Philosophy and Literature BA
AAB at A level, A in English Literature or English Language and Literature; graduates earn a median £23,000 three years on.
A in English Literature or English Language and Literature · 100% of entrants came with A levels · 100% stay on after year 1 · Warwick course page, Discover Uni
What do you need to get in?
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. Contextual offer: ABB, for applicants from under-represented backgrounds.
Warwick course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
- 1A in English Literature or English Language and Literature
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications4
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| IB | 34 points34 to include 6 in Higher Level English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined). | 6 in Higher Level English Literature or English Language and Literature |
| BTEC | —BTECs will be considered for this course. | — |
| Advanced Highers | AAAA in two Advanced Highers including English Literature, and ABB/BBB in Highers in 3 further subjects OR AB in two Advanced Highers including A in English Literature, and AAB in Highers in 3 further s | A in English Literature, and AAB in Highers in 3 further subjects |
| Access | 45 Credits at Level 3, including Distinction in 33 Level 3 credits and Merit in We will consider applicants returning to study who are presenting a QAA-recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma on a case-by-case basis. Typically, we require 45 Credits at Level 3, including Di | — |
What do you study?
Compulsory modules this year: arts & humanities 68% · transversal skills 18% · mathematics & statistics 12% · language & communication 3%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
Warwick course page · optional modules vary by year
- Modes of Reading
What you learn (13)
- analyse a literary or cultural work through multiple theoretical lenses
- conduct bibliographic research on modern literary and cultural works
- discuss literature's role in society and institutional authority debates
- discuss a literary work using varied theoretical questions
- define literary theory and literary criticism as distinct fields
- explain the historical emergence of literary theory and criticism as disciplines
- apply research skills to literary study
- apply close reading techniques to literary texts
- carry out critical analysis of modern literary works
- conduct bibliographic research on modern cultural works
- debate the role of literature within society and institutions
- evaluate readiness to progress to advanced literary theory study
- choose suitable honours-level literary specialisations
- Problems in Philosophy and Literature
What you learn (8)
- explain how core texts address central themes
- describe how philosophical and literary concerns intersect in texts
- formulate a personal interpretation of a core text's achievements
- support interpretive claims with evidence from the text
- respond constructively to alternative viewpoints in discussion
- evaluate philosophical arguments on key issues in literature
- analyse competing interpretive arguments about a text
- identify the unique contribution of texts blending philosophy and literature
- Introduction to Philosophy
What you learn (10)
- describe key debates across philosophical subject areas
- formulate a personal position on philosophical debates
- critique alternative philosophical viewpoints
- analyse philosophical arguments from different subject areas
- evaluate the strength of philosophical arguments
- identify the significance of canonical philosophical texts
- critique arguments presented in canonical philosophical texts
- explain the concept of logical validity and related notions
- apply formal techniques to demonstrate argument validity
- translate statements between first-order logic and English
Year 2 · 1 core, 3 optional · 30 credits ≈ 300 hours
- History of Modern Philosophy
What you learn (5)
- explain key ideas and arguments from modern philosophical texts
- evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of philosophical arguments
- formulate a personal position on philosophical debates
- compare differing interpretations of key philosophical texts
- present philosophical ideas verbally in group discussion
3 optional modules
- Ecopoetics: Poetry and World-Ecology
What you learn (11)
- devise a method for composing poetry outside a conventional writing space
- relate a chosen writing method to a current mode of engaging with environmental change
- summarise key environmental issues shaping contemporary life
- explain a structural link between differently scaled elements of an environmental issue
- chart the current landscape of poetic practice within ecopoetics
- position personal writing tendencies within the mapped field of ecopoetics
- reference scholarly and primary sources to support literary analysis
- analyse how ecopoetics generates varied, sometimes conflicting, environmental engagements
- compose an extended poetic work using a specific literary form
- justify the choice of poetic form used in a creative project
- explain how ecopoetics draws on multiple academic disciplines
- The Question of the Animal
What you learn (10)
- describe major historical developments in human-animal cultural relations
- explain key ideas of posthumanist theory applied to animal studies
- construct a critical argument about the question of the animal
- present an argument on animal-related texts in written form
- present an argument on animal-related texts orally
- apply critical reading skills to literary and cultural texts
- formulate a research question linking theoretical context to a text
- reference scholarly reviews and primary sources to support analysis
- organise research findings on set module materials
- examine the underlying premises of an argument
Year 3 · 0 core, 5 optional
5 optional modules
- Ecopoetics: Poetry and World-Ecology
What you learn (11)
- develop a personal method for writing outside the traditional desk-based setting
- apply a contemporary mode of engagement to represent environmental change in writing
- summarise the major environmental problems shaping life in the present century
- explain a structural link between environmental issues operating at different scales
- outline the current landscape of poetic practice relevant to ecological writing
- position one's own writing tendencies within the contemporary ecopoetic field
- use scholarly and primary sources to support analysis of poetic practice
- compose an extended piece of writing in a chosen poetic form or mode
- justify the choice of poetic form or mode used in a creative project
- explain the interdisciplinary demands placed on ecopoetic writing
- reflect on how a creative project addresses audiences from different disciplines
- Nietzsche in Context
What you learn (7)
- explain Nietzsche's central philosophical ideas and their significance
- evaluate Nietzsche's ideas through critical responses
- identify key claims within philosophical texts
- analyse the structure of philosophical arguments
- evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of philosophical views using examples
- present complex philosophical ideas clearly in spoken discussion
- participate constructively in philosophical dialogue with peers
- Philosophy of Photography
What you learn (7)
- explain central arguments in set texts and secondary literature on photography
- evaluate key claims and arguments of core philosophical texts
- assess scholarly debates arising from core texts
- formulate a personal position on competing philosophical viewpoints
- critique alternative viewpoints in philosophical literature
- compare methodological approaches used in philosophy of photography
- explain the philosophical significance of photography as art and visual aid
- Philosophy of Evil
What you learn (11)
- identify key historical philosophers who addressed the problem of evil
- describe how philosophical thought on evil has evolved over time
- explain core theoretical concepts in the philosophy of evil
- apply technical philosophical terminology relevant to the study of evil
- communicate philosophical ideas clearly in written form
- communicate philosophical ideas clearly in spoken discussion
- research primary and secondary philosophical texts independently
- present findings from philosophical source analysis
- evaluate complex philosophical texts critically
- construct original philosophical arguments on positions regarding evil
- defend a philosophical position against counterarguments
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
Where does it lead?
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 35 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 13, 14, 23
Half of graduates earned between £20,000 and £27,500. Five years on, the median is £31,500. 85% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 85% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 10% left | 100% | 15 |
| In work or study, 15 months on10% studying | 85% | 30 |
| Professional or managerial job | 85% | 20 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £30,000 | 15 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £23,000 | 35 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £31,500 | 35 |
What does it cost?
Tuition fee loan — paid straight to the university; repayments start the April after you leave, at 9% of income above the threshold. UK fees are capped by government and rise with inflation; placement and study-abroad years are usually charged at a lower rate.
Warwick fees page · source
About £30,150 in fees over 3 years, covered by a tuition fee loan you repay only when earning above the threshold.
What do students say?
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 86% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 10 students answered
Highest: 100% agreed on question 7; lowest: 58% on question 24.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 92% |
| Question 2 | 83% |
| Question 3 | 92% |
| Question 4 | 83% |
| Question 5 | 83% |
| Question 6 | 75% |
| Question 7 | 100% |
| Question 8 | 75% |
| Question 9 | 73% |
| Question 10 | 83% |
| Question 11 | 75% |
| Question 12 | 75% |
| Question 13 | 83% |
| Question 14 | 67% |
| Question 15 | 83% |
| Question 16 | 83% |
| Question 17 | 58% |
| Question 18 | 70% |
| Question 19 | 90% |
| Question 20 | 83% |
| Question 21 | 80% |
| Question 22 | 83% |
| Question 23 | 83% |
| Question 24 | 58% |
| Question 25 | 70% |
| Question 26 | 82% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of Warwick’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of Warwick is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.