University of York Speciality : Philosophy
programme: Philosophy

Often when I tell others that I study Philosophy at York, I’m met with raised eyebrows and questions of boredom or density.

However – this course, its teachers and my peers within it have only shown me how important philosophy is today. The courses themselves – ranging from Logic to Ancient Ethics to Perception and Psychology, do have a range in their challenges, with a sure need to translate the verbiage if you’re not already familiar with it. I definitely recommend knowing what background knowledge is required for each module (if you’re not comfortable with maths or algebra you will be very uncomfortable with logic. If you hate politics or sociology, feminist philosophy will not be for you!)

Despite this, the staff and professors always make sure to help with those translations – and will always display the importance of these abstract theories in real life.

One of the criticisms I have of the course is the lack of non-cumulative examination. All examination (save the dissertation itself and a small project in first year) is done via an essay or exam. There is no official group work or alternative modes of presentation – which is a little archaic, especially when similar courses such as Politics or English offer project work continuously.

As a black student who identifies as queer, the classes have continously been made sure to be a safe space for me. This in tandem with the entire campus. Despite this, York, along with other Russell Groups is starving for more racial and class based diversity.