Communications and Philosophy

Communications and philosophy is an unusual and rewarding combination that brings together the practical study of how meaning is made and transmitted with the analytical and conceptual rigour of philosophical inquiry. Communications as a discipline examines media, rhetoric, discourse, and the systems through which individuals and societies share information and construct shared understandings. Philosophy asks foundational questions about knowledge, truth, value, and argument, providing the conceptual tools to examine not just what is communicated but what communication means and how it should be evaluated.

Together, the two subjects develop graduates who are both practically capable communicators and critically reflective about the nature and ethics of communication itself.

At Nottingham Trent University, this part-time programme combines the practical and conceptual dimensions of both disciplines in a structured and intellectually demanding way. You will study the theory and practice of communications, exploring how media works, how rhetoric operates, and how communication strategies are designed and evaluated in different contexts. Alongside this, you will engage with the major areas of philosophy, including ethics, epistemology, political philosophy, and the philosophy of language, developing the critical and analytical skills that philosophical study demands.

The programme includes a sandwich year with a work placement, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge in a professional context and to develop the practical credentials that employers value.

Graduates from this combination go on to careers in media, journalism, public relations, communications consultancy, advertising, education, policy, the civil service, and many other fields where clear thinking, persuasive writing, and critical awareness of how communication works are genuinely valuable. The philosophical training also develops the kind of rigorous analytical capability that is useful in law, research, and any professional role that requires careful reasoning about complex questions.