Bachelor of Philosophy

Last updated
Bachelor of Philosophy
AcronymBPhil
BPh
PhB
Type Bachelor's degree
Duration2 to 5 years

Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; Latin : Baccalaureus Philosophiae or Philosophiae Baccalaureus) is the title of a postgraduate academic degree in philosophy that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's degrees, the BPhil is typically awarded to individuals who have already completed a traditional undergraduate degree.

Contents

In China, the Bachelor of Philosophy is one of the thirteen statutory types of bachelor's degrees. It is awarded to students who have completed an undergraduate program with a major in Philosophy, Critical Thinking, or Religious Studies. [1] [2]

University of Oxford

The BPhil's earliest form was as a University of Oxford graduate degree, first awarded in 1682. Originally, Oxford named its pre-doctoral graduate degrees the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) and the Bachelor of Letters (BLitt). The BPhil was a two-year degree plan partly taught and completed through research requirements. The BLitt was a two-year research degree. After complaints, especially from overseas students, that this naming convention often meant that graduate degrees were not being recognised as such, the university renamed them Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Master of Letters (MLitt). However, the Philosophy Faculty [3] (then a sub-faculty) argued that its BPhil degree had become so well-known and respected in the philosophical world that it would be confusing to change the name. In philosophy, therefore, the degree continues to be called the BPhil. Those who pass the degree are given the choice of taking a BPhil or an MPhil; few, if any, choose the latter.[ citation needed ] (Note that Oxford also offers a number of other graduate degrees labeled as baccalaureate degrees: the law faculty's BCL, and the music faculty's BMus.)

Today's Oxford BPhil course is a two-year programme of seminars, six essays (of up to 5,000 words each) and a research thesis (max. 30,000 words). The BPhil is regarded as a very demanding degree, and an academic background in philosophy is a prerequisite for admission.

The Oxford BPhil was designed to be a preparation for teaching philosophy at university level. Today it often also provides a foundation for doctoral (DPhil or PhD) work in philosophy. Notable graduates of the BPhil include: Cora Diamond, Daniel Dennett, George Boolos, Galen Strawson, G. A. Cohen, J. J. C. Smart, Patricia Churchland, Peter Singer, R. M. Hare, Richard Swinburne, Rosalind Hursthouse, Thomas Friedman, Thomas Nagel, and William MacAskill. Filmmaker Terrence Malick started a BPhil course but left without a degree after a disagreement with his adviser, Gilbert Ryle. [4]

Catholic Seminaries

The Bachelor of Philosophy degree (or a Master of Philosophy) is often awarded by Catholic seminaries to matriculating students who have already achieved an undergraduate degree. These students are usually in the discipleship stage of formation for two years, taking the 30 philosophy credits required for the degree. At the end of this stage, the seminarian usually then pursues a Master of Divinity, Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, and/or a Master of Arts. Examples of seminaries that award this degree are:

Other universities

Several universities have adopted the Oxford model of the BPhil as a graduate degree, either as originally intended (in a variety of academic subjects) or as it subsequently developed (in philosophy only); for example, Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram and Newcastle University.

At other universities, the term Bachelor of Philosophy refers to an undergraduate bachelor's degree. Frequently, the degree is either research-based or involves additional academic components, (e.g. independent study, interdisciplinary study, foreign language requirements, etc.). For example, at Pennsylvania State University, the BPhil program enables students to plan their own academic programs in conjunction with a faculty preceptor. At Miami University's Western College Program, BPhil candidates participate in a residential program, worked with faculty to design individualized majors, and produce a thesis. At University of Pittsburgh Honors College, BPhil candidates must pass oral examinations of a senior thesis. Northwestern University's BPhil degree requires two years of a foreign language. The University of Birmingham offers the BPhil as a taught, research-based undergraduate degree in the fields of education and counselling. The University of New Brunswick offers the BPhil as a seminar-based degree in interdisciplinary leadership. The Technical University of Kenya offers the BPhil to those with higher diplomas in various subjects. Stellenbosch University offers a BPhil in journalism. Prospective students must have obtained a recognised undergraduate degree in any discipline and sat for the department's entrance examination, which is written across South Africa. Top-performing applicants are then invited to interview for final selection. The BPhil is regarded as one of the most sought after and demanding postgraduate offerings at the university.

In 1948 the University of Chicago offered a PhB which differed from the BA in that it required two fewer non-required courses. The degree was offered by the college as part of the Hutchins program that allowed students to matriculate after two years of high school. Yale College has historically offered PhB programs.

Australia

Australian National University

The Bachelor of Philosophy (PhB) is an individually tailored, research-based undergraduate degree in arts/social sciences [5] or the natural sciences. [6] Students undertake supervised research courses, entitled Advanced Studies Courses, [7] [8] each semester with researching academics, often on a one-to-one basis. Admission is open to the top one per cent of school-leavers (ATAR 99.00 or greater). The duration of the program is four years, including an honours year, where a research thesis is undertaken. In order to graduate with the degree, students are required to maintain a high distinction average (80 per cent and above) across all courses in each semester of the degree and must complete the honours year with first-class honours. [6]

Macquarie University

The first year of Macquarie University's Master of Research program is referred to as a Bachelor of Philosophy. [9]

University of Western Australia

The University of Western Australia also offers the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) course for high-achieving new students. This is a research intensive degree which takes four years including an honours year and a research placement unit in second or third year. Students studying the course choose disciplines from any of the bachelor's degrees. Places are very limited with on average only about 30 places offered to students each year. Thus there is a lot of competition for places and the cut-off admission rank is very high. [10]

