Metadata
Title
Undergraduate study
Category
undergraduate
UUID
56c57f9ae204430990d80ca39d4cf1a9
Source URL
https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/philosophy/
Parent URL
https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/how-to-apply-for-an-undergraduate-degree/cho...
Crawl Time
2026-03-24T07:17:24+00:00
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Undergraduate study

Source: https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/philosophy/ Parent: https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/how-to-apply-for-an-undergraduate-degree/choosingyourdegree/advanced-entry/

Undergraduate

Philosophy MA/BSc/MA(SocSci)

Philosophy is the systematic attempt to arrive at clear answers to profound questions about issues such as knowledge, life, morality, science and human nature using reason and argument.

We host reading parties for students, usually in the Highlands, and have a flourishing undergraduate Philosophy Society.

Register your interest for more information

Year of entry 2026 2027 2028

Country of residence

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Apply via UCAS

Programme structure

Year 1

You will study two courses, which will introduce you to a range of philosophical tools and ideas by thinking through a series of philosophical questions.

Year 2

You will study two more courses, continuing to build your knowledge of the basic philosophical toolkit by exploring further philosophical questions.

You will also study other subjects in years 1 and 2: see Flexible degrees.

Years 3 and 4

If you progress to Honours (years 3 and 4) you will choose courses giving you an in-depth knowledge of core areas like epistemology, metaphysics, formal logic, moral philosophy, philosophy of mind and political philosophy. If you are studying for a Single Honours degree you will also take a compulsory course, Doing philosophy, in Year 3.

You will also take high-level specialist courses linked to the active research of lecturers and researchers in the subject.

In year 4 you will have the opportunity to write a dissertation, working one-to-one with a member of staff on a topic of your choice.

Course details

Courses you will take as part of a Philosophy programme may include:

Year 1

Year 2

Years 3 and 4 (Honours)

(Not all courses listed will be available in each session)

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Programme alteration or discontinuation\ The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

We encourage our students to study abroad (usually during year 3). We have an exchange scheme with the University of Barcelona and our Philosophy students have also studied in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark and Finland. See Study abroad.

Entry requirements

for entry in 2026

You should refer to the entry requirements for both subjects and the degree award when applying for a joint honours degree programme. The higher entry requirement (where applicable) and additional requirements must be met for both subjects.

Summary of entry requirements for Philosophy

SQA Higher entry requirements

SQA Higher adjusted entry requirements* (by end of S5 or S6)

* See Access Glasgow for eligibility.

A-level standard entry requirements

IB standard entry requirements

Entry requirements for advanced entry to Philosophy

Applicants who achieve exceptional grades in their Advanced Highers, A-levels or International Baccalaureate may be considered for advanced entry, meaning that an Honours degree can be completed in three years instead of the normal four years, or four years for five-year integrated Masters programmes. Not all joint honours subjects are available for advanced entry and applications to joint honours programmes will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Choose point of entry 2nd year on your UCAS application to indicate you wish to be considered for advanced entry.

SQA Higher requirements for advanced entry

A-Level requirements for advanced entry

IB requirements for advanced entry

Admissions guidance

English language

For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

English language requirements

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

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Common equivalent English language qualifications for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

Tests taken up to 20 January 2026

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

Pearsons PTE Academic

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

Oxford ELLT

LanguageCert Academic SELT

Password Skills Plus

Trinity College Tests

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

School Qualifications

International School Qualifications

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Alternatives to English Language qualification

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

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Pre-sessional courses

We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

FAQs

What do I do if...

my language qualifications are below the requirements?

The University's School of Modern Languages and Cultures offers a range of Pre-sessional courses to bring you up to entry level. The course is accredited by BALEAP, the UK professional association for academic English teaching.

my language qualifications are not listed here?

Please contact External Relations

If you require a Tier 4 student visa, your qualification must be one of the secure English language tests accepted by UK Border Agency:

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Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

Further information about English language: School of Modern Languages & Cultures: English for Academic Study

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Career prospects

You will develop transferable skills and attributes which will be valuable in your future career. These include the ability to evaluate arguments and interpret texts, the facility to be analytical, the skill to think and write clearly and precisely, and the capacity to question assumptions.

