Study Philosophy at UCL (University College London) - The Uni Guide (2024)

UCAS Code: V500 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Study Philosophy at UCL (University College London) - The Uni Guide (1)

UCAS Code: V500 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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Entry requirements

A levelAccess to HE DiplomaCambridge International Pre-U Certificate - PrincipalInternational Baccalaureate Diploma ProgrammeScottish Advanced HigherWelsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)UCAS Tariff

A level

A,A,A

No specific subjects.Contextual Offers: please visit the course webpage for further details about our Access UCL scheme.

Access to HE Diploma

D:33,M:12

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 33 credits at Distinction and 12 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,D3

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

38

A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects, with no score below 5.Contextual Offers: please visit the course webpage for further details about our Access UCL scheme.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A,A

A,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher)

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A-Levels at grades AAA.

UCAS Tariff

144-168

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Philosophy

This programme aims to provide an understanding of a range of central philosophical debates. All major areas of philosophy are available for study, covering branches such as moral and political philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology, and drawing upon the writings of philosophers both ancient and modern to contextualise your studies.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands

£9,250

per year

England

£9,250

per year

EU

£28,100

per year

International

£28,100

per year

Northern Ireland

£9,250

per year

Republic of Ireland

£9,250

per year

Scotland

£9,250

per year

Wales

£9,250

per year

The Uni

Course location:

UCL (University College London)

Department:

Philosophy

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

74%

Philosophy

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

  • Philosophy

Philosophy

Teaching and learning

85%

Staff make the subject interesting

88%

Staff are good at explaining things

84%

Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth

65%

Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely

Feedback on work has been helpful

Staff are contactable when needed

Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

83%

Library resources

88%

IT resources

86%

Course specific equipment and facilities

57%

Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions

Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

50%

UK students

50%

International students

45%

Male students

55%

Female students

95%

2:1 or above

8%

First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*

A

A

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

  • Philosophy

Philosophy

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£25,000

high

Average annual salary

92%

low

Employed or in further education

59%

med

Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%

Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

18%

Business, research and administrative professionals

10%

Other elementary services occupations

Although there aren't a lot of jobs around for professional philosophers, philosophy degrees are a relatively popular option, with more than 2,000 students graduating in a philosophy-related subject in 2015 - a little down on previous years, but still healthy. Nearly a quarter of philosophy graduates take a postgraduate qualification, and it's a relatively common subject at both Masters and doctorate level — so if you think academic life might be for you, think ahead about how you might fund further study. For those who go into work, philosophy grads tend to go into teaching, accountancy, consulting, journalism, PR, housing, marketing, human resources and the arts while a few go into the computer industry every year, where their logical training is highly rated.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

  • Philosophy

Philosophy

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£32k

£32k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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  • What's it like studying a degree in Philosophy

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Study Philosophy at UCL (University College London) - The Uni Guide (2024)

FAQs

Is UCL good for philosophy? ›

The research interests of academic staff are wide-ranging, covering all the main areas of philosophy. 60% of our overall research profile received the top grade (4*), the highest of any UK philosophy department, in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

What is the acceptance rate for philosophy at UCL? ›

1 in 2 applicants to this programme received an offer. Data shown above is for entry in academic year 2022/23 (sources).

Is philosophy at uni worth it? ›

It turns out that philosophy majors earn significantly more than most majors, especially over the long term.” “The surprisingly robust ROI [return on investment] for philosophy majors can be traced to its intellectual rigor.

Is UCL hard to get into? ›

Yes, University College London (UCL) is a hard university to get into. As a rule of thumb, degrees at UCL are very competitive. So you'll need top marks (think three As or A*s) to stand out. Admission is a challenge, but with the right mindset, good grades and a strong personal statement it's totally doable.

Is UCL as good as Harvard? ›

The UK is home to five of the world's top twenty universities, with four of those (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL) ranked in the top ten. UCL has held a top 10 position since 2013, among global peers including MIT, Stanford and Harvard.

Is a degree from UCL respected? ›

Both UCL and Imperial College London are highly prestigious institutions with global recognition for academic excellence and research impact.

What is the ranking of UCL philosophy? ›

QS World University Rankings by Subject: Philosophy 2023
RankUniversityAcademic Reputation
21The University of Edinburgh United Kingdom77.8
22University of Chicago United States80.6
23UCL United Kingdom77.8
24KU Leuven Belgium79.8
21 more rows

What is the most prestigious university for philosophy? ›

New York University (NYU)

What GPA is needed for UCL? ›

You should normally have completed, or expect to complete, two years of study at university level prior to entry to UCL. The typical minimum entry requirement is a cumulative GPA of 3.3 / 4.0 (or equivalent), but some subject areas require at least a 3.7 and may have additional prerequisites.

Is philosophy a difficult degree? ›

Philosophy is a challenging major. To do well in philosophy classes, one must be intellectually curious, and also be willing to work hard.

What do philosophers do for a living? ›

Most philosophers make their livings as college professors (see Professor), but there aren't many full-time teaching positions in philosophy, and philosophers do not have outside employment opportunities the way engineers or economists do.

Does a philosophy degree pay well? ›

The average salary for philosophy degree jobs varies depending on the industry that is pursued. A philosopher salary can range depending on the field they specialize in. Some philosophy careers may pay around $50,000 while others can exceed upwards of $100,000.

What subjects is UCL best for? ›

UCL is ranked in the global top ten for a wide range of subjects (QS,2023), including :
  • Education -1.
  • Architecture and build environment- 1.
  • Archaeology- 3.
  • Anthropology -4.
  • Pharmacy and pharmacology – 4.
  • Psychology- 5.
  • Geography -6.
  • Medicine – 6.
Feb 1, 2024

Which major is UCL known for? ›

1. Life Sciences: UCL is one of the leading institutions in the biomedical sciences field. The Faculty of Life Sciences houses several departments, including Biochemistry, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology, which are all highly regarded.

Is King's College London good for philosophy? ›

Course Aims

Our emphasis on small-group teaching in tutorials and seminars makes King's an excellent place to express your ideas both in writing and in philosophical discussion with your fellow students and instructors.

References

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