General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

A First Class honours degree (or equivalent) in Philosophy or with a significant Philosophy component; two writing samples of around 2,500 words each on philosophical topics (ideally these will be recent essays or extracts on relevant topics for which you received a good mark); a strong statement of purpose.

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.

Our research

Philosophy at Warwick is recognised for our support of diverse philosophical traditions, including both analytic and continental philosophy. We have particular strengths in:

• Philosophy of Mind, Action, and Epistemology
• Philosophy of Psychology
• Philosophy of the Arts and Aesthetics
• Moral, Political and Legal Philosophy
• Kant and Hegel
• 19th Century Post-Kantian Philosophy, including Schopenhauer and Nietzsche
• 20th Century Continental Philosophy, including Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida
• Mathematical Logic and Computation.

Full details of our research interests are listed on the Philosophy web pages. You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.

Find a supervisor

Please see our Philosophy 'How to Apply' web pageLink opens in a new window for guidance on completing your application form.

Before completing your application we encourage you to make contact with the convenor of the programme to discuss your application.

Research proposals

When you make your application, you will need to submit a detailed research proposal in support of your application. This needs to be a convincing proposal which is sufficiently rigorous, and of sufficient quality to demonstrate that you are ready to begin independent research at PhD level. Typical proposals are 2,000 to 3,000 words long; however, this is only a guideline. The emphasis will be on the quality of the proposal and whether or not it fits with a particular supervisor’s research interests.

We understand that this is a provisional statement of your research. We expect that your research will develop as you carry it out and as you read further into your area of study. It is likely that your supervisor will suggest changes or developments to your research during the course of your study, but you should treat the proposal as an opportunity to show that you have begun to explore an important area of study and that you have a question, or questions, that challenge and develop that area. It is also necessary to demonstrate that you can express your ideas in clear and precise English.

For further details and guidance please see our webpagesLink opens in a new window.

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 research 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

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)

How to apply

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

For research courses that start in September and October 2025 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2025. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course