Some of our graduates go on to study for postgraduate degrees in Philosophy and to teach in universities. Examples of recent destinations for Philosophy graduates include:

Degrees and UCAS codes

When applying you will need to know the UCAS code for the subject or subject-combination that you wish to apply to:

MA (Hons)

Philosophy: V502 (4 years)

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Apply to V502

Philosophy/Ancient History: VV15 (4 years)

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Apply to VV15

Philosophy/Business & Management: NVF5 (4 years)

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Apply to NVF5

Philosophy/Celtic Civilisation: QV55 (4 years)

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Apply to QV55

Philosophy/Celtic Studies: QVM5 (4 years)

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Apply to QVM5

Philosophy/Central & East European Studies: VR85 (4 years)

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Apply to VR85

Philosophy/Classics: QV85 (4 years)

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Apply to QV85

Philosophy/Comparative Literature: QVF5 (4 years)

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Apply to QVF5

Philosophy/Digital Media & Information Studies: GV55 (4 years)

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Apply to GV55

Philosophy/Economic & Social History: VVJ5 (4 years)

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Apply to VVJ5

Philosophy/Economics: LVD5 (4 years)

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Apply to LVD5

Philosophy/English Language & Linguistics: QV3N (4 years)

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Apply to QV3N

Philosophy/English Literature: QV3M (4 years)

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Apply to QV3M

Philosophy/Film & Television Studies: VW56 (4 years)

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Apply to VW56

Philosophy/Gaelic: Q5V5 (4 years)

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Apply to Q5V5

Philosophy/Geography: LV75 (4 years)

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Apply to LV75

Philosophy/German: RV25 (5 years)

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Apply to RV25

Philosophy/History: VVC5 (4 years)

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Apply to VVC5

Philosophy/History of Art: VVH5 (4 years)

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Apply to VVH5

Philosophy/Italian: RV35 (5 years)

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Apply to RV35

Philosophy/Mathematics: GV15 (4 years)

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Apply to GV15

Philosophy/Music: VW53 (4 years)

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Apply to VW53

Philosophy/Politics: LVF5 (4 years)

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Apply to LVF5

Philosophy/Portuguese: 7A3W (5 years)

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Apply to 7A3W

Philosophy/Psychology: CVV5 (4 years)

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Apply to CVV5 \ Applicants must meet the Psychology requirements

Philosophy/Russian: RV75 (5 years)

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Apply to RV75

Philosophy/Scottish History: VVD5 (4 years)

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Apply to VVD5

Philosophy/Sociology: LV65 (4 years)

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Apply to LV65

Philosophy/Spanish: V5R4 (5 years)

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Apply to V5R4

Philosophy/Theatre Studies: VW54 (4 years)

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Apply to VW54

Philosophy/Theology & Religious Studies: VV56 (4 years)

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Apply to VV56

BSc (Hons)

Philosophy/Mathematics: GVD5 (4 years)

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Apply to GVD5

MA(SocSci) (Hons)

Philosophy/Business & Management: NV25 (4 years)

Apply to NV25

Philosophy/Business Economics: LV15 (4 years)

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Apply to LV15

Philosophy/Economics: LVC5 (4 years)

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Apply to LVC5

Philosophy/Politics: LV25 (4 years)

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Apply to LV25

Philosophy/Sociology: LVH5 (4 years)

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Apply to LVH5

Philosophy can also be taken in combination with Law programmes:

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

How and when you pay tuition fees depends on where you’re from: see Tuition fees for details.

Scholarships

The University is committed to supporting students and rewarding academic excellence. That's why we've invested more than £1m in additional scholarship funding in recent years.

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship UG (EU)

The University of Glasgow continues to be committed to ensuring a strong relationship with our existing and future EU students, and supporting EU talent to make their home at the University of Glasgow. 

We appreciate the challenging financial implications that have arisen for our European applicants, and are therefore delighted to offer the World Changers Glasgow Scholarship UG (EU) to new incoming EU students starting an undergraduate programme for Academic Session 2026-27. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fee discount of £5,000 for every year of study and is subject to satisfactory progress for consecutive years of study. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.

