BA Art and Philosophy

Develop your independent practice, experience life in another country, and understand the theories and ideas behind contemporary art on our BA Art and Philosophy.

Studying philosophy alongside art allows you to consider the medium from a range of perspectives.

You will join a lively community at Reading School of Art and explore a vast range of media, experiment with emerging art forms, and develop as an artist. The studios are a busy place with events, screenings, performances and exhibitions happening regularly. You will receive a dedicated space, accessible 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and a studio tutor to help develop your individual and professional practice.

Trips to museums and art galleries help prompt thoughts on how art is displayed and received. You will gain professional experience by taking part in your own exhibitions, public art commissions and other events. Your teaching staff are all artists, curators and researchers of international standing and will encourage regular exhibitions and open debate.

The Department of Philosophy will help you develop the ability to think logically, to evaluate arguments critically, and to challenge your own ideas and those of other people. We will give you an understanding of the central philosophical principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures. You will be taught by leading experts whose research strengths lie especially in moral philosophy and the philosophy of the mind and language. You will also have the chance to study non-Western philosophies, in particular Indian philosophy.

Your first year will introduce you to the general skills required for all philosophy. In following years you will explore a wide range of subjects and explore the overlap between art and philosophy.

Placements and collaborations are actively encouraged and there is also the option to experience life in another country by studying abroad. Throughout your degree you will receive advice and guidance on your career development.

Placement

A great deal of importance is placed on real-world art experiences in work placements. Past students have enjoyed internships at Studio Voltaire and the Frieze Art Fair. Others have performed at the ICA, taken part in an Arts Council–supported film project at the Museum of English Rural Life and participated in an international exhibition at the Seoul Institute of Arts in South Korea.

There are also several opportunities – across all our undergraduate courses - for you to study abroad at an international university. Institutions include the Emily Carr University of Art & Design in Vancouver, Canada; Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA; Monash University, Australia; and National Taiwan University of the Arts in Tapei, Taiwan; as well as Art Universities in Dijon, France; Zurich, Switzerland; Budapest, Hungary; and Tampere, Finland.

For more information, please visit the Reading School of Art website.

Overview

Develop your independent practice, experience life in another country, and understand the theories and ideas behind contemporary art on our BA Art and Philosophy.

Studying philosophy alongside art allows you to consider the medium from a range of perspectives.

Your first year will introduce you to the general skills required for all philosophy. In following years you will explore a wide range of subjects and explore the overlap between art and philosophy.

Placement

For more information, please visit the Reading School of Art website.

Entry requirements A Level BBB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BBB

You will be asked to provide an online portfolio of your work when you apply.

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma

Merit

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Compulsory modules

Art Studio

Art Studio 1 will introduce you to contemporary art and its global histories, models of practices and practical and professional skills. You will learn the codes of good practice, health and safety, and sustainability in the studio while being given the opportunity to produce and present artworks that help develop your critically reflective and analytics skills.

Drawing

Expand your drawing competence as you are introduced to a range of different methods, techniques, materials and tools. You will equip a growing range of drawing skills as you develop your ability to choose between them to apply your enhanced proficiency to different contexts and subject specialisms.

Reason and Argument

Explore arguments in different contexts such as newspaper opinions, social media spats and philosophical treaties. You’ll develop critical thinking and logic to evaluate claims and arguments.

Great Works in Philosophy

You’ll delve into the most important philosophical works, considering the significance of each text and analysing the arguments within them to sharpen your critical skills.

Optional modules

Radical Philosophy

Question your assumptions and beliefs by exploring radical philosophical claims. You’ll compare and contrast different ways of doing philosophy, such as phenomenology and deconstruction.

Meaning of Life

Seek answers to the most important philosophical question. You’ll explore different perspectives on the matter to develop and explain your own judgement and defend your position.

Philosophical Skills for Life

Develop the skills needed to produce persuasive and nuanced academic arguments, research, and referencing. You’ll learn how to identify limitations and advantages of philosophical writing.

These are the modules we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest teaching and research methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Art Studio 2

Learn how to identify and investigate your own interests and concerns through practical engagement in the studio. You'll develop your capacity for self-criticism through informed debate alongside your confidence and the ability to present exhibitions.

Optional modules

Global Philosophies

Participate in cross-cultural conversations about global issues such as gender, race, social identities, and death. You will be introduced to and taught how to analyse a range of concepts, including Buddhist, Jain, and African American critical theories, performative theories, and phenomenological theories.

International Study

Embark on a supervised study visit to a major European art centre where you will encounter and experience contemporary art and art history first hand. You'll visit major museums, galleries, and collections as you enhance your understanding of art history beyond an academic context. Recent visits have included Madrid, Berlin, Paris and Venice.

History of Art 3

Explore different forms of art writing from criticism and visual analysis to interpretation to digital culture. You'll consider how Art History shapes and is shaped as you develop your research and communication skills and reflect critically on the different purposes of art writing.

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy

Explore the concerns of society by asking questions within contemporary political philosophy. You’ll enhance your ability to think reflectively and critically about the role of fairness in society.

Meaning and the Mind

Consider questions such as How can there be minds in a physical world? How does a mental state (like a memory or a perceptual experience) come to represent the world? What role does consciousness play in the mind? Discuss and analyse some of the core arguments in philosophy of mind, including with historical reference to the figures who originally formulated those arguments.

