Masters Degrees in Philosophy, United Kingdom

Philosophy at Essex takes philosophy back to its roots in everyday existential, social and political issues. Our radical approach cuts across traditional boundaries, fostering dialogue between different schools and disciplines, and we are one of the few universities in the world that bridges the divide between the two great traditions of Analytic and Continental philosophy.

Our MA Philosophy will provide you with a rigorous grounding in modern and contemporary European philosophy. We have leading expertise in critical theory, phenomenology, German Idealism, nineteenth Century German philosophy, aesthetics, existentialism, contemporary French philosophy, philosophy and psychoanalysis, and medical humanities.

You study modules of your choice, develop your research, writing, and employability skills through an intensive Writing Workshop, and prepare an MA dissertation in your chosen area of research.

Our department is widely regarded as among the very best in the UK, having been recognised as one of the top 10 UK universities for research excellence (REF 2014), and being placed in the top 10 in The Guardian University Guide in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

As an alternative to our more flexible MA Philosophy, you can focus your study on a more specific area by following one of the following pathways:

MA Philosophy (Continental Philosophy Pathway)
All of our academic staff work on Continental Philosophy, including classical German philosophy (Kant and German Idealism), Frankfurt School Critical Theory (Adorno, Habermas, Honneth), nineteenth-century philosophy (Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche), and phenomenology (Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty). On this pathway you choose from a range of specified topics in these areas, in addition to some outside options and a dissertation on a topic in Continental Philosophy.

MA Philosophy (Critical Social Theory Pathway)
We are the leading centre for Critical Social Theory in the UK with five members of academic staff working on the Frankfurt School (Adorno, Habermas, Honneth), contemporary French thought (Derrida, Foucault, Rancière) and issues in Critical Social Theory, such as activist political theory, theory of recognition, aesthetics and politics, deliberative democracy, and the moral limits of markets. On this pathway you study modules on the Frankfurt School and Contemporary Critical Theory, in addition to some outside options and a dissertation on a topic in Critical Social Theory.

MA Philosophy (Philosophy and Art History Pathway)
Drawing on the collaborative and interdisciplinary approach of the School, our new Philosophy and Art History pathway enables students to get a thorough grounding in philosophical aesthetics. You explore issues in aesthetics and their bearing on other areas of philosophy (such as critical theory or existentialism) and Art History (such as aesthetic practices and curating), and profit from the wide-ranging expertise of our staff in both disciplines. On this pathway you study modules on Philosophy/Aesthetics and Art History (dealing, for example, with Art & Politics, Art, Architecture and Urbanism, or Art, Science & Knowledge), in addition to some outside options and a dissertation on a topic in Philosophy and Art History.

Our expert staff

Our courses are taught by world-class academics, and over three quarters of our research is rated “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” (REF 2014), which puts us fifth in the UK for research outputs.

Our open-minded and enthusiastic staff have an exceptionally broad range of research interests, so whatever questions in philosophy catch hold of your imagination, there is certain to be someone you can approach to find out more.

Recent projects and publications include:
-Béatrice Han-Pile and Dan Watts’ major new research project, The Ethics of Powerlessness: the Theological Virtues Today
-The Essex Autonomy Project, a major interdisciplinary project funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), which aims to investigate the role of autonomous judgment in many aspects of human life
-Peter Dews’ The Idea of Evil, Polity, 2007
-Béatrice Han-Pile, Foucault’s Critical Project: Between the Transcendental and the Historical, Stanford University Press, 2002
-Fiona Hughes, Kant’s Critique of Aesthetic Judgement: A Reader’s Guide, Edinburgh University Press, 2007.
-Wayne Martin, Theories of Judgement: Psychology, Logic, Phenomenology, Cambridge University Press, 2006
-Irene McMullin’s Time and the Shared World: Heidegger on Social Relations, Northwestern University Press, 2013
-Fabian Freyenhagen’s Adorno’s Practical Philosophy: Living Less Wrongly, Cambridge University Press, 2013

Specialist facilities

-Graduate students have access to desk space in the School and many students work there on a daily basis
-A dedicated German-language course for graduate students in philosophy
-Attend our Critical Theory Colloquium
-Attend the Werkstatt, where recent work on phenomenology is presented
-An exciting programme of research seminars, reading groups and mini-courses that help you expand your philosophical knowledge beyond what you learn on your course
-Access a variety of philosophy textbooks and journals in the Albert Sloman Library and in our departmental library

Your future

Many of our philosophy graduates embark on doctoral study after finishing their MA. We offer supervision for PhDs in a range of fields including:
-Continental philosophy
-Critical Social Theory
-History of philosophy
-Applied ethics

Our graduates have also gone into careers in law, the media, local administration, HM Revenue and Customs, and top jobs in the Civil Service.

We work with our university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Dissertation: Continental Philosophy (optional)
-Dissertation: Critical Social Theory (optional)
-Dissertation: MA Philosophy (optional)
-Dissertation: Philosophy & Art History (optional)
-Phenomenology and Existentialism (optional)
-Kant's Revolution in Philosophy (optional)
-Hegel (optional)
-Contemporary Critical Theory (optional)
-Topics in Continental Philosophy (optional)
-MA Writing Workshop (optional)
-The Frankfurt School (optional)
-Philosophy and Aesthetics (optional)
-Collecting Art From Latin America (optional)
-Art & Politics (optional)
-Current Research in Art History (optional)
-Art, Architecture and Urbanism (optional)
-Contemporary Theories of Justice (optional)
-Environmental Politics (optional)
-Political Economy (optional)
-Political Theory (optional)
-Research Seminar in Political Theory and Methods (optional)
-Theory and Explanation in Political Science (optional)
-Ideology and Political Discourse (optional)
-The New Nature Writing (optional)
-Foundations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (optional)
-The Protection of Refugees and Displaced Persons in International Law (optional)
-Human Rights and Development (optional)
-International Trade, Investment and Human Rights. (optional)
-Human Rights for Women (optional)
-Transitional Justice (optional)
-Psycho Analytic Theory (optional)
-Psychoanalytic Methodology (optional)

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This Masters is especially designed for students who don't already have a Philosophy degree. It will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of analytic philosophy, for instance, moral and political philosophy, the history of philosophy, philosophy of the mind and philosophy of mathematics and language. The MLitt is also exceptional in providing a fast-track route into a PhD in Philosophy.