World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has a number of World Changers Global Excellence Scholarships available to new International and EU Undergraduate students for 2026 entry.

The scholarship is awarded as an annual tuition fee discount, based on the academic college of your chosen degree:

Scholarships are renewable each year, subject to satisfactory academic progress.

World Changers RUK Excellence Scholarship

The RUK Excellence Scholarship of £1,000 for each year of study will be awarded to first degree new entrants who have attained academic excellence in one sitting at A Level.

Beaconhouse Schools

The University of Glasgow offer a 15% discount on the first year of tuition fee to students from Beaconhouse Schools and who enrol on an undergraduate programme at the University of Glasgow. The discount does not apply to Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry programmes.

World Changers RUK Access Bursary

The bursary supports talented students who may not be able to take their place at University for reasons of financial hardship. It is available to new entrant full-time, undergraduate students of the University of Glasgow who are fully registered for the up coming academic session, ordinarily domiciled in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and paying full annual tuition fee.

James McCune Smith Undergraduate Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has up to 30 undergraduate scholarships available for students of African/African-Caribbean backgrounds. The scholarship supports students who could face financial difficulties taking up their place to study at the university. The value of the scholarship is £4,000, paid in instalments for year one of undergraduate study. The scholarship is open to new applicants to the university for 2026 entry. Current students who have previously been in receipt of the award may reapply, however, preference will be given to applicants entering their first year of study.

Care Experienced and Estranged Student Bursary

The University of Glasgow is offering five bursaries specifically for Care Experienced and Estranged Students. These bursaries aim to support students who have been in care or are living independently due to family estrangement. Definitions of these terms are provided below, and further details are available here.

Care Experienced\ "Care-experienced" refers to anyone who has ever been in care, regardless of the duration. This includes individuals who have been in the care of a local authority at any stage, whether through residential care, foster care, kinship care, or under a supervision requirement at home. This category also includes those who have been adopted from care.

Estranged\ Estranged students are young people studying independently without family support due to a breakdown in family relationships. These students often have limited or no contact with their families, and any contact that does occur is usually infrequent or strained. Causes of estrangement may include emotional or physical abuse, conflicting family expectations, personality clashes, or differing values.

Each bursary is typically valued at £1,500 per year for each consecutive year of the degree programme.

Undergraduate Talent Scholarships

The University of Glasgow is awarding c.50 undergraduate Talent Scholarships to support students who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University for 2026 entry. The value of each scholarship is typically £1,500 p.a. for each year of the degree programme, subject to satisfactory progress. Talent Scholarships are available to students entering any of the University's Colleges.

Dental School students are eligible for a Talent Scholarship in their first year of study only. They are eligible for the NHS Dental Student Support Grant in the following years.

Cowrie Foundation Scholarship - CLOSED

The University of Glasgow and The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF) will offer a scholarship to support Black African and Caribbean heritage applicants from socio-economically challenged backgrounds.  Applicants must be ordinarily resident in the UK and commencing an undergraduate study programme.

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation wants to fund 100 Black British students through UK universities in the next decade. More information on the Foundation can be found here.

Travel Bursaries

The University of Glasgow is offering travel bursaries to assist with public transport travel costs, to support undergraduate students who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University for 2026 entry. The value of the bursary is 50% of your monthly public transport travel costs to get to University, up to a maximum value of £50 per month. Priority is given to new entrants to the Univeristy. Continuing students previously in receipt of the bursary can apply, however, preference will be given to new entrants.

The Scottish Government’s Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel scheme gives free bus travel to young people under 22 years of age. Please note that if you are under 22 years of age and can reasonably travel to Campus by bus, you will not be considered for the travel bursary.

GyanDhan Scholarship

The GyanDhan Scholarship 2026 is a test-based program for students across the globe, reflecting GyanDhan’s commitment to rewarding talent fairly. Open to students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, it supports higher studies in India and abroad, ensuring that ambition isn’t limited by past academic scores.

