The second year

Developing your knowledge

Your second year of study builds upon the progress which you made in your first year, both by furthering your knowledge of areas of philosophy which you've already encountered and by introducing you to new and exciting philosophical topics. The development of your ability to critically evaluate arguments and ideas is an essential part of your Philosophy degree - indeed it's part of what makes the possession of philosophical capacities so useful within life more generally - and the second year of study marks the point at which you are likely to start seriously developing your own philosophical viewpoints.  

A broad spread of modules

Philosophy, more than any other subject, has addressed a wide and varied range of fundamental human concerns; and that fact is mirrored in the array of module choices which we make available to our second year students. As you'd expect, our second year modules cover more specialised philosophical areas than our first year ones: our 15 or so second year modules will typically include ones examining the subject's ancient and more recent history; modules examining issues in moral and in political philosophy; and ones focusing on, say, feminism, knowledge, language, logic and the mind.     

Assessment

Our second year modules are typically assessed using a mixture of coursework and exams. The coursework takes the form of essays on philosophical topics covered in the module and accounts of 50% of the module's final mark. The exams may either be pre-released or unseen, depending on what works best for the course in question.  

Open days, applying and contacts

Ready to apply? Want to visit? Then click one of the links below for further information about applying to study Philosophy at Sheffield:

• Open days
• The applications process
• Contact us