MSc in Philosophy
Overview
This is our flagship taught MSc (Diploma) programme in Philosophy. It provides the ideal foundation for future research, such as in our PhD programme. Students are offered a broad cross-section of courses to choose from, and they can either take a general degree or specialise in one of the areas of philosophy where we have particular strength. Students can also take advantage of the highly interdisciplinary nature of research within Philosophy and draw on teaching and research both elsewhere in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and within other relevant Schools, such as Classics, Informatics and Social and Political Science.
The structure of the degree
This degree comprises 180 credits of assessment, taken over one year (full-time). All students take the following core elements:
- Advanced Philosophical Method (20 credits)
- Dissertation (60 credits, 15,000 words)
Students who have not previously specialised in Philosophy will typically also be asked to take the following additional course:
- Introduction to Philosophical Method (20 credits)
The remaining credits are then devoted to optional courses which the student selects in consultation with the programme director. Usually these courses will be in Philosophy, but with the approval of the programme director students may take up to 40 credits of option courses at level 11 from subject areas other than Philosophy. In addition, with the approval of the programme director students may audit courses at any level and in principle from any subject area.
Specialisations
As part of the Philosophy MSc programme, students can opt to either gain a general degree in Philosophy or else specialise in:
- Ancient philosophy
- Epistemology
- Ethics
- Mind and cognition
- Philosophy of Science
The idea behind these specialisations is to provide students with a very specific programme of research training. For each specialisation you will thus take two core courses (one in each semester) which deal with relevant research and also write your dissertation on a suitable research topic under the supervision of one of the members of staff in the appropriate research cluster.
Applications
Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree in Philosophy of at least 2:1 honours standard (UK) or equivalent (for example, at least high average B or 3.4 out of 4 in the North American grading system). Students whose first degree is not in Philosophy may be considered for admission: such applicants must have achieved a high standard in their undergraduate work and provide evidence that they are capable of converting to study in Philosophy. Informal inquiries about admission to this degree may be addressed to the programme director, Dr Alasdair Richmond.
Further information
- Handbooks
- For details about funding, go to Scholarships.
- Research in Philosophy at Edinburgh.
- Postgraduate study in Philosophy at Edinburgh.
- Application information for prospective postgraduate students.
- Administrative inquiries regarding applications to this programme should be directed to the PPLS Postgraduate Office. All other inquiries should be directed to the programme director, Dr Alasdair Richmond.