Sanctuary Scholarships

The University of Glasgow Sanctuary Scholarship has been created to support applicants with Refugee or Asylum Seeker status who are currently living in the UK and hold an offer to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate taught students at the University of Glasgow applying for entry in September 2026/27. Please note that you must have applied to the University before submitting an application for this scholarship.

As a University of Sanctuary, we are committed to ensuring that those with the ambition and determination to pursue higher education have the opportunity to do so. This scholarship provides a full tuition fee waiver along with financial support for living costs, helping recipients focus on their studies and thrive both academically and personally.

Through this initiative, we aim to offer meaningful opportunities to talented individuals seeking sanctuary, enabling them to rebuild their futures and become part of our global #TeamUofG community. Full eligibility criteria can be found below.

The scholarship will meet the cost of tuition fees for the duration of your programme, for applicants who are unable to access mainstream funding through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) or Student Finance. The Sanctuary Scholarship also provides a £5,000 per year stipend, to assist with study costs.

This scholarship is not available to PGdip, PDGE or part time programmes.

Undergraduate students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs only, if successful.

Postgraduate Taught Masters students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs and a partial tuition fee waiver, to cover any shortfall not met by your Postgraduate Masters tuition fee loan.

The Clan Gregor Society Prize

The Clan Gregor Society is offering an award incoming students to the University of Glasgow who descend from Clan Gregor. Students will be asked to submit an application highlighting areas of consideration such as academic excellence and financial need. The award is open to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate applicants who are joining us for 2025/26 entry.

The Dima Alhaj Scholarship

The Dima Alhaj Scholarship was set up in 2024 in memory of a University of Glasgow alumna. After graduating, Dima worked in Gaza with the World Health Organization as a patient administrator at the limb reconstruction centre, as part of the trauma and emergency team and was tragically killed in Gaza in November 2023.

The University is offering the Dima Alhaj Scholarship to 1 undergraduate applicant and 1 postgraduate taught applicant joining us in September 2026. Please note that you must have a programme application in progress before applying for this scholarship. If you have not yet started a programme application, please submit this first and then return to complete the scholarship application process.

This scholarship is not available to PhD, PGdip, PDGE or part time programmes.

This scholarship can not be combined with any other University of Glasgow scholarship. In the event you are offered 2 scholarships, the lower value scholarship will be removed from your student account.

Travel Bursary for Forced Migrants

The University of Glasgow is offering travel bursaries to assist with public transport travel costs, to support undergraduate and postgraduate students are currently asylum seekers and who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University for 2026 entry. The value of the bursary is 50% of your monthly public transport travel costs to get to University, up to a maximum value of £50 per month.

Glasgow Highland Society Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is excited to promote this scholarship opportunity on behalf of the Glasgow Highland Society. 

The Glasgow Highland Society is offering multiple grants of up to £500 for new and continuing students of Glasgow university who fit the eligibility requirements of the scholarship

The scholarships above are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database

How to apply

Full-time students must apply through the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

SQA applicants who are eligible for our Widening Participation programmes are encouraged to participate in one or more of these programmes, including Summer School, to support your application and the transition to higher education.

International students to Arts, Engineering, Law, Nursing, Science, and Social Sciencescan also apply using The Common Application: however, if applying to more than one UK university, we recommend using UCAS. Applications to Dentistry, Education, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine must be made through UCAS.

Application deadlines

We do not usually accept any applications after these deadlines.

It's your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of your application before submission. Requests to correct application content, change degree programme or change college of entry, will not be accepted after these deadlines. This policy is in place to ensure fairness and consistency to all applicants, and no exceptions will be made.

How to apply for Advanced Entry

Apply for year 2 (Y2) on your UCAS application. If the specific subject is unavailable for Advanced Entry or your application for year 2 entry is unsuccessful, you will be automatically considered for year 1 entry. You do not have to submit a separate UCAS application.

Apply via UCAS

UK top 15

Complete University Guide [Philosophy]

Subject ranking

UK top 15

Complete University Guide [Philosophy]

World top 100

QS World University Rankings [Philosophy]

Philosophy

Undergraduate events