, do we manage to engage with fictions that we take to be metaphysically or morally problematic (such as H.G.Wells' The Time Machine or Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita)? How do we make sense of interactive fiction, where it appears that we take on the role of a fictional character? In what sense can fiction explore not only how things actually are but how things could have been? Is there a difference between what can be represented in film and what can be represented in literature? We tackle these questions by engaging with various vehicles for fiction (film, literature, videogames, etc.) to see how they fit within a philosophical framework for thinking about them.
Sci-fi, Philosophy, and Religion	15 Credits	Optional
Science fiction helps us to imagine the impossible and to reimagine the possibilities of our own world. As a genre, it has always been linked to philosophy and religious thought, raising profound questions about what it means to be human, what kind of societies we want to live in, how to think about the relationship of mind and world, how to relate to nature, and much more. Through readings of science fiction literature and film from the 19th to the 21st century, this course covers a wide range of philosophical ideas from ethics, philosophy of religion, political philosophy, and metaphysics. Students gain an appreciation of philosophical and theological ideas, the relationship between philosophy, theology and literature, and the process of textual interpretation.

Level 5

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Philosophies of Religion	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module focuses on the philosophies of religion that arise from the analytic (Anglo-American), European, and Asian (especially Buddhist) traditions. Its primary focus is a body of philosophical texts on religion by classic thinkers from these diverse traditions. Through these writings, you will be invited to consider how such different philosophical perspectives approach a series of questions they have in common, questions such as: What role do happiness and suffering play in religious thinking and practice? What is the relevance of the body and of embodiment to religion? What role is played by experience in religious faith and practice? How do reason and faith relate to each other? What goal is served by religious language? Is there such a thing as a distinctively philosophical approach to religion, given the differences between these diverse traditions?
Self, Action, and Ethics	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module explores the notions of self, identity, character, causation, intention, action, consequence, and responsibility. The module will consider various accounts of the relation between these concepts from across different philosophical traditions and periods. We shall assess various psychological and moral theories of what we can be held responsible for and why.
Themes in Plato's Republic	15 Credits	Optional
If you could get away with morally unjust behaviour, why should you act morally? What would an 'ideal society' be like? What is the relationship between justice in the individual, and justice in society? This course investigates several major themes in Plato's philosophy. After an introduction to the importance of Socrates and the nature of Socratic enquiry, we shall focus predominantly upon the Republic - one of the most important texts in the history of western thought - in which the above questions are central. The course will aim to show connections between Plato's metaphysics and theory of knowledge, and his ethics, political thought and philosophy of art and literature. Students will develop their skills in reading, assessing and advancing arguments.
The Right and The Good	15 Credits	Optional
Is happiness the only thing of value? According to Utilitarianism, my moral duty is to promote happiness. What do we mean by "happiness"? If our moral duty is to promote happiness does this mean that we are justified in adopting any means, including killing, that might promote happiness? Kant is one philosopher who considers that we should value human beings in their own right and this introduces constraints on what we are morally justified in doing. We have duties to assist and also not to harm other human beings. We study these two theories by looking at Mill's 'Utilitarianism' and Kant's 'Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals'. Application of these theories to moral dilemmas chosen by students will form the topic of the presentation. For example, is it ever morally right to use violence or terrorism in the pursuit of peace? Should we ever assist anyone to commit suicide?
Philosophy of Mind	15 Credits	Optional
What are mental states? How do they relate to human actions? What is consciousness? Is there a real difference between the mental and the physical? This course explores philosophical approaches to understanding the nature of mind which range from dualism to strong forms of materialism. Students will be trained in the use of relevant terminology and will develop their skills in reading, assessing and advancing arguments. Students will be assessed on their knowledge and understanding of at least two approaches/issues in the philosophy of mind, their use of relevant terminology and their ability to produce structured arguments, which anticipate possible replies, in the form of essays.
Knowledge and Discovery	15 Credits	Optional
What kind of justification is required to be able to say not just that we believe something but that we know it? Must we be able to cite reasons for believing something before we can be said to know it, or is it enough for those beliefs to have been generated in a reliable way? Must knowledge rest on a foundation that is immune from error, or are beliefs justified by being part of a network of mutually supporting beliefs? We shall discuss the extent to which the particular observations we make give us reason to believe (or disbelieve) general claims about the world and, further, what counts as a good explanation for why that thing has happened. We shall consider not just beliefs about those things we can see with our own eyes but whether there is any reason to believe in those things which we cannot observe directly (e.g., the very small and the very distant).
Philosophy of Art	15 Credits	Optional
We go to museums, read novels, listen to music, talk about art. But what is art? In this module, we survey the main theories of art throughout history, observing as we go along, that while each theory has added to our understanding of art, it has not defined it once and for all. At the end of the survey, we shall ask whether a comprehensive definition is possible, or even necessary to our understanding of art. The survey will take us through passages from authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Tolstoy, Hume, Kant, Collingwood, Wittgenstein, Danto, Dickie and Wollheim. We will ask ourselves: Is art is a matter of personal taste or are there intersubjective criteria in the determination of art? Where is the boundary between art and craft? How is art related to morality? Is Tracy Emin's My Bed art; if so, is it good art? What makes anything art?
Metaphysics	15 Credits	Optional
Metaphysics asks the most general questions about the most fundamental features of the world. How should we understand space, time and causation? Does time flow? Does the future already exist? Is space a substance? Is it possible for me to do something now so as to affect what happened in the past? What are things and what does it take for them to persist over time? What is it for things to have properties, such as being red? What are properties? Do they exist in the same way that the things that have them do? What else exists? Does reality extend beyond what is actual?
Virtues, Vices and Ethics	15 Credits	Optional
The primary focus of this module is a body of writing, primarily by contemporary thinkers, on specific personal virtues and corresponding vices. We shall reflect upon such 'everyday' issues as pride, humility, gratitude, love, hope, patience and forgiveness. You will be invited to consider the contribution that both philosophy and religion have made to our understanding of the virtues. An important part of the module will be to ask, in the light of contemporary writings, what difference religious perspectives might make to secular understandings of the nature of virtue and vice, and the implications of this for what the 'good life' for human beings might be. The module will typically draw on writings from more than one religious tradition.
Logic and Philosophy	15 Credits	Optional
Logic and philosophy have been intimately connected since ancient times. Logic provides some conceptual tools which can be very helpful in clarifying ideas and developing convincing arguments. But, as you will see in the module, the ideas and arguments which can be expressed depend on which system of logic is adopted. In learning elements of various systems of logic, we will consider the philosophical issues raised by them. Which ideas can be expressed in logic? Might we lose something in translation when expressing ideas in a logical language rather than in English? Are there any sentences which are neither true nor false? To what extent can logic help in deciding what we should believe in? Many of these issues are at the cutting edge of contemporary philosophy.
Employability Skills	15 Credits	Optional
Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and pyschometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s).
Philosophy of Love and Sex	15 Credits	Optional
Philosophers have considered the nature of love and sex for centuries, challenging us to question our assumptions about some of the most fundamental human experiences. What does it mean to love? What is the relationship between love and philosophy? Can getting dumped make us better philosophers? What is the role of sex and desire in love? What is sexual desire and how does it relate to sexual arousal? What is a sexual perversion? How should we understand pornography? This course will explore love and sex through a variety of kinds of philosophical and fictional works and will introduce students to different philosophical methodologies.