Why this programme

◾If you have a degree (or equivalent) in any other field, whether science, social science, arts or humanities, but an interest in philosophy, then the Philosophy MLitt will allow you to develop your philosophical interests in a variety of different courses as well as undertake a dissertation on a topic of your choice.
◾If you want to do a PhD in Philosophy but don't already have a Philosophy degree, then the MLitt will allow you to apply straightaway for the PhD.
◾We offer courses to bring you up to speed in a wide variety of philosophical topics, including ethics and politics, the history of philosophy including Russell, Wittgenstein and the Scottish Enlightenment, philosophy of mind - including consciousness, perception, the emotions, pain and pleasure - philosophy of language, and philosophy of mathematics.
◾You will work closely with an expert member of staff on a master’s dissertation on a topic of your choice.
◾MLitt students are encouraged to attend and participate in research seminars, workshops, conferences and reading groups hosted by the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, the Forum for Philosophy and Religion, and the Forum for Quine and the History of Analytic Philosophy. Students will also present their work at the weekly postgraduate seminar where they will receive feedback from postgraduate students and staff. We also host an annual reading party in the Highlands at which students present papers and are coached on their writing and presentation skills.
◾Philosophy at Glasgow University has an illustrious history of original thinkers going against the grain of orthodoxy. Its past professors include such giants of empiricism as Adam Smith and Thomas Reid.

Programme structure

The Philosophy MLitt has three components:

1. Introduction to Analytic Philosophy (40 credits)

2. A choice of four of the following courses (20 credits each):
◾Aesthetics: philosophical questions about art and beauty
◾Origins of analytic philosophy including Russell and Wittgenstein
◾Philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment including Hume and Reid
◾Philosophy of mind: consciousness, emotions, pain and pleasure
◾Moral philosophy: philosophical questions about value and well being
◾Political philosophy: philosophical questions about justice and the state
◾Metaphysics including existence, natural laws and the nature of time
◾Philosophy of language including meaning, translation and truth
◾Philosophy of mathematics: the nature and existence of numbers and sets

3. A dissertation on a topic of your choice guided by individual support from an expert supervisor (60 credits).

Career prospects

Philosophy students at Glasgow receive rigorous and personalised training in problem solving skills, writing skills, presentation and research skills.

All these skills are widely applicable and recognised to be exceptionally valuable in a wide range of careers, including journalism, teaching, the Civil Service, local government, business, publishing, law, and the arts.

You will also be well equipped to carry onto a further degree in philosophy such as the PhD.

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The Arts MRes allows you to undertake a one year full-time or two year part-time research project in one or more of the School of the Arts’ key subject areas: Architecture, Communications and Media, English, Music and Philosophy. You will receive training in research skills and supervision from one or more academic specialists in their subject area(s).

The programme provides excellent preparation for you if you’re intending to undertake a PhD in the Arts and Humanities, but is also a good choice if you wish to pursue a research project for purposes of professional development or personal interest. You will become part of a community of active researchers and will be encouraged to pursue your own research interests in collaboration with an academic supervisor.

Key Facts

Internationally renowned
The department has a strong international reputation for its work in Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, History of Philosophy, Environmental Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Moral and Political Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, and the Philosophy of Art.

Research Excellence Framework 2014
63% of our research outputs were rated world-leading or internationally excellent, and 37% were rated as internationally recognised.

Why Philosophy?

We offer a distinctive combination of unusual philosophical diversity in a close-knit atmosphere with excellent staff-student relations.

Our staff publish and lecture in a wide range of philosophical areas, including: Logic and Philosophy of Language; Metaphysics; Ancient Philosophy; Philosophy of Mind; Moral and Political Philosophy; Aesthetics; Buddhism and Indian Philosophy; Environmental Philosophy; Continental Philosophy; History of Philosophy and Literary Theory. We supervise research projects in all of these areas within our friendly, down to earth and vibrant postgraduate research community.

Experience the full breadth of our academics' expertise

Our staff publish and lecture in a wide range of philosophical areas, including: Logic and Philosophy of Language; Metaphysics; Ancient Philosophy; Philosophy of Mind; Moral and Political Philosophy; Aesthetics; Buddhism and Indian Philosophy; Environmental Philosophy; Continental Philosophy; History of Philosophy and Literary Theory. We supervise research projects in all of these areas within our friendly, down to earth and vibrant postgraduate research community.

Career prospects

Our programmes aim to equip students with the general and widely applicable analytical, argumentative and problem solving skills and abilities valued by employers. Some of our postgraduate students have gone on to a career in academic Philosophy, but a variety of careers are open to those obtaining postgraduate Philosophy degrees, including business, management, the law, the media, the arts, computing, the Civil Service and teaching.

The MRes Arts may enhance the career prospects of those working or wishing to work in fields associated with the study of Arts subjects or other areas of academic work and study, including teachers, librarians, and professional writers. While managerial positions often require the ability to conduct research or project-work and to demonstrate sustained and complex organisational skills in ways encompassed by this programme, its emphasis on oral and written communication skills as well as on IT-based presentation skills will be useful for many types of employment. Some students may want to take this course for its own sake and for the sake of personal development and the revitalization of subject awareness. Equally, the MRes is designed to prepare students too for further research at MPhil or PhD level, and to enable them to enter postgraduate study, thus offering a first step towards a career in academic teaching and research.

