Global Philosophies & Worldviews BA (Hons)*
UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 3|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
*course is subject to validation
The Global Philosophies and Worldviews course explores big questions of truth, value and what it means to be human in a world-spanning perspective. From African philosophy to Chinese ideas of ethics and the good life; from Hindu explorations of the soul to Islamic political thought; from Jewish existentialism to Buddhist mysticism: these are the traditions that continue to evolve and shape the modern world.
You will journey beyond the limits of European and Western-centred ways of thought. You will learn to study and assess radically different ways of thinking with sensitivity, care and intellectual rigour. A key question will be whether truth is one or many. Are there grounds for shaping a universal ethic and common standards of truth – or are such global ideals always colonial and destructive of differences?
Studying Global Philosophies and Worldviews develops your ability to critically engage with diverse perspectives and misunderstood traditions. This degree prepares you for careers that require cultural understanding and engagement with different communities, such as journalism, law, politics, education, policing, and human resource management.
Course structure
Year 1: 3 x 1- hour lectures; 2 x 1- hour seminars; 1 x 1-hour small group tutorial per week.
Year 2: 2 x 1- hour lectures; 2 x 1- hour seminars; 1 x 1-hour small group tutorial per week.
Year 3: 2 x 1- hour lectures; 2 x 1- hour seminars per week, plus regular research supervision (some in small groups, some one-to-one).
Assessment and feedback
Essays, presentations, vivas, exams (2nd and 3rd years), textual analyses and portfolios.
Curriculum overview
Please note that all content is indicative and subject to validation
Year One
Comparative Philosophy
In this module, you will be introduced to the ways philosophical questions are tackled in different traditions – and whether there is a just way of making sense of and evaluating these differences. We’ll explore whether the concept of philosophy itself can apply across cultures (as in the debate about whether there is an ‘African philosophy’ which is not simply an echo of Western norms of thinking). This part of the course will get you thinking critically about questions of truth, relativism, dialogue and epistemic justice.
Global Ethics
In this module, you will take a deep dive into non-Western ways of understanding right and wrong and the good life – such as the Confucian ethics that still play a huge part in Chinese culture. You will explore diverse notions of freedom, duty and the human person very different from the individualism that plays such a role in much Western thinking – and you will be analysing the challenges faced by any attempt to construct a global ethic.
Year Two
You will critically study a range of religious philosophies from cultures where the division between ‘religion’ and ‘philosophy’ is never absolute. Exploring such topics as the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, Indian and Japanese Buddhist ideas of liberation and Islamic thinking about God, you will gain a rich understanding of the diversity and relevance of religious thinking.
Your engagement with questions of ethics and value will be deepened by considering such areas as Islamic political philosophy, the nature of art and beauty in Zen, comparative approaches to applied ethics (such as beginning and end of life issues) and the significance of indigenous and Daoist thought for reimagining our relationship to nature. This will enable you to take an informed and critical stance towards vexed questions of the self, society and the environment in a global world.
Year Three
You will critically explore the fundamental philosophy of what it is to be a person, and how we relate to reality through such areas as the non-dualism of Hindu Advaita Vedanta, the deconstruction of the self in Zen Buddhism and the complex mystical path of the Kabbalah. We’ll consider how different traditions respond to a digital age and to questions of artificial intelligence.
As we continue to build on our study of ethics and value, you will encounter the crucial philosophy of existentialism as an international phenomenon. Existentialism is a way of thinking associated with European figures such as Kierkegaard and Sartre, which stresses individual freedom to choose and create our values in the face of a world which appears meaningless or even absurd. We’ll see how existentialism is expressed and changes in diverse settings, and pay particular attention to the neglected traditions of Jewish philosophy. We’ll also explore the contrasting notion of communal identity, for instance in African philosophical notions of ‘ubuntu’.
Entry requirements
| A-Levels | BBC |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | 112 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications. |
| BTEC | DMM |
| Access to HE | 112 Tariff Points |
| IB | 26 points |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | 112 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| T-Levels | Merit |
| Subject Requirements | No specific subject requirements |
International entry requirements
| Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score lower than 5.5. We also accept a wide range of International Qualifications. For more information, please visit our English Language Requirementspage. |
Careers
This degree has been designed to provide its graduates with a sound underpinning in dealing with a wide range of cultures and worldviews that would equip them for any job that required sensible and sensitive understanding of the complexity of world cultures.
Graduates are expected to go on to roles such as; teaching, policy bodies, charity sector, social sector, international organisations, working with global majority organisations both national and international, social marketing, heritage sectors, media and journalism, law and business or into paid or voluntary work in Churches or religious organisations - and to other professions that required an understanding of the role played by religion in contemporary society.
Enhancement opportunities
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
As well as your tuition fees, you also need to consider the cost of key books and textbooks, which in total will cost approximately £150.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2026/27 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is only available as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: