The University of Sheffield
Prospective Postgraduates

MA Philosophy

Briana Toole, postgraduate student in the Department of Philosophy

Key facts

  • Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Humanities
  • 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time

Fees and funding

Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Entry requirements

You’ll need a first-class or a strong 2:1 honours degree.

English language requirements: overall IELTS grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.

Entry requirements for international students

Any questions?

If you'd like to know more about any aspect of our courses, contact us:

Joanne Elliot
E: j.m.elliott@sheffield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)114 222 0587

Apply now

About the course

This general course explores key ideas in philosophy. You'll develop your philosophical knowledge and understanding to a higher level. Our MA is designed to prepare students who wish to continue to a PhD as many do. We also welcome anyone who just wants to learn more about philosophy, even if your first degree is in another subject. Some advanced modules may only be available to Philosophy graduates.

Core modules

  • Research Seminar in Metaphysics and Epistemology
  • Research Seminar in Language and Mind
  • Research Seminar in Politics and Value
  • Philosophical Foundations

Optional modules

  • Hegel
  • Film and Philosophy
  • Desires of One's Own
  • Liberty, Community and Democracy
  • Epistemology
  • Moral Obligation
  • Metaphysics
  • Philosophy of Psychology
  • Pragmatism
  • Feminism
  • Plato
  • Aristotle
  • Necessary Beings
  • Kant
  • Philosophy of Law
  • The Imagination
  • Epistemic Injustice

Teaching

  • Weekly seminars for core modules
  • Lectures and seminars for other modules

Assessment

  • A long essay for each module
  • PhD proposal (for students intending to continue to a PhD)
  • Dissertation

Where your masters can take you

A masters from Sheffield is excellent preparation for a PhD at any leading university. Many of our MA students take their PhDs with us, then go on to academic posts at places such as Aberdeen, Birkbeck, Cambridge, Essex, Keele, Kent, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Manitoba, Newcastle, Nottingham, the Open University, Oxford, Sheffield, Stirling and Zurich.

A lively study environment

We want your time here to be rewarding, a positive experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

The Philosophical Gourmet Report 2011 recognised our strengths in Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Philosophical Logic, Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Philosophy of Art, Kant, 19th Century Continental Philosophy, American Pragmatism and Feminist Philosophy.

The department is home to The Hang Seng Centre for Cognitive Studies and the Leverhulme-funded Implicit Bias and Philosophy Project.

Apply now

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It is a quick and easy process.

Postgraduate Online Application Form