The advanced study of one or more Arts subject on this programme equips students with powers of fine discrimination and judgement that will set them apart in workplaces of many kinds. The skills it fosters are those which enable graduates to deal logically with the complex demands of a whole range of careers. These skills include:

- the ability to process large amounts of information
- the ability to organise disparate material into a coherent argument
- the capacity to compare many different views and come to a decision about the merits of each
- the independence to define a complex project and bring it to completion with minimal input.
- imaginative and creative responsiveness to problems
- powers of expression (both written and oral) which allow for the lucid delineation of nuanced ideas.

Such skills are essential for those considering careers in, for example, journalism, publishing, management, and the law. Graduates have gone on to work in a wide variety of professions. Our alumni include lecturers, communication specialists, broadcasters, writers, teachers, librarians, public relations managers and publishers.

MRes Arts students will have access to the University's Careers and Employability Service and to careers events at both School and University level. Supervisors and other academic staff will be able to provide guidance and support to students intending to progress to doctoral study and academic careers.

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We offer research-based teaching in a wide range of philosophical subjects. We foster our students' professional development. A proportion of our recent PhD graduates have permanent academic posts in leading universities.

The MPhil/PhD is the direct route to the PhD and is suitable for students who are ready to start writing a PhD thesis.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Arts and humanities courses at Birkbeck are ranked third best in London and 11th in the UK in the Times Higher Education 2015-16 World University Subject Rankings.
Birkbeck's Department of Philosophy enjoys an international reputation for research. The department has a flourishing community of research students, and is committed to providing them with a first-rate philosophical training.
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Philosophy at Birkbeck was ranked 15th in the UK, with a research environment judged conducive to producing internationally excellent research.
In the Philosophical Gourmet Report 2014-2015, Philosophy at Birkbeck was ranked among the strongest in the UK, and was highly ranked in philosophy of action, philosophy of art, seventeenth-century philosophy and feminist philosophy.
The research interests of the department encompass a range of areas within the discipline: ancient philosophy, history of early modern philosophy, Kant, Nietzsche, history of analytic philosophy, logic, language, metaphysics, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, philosophy of psychology, ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social and feminist philosophy, epistemology, and philosophy of science.
The department has been highly ranked for the standard of its research across a broad range, and especially our research and teaching in the area of feminist philosophy.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Philosophy at Birkbeck was ranked 15th in the UK, with a research environment judged conducive to producing internationally excellent research.

In the Philosophical Gourmet Report 2014-2015, Philosophy at Birkbeck was ranked among the strongest in the UK, and was highly ranked in philosophy of action, philosophy of art, seventeenth-century philosophy and feminist philosophy.

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This course is for you if you need to improve your English language skills and subject knowledge of philosophy before going on to a Masters course. You improve your language fluency and academic vocabulary, develop your academic skills, and gain experience of western methods of teaching and learning so that you can progress onto a relevant Masters course in our School of Philosophy and Art History.

At Essex, you can progress onto our MA Philosophy, MA Philosophy (Continental Philosophy Pathway), MA Philosophy (Critical Social Theory Pathway), MA Philosophy (Philosophy and Psychoanalysis Pathway), or MA Philosophy (Philosophy and Art History Pathway).

Our International Academy offers some of the best routes for international students to enter higher education in the UK. Our innovative courses and programmes have proved very successful with international students and have also attracted UK students because of the distinctive learning environment we offer.

If you are an international student, you may find that the education system in the UK is slightly different from other countries and, sometimes, that the transition to the British system can be challenging. Our courses help you to settle in and adapt to life in the UK.

Our School of Philosophy and Art History is widely regarded as among the very best in the UK, and are ranked Top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014), and being placed in the top 10 in The Guardian University Guide in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

Our expert staff

Our courses are taught by world-class academics, and over three quarters of our research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2014).

Our open-minded and enthusiastic staff have an exceptionally broad range of research interests, so whatever questions in philosophy catch hold of your imagination, there is certain to be someone you can approach to find out more.

Recent projects and publications include:
-Béatrice Han-Pile and Dan Watts’ major new research project, The Ethics of Powerlessness: the Theological Virtues Today
-The Essex Autonomy Project, a major interdisciplinary project funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), which aims to investigate the role of autonomous judgment in many aspects of human life
-Peter Dews’ The Idea of Evil
-Irene McMullin’s Time and the Shared World: Heidegger on Social Relations
-Fabian Freyenhagen’s Adorno’s Practical Philosophy: Living Less Wrongly
-David McNeill’s An Image of the Soul in Speech: Plato and the Problem of Socrates

Specialist facilities

By studying within our International Academy, you will have access to all of the facilities that the University of Essex has to offer:
-We provide computer labs for internet research; classrooms with access to PowerPoint facilities for student presentations; AV facilities for teaching and access to web-based learning materials
-Our new Student Services Hub will support you and provide information for all your needs as a student
-Our social space is stocked with hot magazines and newspapers, and provides an informal setting to meet with your lecturers, tutors and friends

You can also take advantage of our excellent philosophy facilities:
-Postgraduate students have access to desk space in the School and many students work there on a daily basis
-A dedicated German-language course for graduate students in philosophy
-Attend our Critical Theory Colloquium
-Attend the Werkstatt, where recent work on phenomenology is presented
-An exciting programme of research seminars, reading groups and mini-courses that help you expand your philosophical knowledge beyond what you learn on your course
-Access a variety of philosophy textbooks and journals in the Albert Sloman Library and in our departmental library

