Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics

There are close connections between the three subjects of Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics, so studying them together makes a lot of sense. Psychology includes subjects as diverse as social interaction, learning, child development, schizophrenia and information processing. Philosophy is concerned with a wide range of questions including ethics, knowledge and the nature of mind. Linguistics is the study of language in all its aspects, including the structure of languages, meaning (semantics), how children learn language, pronunciation, and how people understand, mentally represent and generate language.

Psychology at Oxford is essentially a scientific discipline, involving the rigorous formulation and testing of ideas. It works through experiments and systematic observation rather than introspection. The Oxford Experimental Psychology Department is widely regarded as one of the leading psychology departments in the UK. At present, there are particularly strong groups in the fields of human cognitive processes, neuroscience, language, developmental and social psychology.

The Oxford Philosophy Faculty is the largest philosophy department in the UK, and one of the largest in the world. Many faculty members have a worldwide reputation, and library and other facilities are acknowledged as among the best in the country. Philosophy at Oxford has active interests in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of science, and has very close links with those working in neuroscience and psychology.

The Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics is the newest Faculty in Oxford; it brings together internationally-renowned scholars working in theoretical and descriptive linguistics (especially syntax, semantics and phonology), experimental phonetics, psycholinguistics, linguistics of the Romance languages, historical linguistics and comparative philology. Unlike other subjects in the humanities, it includes two scientific research laboratories – the Language and Brain Laboratory, and the Phonetics Laboratory.

You apply to study any pair of the three; subject to college approval, you may be permitted to study all three after two terms.

Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics students can enter careers in fields including professional psychology, education, research, medicine, the health services, finance, commerce, industry, the media and information technology. Some careers will require further study and/or training after your degree.

If you study Psychology as part of PPL and it constitutes 50% of your course, your degree is accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, provided you study sufficient psychology and the minimum standard of a Second Class Honours is achieved. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

Students interested in this course might also like to consider Experimental Psychology, Human Sciences, or Modern Languages and Linguistics.