What our students say

Carl Fox, MA 2010; now a PhD student

After a couple of years out of philosophy I came to Sheffield for the MA with the intention of moving on to a PhD afterwards. The supervision was excellent and I found the research training and the graded PhD proposal very helpful. The staff and the department have been hugely supportive. I've also benefitted from the excellent teaching opportunities they offer to postgraduates: I've been able to design and deliver an undergraduate module. The graduate community is particularly lively and friendly, and you are never short of an opportunity to go the pub or discuss your research. I am delighted to recommend the department to anyone interested in pursuing philosophy at the next level.

Jonathan Parry, BA 2008; now a PhD student

I left Sheffield to do a Masters in Australia. Despite the improved climate I had no hesitation in coming back. The academic environment here is first rate, with a wide range of interests and expertise. The staff are very approachable and make themselves available to discuss your ideas, regardless of whether they are your official supervisors. They are very supportive and put a lot of time and effort into their role, offering advice not only on my academic work but also on entering the profession. There is also a wide range of opportunities for teaching: as well as first-year undergraduate seminars, two upper-level courses each year are taught by PhD students on their area of research. I have studied at and visited several departments and none has a postgraduate community as warm and welcoming as Sheffield.

Peter Caven, BA 2008, MA 2011; now a PhD student

Having completed my BA in Philosophy and MA in Political Theory at Sheffield, I decided to stay on to study for my PhD here. As well as the city having something for pretty much everyone, the atmosphere in the department is particularly friendly, welcoming, and intellectually engaging. The staff are highly supportive, always happy to discuss ideas with you, and are also committed to disseminating their research in the wider community at various public events. We have a close-knit and socially active postgraduate community, with weekly seminars, reading groups, and pub trips. Although there is plenty of philosophically stimulating conversation amongst postgrads, who have a diverse range of interests, we also switch off from our work and hang out as genuine friends much of the time. All in all, I have never regretted deciding to study at such a great department, and strongly advise anyone thinking of doing philosophy at postgraduate level to consider Sheffield.

Natasha McKeever, BA 2008, MA in Political Theory 2009; now a PhD student

I have been a part of the Philosophy department at Sheffield since 2005, having completed my BA and MA here. I am now working towards a PhD, and I haven't regretted my decision to stay. The department is very sociable, with two weekly pub trips, regular department parties, and a yearly weekend away. Everyone is hugely welcoming, supportive, and interested in each other; no one is excluded. There is a great variety of philosophical interests among staff and students but everyone is keen to hear about each other's work, both in seminars and in the pub. Sheffield is also a great city to live in, with loads of interesting things going on all the time and a populace that supports diversity and creativity.

Suilin Lavelle, MA 2006, PhD 2011; now Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh

The most striking thing about the philosophy department here is just how supportive all the staff are: people are always interested to discuss ideas with you, be it in the weekly graduate seminar, reading groups or just if you happen to be passing by. Having spoken to lots of philosophy graduates in other universities I’ve come to realise that our department is far ahead of others in this respect. We are also very fortunate to have a strong community amongst the post-graduates — something which is reassuring considering the solitary nature of doing a PhD.

I personally have also benefitted from the strong interdisciplinary links we have with psychology, linguistics, anthropology and archaeology both within the university and at other institutions. There are few places which could offer such a diverse range of research opportunities. I would have no hesitation in recommending people who are serious about philosophy to come here to study.

Glyn Owen, MA 2007

The Department is a very welcoming place. Staff doors are open; and weekly graduate and departmental seminars and reading groups expose students to many philosophical subjects and opinions, and bring everyone into regular contact, both academic and social. The course itself is brilliant, exceeding the high expectations I had before it began, and placing students in the frontline of philosophical debate. Advice is offered from the start about future study and careers, and whilst most students are in their twenties, I specially recommend Sheffield to those who like me are doing something new in late career.

Graeme Forbes, MA 2006, PhD 2010; now Visiting Assistant Professor at Southwestern College, Kansas

Apart from being a vibrant city, with the Peak District on its doorstep, Sheffield is a great place to be doing philosophy. On paper its consistently rated as one of the best departments in the country, but more importantly the atmosphere is so good here. The postgradude community is really friendly and provides an excellent working and social environment. The weekly postgraduate and departmental semiars provide a chance to see what's going on in other people's research and an oppourtunity to engage in top class philosophical discussion. I am immensly glad I am here and give you my unqualified encouragement to come too.

