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Philosophical Studies MPhil Stud

London, Bloomsbury

UK students International students

Study mode

Full-time

UK tuition fees (2022/23)

£5,890

Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)

£22,900

Duration

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2022

Applications accepted

All applicants: 18 Oct 2021 – 10 Jan 2022

Applications closed

Entry requirements

A first-class UK Bachelor's degree in Philosophy or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. 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.

Equivalent qualifications

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. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Our research is consistently ranked among the best in the country. The department has a lively and flourishing postgraduate community, and enjoys 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.

Who this course is for

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

Of the students we admit to the MPhilStud each year, on average around half progress to study a PhD. Many are offered full fees and maintenance grants (e.g. at UCL, Oxford, Cambridge, and other UK and US universities). Recent UCL PhD graduates in philosophy have secured lectureships, prestigious academic fellowships and postdoctoral placements in the UK and elsewhere (University of Oxford, Leeds University, York University, Southampton University, Cambridge University, Sheffield University, University of Antwerp and the Institute of Philosophy, UNAM, Mexico). Those who have not pursued academia have entered a variety of professions, including law, public policy, and publishing.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

The range of pre-doctoral graduate-level modules included in UCL's MPhil Stud programme is unmatched by any other UK philosophy department. This ensures that our research students who enter doctoral work do so with a deep general understanding of the discipline. The department has an outstanding job placement record in a highly competitive academic market that values a range of areas of competence in addition to an area of specialisation. Students also receive training in transferable presentational skills, interview practice and teaching methods. Students who do not continue to academic work beyond MPhil Stud enter a range of professions (see above).

Employability

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.

Teaching and learning

The programme is taught through a combination of seminars and supervisions. Your' performance is assessed through presentations, coursework, supervision and the thesis.

Each research training module has a two hour seminar each week. Students should plan to put aside at least 8 hours per week excluding the seminar time for each research training module being taken.

Research areas and structure

Research areas:

Ancient Philosophy
Epistemology
Ethics
History of Twentieth Century Philosophy
Metaphysics
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy
Nineteenth Century German Philosophy
Philosophy of Language
Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy of Perception
Political Philosophy
Philosophy of Science

Research environment

The Philosophy MPhilStud is one of the pre-eminent UK research Master's degrees in philosophy. Over two years you complete research training modules (similar to coursework) across a range of areas, and produce a substantial research thesis. When you have completed the MPhil Stud you will have sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge to progress to the two-year (minimum) PhD.

Full-time

When you study the MPhilStud you will take five compulsory modules and ten optional modules during your two-year programme.

The ten optional modules are subject to a breadth requirement: all programmes available to you are classified as falling into one of three broad philosophical areas

(A) Theoretical (metaphysics, language, epistemology etc.)

(B) Practical (in the Kantian sense; ethics, politics, aesthetics) and

You must take at least two courses from each of these three areas.

In the first year you will take two compulsory modules plus 8 optional modules. You will receive supervision on your thesis in term 3.
In the second year you will take the remaining compulsory modules plus the other 2 optional modules. Your supervision continues throughout the year. You will submit your thesis in early September.

Compulsory modules

MPhil Stud Thesis

MPhil Stud Thesis Preparation Seminar

Recent Philosophical Writings 2

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

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.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time
Tuition fees (2022/23)	£5,890
Tuition fees (2022/23)	£22,900

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).
The wealth of departmental seminars / colloquiums / symposiums and student organised work in progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion.
Furthermore, the department’s membership to the University of London’s Institute of Philosophy enables participation in intercollegiate conferences and workshops where the above opportunities can be experienced with a wider audience.
Lastly, the department has some funds which can be applied for to help offset the cost of travel to conferences in the UK or overseas.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

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: Jacobsen Scholarship, a one-year award of £9,000; one or two S V Keeling Scholarships in philosophy or ancient philosophy, covering UK/EU fees and maintenance matching AHRC funding for either two years (MPhil Stud) or for up to three years (MPhil/PhD or PhD ancient philosophy only).

There are also the Ayer, Dawes Hicks, Melhuish and JS Mill Scholarships, each worth £200 to £4,500. Other scholarships and sources of funding may be available; please check our Scholarships and Funding website. You should take note of funding application deadlines as these will differ from programme application deadlines.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

The MPhil Stud start date is September each year. Applications close on 10th January each year and early submission is recommended. Please include two samples of your written work (2,000 words each). https://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/writing-samples-research-applications For more information see our How to apply page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.

This page was last updated 28 Sep 2021