Aesthetics

Explore topics that are central to philosophical aesthetics including beauty, definitions of art and truth in literature. This will enable you to develop critical understanding of philosophical problems raised by art and aesthetic experience.

Ethical Argument

Develop your knowledge and skills by considering arguments in moral philosophy and contribute to debate by learning how to argue in a charitable but critical way.

Ignorance, Doubt and Relativism

Investigate the concept of knowledge and analyse and evaluate some of the core arguments in contemporary epistemology. You will learn about the different theories of knowledge and explore famous works from Ernest Sosa, Alvin Goldman, David Lewis, Edward Craig, and Miranda Fricker.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Art Studio 2b

Learn how to identify and investigate your own interests and concerns through practical engagement in the studio. You will develop your capacity for self-criticism through informed debate alongside your confidence and the ability to present exhibitions.

Situated Art Practice

Shape your understanding of the global and historical diversity of models in artistic. As you work, you will realise your active role as an artist in shaping and being shaped by the world as you effectively apply research methods to your material and present in an appropriate format.

Optional modules

Free Will and Responsibility

Investigate the concepts of freedom and responsibility using philosophical thinking and by applying approaches from different cultures.

Philosophy of Language, Animals, Babies, Colours and Language Death

Engage with questions concerning meaning, language and communication. To address these, you'll engage with foundational texts in linguistics, psychology and anthropology and research informed by developments in the cognitive sciences.

Current Moral Philosophy

Explore current debates in ethics, roughly focusing on material published in the last 20 years. These debates could be totally new, or they could be current takes and debates about much older issues (such as Aristotle's ethics).

Fairness

Learn about leading contemporary theories of fairness, including the relation of fairness to impartiality, equality, proportionality, need, desert, and free-riding. You'll address conflicts between fairness and other values, while developing your skills in dealing with abstract moral concepts and normative arguments.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Explore and debate critical issues in business ethics from a moral, practical and, sometimes, political perspective. You will learn about topics such as the morality of sweatshop labour, the ethics behind advertising, and the corporate obligation to do what is right.

Society and State in Ancient Greece

Study the classic works in Ancient Greek political philosophy, including some or all of Aristotle's Politics and Rhetoric and Plato's Republic and Gorgias. You'll look at the philosophers' conceptions of politics, society, and government, and examine their relevance to modern concerns and issues.

Scandal of Film

Study the role films play in our cultural lives. Explore film in relation to reality, the human condition, philosophy and art.

Human and Wittgenstein

Explore the ideas of two great philosophers, David Hume and Ludwig Wittgenstein, and learn about their distinct philosophical approaches. You will focus on their respective conceptions of philosophy - about science - and their respective philosophy of mind.

Speech Attacks: Bullshit, Lies, Propaganda

Discuss the foundations of speech act theory and examine ways that it has been applied to philosophical problems in feminist theory and political and social theory. Explore lies and bullshit, and what (if anything) is wrong with these uses of language. And we will discuss the nature of propaganda and 'fake news' and how to resist its effects.

Paradoxes

Explore some of the great contemporary and historical paradoxes in philosophy, and their proposed solutions. Philosophy is full of paradoxes – logical, semantic, metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and others, which shed light on big philosophical issues.

Metaphysics

Discover metaphysics, one of the foundation stones of philosophy, and how the way we deal with metaphysical problems affects our approach to problems in many other areas of philosophy, such as philosophy of mind and epistemology.

Philosophy of Religion

Explore the central topics within analytic philosophy of religion, examining both contemporary ideas and their historical origins. Through lectures and seminars, you will evaluate these concepts and consider their significance and validity.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Art Studio 3b

Challenge yourself by developing an independent, creative and critically informed art practice as you advance your own interests and concerns through practical engagement in the studio. Expand your research skills in relation to your individual art practice, and in the understanding of both historical and contemporary practices of art.

You'll also choose one of the following:

Dissertation in Philosophy

Engage in original and independent research to produce an extended essay that focuses on a philosophical topic of your choice. You’ll also submit an assessed research proposal and give a presentation.

Independent Learning Module

Choose a philosophical topic that fascinates you to form the basis of an extended essay. This will enhance your independent learning skills, self-awareness and ability to reflect on your progress and strengths.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250

New international students: £25,250

UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Placement year fees

If you spend a full year on placement, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact placements@reading.ac.uk.

Careers

As well as the practical experience gained on this degree, our students also graduate with a range of transferable skills, such as self-motivation, time management, and strategic thinking. They also develop greater self-confidence and are better able to express themselves.

Overall, 93.5% of graduates from Reading School of Art and 94% of graduates from Philosophy are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation (based on our analysis of HESA data (c) HESA 2023/24, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21 includes first degree Art responders and all Philosophy responders).

Many of our graduates develop successful careers as artists, writers and curators. These include a number of famous alumni, such as Turner Prize-nominated artists, and PhD students who are award-winning artists and curators at influential museums. Other graduates have found employment in galleries, education, art therapy, and film and video production. Recent employers include Tate, Whitechapel Gallery, Christies, Microsoft, the BBC, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Manolo Blahnik.

Studying philosophy enables you to develop a range of transferable skills in clear thinking, logical analysis, and the critical assessment of argument. Such skills are greatly valued in a variety of professional careers such as law, politics, management and marketing.

BA Art and Philosophy

Placement

UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

EU student fees

Additional costs

Financial support for your studies

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