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Year Abroad	0 Credits	Compulsory
A Study Abroad year is an optional additional year that increases the length of the Honours degree award to a four-year full-time degree. The additional year comprises an agreed programme of study in a partner institution abroad with whom the University of Hertfordshire has an institutional agreement. The programme of study will support, supplement and extend the more usual three-year programme. Success in the third year will be recognised in the title of the award, but does not carry additional credit towards the Honours programme. A student would normally confirm the intention to study abroad during the first ten weeks of study at Level 5. This will enable a place to be negotiated at a host institution and the Study Programme and learning contract to be arranged and agreed.
The Humanities Placement Year	0 Credits	Compulsory
The Placement Year provides you with the opportunity to set your academic studies in a broader context and to utilise the intellectual skills you have gained through your degree in the work place. You will also strengthen your time management, organisational and communication skills as well as develop employability skills. You will gain experience of applying for jobs and of working within a commercial, business or professional environment prior to graduating thus increasing employability skills such as teamwork, communication skills and commercial awareness. You will gain experience in a field that is often a destination for Humanities students such as PR, marketing, management and research. You will have developed valuable industry skills and experience as well as being able to apply many of the intellectual skills you have learnt through your degree to a real world situation.
Placement with Study Abroad	0 Credits	Compulsory
Students on this unique module will have the opportunity to undertake both a semester at a partner university and to undertake a semester of placement, thus both improving their cultural awareness and employability. Students who have been on the Placement Year and Study Abroad Year, both normally undertaken after level 5 and before entering the final year, have reported high levels of satisfaction with both and many have said the Placement or Study Abroad year was one of the highlights of their university career. The Placement Year is offered by only a handful of universities offering Humanities subjects, so this module is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore both aspects of Study Abroad and Placement both here and abroad.
Contemporary Moral Philosophy P	15 Credits	Optional
What should be the primary focus of ethics? Should we focus on actions or on the character of agents? Students will study different approaches to these questions embodied in contemporary discussions of Kantian Ethics, Consequentialism and Virtue Ethics. This discussion will raise issues such as, do we arrive at moral evaluations by applying principles to particular cases or are moral evaluations more a matter of, for example, a virtuous person's perception of a particular case? What is the relationship between the moral evaluations that we make and the reasons that we give for those evaluations? What are our moral theories based on: shared beliefs about rightness, our moral intuitions, our common sense intuitions about the virtues?
Aristotle P	15 Credits	Optional
Is there a method to philosophy? Are we rational animals? Do all living things have a purpose? What is the good life or is there more than one? Is ethics primarily concerned with virtue? These questions, which are still of relevance today, will be explored by an examination of Aristotle's central works.
Child Language & Communication	15 Credits	Optional
This module provides a detailed investigation of how children acquire their first language and the theories that seek to explain the process. We will look at child language from the pre-linguistic stage through to the acquisition of words, morpho-syntax and inflections. You will also explore the relation between language and cognitive development, as well as the acquisition of communication skills. These topics will be considered for both monolingual and bilingual children.
Clinical Linguistics	15 Credits	Optional
This module examines the effects of developmental and acquired disorders of language and/or communication on the acquisition and use of language. Different kinds of linguistic disorders are presented in an attempt to explore the nature of language and communication. Topics include, for example, the study of: phonological disability, stuttering, grammatical impairment, semantic/pragmatic disorders, hearing impairment, Downs Syndrome and autism. The module also looks at other language modalities, such as British Sign Language and addresses issues concerned with the assessment of comprehension and production and the use of computer programs and databases in language analysis.
Language Processing	15 Credits	Optional
Learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and directed tasks. The module introduces you to the theories and methodologies of psycholinguistics relating to language processing. You will consider psycholinguistic models of the mental lexicon and of language production and comprehension. You will be taught how to critically examine this work, looking not just at the results but how they were obtained - the underlying assumptions, what counts as evidence. You will assess the contribution that linguistics can make. You will also collect and analyse relevant data, commenting on difficulties encountered. The module will distinguish five ways of approaching the mental lexicon: how lexical information is acquired, how it is stored, how it is accessed in production, how it is accessed in comprehension, and how it is lost. The module will focus on questions of storage and access, but will make reference to acquisition and dissolution as appropriate. Students will be introduced to the modularity/connectionism debate; they will then explore the modularity model of the organization of the mental lexicon in some detail. Key models of lexical processing in word production and in word comprehension will be examined, and some conclusions drawn. Sentential processing will be considered, both from the point of view of production and of comprehension. Questions of serial/parallel, autonomous/interactive processing will be explored. In each case, production and comprehension, the strategy will be to see to what extent a serial, autonomous model can be maintained. Speech errors and hesitation phenomena will provide the main evidence for production, and lexical and syntactic ambiguities the main evidence for comprehension. The strengths and limitations of psycholinguistic modelling will be assessed
Philosophy of Language	15 Credits	Optional
Marks, sounds and gestures can all have meaning. But what is it for them to have meaning and how do they manage to have it? Is the meaning of my words to be analysed in terms of my intentions to communicate with another or the conventions I subscribe to when using words? In what way is meaning related to truth and my being warranted in asserting what I say? What other things can we do with words than state truths? How should we understand metaphorical uses of language? How do names and descriptions in particular manage to pick out objects in the world? Are some things I say true solely in virtue of the meanings of the words I use? Is there anything that fixes what it is that I do mean when I use words, or is meaning, to some extent, indeterminate? Can a study of language tell us anything about reality?
Meaning and Context	15 Credits	Optional
This module is concerned with meaning in language and communication. It introduces students to different types of meaning and different theoretical approaches to studying meaning in the philosophy of language and linguistics. A key issue will be the distinction between semantics and pragmatics, where the boundary between them lies, and the way in which the two realms interact in the communication of meaning.
Philosophy of Psychology	15 Credits	Optional
'Blindsighters' can judge with around 90% accuracy whether experimenters are showing them either a cross or a circle, and are able to discriminate colours, despite being completely blind due to a form of brain damage. The job of philosophers of psychology is to settle what this phenomenon, and related ones, means for the nature of the mind. Does it show that blindsighters 'see' colours etc., unconsciously? That would suggest mere perception is insufficient for consciousness, and we must then investigate what must be added to make a percept conscious. Or does blindsight simply demonstrate that there is a completely blind 'visual information system' in humans, operating alongside normal conscious vision? And would that mean conscious vision plays only a secondary role in daily life (is our behaviour somewhat more 'automatic' than we believe)? This module investigates key psychological phenomena and examines philosophical theories as to their significance for the human mind.
Political Philosophy	15 Credits	Optional
'Politics' and 'policy' both come from polis, the Greek word for 'city', but which more broadly means something like 'the community to which one belongs, in which one has rights and to which one has obligations'. What makes a community? Can any group of people be one? What does it mean to belong to one? Can membership of a community be part of your identity in any deep sense? How can obligations and rights arise from membership of a community? Is such membership always voluntary? These questions arise with special force in connection with citizenship and the state, but they are implicit in any kind of community membership that entails rights, obligations and impinges on your sense of self.
Chunky Language: Investigating Formulaic Sequences	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will find out what a formulaic sequence is, why they play such an important role in native speaker (L1) communication, and how and why they are stored in and retrieved from memory as a whole. We will look at different types of language data produced by children and adults, including, but not limited to, the British National Corpus, Aviation English, sports commentaries, sitcoms, cookbooks and weather reports. We will also discuss why second language (L2) learners rely heavily on these sequences during the early stages of second language development (SLD), only to then find that they are the "biggest stumbling block to sounding nativelike" (Wray 2002: ix) in later stages of SLD.
Religion and Modern Thought	15 Credits	Optional
Do we live in a 'secular' or 'post-secular' age? What are the prospects for religious and spiritual belief and practice today? Inspired by the work of Charles Taylor, this module traces the 'conditions of belief' from the sixteenth century to the present day. It explores the significance of a shift from a 'God-saturated' world to one in which faith is, often even for the believer, one human possibility amongst others. In tracing the origins of the modern 'secular' worldview, you will explore such topics as: the Reformation and the rise of the 'Protestant ethic'; the Enlightenment critique of religion; scientific and historico-critical challenges to scriptural authority; and the impacts of liberalism, fundamentalism, feminism and religious diversity on religious belief and practice in the west. You will consider the 'secularisation hypothesis' and its critics, and the question of what the options might be for responsible religious belief and practice today.
