Bachelor of Security Studies and Bachelor of Ancient History

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Security Studies and Bachelor of Ancient History is a double degree program that allows students to study the academic study of security theories, issues, and practical, analytical, and technical skills. The program also allows students to immerse themselves in the culture and languages of the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. The program can be completed in 4 years full-time and provides students with the skills needed for security analysis roles.

Program Outline

The program aims to equip students with critical thinking skills, argumentation abilities, and the capacity to defend their perspectives. It offers a research-led approach, encouraging students to explore core philosophical ideas and approaches in their first year, followed by the freedom to choose their own path through a wide range of optional modules. The program emphasizes the development of valuable skills, setting students up for diverse employment prospects and encouraging them to question their knowledge and thinking processes.

Outline:

Year 1:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Knowledge, Self and Reality (20 credits): Introduces central issues in philosophy of mind, epistemology, and metaphysics, focusing on the self and its relationship to the world.
• The Good, The Bad, The Right, The Wrong (20 credits): Explores key themes, debates, and ideas in moral and political philosophy.
• Introduction to the History of Western Philosophy (20 credits): Provides an understanding of the development of Western philosophy by examining influential thinkers from Ancient Greece to the 18th century.
• How to do Philosophy (20 credits): Offers a foundation in formal and informal reasoning skills used in philosophy.
• Optional Modules (Selection of Typical Options):
• Introduction to Philosophy of Religion (10 credits): Introduces key themes, debates, and ideas in philosophy of religion.
• Philosophy Meets the World (10 credits): Explores how academic philosophy can illuminate real-world issues through various areas of philosophy.
• The Mind (10 credits): Introduces key themes, debates, and ideas in the philosophy of mind.
• How Science Works (10 credits): Introduces key themes, debates, and ideas in the philosophy of science.
• Thinking About Race (10 credits): Explores philosophically interesting issues surrounding the topic of race.

Year 2:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Research in Philosophy (40 credits): A year-long module designed to develop research skills by learning about current research conducted by faculty.
It fosters independent research skills and builds a sense of community among students.
• Optional Modules (Selection of Typical Options):
• Do the Right Thing: Topics in Moral Philosophy (20 credits): Explores central concepts, issues, theories, and debates in normative ethics, providing a framework for thinking about moral matters.
• How to Live Together: Topics in Political Philosophy (20 credits): Investigates how we should live together and what we owe one another as political actors, exploring concepts like liberty, equality, and human rights.
• How do you Know?
Topics in Epistemology (20 credits): Explores themes, debates, and ideas in epistemology, including issues concerning human knowledge and justification for belief.
• Reality Check: Topics in Metaphysics (20 credits): Explores themes, debates, and ideas in metaphysics, focusing on ontology (the study of what exists).
• Past Thinkers: History of Modern Philosophy (20 credits): Explores influential philosophical thinkers from the 17th and 18th centuries.
• How to do Things with Symbols: Topics in Formal Logic (20 credits): Introduces principles and methods of formal logic.
• God, Thought and the World: Topics in Philosophy of Religion (20 credits): Explores themes, debates, and ideas in philosophy of religion, including philosophical considerations related to belief in God.
• Why Trust Science?
Topics in Philosophy of Science (20 credits): Equips students with the tools to evaluate controversies about scientific theories and the trustworthiness of scientific experts.

Year 3:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Independent Project: Allows students to design and carry out an extended independent research project with individualised support from a supervisor.
• Integrated Project: Offers extended independent research with additional support from a scaffolding module and a supervisor.
• Optional Modules (Selection of Typical Options):
• Bioethics (20 credits): Delves into the applied ethics of issues in biomedicine and biomedical research.
• War, Terror and Justice (20 credits): Examines ethical aspects of the international order, focusing on war, terrorism, and international justice.
• Philosophy of Sex and Relationships (20 credits): Explores philosophical themes, debates, and ideas around love and intimate relationships.
• Feminist Philosophy (20 credits): Examines philosophy relevant to women's lives, covering various subfields of philosophy.
• Continental Philosophy (20 credits): Explores key themes in continental philosophy and its contrasts with analytic philosophy.
• Kant (20 credits): Studies one or more areas of Immanuel Kant's philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, philosophy of religion, or aesthetics.
• Philosophy of Language: Explores theoretical concepts used in explaining the nature of human language.
• Philosophy of Modern Physics (20 credits): Examines philosophical issues at the heart of modern physics.
• Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art (20 credits): Examines philosophical issues concerning the nature and values of art, aesthetic appreciation, and aesthetic knowledge.
• Metaethics (20 credits): Delves into major metaethical theories, issues, and debates.
• Philosophy of Mind (20 credits): Explores central topics in the philosophy of mind, such as dualism, mental causation, emotion, and self-deception.
• Creating a Narrative Podcast in Philosophy (20 credits): Offers a unique opportunity to learn to design, record, and produce a narrative podcast in philosophy.

Discovery Modules:

• Students can choose from a range of discovery modules to expand their intellectual horizons outside or within their subject area.

Assessment:

• The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including essays, exams, online discussion posts, extended bibliographies, group work, and oral presentations.
• At higher levels, assessments may be student-led, allowing students to select their own essay questions or design their own independent research projects.
• Formative exercises are typically offered midway through modules to provide feedback and prepare students for final graded assessments.
• Support is available through the Library Skills Team, module-specific essay writing sessions, and one-on-one consultations with teaching staff.
• New students receive study skills modules to aid in the transition to university teaching and assessment.
• Assessments are designed to reflect the valuable skills taught in the program, such as constructing well-developed arguments, explaining complex ideas clearly, and critically evaluating and interpreting texts.

Teaching:

• The School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science is home to tutors who are at the forefront of research in their fields.
• Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, and occasional workshops.
• Independent study is central to the program, allowing students to develop research and analysis skills and form their own ideas.
• Teaching is conducted by expert academics, including lecturers, professors, industry professionals, and trained postgraduate researchers.

Careers:

• A philosophy degree equips students with transferable skills highly sought after by employers across various sectors.
• Graduates possess strong communication, research, interpretation, analysis, and argumentation skills.
• Graduates have pursued diverse careers in management, politics, the civil service, journalism, media, education, and the charity sector.
• Many graduates have progressed to postgraduate study.
• The Careers Centre and faculty staff provide career planning support and advice.

Other:

• The program offers the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad at universities in Denmark, France, and Spain.
• Language classes are available to prepare students for study abroad experiences.
• Students have the option to apply for a placement year module with organizations in the UK or overseas.
• The program is highly regarded, with 57% of students reporting that staff value their views and opinions about the course.
• 76% of students report that teaching staff have supported their learning well.
• 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after completing the course.