Philosophy MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

Pursue your doctoral studies at UCL Philosophy and produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of your supervisor(s) who are renowned in their field(s) at a department with a world-leading research reputation in philosophy.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£6,215
£3,105
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
£14,900
Duration
3 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
October 2025
February 2026
May 2026
Applications accepted
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Entry requirements

The usual prerequisite for the MPhil/PhD is a graduate qualification in Philosophy that includes a research component of at least a years duration 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.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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.

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

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research activity was assessed as among the best in the country: 60% of our activity was assessed as world-leading (4*). The department has a flourishing postgraduate community, and advanced research students are offered opportunities to gain teaching experience. We enjoy collaborative connections with other London universities, as well as the nearby Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Aristotelian Society, and the University of London Institute of Philosophy.

Who this course is for

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The PhD in Philosophy is for you if you have completed a period of postgraduate training that included a large research component and are now seeking to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific area of Philosophy. Please view the areas we can support in terms of supervision for more details.

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What this course will give you

The doctoral programme at UCL provides the opportunity to conduct original research in philosophy within 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.

The foundation of your career

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 by the taught elements of the MPhil/PhD programme, as well as for their particular area of specialisation, determined by the research topic of their doctoral thesis.

During the course of the programme, students receive training in presentation 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.

Employability

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. Some example destinations are King's College London, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, the University of Antwerp, the University of Toronto, the University of Dublin and Leipzig University. Others have gone on to lectureships in the UK, for instance at the University of Oxford, the University of York, and 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 teaching and education, accountancy and financial services, public policy, and law.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2022 cohorts.

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. The Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series is open to our graduate students, as well as conferences and talks organised by the University of London Institute of Philosophy, which the department has institutional membership to.

Teaching and learning

PhD students meet regularly in term time with their supervisors.  As well as their primary and secondary supervisors, they can request a term’s supervision with another member of staff.

The department also arranges reading groups and conferences, both internally and in collaboration with other UCL departments and/or other London university philosophy departments, and students receive guidance on setting up their own reading groups.

All doctoral students have numerous opportunities to apply for work as a Post Graduate Teaching Assistants (PGTA) in the department. This experience develops their teaching skills and deepens their philosophical expertise.

The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of a thesis of between 60,000 and 80,000 words. The candidate is also given a viva voce examination.

PhD students should treat their research programme as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week (or 15 hours for part-time students). In term time, students are expected to meet regularly with their assigned term supervisor, usually fortnightly.

Research areas and structure

  • 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

Research environment

As a research student, you will join the department's lively postgraduate community. The department is located in the centre of the rich philosophical life of Bloomsbury and this means we enjoy collaborative connections with other London universities, as well as nearby philosophical Institutes and Societies, whose activities you will be able to gain access to. Our research students run seminars and reading groups, along with organising events for faculty and external speakers. 

The doctoral programme provides you with the opportunity to conduct original research in philosophy and be supervised by prominent academics in your field of research. The PhD programme is designed to prepare you for an academic career by ensuring that you receive grounding across a range of topics, as well as producing a research thesis. During the course of the programme, you will receive training in presentation skills, interview practice and teaching methods, and are encouraged to present your research at the department's Work in Progress seminars, and at graduate and academic conferences in the UK and overseas.

Our staff cover a broad range of specialisms including  Ancient Philosophy, Epistemology, Ethics, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Logic and Political Philosophy.

The length of the MPhil/PhD in Philosophy is 3 years full-time. It requires students to take graduate courses assessed by way of several papers in their first year, and, provided they successfully upgrade to the PhD, to produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of their supervisor(s). You will receive supervision each term from either a member of your supervision team or other members of staff in the department who have expertise relevant to your research. The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of the thesis and a viva voce examination.

The length of the MPhil/PhD in Philosophy is 5 years for part-time study at UCL. It requires students to take graduate courses assessed by way of several papers in their first year, and, provided they successfully upgrade to the PhD, to produce a thesis of original research under the guidance of their supervisor(s). You will receive supervision each term from either a member of your supervision team or other members of staff in the department who have expertise relevant to your research. The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of the thesis and a viva voce examination.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.


Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £6,215 £3,105
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800 £14,900

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.

The department has a small amount of funding available to help offset the cost of travel to conferences in the UK or overseas. You are encouraged to apply for this, and other sources of funding within and outside of UCL, to support you financially with these additional costs.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

MPhil/PhD and PhD candidates can apply for AHRC funding through the London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP), whose members are UCL, King's College London, Queen Mary University of London, the London School of Economics & Political Science, the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, Royal College of Art, and Royal College of Music. Other scholarships and sources of funding may be available. You should take note of funding application deadlines as these can differ from programme application deadlines.

The department has a set of funds from which to offer awards to research students allocated on the basis of academic merit. These include the Keeling Scholarships in ancient philosophy, covering UK/EU fees and maintenance matching AHRC funding. These and other scholarships are listed on our Graduate Research Degrees pages.

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

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 24 January 2025
Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

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.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Got questions? Get in touch

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