Gender in Language and Communication	15 Credits	Optional
We will begin the course with a study of the historical and theoretical background to the study of language and gender within the larger area of sociolinguistics. We will examine various theories that attempt to account for gendered differences in language, and look at the key pieces of research in this area. This will include a focus on the following: sexism in language; gender differences in pronunciation and grammar; sex and convert prestige, discourse features and turn taking, narratives and storytelling, and politeness. We will then move on to contemporary theories in the area that move beyond the binary distinction of men and women to how speakers can perform their gendered identity. This includes a focus on workplace discourse to examine how leadership and power are enacted within masculine and feminine workplaces. Recent changes in language and gender studies, such as the incorporation of the Community of Practice framework to analyse language use, will also be addressed.
Global Englishes	15 Credits	Optional
This module will focus on the global spread of the English language, which is no longer used only by native speakers but increasingly by speakers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Despite these changes, the native speaker continues to dominate in English Language Teaching. This module will explore various issues in the spread of English, including: the influence of other languages on English; the rise, standardisation, ideology and ownership of English; varieties of English across the world (including 'New Englishes', English as a Lingua Franca, pidgins & creoles); attitudes towards varieties of English and the pedagogical implications of these issues for English Language Teaching in the context of Global Englishes.
Kierkegaard, Philosophy and Religion	15 Credits	Optional
What makes a human life worthwhile? What does it really mean to live 'aesthetically', 'ethically' or 'religiously'? What are the roles of faith, hope and love in all this? And how is genuine ethical or religious insight best communicated? The Danish thinker Kierkegaard explored these questions through a series of texts many of which were published under a variety of bizarre pseudonyms. This module investigates some of Kierkegaard's most important writings. After an introduction to the pseudonyms and the importance of 'indirect communication', it explores in detail aspects of what Kierkegaard called the aesthetic, ethical and religious ways of living. Each is presented as an attempt to address what makes a human life valuable, and the question of the roles of faith, hope and love are never far from our concerns. The module also considers Kierkegaard's influence upon later thought – both in philosophy and beyond.
Corpus-based Studies in English Language	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will learn how to use electronic databases (corpora) to address research questions in English Language & Communication. We will look at a range of different corpora (spoken, written, different genres and speakers) to see how they are adapted for research both qualitatively and quantitatively. We will explore areas of English Language (including word use, collocations, discourse, gender, language change, language teaching, translation), select suitable corpora for investigation and analyse the data output. In this module we will also address issues in the compilation of corpus data and the way corpus investigations can impact on theories of language.
Wittgenstein: Meaning and Forms of Life	15 Credits	Optional
Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century. Much of today's philosophical thinking has been inspired by or has developed in response to his work. His first published work - the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus - provides, for some, an inspiration for powerful anti-metaphysical programmes. For others, it offers refined tools for doing metaphysics in a new, more fertile way. He himself came to reject aspects of his early work. How his approach evolved can only be fully understood by considering his early programme in the light of his second great masterpiece, Philosophical Investigations. This module does just that by introducing important aspects of Wittgenstein's philosophy in their historical and ideological contexts. The module will explore a range of topics such as: the nature of language and thought and their relations to reality; meaning and use; understanding and intentionality; following a rule; the possibility of a private language; the nature of philosophy.
Communication and Cultures	15 Credits	Optional
The module gives you an opportunity to bring to the surface some of your personal / social cultural assumptions and working beliefs, and to see how these relate to other cultures. You will develop your cultural sensitivity to diverse communication and cultural practices and patterns. In particular, you are encouraged to look at intercultural communication, in the forms of face-to-face conversation, interviews and online communication, in order to see how other cultures, and especially a culture of your own choosing, articulate, disguise, hide and express their beliefs.
