ObjectivesA degree in Philosophy and Hispanic Studies allows you to develop your understanding of the Spanish language, and of Spanish and Latin American culture and society, at the same time as learning about philosophical issues that have challenged thinkers for centuries. In this degree course you will normally take half of your modules in Hispanic Studies and half in Philosophy. The course lasts four years, including a year abroad. We offer a large number of year abroad options in Spain and Latin America, and are flexible in making arrangements to suit your interests. We have outstanding success in securing placements with the British Council's language-teaching assistantship schemes in Spain and Latin America. Hispanic Studies: On the Hispanic Studies side of the degree about a third of teaching time is devoted to developing your written and oral fluency in Spanish, supported by small-group learning on a weekly basis and by language laboratory, video and satellite TV facilities as well as weekly classes with native speakers. Level one provides a grounding in the language, culture, history and society of Spain and Latin America. All Single Honours students take Portuguese or Catalan, and these are also available to suitably qualified Dual Honours students. Levels two and three offer very broad coverage of diverse aspects of Spanish and Latin American society, history and culture, including film, music, literature, art and sport. Level three also includes practice-based modules in interpreting, translating and musical performance. Language learning remains central, but otherwise you have an extensive choice of optional modules. This allows you to build your own pathway and set your own challenges, all within a framework of support from personal tutors. Philosophy: The Philosophy Department offers an exciting range of courses taught by researchers who are experts in their fields. You can develop your understanding of the key areas of Philosophy such as Ethics, Philosophy of Mind, Theory of Knowledge, Political Philosophy, Metaphysics and Logic. We also have courses on major figures in the history of Philosophy such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hegel and others. The Philosophy side of the degree is highly flexible, with no required modules.
Entry requirementsEntry requirements GCE/VCE A Levels - ABB Two GCE A Levels plus two GCE AS Levels - AB+BB Scottish Highers - AAAA-AAAB/AAB Irish Leaving Cert. - AAABB-AABBB International Baccalaureate - 35-33 points Core Requirements - Grade B in a foreign language at GCE A Level
Academic titleBA Philosophy and Hispanic Studies
Course descriptionOur students usually select from a range of compulsory and optional modules to add up to 120 credits.
Some departments offer courses that don't feature optional modules whereas other courses are fully flexible.
Important notice :
This is a list of modules that have been offered in the past. We expect similar modules to be offered for courses starting in 2009.
This information is provided for illustration only and you should check with the department directly when applying to confirm module options.
Typical First Year Modules
Module/Unit Credits
Critical Thinking 20
Human Rights 20
Matters of Life and Death 20
Mind, Brain and Personal Identity 20
Philosophy of Art and Literature 20
Spanish Advanced: Language and Culture I 20
Spanish Advanced: Language and Culture II 20
Spanish Beginners: Language and Culture I 20
Spanish Beginners: Language and Culture II 20
Areas of Philosophy 10
History of Philosophy 10
Key Arguments 10
Knowledge, Justification and Doubt 10
Philosophy of Religion 10
Philosophy of Science 10
Typical Second Year Modules
Module/Unit Credits
Advanced Spanish Language I 10
Advanced Spanish Language II 10
Descartes and The Empiricists 20
Ethics: Theoretical and Practical 20
Ethics: Theoretical and Practical 20
Feminism 20
Formal Logic 20
Paradoxes 20
Philosophy of Art and Literature 20
Philosophy of Law 20
Philosophy of Mind 20
Plato 20
Political Philosophy 20
Political Philosophy 20
Reference and Truth 20
The Rationalists 20
The Social Contract 20
Theory of Knowledge 20
Topics in Ancient Philosophy 20
Topics in Ancient Philosophy 20
Cinema, Nation and Identity in the Hispanic World 10
Contemporary Latin America (Cuba) 10
Contemporary Latin America (Mexico) 10
Cuban Culture and the Revolution 10
Further Portuguese: Language and Culture I 10
Further Portuguese: Language and Culture II 10
Hispanic Film and Human Rights 10
Intensive Catalan I 10
Intensive Catalan II 10
Intensive Portuguese I 10
Intensive Portuguese II 10
Linguistic Developments in Modern Spain 10
Narrative Perspectives on Post-Civil War Spain 10
Representations of Latin America 10
Spain and Enlightenment 10
Spanish American 20th-Century Literature I 10
Spanish Language in Business Contexts 10
The Novels of Benito Perez Galdos 10
Troubled Times: Writers and Social Conflict in the Spain of the 1930s 10
Typical Third Year Modules
Module/Unit Credits
Hispanic Studies Year Abroad 40
Hispanic Studies Year Abroad 40
Hispanic Studies Year Abroad (Project) 20
Hispanic Studies Year Abroad (Project) 20
Typical Fourth Year Modules
Module/Unit Credits
Advanced Spanish Language III 10
Advanced Spanish Language IV 10
Advanced Logic 20
Aristotle 20
Desires of One's Own 20
Desires of One's Own 20
Dissertation 20
Epistemology 20
Feminism: Rationality and Politics 20
Hegel and His Critics 20
Hobbes and Hume 20
Kant 20
Metaphysics 20
Morality, Identity and Freedom 20
Philosophical Problems 1 20
Philosophical Problems II 20
Philosophy of Language 20
Philosophy of Mathematics 20
Philosophy of Psychology 20
Philosophy of Science 20
Possible Worlds 20
Pragmatism 20
Spanish Language Teaching 20
The Imagination 20
Theories of Rights 20
Value Theory 20
Catalan Advanced: Language and Culture I 10
Catalan Advanced: Language and Culture II 10
Contemporary Argentina 10
Dissidence and Debate in Early 20th-Century Spain 10
Genesis and Genre: From Novel to Play to Screen: Galdos Today 10
Interpreting Skills 10
Law and Culture in the Hispanic World 10
Media Ethics in the Hispanic World 10
Modern Peru 10
Modern Uruguayan Narrative 10
Musical Performance and Hispanic Culture 10
Popular Culture and Society in Latin America 10
Portuguese Advanced: Language and Culture I 10
Portuguese Advanced: Language and Culture II 10
Portuguese Advanced: Language and Culture III 10
Portuguese Advanced: Language and Culture IV 10
Sexual Politics in Latin American Fiction 10
Spain Since 1975 10
The Politics and Fiction of Crisis: 1868 - 1898 10
The Rise of Popular Culture in Latin American Fiction 10