Computer Science and Philosophy & Ethics BA

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Computer Science is all about new ideas, new opportunities and fresh thinking. There is no other discipline that can be applied to so many different areas and have such a profound impact on all aspects of society. The dynamism of this exciting subject is reflected in this degree through the study of a range of topics including networks, robotics, the Internet, and mobile and embedded computing and cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.

Study this degree with us and you will acquire practical skills that are highly sought after by industry, such as programming in C, C++, Java, Lua, Python, JavaScript and C#. Computer science-related jobs are not only appealing in their versatility, earning potential and demand, computer science has a wide-reaching social impact, posing many ethical questions, and these issues are examined at various points during the three years of study.

Computer Science is not only intellectually challenging, it is also THE most creative of subjects. As such the staff in the department will provide you with close academic and practical support. All staff in the Department are research active and have a varied background in a diverse range of interests, and this enhances your experience by providing a rich curriculum with exposure to multiple approaches and areas of research. If you are enthusiastic, inventive and looking to shape the future, or if you’re looking to leverage your love of technology to make a difference this degree is for you. Rest assured. Computer Science is an incredible career choice for someone who wants to change the world.

PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS

Philosophy and Ethics explores the big questions of life and morality: on what basis do we judge things good or evil? It challenges you to examine your assumptions, opinions and worldview. Do we need to believe in God for life to have meaning – or have the arguments for the existence of God broken down? What does it mean to be human? Do we have free will, or is our life completely determined?

Through close attention to the primary texts of philosophers such as Plato, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant and Nietzsche, our Philosophy and Ethics degree will help you learn to analyse and evaluate arguments, and to compose and communicate your own ideas in a reasoned way. You will have a grounding in the foundational questions of philosophy. As you progress, you will look in depth at philosophy of religion, political philosophy, applied ethics and issues of human personhood, artificial intelligence, ecology and animality.

Liverpool is a great place to study philosophy: the city famously wears its heart on its sleeve, and is home to a rich web of cultures that explore the human condition through humour, art and performance. The Liverpool Hope team has developed a programme that aims to be contemporary and timely, especially in the field of applied ethics. And in a city that has been riven with sectarian strife in its past, the innovative approaches that the team takes to thinking about religion in the modern world are highly topical. 

This degree will help you to develop your professional capacity by equipping you with the intellectual skills and perspectives needed to face the ethical and ideological challenges of the contemporary world. Such skills are essential for careers that require you to grasp with complex and often conflicting ideas across a whole range of professions.