Syntax	15 Credits	Optional
In 1958 Noam Chomsky published the book 'Syntactic Structures' which revolutionised the way in which we do Linguistics. In this module you will be introduced to a generative syntactic theory which has grown out of Chomsky's approach to Linguistics. You will learn what principles and mechanisms are proposed to account for the grammatically well-formed sentences of English and analyse the structure of sentences using this theory. We'll look at range of language puzzles and see how the theory attempts to explain these, for example why it is okay to say 'What did Mary claim that Peter did?' (cf. Mary claimed that Peter lied) but we can't say 'What did Mary make the claim that Peter did?' (cf. Mary made the claim that Peter lied), even though the sentences mean virtually the same thing and we can understand them both.
Nietzsche Then and Now	15 Credits	Optional
Nietzsche famously claimed that 'God is dead'. But what does he mean by this? What ramifications would the 'death of God' have for morality and human flourishing? What would a 'Nietzschean' view of self and world look like? And what religious responses to Nietzsche's challenge are possible? With these questions in mind, this module investigates key aspects of Nietzsche's thought and his legacy. Typically, after an introduction to his styles of philosophizing, the 'hermeneutics of suspicion', and his 'moral perfectionism', we shall focus upon his influential critique of morality. We shall investigate his account of ressentiment, guilt and 'bad conscience', alongside central Nietzschean ideas such as the will to power, eternal recurrence and 'self-overcoming'. We'll also consider some ways in which his legacy has been carried through in later thinkers, and we will examine possible critical responses to his worldview.
Bullshit, Lying, and Other Forms of Bad Language	15 Credits	Optional
There are many philosophically interesting ways in which our language use might in some ways be said to be 'bad'. Swearing, particularly in the form of insults, is an obvious example. But we might also use bad language in the sense of not caring in the appropriate way about what we are saying or use language in various ways whilst intending to deceive, or whilst being insincere, or at least whilst knowing what you have said is, strictly speaking, false. Or we might use language in a way which leaves our conversational partner unable to interpret us. To understand these uses of 'bad' language, we need to understand some philosophical theories of meaning. What is it in general for various marks, sounds and gestures to have meaning? And how does this help us to understand how we might then use language in various 'bad' ways?
Philosophy of Music	15 Credits	Optional
There are many ways in which philosophical reflection on music can illuminate and enrich our understanding and enjoyment of it. What is a musical work and how does it relate to its performances? What is the aesthetic significance of improvisation and of mistakes during performance? How should we understand the notions of authenticity and appropriation in music? What is it for music to be expressive and how does this relate to the emotions? What is it for music to be sublime or for a performance to be virtuosic? What kind of action is singing a song? How should we understand the relationship between films and their musical soundtracks? And how might that differ from the music and singing found in music videos, musicals and opera?
Ethics for the 21st Century	15 Credits	Optional
This module considers how philosophy can help with some of the most urgent ethical questions of the 21st century. These may include, but are not limited to: climate emergency, migration, AI ethics, gender identity and equality, sexual consent, critical race theory, data privacy, cultural heritage and appropriation, animal liberation, culture wars, social and corporate responsibility, as well as issues in business and medical ethics that are constantly developing in tandem with technological change.
Philosophy of Race and Gender	15 Credits	Optional
In the last half-century, critical debates about race and gender have raised questions about the central topics and assumptions of philosophy. For example, these debates have brought an emphasis on embodiment and social roles that challenge the relevance of the ideal types (ideal reasoner, ideal observer, etc.) of traditional epistemology. These ideas are now debated in mainstream epistemology and philosophy of mind. Other questions about ethics, social justice, objectivity, authority and power have also become urgent. Students on this module examine the contribution of race and gender theory to philosophy and critically consider the challenges that considerations of race and gender pose the theory and practice of philosophy.
Philosophy Short Project	15 Credits	Optional
You will have the opportunity to develop your research skills through the largely independent study of a particular topic in philosophy of your choice, which must be approved by your supervisor. You will receive guidance from your supervisor in the form of suggestions about reading and about the structure and development of the project. Supervisors also provide critical feedback on material that is submitted. No conditions are placed on the choice of topic, so long as it falls within the general discipline of philosophy, and a member of the philosophy staff has the relevant expertise to provide the appropriate supervision. If you intend to pursue a project you must identify your area of interest and discuss it with the module leader before the start of semester B.

