General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in Philosophy or a related subject with a significant philosophical component; a writing sample of around 2,500 words on a philosophical topic.

See our departmental guidanceLink opens in a new window.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Core modules

Important information 
We are planning to make changes to our Philosophy MA degree for 2025 entry. Our core modules will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer. 

Research Methods

What is it to do research in philosophy? Among other things, it is to engage in philosophers' particular ways of "doing philosophy", which manifest themselves in particular ways of arguing, writing, and discussing. What is distinctive about philosophy is that right from the earliest Presocratic thinkers up to the present day, this activity of doing philosophy is itself subject to philosophical investigation and reflection. In this module, you will become part of this tradition, by both improving and reflecting on and improving your practice of doing philosophy.

Read more about the Research Methods moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Optional modules

You will be expected to take a further three optional modules, and previous module options have included:

• Metaphysics and Epistemology
• Time, Process and Experience
• Appearance Matters
• Mind and Language
• Moral and Political Philosophy
• Vagueness
• Hegel's Aesthetics
• Nietzsche
• 20th Century French Philosophy
• Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason
• Heidegger’s Being and Time
• Embodiment, Nature, Art: Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology
• The Logic of Life (Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Marx)

Read more about our optional modules.Link opens in a new window

Teaching

Taught modules followed by a 10,000 word dissertation. You will cover four modules - although your exact pathway will depend on your selection of optional modules as detailed above.

Class sizes

Seminar class sizes for this course typically range from 8-20 people.

Typical contact hours

For taught components, there are typically 2 hours of teaching per module per week on this course.

Assessment

You will submit assessed essays during the academic terms. You will also begin planning your dissertation and generally you will undertake your supervision sessions for this with your agreed supervisor during the summer term. As long as you pass your taught components, you will then focus on completion of your MA dissertation in the summer months (July and August).

Reading lists 

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform.

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue. 

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Any compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Your career

Completing an MA provides a strong foundation for those intending to study for a PhD. In addition to those pursuing further study, graduates from these courses have gone on to work for a range of national and international employers.

Our graduates have pursued roles such as: further education teaching professionals; IT business analysts, architects and systems designers; library clerks and assistants and secondary education teaching professionals.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• Identifying Your Skills, Strengths and Motivators for Philosophy Students
• Thinking about Work Experience for Philosophy Students
• Careers in the Public Sector
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Philosophy at Warwick

Our research reputation is founded in consistent excellence across a range of philosophical fields, including in philosophy of mind and epistemology; Post-Kantian European philosophy; philosophy of the arts and aesthetics; moral, political, and legal philosophy; and mathematical logic and computation.

• Philosophy of Mind, Action, and Epistemology
• Philosophy of Psychology
• Philosophy of Literature and the Arts
• Moral and Political Philosophy
• Kant and Hegel
• 19th and 20th Century Post-Kantian (Continental) Philosophy, including Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger
• Mathematical Logic

We collaborate extensively with academics and practitioners in other subjects and have long-standing partnerships with researchers and practitioners across all faculties.

We support four active and successful research centres that co-ordinate research activities in our main areas of research strengths. Each centre has well-established interdisciplinary links within Warwick and beyond. At Warwick, you’ll be part of an inclusive staff and student community. We provide a vibrant and friendly environment where our students have dedicated support to explore their passion for philosophy and develop their skills as researchers.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate courses

• Continental Philosophy (MA)
• Philosophy (MA)
• Philosophy and Literature (PhD)
• Philosophy and the Arts (MA)
• Philosophy (MPhil)
• Philosophy (PhD)

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees  

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2025 opens on 2 October 2024.

Applications will close on 2 August 2025 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

How to apply for a postgraduate taught course