Example structure

-English for Academic Purposes
-Advanced English for Academic Purposes
-Extended English for Academic Purposes Project
-Critical Reading and Seminar Skills
-Knowledge & Reality (optional)
-Narrativity, Truth and Flourishing (optional)
-Philosophy and Religion (optional)
-Ethics (optional)
-Contemporary Political Philosophy (optional)
-Freud and the Philosophy of the Unconscious (optional)
-Topics in the Philosophy of Religion (optional)
-Philosophy and Medical Ethics (optional)
-Capitalism and its Critics (optional)
-Topics in Analytic Philosophy (optional)
-Ancient Philosophy (optional)
-Nietzsche (optional)
-Modern Social and Political Thought (optional)
-Feminism (optional)
-Phenomenology and Existentialism (optional)
-Kant's Revolution in Philosophy (optional)

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The Philosophy MA enables students to benefit from the acknowledged expertise of UCL's lively, close-knit intellectual community, and also access the stimulation and dynamism of London's wider philosophical community. The programme offers the flexibility for recent graduates in the subject to study chosen topics in greater depth.

Degree information

The programme allows students to develop an advanced knowledge of problems in contemporary analytic philosophy, the history of philosophy and the study of value. It provides students with an understanding of a representative range of central philosophical debates and of the nature of philosophical problems, and encourages them to develop and defend their own viewpoint.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of two core modules (30 credits), six optional modules (90 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules - these modules introduce students to graduate study in philosophy. Students will give short presentations on central topics and classic papers which form the basis of discussion.
-Research Preparation in Philosophy 1
-Research Preparation in Philosophy 2

Optional modules - options may include the following:
-Global Justice and Health
-Texts from Early Modern Philosophy: Hume
-Early Wittgenstein
-Epistemology
-Self-Knowledge
-Philosophy of Mind
-Moral Responsibility and Moral Dilemmas
-Kant
-Greek Philosophy
-Nineteenth Century Philosophy
-Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science
-Metaphysics of Science
-The Self in Early Analytic Philosophy
-Sartre’s Philosophy
-Epistemology of Disagreement
-Equality
-Recent Work in Practical Philosophy
-Graduate Studies in the Philosophy of Language
-Perception and its History

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project in any area of philosophy taught and approved by the Department, leading to in a dissertation of 12,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is taught through a combination of seminars, lectures, and supervisions. Students' performance is assessed through examinations, presentations, coursework, and the dissertation.

Careers

Graduates of this programme have become successful lawyers, journalists, theatre directors and novelists among other careers. Those who perform sufficiently well on the MA can expect to pursue further research in philosophy in London or elsewhere.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Research Assistant, Universität Zürich (University of Zurich) / Université de Fr
-Paralegal, marshall levine associates
-DPhil Population Health, University of Oxford
-GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law), City University London
-PhD Philosophy, King's College London

Employability
The programme equips graduates with the skills to analyse complex ideas, develop independence of judgement and originality of thought, evaluate arguments rigorously, present views lucidly both orally and on paper, and question orthodox views. The programme provide an ideal basis for future academic study and many graduates proceed to research degrees in the UK and abroad.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The department has strengths in philosophy of mind, language, political and moral philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology and the history of philosophy.

Our students benefit significantly from our location in London, which is one of the international centres of philosophical activity. London is home of a number of renowned journals (Philosophy; Mind & Language; Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society) and hosts regular visiting speakers from across the world. Over 60 philosophers are active in London making it one of the largest and most varied philosophical communities in the world.

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The MA in Philosophy is a distance-learning programme designed for those with a broad interest in core areas of philosophical concern, such as mind and body, moral philosophy, philosophy of religion, and the history of philosophy.

Course Overview

By focusing on such areas of Philosophy the MA Philosophy services the needs of graduates who wish to build upon their first degree in Philosophy or a cognate discipline, e.g. as preparation for a research degree.

The programme also meets the needs of teachers of A-level Philosophy, in that its modules overlap core parts of the A-level Philosophy curriculum, such as Philosophy of Religion, Ethics, and History of Philosophy (covered in the module The Philosophy of Philosophy).

However the MA Philosophy is sufficiently broad in extent to be also suitable for anyone who is looking to broaden their acquaintance with, and understanding of, philosophy as it is practiced in the English speaking world today.

Candidates will be able to choose from a range of modules covering a variety of different themes and specialist areas. The modules are built around the research specialisms of our academic staff all of whom are research active and regularly publish their thoughts and ideas.

The MA Applied Philosophy is a modular programme. In part I, students take six 20-credit modules. In part II, students are required to write a dissertation.

Modules

-Philosophy of Religion
-Moral Philosophy
-Mind and Body
-Knowledge and Culture
-Self and Society
-Social and Political Philosophy
-Applied Ethics
-The Self: East and West
-Buddhist Philosophy
-Continental Philosophy

Key Features

The programme is based upon an established pool of expertise in related concerns, and covers a range of projects undertaken over a number of years:

Staff are research active and regularly attend academic conferences.

Study cutting edge areas of academic interest

The staff expertise represents a considerable bank of knowledge and skills that will underpin this programme and will ensure student experience a high quality educational experience.

"Studying an MA in Philosophy with the University of Wales Trinity St David has been a personally challenging and enriching experience. If you have a desire for personal development and require flexibility with your studies then this is the place for you. The distance learning courses offer excellent value for money. You can avail of as much or as little supervision as you need and you are given feedback every step of the way. I have no hesitation recommending this programme of study." - Tanya Fitzpatrick, MA Philosophy

Assessment

Assessment is usually based on written work in the form of long and short essays, reports, book reviews and reflective pieces.

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The Graduate Diploma in Philosophy is a one-year conversion course (two years part-time), designed for those who already have a degree and wish to pursue an interest in philosophy. No formal training in philosophy is required. The programme provides an ideal learning environment if you are interested in progressing to an MA in Philosophy, or simply want the opportunity to learn about philosophy.

