Bachelor of Philosophy - Eligibility, Scope, Career Options, Fees

What is a Bachelor of Philosophy - The Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) from the University of Oxford is a two-year, full-time graduate degree. The Oxford University BPhil programme is aimed at providing future PhD students who can possess a basis of knowledge and understanding of a number of philosophy subjects that they create in the teaching competence areas and conduct independent research in philosophy in their chosen areas. The Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford includes a combination of classes, one-to-one supervision and independent research. There is no fieldwork, industrial placement or year-abroad facilities in this course.

Highlights of Bachelor of Philosophy

Bachelor of Philosophy Eligibility

• A first-class or strong upper second-class UG degree with honours in philosophy or a closely related discipline.

• For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, most successful applicants have a GPA of 3.7.

• No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

• Candidates are required to possess English language proficiency.

Bachelor of Philosophy Admission

Candidates willing to pursue the Oxford University BPhil programme are required to complete the application form by entering their details and submitting the supporting documents. Applicants are required to provide three references for consideration, one of which will be an academic reference.

An official transcript by applicants is required to submit that gives detailed information about the individual grades received in their university-level qualifications to date. They should only upload official documents issued by their institution.

For applicants, a CV/résumé is compulsory. It should clearly state the overall grade that they have achieved in each university-level qualification they have undertaken, corresponding to the grades on their transcript. They need to write and submit a 500-word Statement of purpose/personal statement.

Applicants need to submit written work that should be academic essays or other writing samples on philosophical topics. The written work should be typed in English and clearly marked with the candidate’s name and the date of composition.

Note: If any document does not meet the requirement, the application may be considered incomplete and not evaluated by the academic department.

Bachelor of Philosophy Skills Required

There are certain skill sets that candidates are required to possess for pursuing the Oxford University Bachelor of Philosophy.

Problem-Solving - Problem-solving skill is essential to come up with solutions quickly to resolve issues. Such skill does not refer to superficial solutions. Students studying BPhil must have the problem-solving skill to think.

Reading and Research- Students seeking to pursue philosophy must have reading and research skills. They need to study multiple books to be able to process and understand the information that they read.

Reasoning- Reasoning is a must-have skill for aspirants to reason well. Such skills will make students able to understand the true reason for a lot of concepts and phenomena.

Analytical Mindset - Analytical mindset is paramount in the field of philosophy. An aspirant must be able to assess the situation and the information provided to him. He must instead analyse everything and then make their case.

Communication - Learning and discovering new concepts and thinking of new ideas require great communication skills to explain those ideas and concepts to others. Students should be able to debate well and explain concepts to people well.

Bachelor of Philosophy Fee Structure

The University of Oxford Bachelor of Philosophy fee for home students is £15,270. For overseas students, the fee is £30,910. The course fee covers teaching, other academic services and facilities provided to support the student’s studies.

Scope of Bachelor of Philosophy

After pursuing a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford, graduates may opt for doctoral programmes. BPhil students who progress to the Oxford University DPhil programme will have the advantage of skipping the first year of the DPhil as a Probationary Research Student and being allowed to incorporate the contents of their entire 30,000-word BPhil thesis into their 75,000-word DPhil thesis.

The students will also have only another six terms (instead of nine terms) of fee liability for their DPhil programme. Students of the Bachelor of Philosophy should apply for the DPhil programme in the same way as non-BPhil applicants, and they are assessed through the same application process.

Career Options after Bachelor of Philosophy

Upon completion of the Oxford University BPhil programme, graduates may explore academic careers, or other non-academic careers, including banking, law, management consultancy, information technology, teaching and public service.

Some popular job profiles include

Professor: The teaching profession is the most popular career path widely chosen by philosophy students who go on to become teachers.

Researcher: A researcher is responsible for conducting research using various methodologies. Research is the main aspect of Philosophy and those who are in research dedicate their team to discovering new meanings.

Author: An author is an individual who produces well-crafted pieces of work for others to read, learn and enjoy. If you have studied philosophy, you can write and publish articles and books.

Counsellor: Philosophy students who choose a career as a counsellor work with individuals and groups to improve their mental health and well-being. A counsellor also works in schools and colleges, providing support to students.

Interviewer: These are professionals who usually work for companies and sit through the process of recruiting. They assist the Human Resources department in selecting employees after careful and critical interaction.