Philosophy

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

Please find below previews of the modules that were available to MPhil philosophy students for the academic year 2023/24. Please note, taught modules may change from one year to the next depending on staff availability.

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

Michaelmas Term
PIP77011: Introduction to Philosophical Research (10 ECTS)
PIP77031: Modern European Philosophy (10 ECTS)
PIP77041: Metaphysics (10 ECTS)

Hilary Term
PIP77022: The Development of Analytic Philosophy (10 ECTS)
PIP77062: Ethics (10 ECTS)
PIP77072: Ancient Philosophy (10 ECTS)
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.

Closing Date: 31st July 2024
To apply, click on the relevant Apply Link (Full-time/Part-time) in the course webpage link above

1 Year Full Time/ 2 Years Part Time

Next Intake: September 2024

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.