Course structure

The Diploma has two main components:
-Four undergraduate modules. At least two of these must be at Level 3 and no more than one should be at Level 1.
-A dissertation of 12,000 words (double module).

You can choose from a wide range of modules, which in the past have included:
Level 1
-Ethics and Values
-Knowledge and Reality
-Introduction to Logic
-Reading Philosophy
-History and Theory of Medicine
-Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science
Level 2
-Philosophy of Mind
-Philosophy of Religion
-Political Philosophy
-Language, Logic and Reality
-Moral Theory
-Theory, Literature and Society
-Biomedical Ethics Past and Present
-Science and Religion
-Modern Philosophy I
-Philosophy of Science
-Philosophy of Economics: Theory, Methods and Values
-Ancient Philosophies West and East
Level 3
-Modern Philosophy II
-Aesthetics
-Applied Ethics
-Issues in Contemporary Ethics
-Twentieth Century European Philosophy
-Language and Mind
-History of the Body
-Philosophical Issues in Contemporary Science
-Metaphysics
-History and Philosophy of Psychiatry
-Gender, Film and Society
-20th Century European Philosophy
-History and Philosophy of Psychiatry
-Ethics in Business Practice
-Formal and Philosophical Logic

Learning and Teaching

Students in the Graduate Diploma programme receive an average of eight timetabled contact hours per week over the course of the programme. The contact hours come in the form of lectures, tutorials and seminars, depending on the four modules chosen by the student. In addition, students are offered six hours of one-to-one dissertation supervision with an expert in their chosen research area.

Philosophical development involves not only familiarizing oneself with a body of knowledge but also acquiring skills in critical reasoning and argumentation. Thus, in addition to introducing students to key works in philosophy, the programme offers many opportunities for dialogical interaction. Lecture sessions include time for questions, tutorials consist mainly of structured, critical dialogue in a supportive environment, and seminars provide opportunities for extended discussion. Dissertation supervision meetings give guidance on suitable reading, critical discussion of relevant sources, detailed advice on how to write a 12,000 word piece of research, and intensive critical engagement with the student’s philosophical position and argument.

Timetabled contact is only a part of the learning process; its aim is to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the relevant literature themselves and to pursue independent learning. Lectures and accompanying documents contextualise material and introduce students to topics, positions and debates. At least four hours of additional study per week are recommended for each lecture or seminar, which includes reading and the completion of assignments. Having completed the reading, students engage in discussion in seminars or return to lecture topics in small group tutorials. These help students to refine their understanding of material and to develop the reasoning skills needed to formulate, present, defend and criticise philosophical positions.

Graduate Diploma students also can benefit from a range of other activities in the department, including the department’s postgraduate philosophy society (EIDOS), weekly research seminars and reading groups, and occasional conferences, workshops and Royal Institute of Philosophy lectures. The programme director remains in contact with students throughout the year and is always available to discuss any issues that might arise, whether personal or academic.

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The Department of Philosophy has exceptional research strength in philosophy of physics, and very strong links with the School of Physics. Our MA draws on these strengths. It is intended both for students who wish to specialise in philosophy of physics at a higher level, and for individuals with a background in physics or mathematics who wish to make a transition to philosophy and foundations of physics. The course consists of five taught units in philosophy, two taught master's units in physics, and a 15,000-word dissertation.

As a postgraduate student, you will be an active member of the department’s flourishing research culture. You will be encouraged to attend and participate in both the weekly departmental research seminar and in the Philosophy and History of Science seminars, which often feature well-known scholars in the field, from Bristol and beyond. There is also a weekly postgraduate seminar, where you may present your own work before your peers and learn to develop your argumentative strategies in a supportive environment.

Programme structure

The MA consists of taught components in philosophy and physics, as well as a dissertation.

Core units
- Philosophical Writing and Research Methods (Philosophy, 20-credit unit)
- A mandatory, two-hour weekly seminar developing ideas, bibliographical and writing skills necessary for philosophical research. The unit is assessed by seminar contributions and presentations.
- Scientific Methodology and Epistemology (Philosophy, 20-credit unit)
This unit concerns core topics in scientific epistemology and metaphysics. The unit is examined on the basis of an essay of 5,000-6,000 words. As with all assessed essays, you may meet with a supervisor to discuss your work and to receive feedback on a draft essay.
- Philosophy of Physics (Philosophy, 20-credit unit)
This unit covers philosophical issues related to basic physical theories, focusing on conceptual issues in the foundations of quantum theory and special relativity. We will cover topics such as the relativity of simultaneity; geometry and the causal structure of relativity physics; the conceptual structure of quantum mechanics, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument; the measurement problem and Schrödinger’s cat paradox of; locality and action-at-a-distance.
- Advanced Philosophy of Physics (Philosophy, 20-credit unit)
This unit will examine a selection of conceptual issues in the foundations of physical theory with particular focus on the physics of the mid-to-late 20th century. We cover topics such as: the arrow of time in thermal physics; the interpretation of quantum field theory; emergence and universality in condensed matter physics; fine tuning problems and inflationary cosmology; spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Higgs mechanism; and time in quantum gravity.
- Foundations of Modern Physics (Physics, 10-credit unit)
Emphasis is placed on students developing an appreciation of the foundations of different areas of physics, and the unit assessment involves students writing an essay whose detailed subject is partly decided by the student. The lectures are divided into Classical, Spacetime and Quantum Physics.
- Relativistic Field Theory (Physics, 10-credit unit)
This course will give an account of the modern approach to special relativity and Lagrangian field theory, and their role in the covariant description of the classical electromagnetic field, and the relativistic quantum Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations. Formative assessment is through problem sheets discussed in problems classes. Summative assessment is through a 2 hour written examination

Optional units (all Philosophy 20-credit units)
- History of Science
- Logic
- Philosophy and History of Mathematics
- Philosophy and History of Medicine
- Philosophy of Biology
- Philosophy of Psychology
- An individual, supervised research project

Please be aware that optional units may vary from year to year.

