Global Philosophies & Worldviews BA (Hons) (with Foundation Year)

About the course

Liverpool is a gateway to the world. This city is home to the oldest Chinatown in Europe, its links with West Africa and the Americas were forged in the dark days of the transatlantic slave trade, and over one-and-a-half million Irish people passed through its port during the ‘Great Hunger’ of the 1845-52 Potato Famine. Each of the communities that have passed through this city brought with them their own ways of understanding the world their worldviews.

Liverpool, of course, is like nowhere else on the planet; it has its unique accent, a biting sense of humour, and an amazing cultural life. And each community that passes through the city leaves something of itself behind, adding to the cultural mix that makes Liverpool a truly global city. That makes Liverpool the perfect place to study how people today deal with all those different ideas and conflicting opinions that pop into the apps on our phones and computers. The roots of Liverpool Hope lie in the work pioneers such as Catholic Archbishop Worlock and Anglican Bishop Sheppard to bring about community reconciliation in the city. So, Liverpool Hope is the perfect place to ask how people today find their way through our media-saturated world. Here How do people coexist with others whose worldview is radically different to their own? What makes for a global citizen? What can we learn from people who are very different from ourselves? What can the story and the people of this city teach us?

This Major gives you a chance to delve into these questions. You will explore what can be learned from the ‘wisdom’ of different traditions in our pluralist contemporary world - chiefly by asking how other people have worked through questions like these. This will take you on a journey across the world. You will study in depth how the philosophical and religious traditions of Asia have tackled these questions. You will also look at the ways that Western philosophers and Jewish, Muslim and Christian theologians have explored them. Along the way you will look at how people form - and reform their worldview. You will ask such questions as does scientism lead to a reduction in human capacity for engaging with reality?  Is the Western secularisation model fundamentally colonialist?

The course gives its students the chance to step back from the noise of our digital world, and develop the professional skill of being able to engage closely with ideas and worldviews that are often misunderstood or underrepresented in society. So, people who take this course will be well-grounded for the kinds of careers that involve understanding, advocacy and working with different communities – for example journalism, the law, policing, politics, education, 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.

Entry requirements

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 2025/26 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 2025/26 are £14,500.

Visit our International fees page for more information.

Course combinations

This course is only available with Foundation Year as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: