BA Philosophy and Italian (RV35)

2024 entry | view 2025 entry

Course summary

This degree combines philosophy with the study of Italian language, art, and culture, which have had a lasting impact on Western civilisation. Italian is one of the most studied languages in the world and is spoken globally. The course provides a valuable skill set, ideally tailored to the increasingly globalised workplace.

For philosophy, you will study units covering an introduction to philosophy, logic, and realism and normativity.

You will follow a structured language course in Italian, as well as explore Italy's rich history and culture, choosing from a range of options that focus on literature, cinema, thought, politics and visual culture. You will spend your third year abroad in Italy, extending your language skills and cultural knowledge. To find out more about studying abroad, visit Centre for Study Abroad.

Both departments encourage strong synergy between research and teaching, which results in a vibrant learning environment as staff respond to new research. This course combination offers an enriching experience with exciting intellectual challenges and a range of options that will allow you to pursue your own interests.

Teaching is delivered through lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops, and one-to-one project supervision. Assessments may include presentations, essays, commentaries, exams, collaborative projects, debates, podcasts, video essays, and dissertations.

Our course will ensure you practise a range of skills, which will make you attractive to future employers in the sector of your choice.

Italian can be studied from beginners' level and post-A level (or equivalent). As a modern languages student, you will have access to our state-of-the-art Multimedia Centre. You can also access extracurricular activities such as talks by visiting speakers, societies, language cafes, student newspapers, and talent shows.

Course structure

In your first year of philosophy, you will gain a grounding in the fundamentals of philosophy through two mandatory introductory units: one exploring issues in epistemology and metaphysics; the other concerning moral and political philosophy. You will also take a unit in critical thinking and logic.

In year two, you complete your foundation in philosophy with a mandatory unit on realism and normativity and conduct more detailed study in topics ranging from ethics to the philosophy of language.

In your final year, you may undertake an independent study unit on almost any topic in philosophy, writing an extended essay in consultation with a supervisor. Final-year taught units relate to the research interests of staff in areas ranging from global justice to philosophy of physics.

For Italian, as well as following a structured language course, you will study literature, history, thought, politics and cinema.

Full details about the course structure and units for this course can be viewed in the programme catalogue.

Go to programme catalogue

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

AAB
DDD in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma

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34 points overall with 17 at Higher Level
31 points overall with 15 at Higher Level

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80% overall
Advanced Higher: AB and Standard Higher: AAABB
Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include 24 credits at Distinction and 21 at Merit or above.

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Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.
Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

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