Masters degrees in Philosophy of Psychology involve advanced study of the philosophical and conceptual issues underlying the theory and practice of Psychology.
Related postgraduate specialisms include Philosophy of Health & Happiness and Mental Philosophy. Entry requirements typically include an appropriate undergraduate degree such as Psychology or Philosophy.
This course will suit students with an undergraduate philosophy degree and those converting to philosophy from another subject (for instance, psychology) at undergraduate level. For philosophy graduates, it will consolidate and augment their existing knowledge, with a special emphasis on philosophy of psychology and philosophy of mind. For conversion students, it is designed to introduce them to key texts, concepts and arguments from right across the philosophical spectrum.
Over the cours of the degree you will develop skills and knowledge through our modules and your own research. Sixty of your 180 credits on the course will come from a dissertation of around 10,000 words, on an approved topic in the philosophy of psychology/mind, to be completed over the summer at the end of the course. If you have satisfactorily completed the course up to the point of the dissertation you may exit the programme early and recieve a Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy of Psychology on the basis of your 120 credits.
Our required modules will give you a deep understanding in the field, and you will then be free to choose the remaining 40 credits from our list of master's courses, or, with permission, through relevant modules in other departments. For students who have previously taken a philosophy degree, this will allow you to explore and deepen your expertise
This programme is suited both to students with an undergraduate philosophy degree and to those converting to philosophy from another subject (for instance, psychology) at undergraduate level. For philosophy graduates, it will consolidate and augment their existing knowledge, with a special emphasis on philosophy of psychology and philosophy of mind, and it will provide a firm foundation for subsequent independent research in this area. For conversion students, there is a General Philosophy module which is designed specifically to introduce them to key texts, concepts and arguments from right across the philosophical spectrum: by means of this module, in conjunction with their more specialised studies in the philosophy of psychology, such students will also be prepared for further research.
We will teach you through lectures and seminars.
You will be assessed through a combination of examination and coursework , as well as a dissertation.
There has been an increasing interest in happiness in many disciplines including healthcare, philosophy, psychology, economics and ethics.
At the same time the concepts of wellness health, illness and disease have become issues of controversy.
This programme focuses on happiness and its overlap with health and wellbeing asking questions such as: What is happiness and health? How does illness affect our understanding of what matters? Do our views about death and mortality affect how happy we are? You will explore issues at the intersection of philosophy, ethics, psychology and medicine, which have important implications for policy and health care. This programme is aimed at graduates with a background in philosophy, psychology, theology, health sciences, medicine or social sciences.
We also offer this programme by distance learning - see Philosophy of Health and Happiness MA (Distance Learning).
You will study six taught modules, three of which are core Philosophy modules:
Your remaining three modules are optional, and can be chosen from the range offered by the Department of Philosophy, such as:
Assessment
Modules are assessed by written assignment. You will also complete a 15,000-word dissertation, with support from a supervisor.
As well as the taught modules you take on this programme, you are encouraged to participate in our weekly Postgraduate Seminar and in the regular meetings of PhilSoc, so you'll be able to gain insight from a range of academics and peers from across the department.
Support with academic writing
As a postgraduate student in the College of Arts and Law, you have access to the Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) which aims to help your transition from undergraduate to taught Masters level, or back into academia after time away. The service offers guidance on writing assignments and dissertations for your MA/MSc programme with individual support from an academic writing advisor via tutorials, email and the provision of online materials.
International students can access support for English Language development and skills through the Birmingham International Academy (BIA).
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University.
The University's Careers Network provides advice and information specifically for postgraduates that will help you to develop an effective career and skills development strategy, and to make the most of your time with us at the University. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team to deliver tailored programmes of careers events and local support.
You will have opportunities to: meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs; attend employer presentations and skills workshops; receive individual guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique; and access to comprehensive listings of hundreds of graduate jobs and work experience opportunities.
You will also be able to access our full range of careers support for up to two years after graduation.
Postgraduate employability: Philosophy
Birmingham's Philosophy postgraduates develop a range of skills that are highly desirable in the job market, including: articulacy; precise analytical thought; clarity; rigour in formulating complex problems; and the ability to analyse and construct sound arguments.
Due to the transferable nature of their skills, Philosophy postgraduates traditionally enter a wide range of employment areas, from teaching and lecturing to publishing. Employers that graduates have gone on to work for include: BBC; Friends of the Earth; Birmingham Children?s Hospital; Highways England; and University of Birmingham.
The central objective of this programme is to equip you with an array of methodological skills to function as an effective PhD student or as a professional researcher in psychology, with a particular emphasis on cognitive, clinical, and clinical neuroscience research. You will acquire the skills necessary to generate good research questions, establish plausible theoretical answers, and carry out high-quality empirical research in order to test your hypotheses. At the end of your training you will have completed a research project that makes a contribution to the discipline and you will have the necessary skills and confidence to be able to operate independently in the future.
This MSc can be applied for as a stand-alone degree or form the first year of a PhD. It is delivered as part of the Economic and Social Research Council South West Doctoral Training Centre – a hub of world-class social science research.
This programme consists of compulsory taught modules and a substantial research project. It will acquaint you with a wide range of data analysis techniques and research methods in the areas of clinical neuroscience, and both clinical and cognitive psychology, while enabling you to develop particular specialist skills and knowledge in selected areas.
You will be able to get involved with one or more of the research groups in the department to explore your research interests further.
The programme is made up of five compulsory modules. The list of modules may include the following;
The modules listed here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
A distinctive feature of all our taught Masters programmes is the Research Apprenticeship. The Apprenticeship enables you to develop your research skills by working alongside experienced researchers or practitioners. You will also gain experience of writing up your research in the form of a dissertation.
Many students undertake their apprenticeship with researchers in the School, but apprenticeship opportunities may also be available outside the University. Current research partners of the group include Microsoft, IBM, Rentokil, the Ministry of Defence, the NHS, the Met Office, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and Lane4 consultancy. Previous apprenticeships include: National Health Service, Jockey Club, UK and the Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/mooddisorders/)
On completion of your postgraduate degree you will have the scientific skills to enable progression into research or professional psychology, the communication skills required for marketing and business roles and the knowledge of people for progression into personnel or caring professions.
Graduate students at The New School for Social Research ask the kind of questions that challenge the status quo across the social sciences and humanities.
Guided by rigorous scholarship and a desire to apply academic discourse and discovery to current social problems, they critically examine interdisciplinary fields to become a force of new knowledge and ideas in the world.
All graduate programs at The New School for Social research can be completed full-time or part-time on our New York City campus. Competitive merit-based scholarships are available in all departments -- in recent years, 85% of master’s students have received merit scholarships at The New School for Social Research.
Change begins with a question. What will you ask?
The New School for Social Research was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive thinkers, and housed the University in Exile in 1933, providing an academic haven for scholars persecuted in Nazi Europe. The school became the foundation for a comprehensive university – The New School – and continues the legacy of critical thought, civic engagement, and academic freedom today.
