Philosophy

Course Overview

The M.Phil. in Philosophy is a broad and intellectually challenging postgraduate course for students with a background in philosophy or related disciplines with a strong philosophy component.



The wide-ranging curriculum is designed to enable students to understand what is distinctive about philosophical methodology, to critically engage with contemporary debates in the core systematic areas of philosophy and to combine modern historical scholarship with a rigorous contemporary philosophical approach.



Is This Course For Me?

The Masters is particularly relevant for students interested in pursuing further philosophical research. The programme focuses on developing the key skills required to undertake research in philosophy with students being exposed to a broad range of philosophical research expertise and guided through the process of developing a research idea and presenting their findings.



Students also learn invaluable writing, communication, analytical and critical thinking skills. These are transferrable skills which can be applied to further postgraduate study as well as a wide range of careers.



Course Structure

The M.Phil. in Philosophy incorporates both taught and research components. Students take six taught modules, worth 60 ECTS, which work together to form an integrated foundation for cutting-edge contemporary philosophical research.



Small class sizes facilitate interactive seminar-style teaching, and there is an emphasis on regular and intensive contact between students and their lecturers. In addition, the research dissertation, which counts for 30 ECTS, is the culmination of the Masters programme with students receiving one-to-one supervisory support from an academic supervisor in the student’s chosen field.



Supervision will normally be given by full-time staff of the Department of Philosophy.

Course Content

Students are required to take six taught modules, which may change from one year to the next depending on staff availability. Modules offered in recent years include: Introduction to Philosophical Research; Modern European Philosophy; Metaphysics; Ethics; Ancient Philosophy; and Development of Analytic Philosophy.



In addition, students must write a dissertation not exceeding 15,000 words.



If you have any questions in relation to a module, please contact philosophy@tcd.ie

Michaelmas Term

• PIP77011: Introduction to Philosophical Research

• PIP77031: Modern European Philosophy

• PIP77041: Metaphysics



Hilary Term

• PIP77022: The Development of Analytic Philosophy

• PIP77062: Ethics

• PIP77072: Ancient Philosophy

• PIP88100: Dissertation (30 ECTS)

Admission Requirements

An undergraduate degree at second-class level (2.1) or above (or equivalent) in Philosophy is the normal requirement, but applicants who can demonstrate a strong Philosophy component in their degree in a different discipline will be considered on a case-by-case basis.



All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Closing Date: 30th June 2025

1 Year Full Time

2 Years Part Time

Next Intake: September 2025

Career Opportunities

Philosophy graduates find that their ability to be analytical, to question assumptions and to be innovative thinkers opens up to a range of opportunities in fields as varied as teaching, journalism, media, advertising, law, finance and technology. This M.Phil. is also particularly relevant for students interested in pursuing further philosophical research.