Skip to main content

Philosophy with International Relations

Thank you for considering an application

Here's what you need in order to apply:

  1. Royal Holloway's institution code: R72
  2. Make a note of the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for:

    • Philosophy with International Relations BA - V5L9
  3. Click on the link below to apply via the UCAS website:
Apply via UCAS

Philosophy with International Relations

BA

Key information

Duration: 3 years full time

UCAS code: V5L9

Institution code: R72

Campus: Egham

The course

Philosophy with International Relations (BA)

By combining Philosophy (75% of your course) with International Relations (25%) you will take Philosophy as the major element of your degree alongside some study of international relations.

Our Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy has a strong commitment to high-quality, cutting-edge research, all of which inform our teaching. Studying philosophy and international relations here means that you will learn from internationally renowned experts who will share their research and experience so that you gain invaluable skills for your future career.

At Royal Holloway we have a unique approach to Philosophy that looks beyond the narrow confines of the Anglo-American analytic or the European traditions of philosophy to focus on both – their relationship and connections between them. The result has been the creation of a truly interdisciplinary and collaborative course that brings together academic staff from departments across the university.

With the opportunity to examine (amongst other things) the core philosophical areas of epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy as well as the history of philosophy, the range of subjects available to Philosophy students at Royal Holloway guarantees that there will be something on offer that really engages you during your time with us.

The study of international relations is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, drawing on insights from economics, history, philosophy and sociology. You will gain an in-depth understanding of international politics, examining how states, groups and individuals interact across borders, and you will consider some of the most important issues that confront the world today.

  • Gain a detailed understanding of philosophical debates and issues underlying political systems in a globalised world
  • Explore ideas and ideologies and issues that are fundamental to understanding the politics of our times
  • Examine governments, party politics and political behaviour throughout the world
  • Develop critical research or presentation skills for your career or further study
  • Gain a detailed understanding of philosophical debates and issues underlying political systems in a globalised world.
  • Examine governments, party politics and political behaviour throughout the world.

From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Core Modules

Year 1
  • The ‘new philosophy’ of the seventeenth century set the modern philosophical agenda by asking fundamental questions concerning knowledge and understanding and the relation between science and other human endeavours, which subsequently became central to the European Enlightenment. This module aims to familiarise you with the origins of empiricist and rationalist/idealist thought, focussing on the work of Descartes and Locke. The module will enable you to develop your close reading skills, and will give you the opportunity to see how arguments are developed across the length of philosophical texts.

  • Knowledge is often thought to be the highest achievement of rational creatures, the thing that distinguishes us from other animals and is the basis of our ability to predict and control our environment. Beginning with the most Platonic of questions—‘what is knowledge?’—this course introduces you to basic topics in contemporary epistemology. Among the questions it goes on to address are: why is knowledge valuable?; how do we acquire knowledge and how do we pass it on to others?; how do we become better knowers?; is there such a thing as collective knowledge?; do animals have knowledge?; is there such a thing as knowledge at all?

     

  • Introduction to Political Philosophy
  • In every aspect of our lives we are inundated by information and misinformation, claims and counter-claims: some people tell us we should believe this; others that we should believe that. Decisions have to be made; possible evidence has to be sifted; reasons have to be given; arguments have to be propounded; risks evaluated. All this requires the ability to reason critically: to distinguish between bad arguments and good ones, supporting evidence from mere distraction. Everybody has the basic ability to do this, but it is not always as developed we need it to be: and in this complex world being able to present your point forcefully and rationally is vitally important. The aim of this module is to help you develop the skills required to get the most out of their degree and beyond. 

  • This module will introduce students to some key theories and problems in ethics. Ethical theories examined may include deontology, utilitarianism, moral sense theory, and virtue ethics. Theoretical issues may include the nature of value, theories of rights and responsibilities, and the role of competing conceptions of human nature. Practical topics may include euthanasia, abortion, poverty, personal relationships, equality, animal ethics, and punishment. The precise topics covered may vary from year to year, according to staff availability and interests. The module will lay the foundations for subsequent modules at Level 5 and 6, including ‘Ancient Ethics’, ‘Existentialist Ethics’, and ‘Philosophy of Medicine and Bioethics’.

     

  • In this module you will develop an understanding of ancient philosophical ideas and the ways in which philosophical arguments are presented and analysed. You will look at the thought and significance of the principal ancient philosophers, from the Presocratics to Aristotle, and examine sample texts such as Plato's 'Laches' and the treatment of the virtue of courage in Aristotle, 'Nicomachean Ethics' 3.6-9.

  • This module will introduce you to the academic study of politics and to the ‘real world’ of contemporary politics. As a foundational course, it will give you all the essential tools to understand the nature of politics and analyse the way different political systems work. You will be introduced to key concepts such as politics, power, rights, ideologies, democracy and representation, and will learn about the different actors, institutions and processes that make up politics today.

Year 2
  • In this module you will develop an understanding of how the rationalist and empiricist traditions in philosophy influence contemporary thought in the philosophy of mind. You will look at the continuing relevance of the mind-body problem to the question of what it is to be a human being and consider the connections between the analytic and European traditions in philosophy with respect to language, subjectivity, and the phenomenology of experience. You will also examine the importance of consciousness to contemporary debates in philosophy, psychology and cognitive science.

You will also take one of the following modules:

  • The module looks at key texts by Immanuel Kant which are the foundation of Modern European Philosophy. These texts raise questions concerning the status of human knowledge and the nature and justification of human action that have concerned philosophers ever since. The module considers Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. The core theme of the module is how philosophy responds to the situation in which it can no longer rely on theological support for its claims about truth and morality. This raises questions about the nature of the human subject that are evident in the conjunction of the massive success of the modern natural sciences with an abiding worry as to whether sceptical objections to establishing true knowledge can be overcome. Kant sees these issues in terms of 'transcendental philosophy' establishing the limits of knowledge by seeing what the necessary conditions of knowledge are.

  • This module will explore the central developments in modern philosophy occurring between the foundation of modern empiricism and rationalism by Locke and Descartes in the 17th century, and the emergence of Kant’s philosophical system in the late 18th century. The module will look at three of the key figures from the two traditions, exploring the key theories they expound, and the arguments used to support these theories. The figures covered will depend on the research specialisms of the module convenor, but a typical syllabus would involve reading works by Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume. Looking at these philosophers over a number of weeks will allow you to develop your close reading skills, and to see how the arguments put forward by these philosophers work together to produce a systematic metaphysical worldview.

You will undertake a short ‘reflecting on feedback’ exercise in order to progress into the final year of study.

  • All modules are optional
Year 3
  • You will demonstrate your skills as an independent learner by embarking upon a substantial piece of written work of between 8,000 and 10,000 words in length. You will be guided by a dissertation supervisor, but will choose your own topic, approach, and philosophical sources.

Optional Modules

There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Year 1
  • All modules are core
Year 2
  • Building on Introduction to International Relations, this module explores the key thinkers and debates in International Relations Theory. You will become familiar with a variety of ways of thinking about International Relations, engaging with questions about the nature of power, identity, and ethics in politics and how these interact in the international realm. The module is divided into two parts. In the first, you will examine the three foundational theoretical paradigms within International Relations – realism, liberalism, and Marxism. The second part explores newer critical approaches to International Relations theory, including constructivism, post-structuralism, feminism, and uneven ecological exchange.

  • There has been a sharp revival of interest in fundamental questions relating to knowledge in recent years. These include the status of testimonial knowledge; the extent to which possession of knowledge requires one or more virtues; the suggestion that knowledge can be a group rather than an individual achievement; the idea that it is unjust to place people in positions where they cannot acquire knowledge that might empower them; the relationship between knowing how to do something and that something is the case; the role of bias, discrimination and presupposition. Building on the first year module on epistemology, this module focusses on one or more of these and investigates them in depth.

  • This module will introduce ancient Greek ethics, primarily focusing on the ideas of Socrates (as presented in Plato’s early dialogues) and Aristotle. The first part will look at key themes in Socratic-Platonic ethics, examining material from a range of Platonic dialogues, including (but not limited to) the Protagoras, Gorgias, and Euthydemus. It will consider topics such as virtue, knowledge, ignorance, and weakness of will. The second part will focus on Aristotle’s ethics, as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics, and will look at topics such as happiness, character, virtue, pleasure, and the ideal life. Subsequent developments in ancient Greek ethics (i.e. Epicureanism, Stoicism) will be covered in the companion module ‘PY2218/PY3218 Hellenistic Philosophy’, although each module is designed to stand without the other. Where relevant, aspects of ancient ethics from other traditions (Indian, Chinese) may also be incorporated in order to broaden and diversify the curriculum. Although focused on historical texts, the module will be primarily concerned with the philosophical problems that they raise.