Study abroad

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities

Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme.
Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about work placements

'I certainly developed professionalism and employability through studying Philosophy, primarily through the methods of rational and logical problem solving. I acquired a skill that is useful in whatever field one works in. However, it is enterprise that I most notably improved on while at Herts. I had never really considered starting a businesses or working for myself, but while studying Philosophy (particularly my Masters by Research and my undergraduate dissertation) I realised I was learning self-management and combining this with my new proficiency at problem solving sent me down a new path. Since leaving Herts I have set up multiple small business which are growing healthily. This individuality has really helped me find out what I want to do in life.'

Rob Baggs

BA(Hons) Philosophy, MA(Res) in Philosophy

Check out our student blogs

Alumni Stories

Jenny Vu

Meet Jenny Vu who gained valuable transferable skills for her future career. She is currently a Teaching Assistant at a secondary school.

Read more stories BA (Hons) History and Philosophy

Current job role	Teaching Assistant
Year of graduation	2018
Course of study	BA (Hons) History and Philosophy with Study Abroad Year

University life and experience

Throughout her degree, Jenny learnt a considerable amount of transferable skills and world knowledge to enable to her succeed in her career as a Teaching Assistant. She says that the most useful skills she learnt are how to analyse and correct grammar which have proved invaluable when teaching her students.

Jenny initially chose the University of Hertfordshire as it ‘was close to home but still relatively far enough to move out and learn to live independently.’ She explains how her independence grew as she used her degree to explore the World by taking the opportunity to study abroad for a year. She says, ‘My standout memory from my time at the University was studying abroad for a year. It was probably the best year of my life.’

Future aspirations

Jenny’s study abroad year sparked her passion for travel and in the future, she plans to teach in Asia. However, she says, if she does return to the UK, she would like to teach and promote higher education to young students to inspire future generations and showcase their potential.

Alumni Stories

Laura de Haan

Meet Laura de Haan whose Humanities degree has taken her on a journey of personal discovery. She now works as an Education Liaison Coordinator at the University of Hertfordshire.

