Course summary

Philosophy tackles some of the deepest and most complex questions about humanity and our place in the world. It also simultaneously sheds light on extremely practical and political issues. This Masters course will enable you to study the key debates, trends and approaches in different areas of contemporary philosophy whilst improving your skills in research and critical analysis. If you have no prior philosophical training, you’ll learn the many ways of studying philosophy and discover some of the most important debates in different areas. If you have previously studied philosophy, you’ll have the opportunity to focus intensely on methods, problems and issues that are new to you or which have piqued your interest in the past. Core modules on this MA will give you new tools to tackle topics and problems in philosophy from different angles whilst introducing you to the most important ideas and debates for understanding contemporary philosophy. You’ll have the chance to use your new skills to interrogate and evaluate highly practical problems in social philosophy and moral and political philosophy. You’ll also have the chance to use these skills to carry out new work on the deep issues about the nature of reality and our relationship to it in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of logic, mind, language, and metaethics. You’ll also choose from a variety of modules specialising in the areas and topics that interest you most. You’ll be supported by active researchers in a stimulating environment based around our research centres, with access to library resources covering a broad variety of subjects. It’s an excellent opportunity to gain diverse skills for a wide range of careers, as well as further study. Students interested in pursuing a PhD in Philosophy will be able to undertake more independent study. This course is also available to study part-time over 24 months.