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Philosophy at University of Oxford - UCAS

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2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2024). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas. The primary aim of the faculty’s DPhil in Philosophy is to prepare you for an academic career in philosophy. As a DPhil student, you will research, summarise, present and defend an argument with some of the best scholars in their subject, under the direction of one or more experienced researchers, and you will extend your skills and experiences. During the DPhil you will learn new or hone existing intellectual, practical and transferable skills, as follows:

  • analyse and clarify an abstract question, grasp and critically compare different approaches to answering it, and develop an approach of your own
  • put complex arguments together for and against a position and take them apart
  • interpret difficult historical texts produced within a historical context
  • construct extensive pieces of writing that provide a clear overview of a subject and a sustained independent argument about it, presented in a lucid, objective and scholarly manner
  • demonstrate excellent oral presentation
  • have effective time organisation (since you must produce extensive pieces of written work at regular intervals and to tight deadlines)
  • sustain intensive work to a deadline over an extended period
  • make effective use of libraries, information technology and other sources of information
Each year, the Faculty of Philosophy welcomes students from a range of courses who have already completed substantial graduate work in philosophy. Typically, students who are successfully admitted to the DPhil course have already completed study that is equivalent or nearly equivalent to that required for Oxford’s BPhil in Philosophy. The faculty’s Graduate Studies Committee recommends progression from Oxford's BPhil in Philosophy to the DPhil course, considering the BPhil offers the opportunity to study a wide range of philosophical topics over two years as well as to focus on a narrower field of research interest (unlike most one-year masters in a specialised subject, as offered elsewhere). Students may also progress from one of the following three specialised MSt courses at Oxford: the MSt in Philosophy of Physics, the MSt in Ancient Philosophy and the MSt in Practical Ethics. As part of your doctoral research you will produce a substantial 75,000-word thesis. Students proceeding to the DPhil programme via the BPhil will normally write a DPhil thesis which is an expansion of their BPhil thesis and may be able to incorporate the full contents of their 30,000-word BPhil thesis into the 75,000-word DPhil thesis. However, this is not a formal requirement; sometimes the BPhil thesis topic is not suitable for expansion into a DPhil thesis, or you may wish to write your DPhil thesis on a different topic. Each term, many graduate classes and research seminars are organised by faculty members in which graduate students are full and important participants. Graduates are also encouraged to organise their own seminars and reading groups, and they also run two societies: one invites distinguished speakers from the UK and around the world, while the other gives graduates the opportunity to present papers to a graduate audience. The Masters of Letters (MLitt) in Philosophy is awarded on the basis of a thesis of maximum 50,000 words. In practice, applicants are admitted for the MLitt only in exceptional cases, and few students submit a thesis for the MLitt. The MLitt is more often an exit award for DPhil students who fail or withdraw from the DPhil degree but meet the requirements for the MLitt. For the full description, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas

Entry requirements

For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

For complete and up-to-date information about fees and funding for this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.
Philosophy at University of Oxford - UCAS