Read more stories BA (Hons) English Language and Linguistics

Current job role	Education Liaison Coordinator
Year of graduation	2018
Course of study	BA(Hons) English Language and Communication with Journalism

Laura standing at the top of Mt Kilimanjaro

University experience

Studying Journalism far exceeded Laura’s expectations. She felt privileged to interview inspiring people and tell their story. Laura was also interested to learn of the legal and ethical issues surrounding Journalism.

Laura chose to study a specialist module in Forensic Phonetics and Linguistics and feels lucky to have been taught by one of the few experts in the country. She was fascinated to learn psycho-linguistics (how language works in the brain) which evolved into a broader interest in psychology. The flexibility of her degree programme and the overwhelming support of her lecturers gave Laura the freedom to tailor her assignments. This meant they could align with her growing interests and Laura had the space to explore what she wanted to do in life.

Outside of her studies, Laura immersed herself in the student community, joining as many clubs and societies as she could. One of the highlights was joining the Oral History Team. Through this, Laura interviewed relatives of British expats and supported a refugee project, which she found to be a valuable experience. Laura was invited to observe Natasha Kaplinsky interview a Holocaust survivor and was also invited to the Holocaust Memorial Day held at No. 10 Downing Street.

The University offers an inclusive and proactive community which inspired Laura to join a fundraising drive to raise money for Hope for Children, an international children’s charity. Laura initially felt nervous, but overcame a lack of self-confidence to raise an astonishing £4,990. Her gallant fundraising efforts led her to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp and Machu Picchu. Laura later won a Dean’s Award for her fundraising and community work.

In her final year, Laura joined the Student Ambassador programme. She quickly developed a natural presentation style, delivering talks about student life to prospective students and their families. Laura achieved recognition for her work, winning ‘Student Ambassador of the Year’ in 2018.

Laura has always felt at home in our community and when she graduated, she wasn’t quite ready to leave Herts behind. Instead, she chose to immerse herself in postgraduate studies, joining the MSc in Psychology. With the end of this now fast approaching, Laura has already gained a place on the MSc by Research in Clinical Psychology, where she will continue to explore her passion.

Career progression

Laura’s journey through higher education shows how it is possible to study and work at the same time. During her second degree with us, she gained employment as one of our Education Liaison Coordinators. This involves visiting schools and colleges, talking to students about going to university. Laura also works as a visiting lecturer for the University, teaching the history of the English language.

Alongside this Laura also works as a mental health workshop coordinator with Our Time, an NGO which supports children and young people affected by parental mental illness. In addition, she works as a support worker for Look Ahead Care and Support, helping people with learning disabilities and behavioural issues to connect with society. Laura will shortly begin a new chapter in her career, as she joins Yateley School as an A-Level Psychology and WJEC Criminology teacher.

Grab every opportunity that is thrown at you to develop new skills. University is such a great place to acquire new skills, meet new people and explore different areas of life. This experience has really helped me find out what I want to do in life.

View our Alumni profiles

Jenny Vu Laura de Haan

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) Philosophy	Download

Programme specifications
BA (Hons) English Language	Download
BA (Hons) Philosophy	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Optional
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes
Course length	Full Time, 3 Years Sandwich, 4 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

Apply using the links below:

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

Fees and funding
Fees 2023
UK Students

Full time
- £9250 for the 2023/2024 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
Fees 2024
UK Students

Full time
- £9250 for the 2024/2025 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £15500 for the 2024/2025 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £15500 for the 2024/2025 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

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BA (Hons) Philosophy and English Language

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Key information

Typical offer:

Fees: See below

UCAS code: V5Q1

Institute code: H36

Study abroad option

Work placement option

Additional requirements

Additional requirements

Why choose this course?

What's the course about?

Your main campus is College Lane

What will I study?

Check out our student blogs

Student Blogs

Weekly schedule blog post

Student Blogs

Things you need to know before studying PiR at UH

Student Blogs

What I love most about my course

Student Blogs

Alumni Stories

Meet Jenny Vu who gained valuable transferable skills for her future career. She is currently a Teaching Assistant at a secondary school.

University life and experience

Future aspirations

Alumni Stories

Meet Laura de Haan whose Humanities degree has taken her on a journey of personal discovery. She now works as an Education Liaison Coordinator at the University of Hertfordshire.

University experience

Career progression

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024

Fees 2023

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Other financial support

Living costs / accommodation

Your main campus is College Lane