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The Philosophy MPhil/PhD at UCL provides a route for students to produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of their supervisor(s). Those who have not already completed the MPhil Stud (or equivalent) are required to take graduate modules assessed by several papers in their first year to upgrade to PhD status.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2021
Modes and duration
Application dates
Tuition fees (2021/22)
Note on fees:
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.
Entry requirements
The usual prerequisite for the MPhil/PhD is a one-year research degree in Philosophy or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Direct admission to the PhD requires the MPhil Stud (or equivalent). All applicants for research degrees must submit two short pieces of work, of about 2,000 words each, with their application.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
International students
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.
Select your country:
Overview
Our research is consistently ranked among the best in the country. The department has a lively and flourishing postgraduate community, and advanced research students are offered opportunities to gain teaching experience. We enjoy collaborative connections with other London universities, and the activities of the nearby Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Aristotelian Society, and the University of London Institute of Philosophy.
Research areas
- Ancient Philosophy
- Epistemology
- Ethics
- History of 20th-Century Philosophy
- Metaphysics
- Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy
- Nineteenth Century German Philosophy
- Philosophy of Language
- Philosophy of Mind
- Philosophy of Perception
- Political Philosophy
About this degree
Additional costs
For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.
Funding
MPhil/PhD and PhD candidates will be considered for AHRC funding through the LAHP (London Arts & Humanities Partnership), whose members are UCL, King's College London, Queen Mary University of London, the London School of Economics & Political Science and the School of Advanced Study at the University of London. Other scholarships and sources of funding may be available; please check the UCL Scholarships and Funding website. You should take note of funding application deadlines as these can differ from programme application deadlines.
The department has a set of funds to offer awards to research students which are allocated on the basis of merit and need. These include the Jacobsen Scholarship (one-year award of £9,000) and one or two S V Keeling Scholarships in ancient philosophy (covering UK/EU fees and maintenance matching AHRC funding). There are also the Ayer, Dawes Hicks, Melhuish and JS Mill Scholarships, each worth £200 to £4,500.
Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.
Dawes-Hicks Award
- Note:
- Deadline: 10 January 2021
- Value:
- £5,000 (1 year)
- Eligibility:
- UK, EU, Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on academic merit
Jacobsen Scholarship
- Note:
- Deadline: 10 January 2021
- Value:
- Up to £9,500 (1 year)
- Eligibility:
- UK, EU, Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on academic merit
UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship
- Value:
- UK rate fees, a maintenance stipend, conference costs and professional development package (3 years)
- Eligibility:
- UK
- Criteria:
- Based on both academic merit and financial need
G. Melhuish Award
- Note:
- Deadline: 10 January 2021
- Value:
- Up to £3,700 (1 year)
- Eligibility:
- UK, EU, Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on academic merit
Keeling Scholarship
- Note:
- Deadline: 31 January 2021
- Value:
- Fees plus maintenance (AHRC rate) (3 years)
- Eligibility:
- UK, EU, Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on academic merit
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Careers
Recent graduates with a PhD in Philosophy from UCL have gained prestigious academic fellowships as well as postdoctoral placements in the UK and elsewhere in Europe (for example at the University of Oxford, the University of London, University of Cambridge, Sheffield University, University of Antwerp and Leipzig University). Others have gone on to lectureships in the UK (for example at the University of Oxford, University of York, LSE) and overseas at the University of Cape Town and the University of Melbourne.
Those who have not pursued an academic career have entered a variety of professions, including law, public policy, and publishing.
Employability
The department has an outstanding job placement record in a highly competitive academic market. The most successful candidates in this market are valued for their range of teaching competence, provided for by the taught elements of the MPhil/PhD programme, as well as for their particular area of specialisation, determined by the research topic of the doctoral thesis.
During the course of the programme, students receive training in presentational skills, interview practice and teaching methods, and are encouraged to present their research at the department's Work in Progress seminars, and at graduate and academic conferences in the UK and overseas.
Networking
The department has links with US universities (Berkeley, Columbia and Yale). Academic staff are involved in the running of the Aristotelian Society, the main philosophy society in the UK. Others are involved in running the Institute of Classical Studies lecture series, and the Keeling Colloquia and Lectures in ancient philosophy. Philosophy graduate students host a philosophy conference at the start of every year, and co-organise an annual graduate philosophy conference with graduate students at Berkeley. Finally, the Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, co-ordinated by the Institute of Philosophy at Senate House, is open to our graduate students.
Why study this degree at UCL?
The doctoral programme at UCL provides students with the opportunity to conduct original research in philosophy in one of the UK's top philosophy departments, under the supervision of prominent academics in the field. The PhD programme is designed to prepare students for an academic career, whether it be via the MPhil/PhD or the PhD following on from the MPhil Stud (or equivalent), by ensuring that students receive grounding across a range of topics as well as producing a research thesis.
Department: Philosophy
What our students and staff say
"UCL has one of the best philosophy departments in the world. With the other London universities there are interesting talks, workshops, and conferences taking place all the time. Most of my work is on causation, laws of nature, and probability, and the relationship between these three things. Work on probability and causation is a cross-disciplinary venture, involving philosophers, computer scientists, statisticians, and psychologists, among others."
Professor Luke Fenton-Glynn
Philosophy MA, Philosophy MPhil/PhD
UCL Philosophy
"UCL provides numerous networking opportunities. I have attended conferences within the University of London, the University of Essex, the John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago. I have presented papers at the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy 2015 Conference, along with attending frequent philosophy talks at the nearby Aristotelian Society and Royal Institute of Philosophy."
Helena Cicmil
Philosophy
Application and next steps
Applications
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.
This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found in our How to apply section.
Application deadlines
- All applicants
- 23 July 2021
The MPhil/PhD and PhD start date is September each year. Please attach two samples of your written work (2,000 words each) in addition to your research proposal. For more information see our How to apply page.
For more information see our Applications page.
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Page last modified on 9 November 2021