What is philosophy? Why is it important? Is it relevant? What is the relationship between society, individuals, families, and groups? What kinds of social change have occurred in the last few decades and how can these be explained? These are among the many questions you ask when studying Philosophy and Sociology.
As a student of Philosophy at Kent, you do not so much learn about philosophy as learn to do it yourself. This includes not only studying major philosophies and philosophers, but also contributing your own ideas to an ongoing dialogue. You develop the ability to connect the most abstract ideas to the most concrete things in our experience.
Sociology offers a critical understanding of how society works. Sociologists question ‘common-sense’ assertions about social life in contemporary society and challenge you to ‘look behind’ these assumptions in light of available research evidence.
This degree programme is an ideal combination for anyone wanting to appreciate the breadth and complexities of our ideas, and how they are communicated between individuals, influencing how we relate to each other in an ever-changing world.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
Please note that meeting this typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee an offer being made.Please also see our general entry requirements.
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
BBB or ABC
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be to achieve DDM.
34 points overall or 15 at HL
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
However, please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Some modules have lectures, some have seminars, and all have class discussions. Some promote ‘student active’ learning techniques which encourage you to work on individual or group research, and present your findings to the rest of the class.
Assessment of philosophy modules is by essays, in-class assignments, seminar participation or tests, or a combination of these methods.
Most modules are taught by a combination of lectures and seminars and also involve individual study using library resources and, where relevant, computer assisted learning packages. We also run a tutorial scheme in which students are supervised on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. If you are taking modules involving computing or learning a language, you have additional workshop time.
Most Sociology modules are assessed by a variety of methods, including examination and coursework, each of which counts for 50% of the final mark. The dissertation, usually done at Stage 3, is assessed without examination. Marks from Stages 2 and 3 and for your year abroad all count towards your final degree result. Stage 1 results do not count towards the final mark, but entry to Stage 2 depends on passing Stage 1.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programmes specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes will depend on your specific module selection:
Philosophy at Kent was ranked 1st for research intensity and scored 87% overall in The Complete University Guide 2021. Over 89% of final-year Philosophy students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course in The Guardian University Guide 2020.
Sociology at Kent was ranked 1st for research intensity in The Complete University Guide 2021, and was ranked 16th overall in The Times Good University Guide 2020.
In recent years, our graduates have gone into a wide range of
professions. They have become teachers, social workers or probation
officers. Others have joined commercial organisations, working in
marketing or Human Resources, or joined voluntary groups or charities to
become field officers, administrators or campaign organisers. Some
have gone into teaching, publishing, journalism, media, marketing, the
civil service and the legal profession. Many of our students also go on
to further study both at home and abroad.
On this programme, you develop a range of transferable skills that is highly valued by employers, including critically evaluating ideas; clearly communicating complex information; and working both individually and within groups.
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
Discover Uni is designed to support prospective students in deciding whether, where and what to study. The site replaces Unistats from September 2019.
Discover Uni is jointly owned by the Office for Students, the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Scottish Funding Council.
It includes:
Find out more about the Unistats dataset on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website.
