About

Philosophy and psychology seek to answer profound questions about ourselves and our place in the social and physical universe. 

You’ll learn to read and understand scientific and philosophical texts; to use different research methods; to communicate clearly and logically; and to work and think independently. 

Key features of the Philosophy and Psychological Studies (Honours) course at The Open University UK

• Investigate profound questions about human minds and behaviour from two complementary perspectives

• Engage with current research and discover how both psychologists and philosophers address pressing, real-life issues.

• Learn how to evaluate evidence, construct well-informed arguments and present your conclusions convincingly.

• Develop valuable transferable skills that are highly prized in the workplace, including skills in communication, problem-solving, numeracy and self-management.  

Skills for career development

The disciplines of philosophy and psychology are highly regarded by employers, who prize graduates’ reasoning ability, clear thinking and specialist knowledge – and in particular, the skills vital to effective decision-making including:, selecting, interpreting, evaluating and presenting data, identifying and using relevant information to construct arguments, appreciating different ways to conceptualise and address a question, seeing different sides in a debate while being able to reason in favour of one, and thinking coherently about both abstract and practical matters.

You’ll also sharpen your writing and IT skills. All these attributes are greatly in demand in the world beyond study, whether you’re already working, volunteering, or changing career.

Career relevance

This degree is relevant to a broad range of careers, including:

• public administration, local government, the civil service, social services

• advertising, journalism, publishing, creative industries, public relations

• education and health

• management and human resources

• police and the law

• business, banking and retail

• charities, campaigning and policy development.

Other careers

Many graduate-level jobs are open to graduates of any discipline, particularly in business, finance, management consultancy and the public sector. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.