Careers

The MA in Philosophy of Physics is an ideal platform for further studies in Philosophy or Foundations of Physics. This course will also provide students with Maths and Physics backgrounds with an opportunity to develop verbal, written and argumentative skills that are highly valued by employers.

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Philosophy tackles some of the deepest and most complex questions about humanity and its place in the world. This programme will allow you to study the key debates, trends and approaches in different areas of philosophy while improving your skills in research and critical analysis.

Core modules will give you an overview of different topics in analytic philosophy, from philosophy of mind, religion, language and science to epistemology, ethics, aesthetics and metaphysics. You’ll also choose from a variety of modules specialising in the areas and topics that interest you the most.

You’ll be supported by active researchers in a stimulating environment based around our six research centres, with access to excellent library resources covering a broad span of subjects. It’s an excellent opportunity to gain diverse skills for a wide range of careers, as well as further study.

This programme is also available to study part-time over 24 months.

Course content

Throughout the course you’ll take two core modules introducing you to different topics, approaches and methods in areas of analytic philosophy. You’ll explore current and historical debates in subfields including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, ethics, metaethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of science— all while improving your skills in research and critical thinking.

From this foundation, you’ll build specialist knowledge in areas that particularly interest you with your choice of optional modules. You can take an upper-level undergraduate module (with boosted assessment requirements) to fill gaps in your background knowledge, sign up for an independent study, or choose from several MA modules the School has to offer.

You’ll continue to specialise when you complete your dissertation – an independent research project on a topic of your choice that allows you to showcase the skills and knowledge you’ve gained. You can choose to swap one of your optional modules to extend your dissertation if you want to go into even more depth.

If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

You’ll study three compulsory modules including your dissertation, as well as a single optional module. If you choose the standard dissertation (60 credits) rather than the extended dissertation (90 credits), you can take a further optional module.

• Analytic Philosophy A 30 credits
• Analytic Philosophy B 30 credits

Optional modules

• Topics in the Philosophy of Physics 30 credits
• Science and Religion Historically Considered 30 credits
• Advanced Topics in Realism and Representation in Science 30 credits
• Advanced Topics in Metaphysics of Science 30 credits
• Philosophy of Science: Classic Debates & Current Trends 30 credits
• Metaphysical Issues in Philosophy of Religion 30 credits
• Special Options in Philosophy A 30 credits
• Contemporary Readings in Philosophy of Religion 30 credits
• Independent Study A 30 credits
• Independent Study B 30 credits
• Special Options in Philosophy B 30 credits
• Sin, Public Discourse and Public Life 30 credits
• Contemporary Issues in Religion and Gender 30 credits
• Religion, Society and Public Life 30 credits
• Theology and Public Life 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Philosophy MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Philosophy MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Most of our modules are taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, where you can discuss the issues arising from your reading with fellow students and your tutor. You’ll also have one-to-one supervisions while you work on your dissertation. Independent study is also an important element of the programme, allowing you to develop your skills and pursue your own interests more closely.

Assessment

We use different forms of assessment, including essays, seminar participation and your dissertation.

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The MRes in Philosophy is a distance-learning programme and is divided into a 60 credit taught part and a Dissertation of 120 credits amounting to up to 30,000 words in total. It is designed for those with a broad interest in core areas of philosophical concern, such as mind and body, moral philosophy, philosophy of religion, and the history of philosophy.

Course Overview

By focusing on such areas of Philosophy the MRes in Philosophy services the needs of graduates who wish to build upon their first degree in Philosophy or a cognate discipline, e.g. as preparation for a research degree.

The programme also meets the needs of teachers of A-level Philosophy, in that its modules overlap core parts of the A-level Philosophy curriculum, such as Philosophy of Religion, Ethics, and History of Philosophy (covered in the module The Philosophy of Philosophy).

However the MRes Philosophy is sufficiently broad in extent to be also suitable for anyone who is looking to broaden their acquaintance with, and understanding of, philosophy as it is practiced in the English speaking world today.

Candidates will be able to choose 3 modules from a range of modules covering a variety of different themes and specialist areas. The modules are built around the research specialisms of our academic staff all of whom are research active and regularly publish their thoughts and ideas.

Students will take a dissertation of 25,000-30000 words valued at 120 credits.

Modules

Students will choose three modules. Below is an illustrative list of modules available:
-Philosophical Research Skills
-Philosophy of Religion
-Moral Philosophy
-Mind and Body
-The Philosophy of Philosophy
-Aesthetics
-Environmental Philosophy
-Knowledge and Culture

Key Features

The programme is based upon an established pool of expertise in related concerns, and covers a range of projects undertaken over a number of years:

Staff are research active and regularly attend academic conferences.

Study cutting edge areas of academic interest.

The staff expertise represents a considerable bank of knowledge and skills that will underpin this programme and will ensure student experience a high quality educational experience.

Assessment

A range of assessment methods are used from essays and short written evaluation, to the creation of publicity flyers, feasibility reports, oral presentations and reflective pieces.

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Open for 2016 entry, Royal Holloway's MA in European Philosophy offers one of the few Masters-level programmes in the country to specialise in the 'European' tradition in philosophy.

Drawing on core research and teaching strengths in 19th and 20th-century French and German thought, the MA gives students the opportunity to study the development of European philosophy from Kant’s critical philosophy onwards, with a focus on German Idealism, the German phenomenologists and the Frankfurt School on one side, and the French philosophical movements in the 20th Century from Bergson and the existentialist movement through to poststructuralism and psychoanalysis.

Options focus a variety of topics and thinkers, focusing on the Continental tradition in political philosophy, the Frankfurt School, the role of aesthetics in the development of European thought, and more.