  • This module covers various issues in the philosophy of psychiatry. Addressing these issues requires the application of insights from a range of philosophical fields, including philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of medicine, practical ethics, and metaphysics. Studying philosophy of psychiatry can be a great way to think about some difficult, highly theoretical philosophical issues including free will, mental causation, and explanation, all of which find natural application in the field of psychiatry. Philosophy of Psychiatry is also one of the few areas of philosophy that routinely combines both ‘analytic’ and ‘continental’ philosophical perspectives.

  • We will draw on issues in philosophy of science and ethics to understand and attempt to solve conceptual problems arising in medicine and the biomedical sciences. Among other things, we will consider what a disease is, whether we own our bodies (and body parts), what is involved in informed consent, and what is properly involved in decision-making in medicine.

  • This module will examine a range of key thinkers and themes in medieval philosophy, from the fourth to the fourteenth century, telling the story of the development and transmission of philosophical ideas along the way. It will begin in late antiquity, showing the ways in which medieval thought was built on the ancient Greek philosophical tradition. It will outline the transmission of Greek thought to the Arabic-speaking world, examine a number of Arabic philosophers, and consider the impact of Arabic thought on medieval philosophy in Paris. It will conclude with Duns Scotus, active in fourteenth century Paris and Oxford. Topics discussed will focus on problems in metaphysics, such as the nature of existence, universals, the mind, and time. The relationship between philosophy and theology (or reason and faith) will be a continuing theme. The primarily metaphysical content will make this module a companion to ‘PY2217/PY3217 Ancient Metaphysics’, although each module is designed to stand without the other. It will examine (in translation) texts originally written in Greek, Arabic, and Latin.

Year 3
  • There has been a sharp revival of interest in fundamental questions relating to knowledge in recent years. These include the status of testimonial knowledge; the extent to which possession of knowledge requires one or more virtues; the suggestion that knowledge can be a group rather than an individual achievement; the idea that it is unjust to place people in positions where they cannot acquire knowledge that might empower them; the relationship between knowing how to do something and that something is the case; the role of bias, discrimination and presupposition. Building on the first year module on epistemology, this module focusses on one or more of these and investigates them in depth.

  • This module will introduce ancient Greek ethics, primarily focusing on the ideas of Socrates (as presented in Plato’s early dialogues) and Aristotle. The first part will look at key themes in Socratic-Platonic ethics, examining material from a range of Platonic dialogues, including (but not limited to) the Protagoras, Gorgias, and Euthydemus. It will consider topics such as virtue, knowledge, ignorance, and weakness of will. The second part will focus on Aristotle’s ethics, as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics, and will look at topics such as happiness, character, virtue, pleasure, and the ideal life. Subsequent developments in ancient Greek ethics (i.e. Epicureanism, Stoicism) will be covered in the companion module ‘PY2218/PY3218 Hellenistic Philosophy’, although each module is designed to stand without the other. Where relevant, aspects of ancient ethics from other traditions (Indian, Chinese) may also be incorporated in order to broaden and diversify the curriculum. Although focused on historical texts, the module will be primarily concerned with the philosophical problems that they raise.

  • This module covers various issues in the philosophy of psychiatry. Addressing these issues requires the application of insights from a range of philosophical fields, including philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of medicine, practical ethics, and metaphysics. Studying philosophy of psychiatry can be a great way to think about some difficult, highly theoretical philosophical issues including free will, mental causation, and explanation, all of which find natural application in the field of psychiatry. Philosophy of Psychiatry is also one of the few areas of philosophy that routinely combines both ‘analytic’ and ‘continental’ philosophical perspectives.

  • We will draw on issues in philosophy of science and ethics to understand and attempt to solve conceptual problems arising in medicine and the biomedical sciences. Among other things, we will consider what a disease is, whether we own our bodies (and body parts), what is involved in informed consent, and what is properly involved in decision-making in medicine.

