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Postgraduate taught

Why study for a Master's degree with us?

Studying for a Master’s degree provides you with the opportunity to engage with a particular area of philosophy in more depth than you typically can as an undergraduate. It will also provide you with research skills in preparation for employment or further postgraduate study. In Philosophy, we offer two distinct types of Master’s-level programme, both of which can serve as a route to PhD study:

  • The taught MA programmes. These traditional one-year (full time) programmes include a taught section, where you will have close contact with tutors and your peers in weekly seminar groups, as well as an independent research element culminating in your MA dissertation. The MA is perfect either as the capstone and further specialisation of your undergraduate education or as preparation for PhD research.
  • The MPhil programme. This 2-year research programme is designed for candidates who thrive on independent research under close supervision by a team of experts in your chosen research areas. The programme has been reviewed and updated for 2019/20 entry and full details can now be found on our Postgraduate Research pages.

Whichever Master’s programme you choose, you can study a wide range of modules. We are unique in our breadth and depth of specialist choices available, allowing you to combine study of continental philosophy with contemporary analytic philosophy. Members of academic staff have an especially wide range of research interests, but we have particular strengths in: Philosophy of Mind (particularly the Philosophy of Perception); 19th Century Continental Philosophy; 20th Century Continental Philosophy; Epistemology; Philosophy of Psychology, Aesthetics; Moral, Legal and Political Philosophy.

Our department is one of the most highly regarded Philosophy departments in the UK. We are rated as one of the top UK departments, as confirmed by our high placing across the range of national leagues tables: we are rated 5th by The Complete University Guide 2018 and 13th by The Guardian University Guide 2018.

In the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014), we ranked first in the UK for the quality of our research (‘research outputs’) and fourth overall, with over 90% of the research published by our staff in books and journal articles over a six year period from 2008 assessed as being ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world leading’.

Teaching and Learning

Our excellence in research underpins our teaching in philosophy at all levels. Our students consistently give us excellent ratings regarding teaching and learning, organisation and management, and resources and services. In the 2016 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) results, we achieved 92% satisfaction rating overall. The PTES analyses a range of feedback from students on teaching quality (such as contact, feedback), course design, student satisfaction, and career development. So whether you are studying Heidegger on the nature of human existence, investigating the relationship between children’s literature and ethics, or reflecting on consciousness and its connection to reality, you will be learning from leading experts who are passionate about their subject.

Download our 2019/20 PGT guide

Useful links

General enquiries: the Philosophy PG Office Accommodation: Warwick Accommodation
Application process/How to apply Fees and How to Pay: Student Finance
Visas: Warwick Immigration Advice The Graduate School

Warwick Students Union

Terms and Conditions

Support for International Students

Wellbeing Support Services

Postgraduate Loans: Student Funding