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Some former students tell us about their personal experiences with UCL Philosophy.
Anna Smith (BA Philosophy)
I chose to come to UCL primarily because of the strength of the department. As one of the leading centres in the philosophy of perception, it was an obvious choice. Intellectually, my time at UCL was as stimulating and challenging as I had hoped it would be and immensely enjoyable. The department is down-to-earth, friendly, and very sociable. My time there was an incredibly rewarding experience.
MM (MA Philosophy)
“Having shopped around a little I chose to apply for the philosophy MA at UCL. It seemed a good option: a one year commitment at a top-rated philosophy department (not to mention the MA's inter-collegiate nature, giving access to philosophers throughout London), and a chance to try out a fairly wide range of subjects. The year went well and I was able to work closely in tutorials with a number of the UCL philosophers. I'm now a little clearer, having dabbled in a number of subjects in the course of the MA, as to which areas I now want to focus on. I'm starting the MPhil Stud at UCL this coming year, and looking forward to it immensely.
Sophie Archer (MPhil.Stud & PhD)
“I studied for both my MPhil Stud and my PhD in philosophy at UCL. During that time I was supervised by a variety of world-class philosophers: Tim Crane, Rory Madden, Lucy O'Brien, Christopher Peacocke (briefly!), and Paul Snowden. I was lucky enough to have Lucy as my main supervisor throughout my PhD years.
To anyone considering coming to UCL for their graduate studies in philosophy, I would say that the House in Gordon Square has lots to recommend it! It's in central London, for a start! Beyond that though, its community of philosophers - both professional and in training - afforded me with the majority of the most stimulating philosophical conversations I've had to date. I don't think anywhere else could have prepared me better for a career in academic philosophy.
I'm currently the Robin Geffen Research Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at Keble College, Oxford and I lecture in philosophy at Christ Church, Oxford.
Since writing this, Sophie Archer has taken a position as a Lecturer at the University of Cardiff.
Nadine Elzein (BA, MPhil.Stud & PhD)
“I began studying at UCL in 2000, with a BA in philosophy. I loved both the subject and the department. I had some really inspiring lecturers and developed enough of a fascination with the field to continue on to an MPhil and a PhD. My supervisors at post-grad level were brilliant human beings, who constantly challenged me, pushed me to engage deeply and rigorously with the subject, and really supported me in my first steps through an academic career. I've since taught philosophy at UCL, Wadham College Oxford, and Southampton, and am about to start a two-year lecturing post at King's College London. I owe not only my academic career, but also some of my happiest memories and closest friendships to my time at UCL.
Nadine Elzein is now a Lecturer at University of Warwick
Ian Phillips (PhD)
“I came to UCL to study for my PhD in philosophy in 2005 having been an undergraduate and studied the BPhil in Oxford. During and after my PhD I was a Fellow by Examination at All Souls College, Oxford. I then returned to UCL as a lecturer and have recently taken up a post as Gabriele Taylor Fellow in Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science at St. Anne's College, Oxford. My work, as that job title suggests, is primarily focused on topics at the intersection of philosophy of mind and experimental psychology -- perception (especially of time and change), memory and imagery, consciousness and attention.
I will always be incredibly grateful for my time as a PhD student at UCL. I suspect I arrived from Oxford thinking I knew mostly what was what. Very soon I realized quite how far that was from the truth. No doubt this could have been a difficult experience. But the atmosphere of friendly and collective support in the department meant that constantly being challenged and pushed to think afresh and more open-mindedly was simply exciting and wonderful – just as philosophy should be. I'm sure it also helped that many of the most formative conversations I can remember were outside the seminar room – striding around Regent's Park having a supervision on a summer's day or crammed into the Jeremy Bentham over several pints of IPA.
Ian Phillips is now the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Hong Yu Wong (MPhil.Stud & PhD)
“The programme is unique in training its students rigorously but with a personal touch. The class is small and this allows for one to receive adequate attention from faculty members and interact with all of one's peers. I found the compulsory practical criticism class especially useful for honing my skills in reading closely and critically. The tutorial system allows for great flexibility in pursuing one's interests in depth and also acquiring a broad education in philosophy. Studying philosophy at UCL combines the advantages of being in an intimate college atmosphere and being in a large research environment, since there are several other excellent philosophy departments in London and a thriving philosophy scene.
Hong Yu Wong is now a Professor at the University of Tübingen
Thomas Smith (MPhil.Stud & PhD)
“For me, UCL was a place that you looked forward to going to each day. You looked forward to the seminars, the supervisions, the reading groups and the evenings in the pub, because they were fun, because the people were interesting and unpretentious, and because you learned something from them. London is a terrific place to philosophise: there are so many excellent people working or visiting there at any time, and so much going on, formally and informally, that even if one never read a single thing, one would have a sense of immunity from ignorance of the latest ideas.
Thomas Smith is now a Lecturer at the University of Manchester.
Joel Smith (MPhil.Stud & PhD)
“I was a postgraduate at UCL from 1998 to 2003, first on the MPhil, then on the PhD. What I valued most about the Philosophy department at UCL was the breadth of interests of the faculty there. I was able to study the philosophy of mind and metaphysics, but also phenomenology, Nietzsche, and the philosophy of psychoanalysis.
After having spent some time at the University of Essex, I am now a lecturer in the Philosophy department at the University of Manchester. I teach the philosophy of mind and phenomenology, and also direct the PhD programme. I look back on my time at UCL very fondly and think of it as the period in which I properly learned what it was to study the subject in a serious way. I can't think of a better preparation for a career in academic philosophy.
Joel Smith is now a Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester.
Emma Borg (MPhil.Stud & PhD)
“I really enjoyed my time at UCL, it was a fantastic place to do philosophy - always so much going on and a really good sense of community between graduates and staff.
Emma Borg is now a Professor at the University of Reading.