Subject to validation.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/philosophy/coursefinder/maeuropeanphilosophy.aspx

Why choose this course?

- you will be able to explore key issues, thinkers and texts from the European tradition on one of the few programmes in the country to specialise in European philosophy

- academic staff have a broad range of interests including German Idealism, the Frankfurt School, French and German phenomenology, poststructuralism, and modern European political theory

- the flexible structure of the course allows students to concentrate on European philosophy, or to also engage with a broader range of options

- we offer some studentships and bursaries in support of students taking the MA

- you will have access to the vibrant intellectual community provided by being a part of the University of London.

Department research and industry highlights

- Members of the teaching staff have a wide range of expertise, having published major works in a number of areas and on a number of figures, including Adorno; Aesthetics and Subjectivity; Altruism; Hegel; Deleuze; French and Continental Philosophy; Greek and Roman Aesthetics; the Holocaust and the Postmodern; Music, Philosophy, and Modernity; Richard Rorty; Romanticism to Critical Theory; Scepticism; Schelling; Time and Politics.

Current projects include:
- examining the possibilities offered by aesthetics, and music in particular, for developing a non-cognitive model of thinking

- investigating the coherence of the notion of tacit knowledge, and its implications for knowledge more generally

- tracing the development of modern French thought to its origins in German Idealism

- imagination in ancient aesthetics

- a pragmatist theory of deliberative democracy

- arguments in defence of associative duties

- psychoanalytic and post-Nietzschean conceptions of agency and selfhood

Course content and structure

- Programme structure
Advanced Topics in Philosophy (1 unit)

Two courses from among:
Contemporary Continental Political Thought (½ unit); The European Philosophical Trajectory (½ unit); and Twentieth Century French Thought (½ unit).

Two half-unit option courses from available options

Dissertation (1 unit)

Core course units:
- Advanced Topics in Philosophy (1 unit)
The aim of this course is to allow students to engage with cutting edge research from across the range of philosophical sub-fields. The course also allows students to develop their understanding of the nature of philosophy and the diversity of philosophical methods, as well to further improve their abilities at written and oral communication of philosophical ideas and arguments. The course will be taught by a number of philosophers who teach on the wider MA programmes, and will be divided into four parts, each presenting a five week introduction to a topic researched by the academic. It will allow students enrolled on the different MA Philosophy streams to compare approaches, and see their own specialism within a wider philosophical context. The module will be taught via a two hour weekly seminar.

- Contemporary Continental Political Thought (½ unit)
The course addresses key questions and arguments concerning the relationship between identity, power, meaning and knowledge, through examination of key figures in contemporary Continental political thought and philosophy. Specific content varies from year to year, but may include key texts from Nietzsche, Heidegger, Adorno, Sartre, Lacan, Irigaray, Foucault, Ranciere, and Deleuze & Guattari.

- The European Philosophical Trajectory (½ unit)
The unit will involve ten two-hour seminars on key figures in European Philosophy. The course will run through a number of central figures and problems from Immanuel Kant to the work of Jacques Derrida and Theodor Adorno. Texts will not necessarily be read in their entirety.

- Twentieth Century French Thought (½ unit)
This course will trace the development of French philosophical thought from its early assimilation of Husserl’s phenomenology to later post-modern and post-structuralist thinkers. The course is research-led, and so specific philosophers covered on the course are subject to change, but indicative philosophers would include Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault, and Alain Badiou.

- Dissertation on European Philosophy (1 unit)

Elective course units:
- Anglo American Political Theory (½ unit)
- Continental Aesthetics (½ unit)
- The Frankfurt School (½ unit)
- The Future of Phenomenology (½ unit)
- Human Rights (½ unit)
- Identity, Power and Political Theory (½ unit)
- Legacies of Wittgenstein (½ unit)
- Neo-Platonism (½ unit)
- Identity, Power and Radical Political Theory (½ unit)
- Political Concepts (½ unit)
- Post-Holocaust Philosophy (½ unit)

On completion of the course graduates will have:
- a knowledge of the broad range of philosophical approaches adopted in the European tradition, such as phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, and transcendental empiricism

- detailed understanding of some of the key philosophers in the European tradition

- an ability to read complex philosophical texts with an appreciation of the role of style and context in their composition

- an understanding of the broader philosophical landscape, and the place of European philosophy within it.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework and a dissertation.

Employability & career opportunities

Our graduates are highly employable and would be prepared for careers in a wide range of areas. This course also equips you with the subject knowledge and a solid foundation for continued PhD studies.

How to apply

Applications for entry to all our full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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Our Philosophy MSc offers you the opportunity to work closely with our staff in courses based upon their own expertise and current research. It will introduce you to the cutting edge of recent developments in analytic philosophy, from the practical and applied, to the most theoretical end of the subject.

Why this programme

◾The extraordinary amount of staff time and personalised attention that students on our Philosophy MSc programme receive makes this degree exceptional. Its courses are designed to reflect the developments at the forefront of the discipline, drawing upon the extensive and internationally recognised expertise of our staff in metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, ethics and political philosophy.
◾New research-driven courses on history of analytic philosophy including Wittgenstein are planned for 2016-17 (subject to approval). You will also work closely with a member of staff on a topic of your choice for your dissertation.
◾Our courses are closely connected with research activity of both individual members of staff and the collaborative undertakings of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, the Forum for Philosophy and Religion, and the Forum for Quine and the History of Analytic Philosophy.
◾MSc students are encouraged to attend and participate in research seminars, workshops, conferences and reading groups hosted by these bodies. They will also present their work at the weekly postgraduate seminar where they will receive feedback from postgraduate students and staff. We host an annual reading party in the Highlands at which students also present papers and are coached on their writing and presentation skills.
◾Philosophy at Glasgow University has an illustrious history of original thinkers going against the grain of orthodoxy. Its past professors include such giants of empiricism as Adam Smith and Thomas Reid.

