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  • Philosophy (Certificate of Higher Education)
  • 2012/2013 entry
  • Contact us
  • Assessment

    • 100% coursework in the form of essays (or essays and coursework exercises) amounting to 2500–3000 words.

  • Attendance

    • One evening a week for each module.

  • Duration

    • Two–four years.

  • Entry requirements

    • There are no specific entry requirements except an interest in the intellectual pursuit of philosophy. However, all modules are taught at university level and you should be able to read, write and speak English fluently in order to benefit fully from your studies and successfully complete your coursework. If you need help, we offer a range of academic English and language development modules.

  • Fees and funding
  • Financial support
      • If you are a new student starting on a course in autumn 2012, you may be able to get a student loan to cover your fees and other Birkbeck financial support. Check if you're eligible.
      • If you are already studying with us and continuing on a course that you started before autumn 2012, find out about financial support and see if you are eligible.
      • Not sure if you are a new or a continuing student? See here for more information.
  • Location
    • Central London.
  • Teaching

    • The topics and structure of the programme mirror that of the first year of Birkbeck's BA Philosophy, and you will join the BA lectures. After the lecture, which runs for an hour, there will be a seminar that will give you an opportunity to discuss the topic of the lecture with your fellow Certificate of Higher Education students and one of our experienced sessional lecturers.

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Philosophy (Certificate of Higher Education) - 2012/2013 entry


  • Overview
      • Progress directly into Year 2 of our BA Philosophy after successfully completing this programme*
      • Gain a University of London qualification – expand your knowledge and enhance your CV.
      • Gain an understanding of the key theories and concepts along with an historical perspective on the main philosophical problems. 
      • You may also enrol on any of the modules on an individual basis.

      * You must successfully complete six modules to enter Year 2 of our part-time BA Philosophy and all eight modules (i.e. complete the Certificate of Higher Education) to enter Year 2 of our full-time BA Philosophy. 

  • Why study this course at Birkbeck?

    • Socrates was executed in 399 BC by the Athenian establishment for challenging the scientific, ethical and religious orthodoxy of the day by his systematic examination of the human condition and the underlying structure of the world we live in. Socrates named his systematic inquiry 'philosophy', which literally means 'love of wisdom'. At his trial he famously proclaimed: 'The unexamined life is not worth living'. After his death sentence, he was required to carry out his own execution by consuming a deadly potion of the poisonous plant hemlock. Today, Birkbeck invites you to become part of an intellectual tradition started by Socrates – but without the hemlock!

      This programme introduces you to the historical and contemporary debates of philosophy and allows you to make connections between the ideas, beliefs and arguments which inform philosophical issues and debates. You will learn to articulate ideas in a systematic and logically rigorous way.

  • Course structure and modules
  • Further study opportunities

    • This programme is not only an award in its own right, but you can also use it as a springboard onto our BA Philosophy. You can go straight into the second year of our part-time BA Philosophy if you successfully complete the following six modules:

      • Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
      • Introduction to Modern Philosophy
      • Introduction to Metaphysics
      • Introduction to Epistemology
      • Introduction to Ethics 
      • Introduction to Political Philosophy. 

      You can apply to go straight into Year 2 of our full-time BA Philosophy if you successfully complete all eight modules of the Certificate of Higher Education, and into Year 2 of our part-time BA Philosophy if you successfully complete all six non-Logic modules.

      Students wishing to progress to the second year of the degree with credits gained from modules previously offered as part of the Certificate of Higher Education in Philosophy should contact the BA admissions tutor, who will consider each case individually.

  • How to apply/enrol

    • ME (modular enrolment): enrol for individual modules (see 'Course structure and modules').