Jules Holroyd, BA 2003, MA 2004, PhD 2007; now Lecturer at the University of Nottingham

I have just completed the Research Training Year, which is excellently geared towards preparation for a PhD. Aside from the obvious academic virtues, the Department at Sheffield has a great, friendly atmosphere. Weekly graduate and departmental seminars, and a multitude of reading groups, provide opportunities for group discussion. There is also a lively social side to the department – meals, pub trips, the annual weekend away, as well as get-togethers for coffee on a regular basis. Staff are always willing to discuss work in progress. Moreover, the support and encouragement I have received from my supervisors has given me confidence in my work and opened up academic opportunities. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time so far at Sheffield, and am confident that I will continue to do so over the next three years.

Andy Thomas, Research Training MA 2003, PhD 2008

Choosing to study philosophy at Sheffield was a smart choice. The department is welcoming and friendly, and seems to be dedicated to helping its postgrads realise their academic potential. Reading groups and invited speakers provide an excellent opportunity to broaden one's philosophical horizons, and engage in challenging discussion with tutors and other postgrads. The willingness to socialise outside of the philosophical arena is particularly refreshing, and provides some important support. Furthermore, the department seems to have a talent for gaining external postgrad studentships, and helps students itself whenever it can. I recommend it without reservation.

Richard Woodward, Research Training Year 2004, PhD 2007; now Fellow of the Logos Research Group, Barcelona

The Department at Sheffield has strived successfully to produce an atmosphere that is extremely friendly and welcoming to research students, as well as being a very productive place at which to carry out postgraduate research. The staff do their utmost to ensure that you achieve your academic potential, and are more than willing to help, be it with your work or with applications for funding. Choosing a department at which to carry out graduate research can be a difficult process, but rest assured that Sheffield is an excellent choice. Faced with the decision again, I would have no hesitation in choosing Sheffield.

Fabian Freyenhagen, Research Training Year 2002, PhD 2005; now Reader at the University of Essex

Sheffield is a great place to study philosophy, because the department manages to combine a friendly and supportive atmosphere with excellent scholarship and a wealth of opportunities. The amount of time and energy which the staff are prepared to invest in meeting students and in commenting on their work could hardly be paralleled. The reading groups and postgraduate seminars provide further opportunity to discuss one's research interests and philosophical issues in general. A real effort is also made to provide guidance in the application process, whether this is to the department or to funding bodies. The department also tries, where it can, to help students financially, both through departmental funds and by providing teaching opportunities. And on the social side, both the graduate community and the staff contribute a great deal to making life beyond philosophy enjoyable too.

Mari Mikkola, Research Training Year 2001, PhD 2005; now Junior Professor at the Humboldt University, Berlin

Sheffield is a lively place to study and live. The University has a lot to offer from quiet coffee bars to lively clubs each day of the week. The Philosophy Department in particular has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with lots of events taking place. There are endless opportunities for discussion (philosophical and otherwise), and for socializing amongst students and staff. Coming to Sheffield has definitely been one of the best decisions I have made.

Thom Brooks, PhD 2004; now Reader in Law at the University of Durham

Like many new students, I did not know what to expect when I began my studies at the University of Sheffield. I can say without hesitation than I have never been in a more positive, encouraging, and genuinely friendly department. I have greatly benefited from excellent advice from my supervisors and well-conducted reading groups. Simply put, choosing to come to Sheffield was one of the very best decisions I have made.

Komarine Romdenh-Romuluc, BA 1997, Research Training Year 1998, PhD 2003; now Lecturer at the University of Nottingham.

As a student at Sheffield you are encouraged to discuss your work with both staff and other postgraduate students. Moreover, the department tries very hard (and successfully) to create an atmosphere where discussions are friendly and constructive. The life of a PhD student could be somewhat solitary, but reading groups and a Departmental Seminar attended by staff and students provide opportunities to meet with the other members of the department to do philosophy. There are also pub visits and meals after seminars to ensure you don't spend all your time doing philosophy. Advice and support is given on a range of career-related matters including job interviews, publishing work, securing funding, and attending conferences. In short, the department at Sheffield is superb - I thoroughly recommend it to anyone considering postgraduate study in philosophy.

Keith Frankish, MA 1995, PhD 1999; now Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Open University

Sheffield Philosophy Department provides an environment which is friendly, supportive and academically challenging. I have been very happy here, and I feel that the Department had helped me to realise my academic potential.

Stephen De Wijze, PhD 1998; now Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester

The Department at Sheffield is an excellent place to read for a PhD. It provides a supportive and convivial atmosphere with the appropriate intellectual stimulation needed for those embarking on the difficult process. During my three years as a PhD student, I found staff and graduate students, without exception and no matter their speciality, always willing to engage in a lively discussion about my work. They offered constructive criticism when reading my papers, attending my seminars or simply helping to sample some of Sheffield's finest pubs and restaurants. My supervision was outstanding. I was encouraged to explore my own ideas and views which, while taken seriously, were subjected to the rigorous scrutiny of the highest standard that has become the hallmark of this department. I doubt whether I could have found a better department to read for my PhD.