Careers

Claire White sitting in woodland, with a gong

I think employers need people who can solve complex and multi-layered problems, which philosophy students learn to do very well!

Claire White, BA (Hons) Philosophy graduate, Sound Therapist and Clinical Administrator

On this course, you'll develop vital skills particularly valued by business leaders.

These include narrative communication, empathy and perspective taking, critical analysis, creativity and imagination, and digital skills.

The problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, judgement, research, analysis and communication skills you’ll gain are also highly valued by employers. The World Economic Forum ranks complex problem solving and critical thinking among the top ten skills needed to succeed in today’s job market.

What can you do with a Philosophy and English Literature degree?

Where have other Philosophy and English Literature graduates worked?

Where have other Philosophy and English Literature students found work experience?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

In Year 1 you’ll get a broad overview of English literature from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards.

You'll also start to explore some of philosophy’s biggest issues, including the existence of God and the nature of knowledge and ethical deliberation.

In Year 2 you’ll focus on Modernist writing, take a literary tour of Europe, and tackle issues like consciousness, reality, and free will.

Finally, you’ll complete a major research project on a topic of your choice, as well as exploring the concept of ‘evil’ and Renaissance drama. You can also explore your own interests through a range of optional modules.

Student experience

English Literature graduate Clive Thompson talks about how the course helped him change his life and become a teacher. Read more about Clive.
Dr Jon Stone considers how poetry is changing in the digital age in this 60 Second Seminar.
Prof Eugene Giddens discusses one famous line and two things you may not realise in this 60 Second Seminar.
Dr Mike Wilby explains the philosophical underpinnings of artificial intelligence in this 60 Second Seminar.
Dr Tory Young discusses the use of second-person in Ali Smith's short story 'May' in this 60 Second Seminar.

What will I study?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1

The World Religions
Introduction to the Study of Literature and Writing
Introduction to Philosophy: The Big Questions
Reading Critically, Old English to Enlightenment
Into ARU

Year 2

Ethics in Theory
Philosophy of Art and Image
Crocodiles, Pirates and Moon-men: Renaissance Encounters
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Philosophical Texts: From Descartes to Kant *
Science Fiction *
Critical Social Theory *
Nineteenth Century Afterlives and Adaptations *
Film Criticism and Reviewing *
From Modernism to the Millenium *
Performing Shakespeare *
Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *

Year 3

Spectacle and Representation in Renaissance Drama
Concepts of Good and Evil
Philosophy Research Project *
Undergraduate Major Project in English *
Nature and the Absolute *
Writing Poetry *
Elizabeth Gaskell and the Brontës *
Renaissance Magic *
Knowledge and Doubt: From Antiquity to the Digital Age *
Careers with English *
Communication, Flesh, Philosophy *
Forbidden Stories: Banned Children's Books *
Romantic Ideals *
Writing and the Present *
Global Feminisms *
Issues in Modern Philosophy *
Research Communication *
Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *

Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1

Foundation in Humanities, English, Media, Social Sciences and Education

Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year

Work Placement - Humanities and Social Sciences

Module details

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

How is Philosophy and English Literature assessed?

Who teaches Philosophy and English Literature at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Dr Michael Wilby
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Dr Cassie Gorman
Associate Professor
Dr Tristan Moyle
Senior Lecturer
Dr Alison Ainley
Associate Professor
Dr Tory Young
Associate Professor
Professor Eugene Giddens
Professor

Facilities

Join our student community and benefit from award-winning learning facilities, including extensive library and IT resources.

You can also access support, should you need it, with study skills, careers advice, health and wellbeing, and more.

Our Royal Literary Fund Fellows can give you advice and guidance on with all your writing, whether it’s academic or creative.

Take a guided tour and meet our students.

Entry requirements

UK students

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

International students

English language requirements

Making you an offer

Fees and funding

UK students

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£1,400 Placement year (2024-25)

International students

£16,700 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£16,700 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£16,700 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

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Philosophy and English Literature

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Philosophy and English Literature

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Careers

Teaching and modules

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BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Facilities

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BA (Hons)

Important additional notes

With foundation year

Important additional notes

With placement

Important additional notes

International students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

BA (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Apply for Philosophy and English Literature

Clearing places available

UK students

01245 686868

UK students

International students

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