University of Tasmania

The Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) is an intellectually challenging, high impact award that provides academic extension, personal development, and recognition for experiences outside the traditional degree structure, [11] and it is available to students who are undertaking, or have undertaken, another undergraduate degree. Enrolment in the degree is limited to high achieving students who are deemed to be capable of successfully completing additional study alongside their principal degree. The BPhil is not offered as a standalone degree at UTAS and can only be completed concurrent with, or after completion of a principal undergraduate degree and entrants must have an ATAR above 90 or a current GPA above 5.5. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postgraduate education</span> Phase of higher education

Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bachelor of Arts</span> Undergraduate degree, usually for the liberal arts

A Bachelor of Arts is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years, depending on the country and institution.

A bachelor's degree or baccalaureate is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years. The two most common bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science. In some institutions and educational systems, certain bachelor's degrees can only be taken as graduate or postgraduate educations after a first degree has been completed, although more commonly the successful completion of a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for further courses such as a master's or a doctorate.

A doctorate or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi.

A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in business, management, economics or accounting, awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, Egypt, and additional Commonwealth countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thesis</span> Work by academic candidate

A thesis, or dissertation, is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings. In some contexts, the word thesis or a cognate is used for part of a bachelor's or master's course, while dissertation is normally applied to a doctorate. This is the typical arrangement in American English. In other contexts, such as within most institutions of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the reverse is true. The term graduate thesis is sometimes used to refer to both master's theses and doctoral dissertations.

Degree abbreviations are used as an alternative way to specify an academic degree instead of spelling out the title in full, such as in reference books such as Who's Who and on business cards. Many degree titles have more than one possible abbreviation, with the abbreviation used varying between different universities. In the UK it is normal not to punctuate abbreviations for degrees with full stops, although this is done at some universities.

The system of academic degrees at the University of Oxford originates in the Middle Ages and has evolved since the University's founding in 1096.

A Master of Engineering is a professional master's degree in the field of engineering.

In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies.

Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or both, rather than an "ordinary", "general" or "pass" bachelor's degree. Honours degrees are sometimes indicated by "Hons" after the degree abbreviation, with various punctuation according to local custom, e.g. "BA (Hons)", "B.A., Hons", etc. In Canada, honours degrees may be indicated with an "H" preceding the degree abbreviation, e.g. "HBA" for Honours Bachelor of Arts or Honours Business Administration.

A Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate degree. An MPhil may be awarded to postgraduate students after completing taught coursework and one to two years of original research, which may also serve as a provisional enrolment for a PhD programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominican University College</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master of Arts</span> Type of masters degree in the fields of humanities and social sciences

A Master of Arts is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have typically studied subjects within the scope of the humanities and social sciences, such as history, literature, languages, linguistics, public administration, political science, communication studies, law or diplomacy; however, different universities have different conventions and may also offer the degree for fields typically considered within the natural sciences and mathematics. The degree can be conferred in respect of completing courses and passing examinations, research, or a combination of the two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bachelor of Science</span> Type of bachelors degree

A Bachelor of Science is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.

A Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMedSci, BMedSc, BSc(Med), BMSc) is an undergraduate academic degree involving study of a variety of disciplines related to human health leading to an in depth understanding of human biology and associated research skills such as study design, statistics and laboratory techniques. Such disciplines include biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, pharmacology or psychosocial aspects of health. It is an equivalent level qualification to the more commonly awarded Bachelor of Science (BSc). Graduates may enter a diverse range of roles including post-graduate study, higher education, the biotechnology industry, the pharmaceutical industry, consultancy roles, scientific communication, education or unrelated disciplines which make use of the broad range of transferable skills gained through this degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor of Law</span> Doctorate in legal studies

A Doctor of Law is a doctorate in legal studies.

The Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE), formerly known as the Faculty of Business, was founded in 1890 and first offered degrees in Economics and is the business and economics school of the University of Tasmania. It offers the undergraduate Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Economics degrees, as well as postgraduate degrees and a Master of Business Administration program. The School is also associated with the Australian Innovation Research Centre, as well as the Australian Institute of Health Service Management.

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of Education (22 January 2019). "普通高等学校本科专业目录－国务院国有资产监督管理委员会". State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council . Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. ↑ National People's Congress (28 August 2004). "中华人民共和国学位条例 - 中华人民共和国教育部政府门户网站". Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China . Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Home - Faculty of Philosophy". www.philosophy.ox.ac.uk.
  4. ↑ Tucker, Thomas Deane; Kendall, Stuart, eds. (2011). Terrence Malick: Film and Philosophy. Bloomsbury. ISBN   978-1-4411-4895-7.
  5. ↑ "Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) - Arts and Social Science - ANU". programsandcourses.anu.edu.au.
  6. 1 2 "Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) - Science - ANU". programsandcourses.anu.edu.au.
  7. ↑ "Advanced Studies 3 - ANU". programsandcourses.anu.edu.au.
  8. ↑ "Advanced Studies 1 - ANU". programsandcourses.anu.edu.au.
  9. ↑ "How to apply". Macquarie University. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "The University of Western Australia | UWA | Perth".
  11. ↑ "Bachelor of Philosophy - Tasmanian Institute of Learning & Teaching - University of Tasmania, Australia". www.utas.edu.au. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "UTAS Course Detail". courses.utas.edu.au.
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