June 27th 2015
Open Day
Philosophy at Durham
Peter Vickers (peter.vickers@durham.ac.uk)
Matthew Tugby (matthew.tugby@durham.ac.uk)
Student Ambassador: Charlie Smith (c.h.smith@durham.ac.uk)
www.dur.ac.uk/philosophy/opendays/
(These slides are available online from the above page)
Who we are
• Peter Vickers
• Matthew Tugby
• Charlie Smith
– Student Ambassador
Available programmes
• Single Honours Philosophy (AAA)
• Joint Honours, Philosophy and…
– Theology (AAA)
– Politics (AAA) – including at least one social
science/humanities subject
– Psychology (AAA) – you need at least a C in GCSE maths
– English (A*AA) – must include English A level
• Liberal Arts
– Combining modules from a wider range of subjects,
with great flexibility (A*AA)
Available programmes
• Music
– Music and Philosophy: AAB – including an A-level in Music
• Natural Sciences
– Philosophy and Physics: A*AA
– Mathematics and Philosophy: A*AA
• School of Education
– Education Studies – Philosophy: AAA
• Economics
– Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE): A*AA
Entry grades, offers, and competition
for entry
• AAB, AAA, and A*AA (as per the previous two slides)
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International Baccalaureate?
36 IB (AAB)
37 IB, with 666 at higher level (AAA)
38 IB, with 666 at higher level or 766 for Natural Sciences (A*AA)
• N.B. We have to turn away many applicants who meet our
requirements!
• In 2014-15 there were 336.5 direct-entry applications (nearly
all of which met our requirements) for 51.5 places
• But for AAA programmes many applicants with (only) AAA
get in, and some with A*AA (or better) do not, depending on
the quality of the personal statement and reference
Advice on personal statements
• Be specific and give details
– E.g. avoid “I have read X, Y, and Z and found them
fascinating…”
• Talk about philosophical ideas/debates that you
are interested in (why are you interested in
them?)
• If a joint honours application, be specific about
how you see the two subjects complementing
each other
• Include a paragraph on non-academic
achievements
We’re expanding…
https://www.dur.ac.uk/philosophy/staff/
Lots going on…
• http://www.durhamemergenceproject.co.uk/
• http://community.dur.ac.uk/evaluating.realis
m/
• http://hearingthevoice.org/
• https://www.dur.ac.uk/cech/
Lots going on…
• http://chess-centre.org/
Some exciting research…
• http://www.polity.co.uk/book.a
sp?ref=9780745645469
Durham Philosophy Modules
• Our philosophy modules reflect the research
expertise in the department
• All core areas of philosophy are covered
• Let’s take a look at the module list:
https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/philosophy/cu
rrentstudents/Handbook14-15.pdf
Teaching and Assessment
• Year-long modules
• Group-taught modules
• Lectures, seminars and tutorials
• Range of assessment options
Philsoc
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/19942418
8984/events/
• One of the biggest and best philosophy
societies in the UK
– Attracts top philosophers for seminars/lectures
– Conferences/workshops
– Coffee mornings and nights out
– End of year ball
International visiting speakers
• Peter Singer in 2015
– Professor of Bioethics at Princeton
• Noam Chomsky in 2014
– Professor Emeritus at MIT
Job prospects?
• Evidence from our alumni:
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Business/IT/Finance
Charity
Civil Service
Journalism/Media/Publishing
Law
Marketing
Teaching/Academia
Miscellaneous
Business/IT/Finance
• International CEO of McDonalds (Steve Easterbrook)
• Working for McLaren in Woking doing software for running formula 1
cars
• Executive Director of Citigroup Global Markets
• Graduate programme at KPMG in London
• Chief Information Officer at UK Power Networks
• UK Social Investment Advisor for Shell
• Corporate Communications Officer in at a sustainability organization in
Amsterdam
• Assistant Manager in Corporate Finance (Deloitte)
• Internal Auditor to a multinational plc called Reckitt Benckiser
• Manager, Commercial Assurance, PwC
• Associate Director at Coutts (private bank services)
• Management Consultant at Accenture
• Management consultant in New York for PwC
Charity
• Government Relations Adviser for Amnesty
International Australia
• Head of Policy & Public Affairs at Mencap)
• Hostel manager (homeless sector)
• Consultant at an international development
consultancy firm, working on evaluating the impact of
international aid programmes
• Head of the Student Counselling Service at Newcastle
University/charity work for torture victims
• Currently in the West Bank serving as an Ecumenical
Accompanier
Civil Service
• Civil Servant, working as Head of European Policy in the
Intellectual Property Office
• PA to the Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in
Beijing
• Programme Manager for an Adult Education department
within local government
• Working for PwC's strategy consulting Economics & Policy
team in London. “I work for government and public sector
clients, who tend to bring in strategy consultants when they
want or need to do something radically differently to how
it's been done in the past.”
• Working for the Department for Communities and Local
Government on local economic growth policy
Journalism/Media/Publishing
• Writer and columnist at The Guardian
• Desk Editor at Ashgate Publishing
• Associate Producer, working in factual development for an
independent television company
• Freelance journalist, writing for the Telegraph, Guardian,
Independent and various other newspapers and magazines
• Journalist specialising in writing about the business of F1
• Running a publishing company:
www.freeassociationpublishing.com
• Film journalist and Video Producer
• Working for ITV in a number of roles “currently using
research and analytical skills to support programme
commissioners”
Law
• Child protection solicitor
• Training to be a barrister
• Solicitor for nearly 30 years and qualified as a Notary
Public 4 years ago
• A partner in the London office of a law firm named
Trowers & Hamlins, specializing in commercial litigation
• Trainee solicitor at a law firm (Trowers & Hamlins)
• Training contract at Eversheds in Leeds (Commercial
law)
• I joined Linklaters as a trainee solicitor in 1996 and am
now a partner at Linklaters
Marketing
• Marketing Strategist at O2
• Head of Corporate Brand for Morrisons (the
supermarket)
• Marketing Assistant
• Marketing Manager at an Information Security
firm near Manchester
• Market research strategy consultant
Teaching/Academia
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Head of Religious Studies and Philosophy at a large Catholic secondary school in
Birmingham
University Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy
Teaching at a Junior College in Singapore (Singaporean equivalent of 6th form)
Deputy head at a secondary school
Postdoctoral fellow in human osteology (biological anthropology)
Head of RE at a large Catholic High School in Northumberland
Loughborough Grammar School as a 'Teacher of Humanities'
Tutor at Heythrop College, University of London and also Head of Philosophy at
Sutton Grammar School
Lecturer in Philosophy at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia)
Academic Registrar at Oxford Brookes University
ESL teacher in Shanghai, China (working for a multinational English Teaching
company: Wall Street English)
Formerly Senior Advisor for Subject Centres and Academic Lead for Online
Learning. Since 2011 I have been an independent consultant in higher education.
Miscellaneous
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Running a small adventure activity company
Vicar of Bolton
Army officer specialising in media operations
Senior child protection social worker
Police constable
Career Advisor at the University of Manchester
Private practice in Play Therapy and Filial (parentchild) Therapy
Student perspective
• Charlie Smith
• Studying Philosophy single honours (with a
module in Psychology)
• College: Trevelyan
• A-levels in English, Theology, Geography, and
Art
– Magdalen College School, Oxford
Further information
• Student and Departmental Handbook
– Available online here:
– https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/philosophy/curr
entstudents/Handbook14-15.pdf
• The Department website:
– https://www.dur.ac.uk/philosophy/
• These slides:
– www.dur.ac.uk/philosophy/opendays/
Questions?