  • This module will examine a range of key thinkers and themes in medieval philosophy, from the fourth to the fourteenth century, telling the story of the development and transmission of philosophical ideas along the way. It will begin in late antiquity, showing the ways in which medieval thought was built on the ancient Greek philosophical tradition. It will outline the transmission of Greek thought to the Arabic-speaking world, examine a number of Arabic philosophers, and consider the impact of Arabic thought on medieval philosophy in Paris. It will conclude with Duns Scotus, active in fourteenth century Paris and Oxford. Topics discussed will focus on problems in metaphysics, such as the nature of existence, universals, the mind, and time. The relationship between philosophy and theology (or reason and faith) will be a continuing theme. The primarily metaphysical content will make this module a companion to ‘PY2217/PY3217 Ancient Metaphysics’, although each module is designed to stand without the other. It will examine (in translation) texts originally written in Greek, Arabic, and Latin.

  1. Personal tutor in Philosophy and designated staff liaison in IR
  2. 25% modules in International Relations and 75% modules in Philosophy
  3. Lectures, seminars, small-group tutorials, workshops, fieldtrips, etc
  4. Diverse assessment methods from essays and exams to multiple choice questions, reports, reflective logs and oral presentations
  5. Emphasis on continuous feedback both orally and in writing

A Levels: ABB-BBB

Required subjects:

  • At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and Mathematics.

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. For students who are from backgrounds or personal circumstances that mean they are generally less likely to go to university, you may be eligible for an alternative lower offer. Follow the link to learn more about our contextual offers.

T-levels

We accept T-levels for admission to our undergraduate courses, with the following grades regarded as equivalent to our standard A-level requirements:

  • AAA* – Distinction (A* on the core and distinction in the occupational specialism)
  • AAA – Distinction
  • BBB – Merit
  • CCC – Pass (C or above on the core)
  • DDD – Pass (D or E on the core)

Where a course specifies subject-specific requirements at A-level, T-level applicants are likely to be asked to offer this A-level alongside their T-level studies.

English language requirements

All teaching at Royal Holloway (apart from some language courses) is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.

The scores we require
  • IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
  • Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
  • Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
  • Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.

Country-specific requirements

For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please visit here.

Undergraduate preparation programme

For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements, for this undergraduate degree, the Royal Holloway International Study Centre offers an International Foundation Year programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills.

Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.

A philosophy and international relations degree at Royal Holloway can lead into a variety of career paths. Our degrees not only promote academic achievement and employability but will see you learning to approach problems in a rigorous and analytical way, and to develop your abilities to communicate and debate in both speech and writing. You will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and experiences essential to advance your future career or move onto further study.

  • Get training in interview techniques and producing a good CV and a network of contacts
  • Roles of recent philosophy graduates include social and political researcher, data scientist, freelance journalist, teacher and senior consultant
  • Our graduates have found work with Accenture, Haymarket Media Group, Ministry of Justice, NHS, Save the Children and Amazon

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,250

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £25,900

Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.

How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.

*The tuition fee for UK undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 and is provided here as a guide. The fee for UK undergraduates starting in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed. 

**This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26.  

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for overseas fee-paying students. The increase for continuing students who start their degree in 2025/26 will be 5%.  For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.

*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included. 

2nd in the UK

for research (Politics and International Relations)

Source: THE, REF Institutions ranked by subject, 2022

Top 10

for Philosophy graduate prospects on track

Source: Complete University Guide, 2024

Explore Royal Holloway

Get help paying for your studies at Royal Holloway through a range of scholarships and bursaries.

There are lots of exciting ways to get involved at Royal Holloway. Discover new interests and enjoy existing ones.

Heading to university is exciting. Finding the right place to live will get you off to a good start.

Whether you need support with your health or practical advice on budgeting or finding part-time work, we can help.

Discover more about our academic departments and schools.

Find out why Royal Holloway is in the top 25% of UK universities for research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Royal Holloway is a research intensive university and our academics collaborate across disciplines to achieve excellence.

Discover world-class research at Royal Holloway.

Discover more about who we are today, and our vision for the future.

Royal Holloway began as two pioneering colleges for the education of women in the 19th century, and their spirit lives on today.

We’ve played a role in thousands of careers, some of them particularly remarkable.

Find about our decision-making processes and the people who lead and manage Royal Holloway today.