Programme structure

The degree consists of a choice of a choice of four semester-length courses across a range of philosophical topics, all driven by the cutting edge research of our professors and lecturers. There is also a 10-15000 word dissertation to be completed on a topic of your choice, supported by an expert supervisor over the summer.

We always offer the following courses:
◾Metaphysics A (semester 1) and B (semester 2)
◾Philosophy of Language A (semester 1) and B (semester 2)
◾Political Philosophy A (semester 1) and B (semester 2)
◾Ethics A (semester 1) and B (semester 2)
◾Philosophy of Mind A (semester 1) and B (semester 2)

Students may either choose two topics and complete both semester-length courses in that topic (e.g. Metaphysics A and B and Philosophy of Language A and B) or choose semester-length courses in several topics (e.g. Ethics A and B, Philosophy of Mind A and Political Philosophy B).

New courses are planned for 2016-17 (subject to approval) in the following topics:

History of Analytic Philosophy including Wittgenstein and Quine A (semester 1) and B (semester 2).

Career prospects

Philosophy students at Glasgow receive rigorous and personalised training in problem solving skills, writing skills, presentation and research skills.

All these skills are widely applicable and recognised to be exceptionally valuable in a wide range of careers, including journalism, teaching, the Civil Service, local government, business, publishing, law, and the arts.

This degree also provides an exceptional foundation for philosophical research at the doctoral level.

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This course is widely recognised as one of the most challenging and stimulating philosophy masters programmes in the UK. Based on a focused study of the fundamental texts of the modern European philosophical tradition, it provides an ideal preparation for doctoral research in philosophy or related fields in the humanities and social sciences. It will also prepare graduates for a wide range of careers in education, the arts, politics and public policy.

Key features
-You will benefit from high levels of staff-student contact, including individual tutorials, from versatile and internationally recognised teaching staff with a wide range of interests, projects and publications.
-You will be part of a large and supportive postgraduate community, studying with committed and engaged peers.
-The course is based at the UK's leading Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP) at Kingston University, where you can attend and participate in research events with visiting international speakers.

What will you study?

The course comprises four taught modules and a dissertation on a topic of your choice. You will have the opportunity to study 19th- and 20th-century European philosophy in a structured way, concentrating on the interpretation and analysis of key texts. You will pay particular attention to the influence of Kant's philosophy and to the debates that structured the development of post-Kantian philosophy in both Germany and France.

Beginning with a foundation module on Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, the course adopts Kant's critical philosophy as a historical and conceptual basis for the understanding of subsequent European philosophy as a whole. Other major authors studied may include Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Deleuze and Badiou. You may also choose from a range of option modules from related programmes in Philosophy & Contemporary Critical Theory and Aesthetics & Art Theory.

Assessment

Coursework (including short exercises), essays, and 15,000-word dissertation.

Research areas

This course is taught by internationally recognised specialists at the dynamic Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy.
Since its inception in 1994, the CRMEP has developed a national and international reputation for teaching and research in the field of post-Kantian European philosophy, characterised by a strong emphasis on broad cultural and intellectual contexts and a distinctive sense of social and political engagement. In each of the last two research assessment exercises, RAE 2008 and REF2014, 65% of the research activities of the CRMEP were judged 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent', with 25% of its outputs for REF2014 judged 'world-leading'.

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Core modules
-Kant and his Legacy - delivered and assessed in English
-Philosophy Dissertation

Optional modules
-Art Theory: Modernism, Avant-Garde, Contemporary - delivered and assessed in English
-Contemporary European Philosophies - delivered and assessed in English
-Critique, Practice, Power
-Hegel and his Legacy - delivered and assessed in English
-Kant and the Aesthetic Tradition - Delivered and assessed in English
-Nietzsche and Heidegger - delivered and assessed in English
-Philosophy and Psychoanalysis
-Philosophy of Art History
-Political Philosophy
-Recent French Philosophy - delivered and assessed in English
-Recent Italian Philosophy
-Topics in Modern European Philosophy - delivered and assessed in English

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Philosophy at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The Department of Political and Cultural Studies (PCS) boasts a dynamic research environment with a committed staff all of whom are research-active in the field of Philosophy. Academic members of staff within Philosophy have a very considerable range of research interests on which we offer supervision for research degrees.

Key Features of MA by Research in Philosophy

An MA by Research in Philosophy gives you the chance to pursue a major research project based around your own passions and interests in Philosophy, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia. It will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your choosing in Philosophy and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics in Philosophy but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.

Typically, as a student of the Philosophy research programme you will work closely with your supervisors, meeting them regularly, in many instances fortnightly, in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.

Students enrolled in the MA by Research in Philosophy are required to attend skills and training courses at College and University level. As a Philosophy research student you may also be expected to give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and attend the postgraduate conference of the College of Arts and Humanities which is held in October.

The MA by Research in Philosophy is ideal for those who want:

- an MA qualification in areas where taught programmes are not offered;

- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD at the outset.

Research proposals are invited on any topic in Philosophy for which staff in PCS can provide supervision. It is a good idea to enter into discussions about your research project in Philosophy with the Department's Director of Postgraduate Research, Professor Roland Axtmann ([email protected]), before drawing up an initial proposal and starting the application process for the MA by Research in Philosophy.

Departmental Research Expertise

At any one time, the department has over forty research students who work together with their supervisors on their projects. In the field of history of political thought, political philosophy and political theory, there is research expertise in:

European political thought;

Democratic theory

Political and moral philosophy

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Neo-Kantian ethics

Human rights

Just war theory and international ethics

Philosophy of religion

Philosophical anthropology

Postcolonialism

Orientalism

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