Philosophy MA

Course overview

Sharpen your thinking to answer the most challenging questions about morality, existence and truth, in a world that’s constantly changing.

We live in a world overloaded with information and misinformation, ethical dilemmas and rapidly shifting norms and values, all vying for our attention.

However, philosophy graduates are among those best placed to navigate these complex and chaotic environments. With highly valued skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning and intellectual curiosity, these individuals can help shed light on the deep, reflective questions facing our society.

Our Philosophy MA tackles some of the deepest and most complex questions about humanity and our place in the world. At the same time, it also sheds light on extremely practical and political issues.

This course empowers you to take on the key debates, trends and approaches in different areas of contemporary analytic philosophy while enhancing your research and critical analysis skills.

If you have no prior training in analytic philosophy, you’ll learn about the distinctive approach to the many ways of studying this subject and discover some of the most important debates in different areas.

If you do have experience in this field, you’ll have the opportunity to focus intensely on methods, problems and issues that are new to you or that have piqued your interest in the past.

“The thing I have enjoyed most about the course was the opportunity to attend an almost endless number of research seminars, where one can see present dialectics battled out by masters of their field.”

Robert Pezet, MA Philosophy

Why study at Leeds?

• Engage with a thriving research community: Get supported by active researchers in a stimulating environment based around our research centres.
• Flexible study: You have the option to study this course part-time across 24 months, fitting your studies around your lifestyle.
• Gain real-world industry experience: You’ll get the chance to sign up for a group placement project to acquire experience in contemporary museum and gallery practice.
• Benefit from authentic work experience: Acquire valuable real-world experience as part of a 2-week online Global Industry Programme.

Explore Leeds

Discover our campus, facilities and accommodation with our 360 virtual experience platform.

With immersive 360 experiences, image galleries, virtual tours, videos and day-in-the-life content, you can take a personalised, interactive tour of campus and explore the University's academic, social and residential environments from anywhere in the world.

You can get a feel for what it's really like to live, learn and belong at the University of Leeds – all from the comfort of home.

Course details and modules

Two core modules will introduce you to analytic methods and ways of studying philosophy as well as landmark ideas, debates, and texts in contemporary analytic philosophy and its history.

You’ll be taught how to use formal methods to approach philosophical problems and have the opportunity to use these approaches in independent and collaborative work shedding new light on philosophical and practical problems.

You’ll improve your skills in research and critical thinking through exploring contemporary issues in areas such as metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and ethics. From this foundation, you’ll build specialist knowledge in either practical or theoretical philosophy.

You’ll also have the opportunity to deepen your interests through your choice of optional modules. Optional modules allow you to develop your own independent project, or study topics in different areas of philosophy.

You’ll continue to specialise when you complete your dissertation – an independent research project on a topic of your choice that allows you to showcase the skills and knowledge you’ve gained. You can also choose to extend your dissertation if you want to go into even more depth.

As a postgraduate student with us, you’ll be a part of the vibrant research culture at Leeds. Our School has research clusters in several areas including:

• Metaphysics and mind

• Metaethics

• Moral and political philosophy

• Language Gender and sex.

The MA in Philosophy enables you to engage with research in these areas by attending research seminars and events. You can develop the focus of research in these seminars, and ask questions of visiting speakers and faculty staff or students presenting their current work. You’ll then develop your own research in your dissertation or independent project.

If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Philosophy MA Part Time in the course catalogue

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Philosophy MA Full Time in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Learning and teaching

Most of our modules are taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, where you can discuss the issues arising from your reading with fellow students and your tutor.

You’ll also have one-to-one supervisions while you work on your dissertation. Independent study is also an important element of the course, allowing you to develop your skills and pursue your own interests more closely.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

We use different forms of assessment, including essays, seminar participation and your dissertation.

Applying

Entry requirements

You’ll need a bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) or equivalent qualification, preferably in a philosophy-related degree specialising in one of the following subjects indicated under 'Philosophy related subjects'.

We will also consider applicants with relevant experience, an interest in philosophy, or coming from an area of expertise to which philosophy is complementary such as the ones listed under ‘Other areas’.

We welcome applicants from a diverse range of subject disciplines so please do not hesitate to apply if your subject is not listed.

All applicants will be required to respond to the questions in the supporting statement section of the online application form to explain why you wish to study this particular course and your career plans. Relevant professional experience may also be considered. We may request additional documentation to inform our decision.

Philosophy related subjects

• Philosophy

• Ethics

• History of Ideas

• Theology

• Law

• Jurisprudence

• Linguistics

• Psychology

• Cognitive Science

• Anthropology

• Political Theory

• Gender Studies

Other Areas

• Physics

• Mathematics

• Economics

• Literature

• History

• Computer Science

International

Our admissions team are experienced in considering a wide range of international qualifications. If you wish to discuss whether your qualifications will meet the necessary entry criteria, contact the School’s admissions team.

You can also check the accepted qualifications for your country or region.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional. 

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Please see our How to Apply page for information about application deadlines.

The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page will take you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you intend to apply for funding, we advise you to submit an application for your chosen course as early as possible and at least one month before any scholarship deadline.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Documents and information you'll need

• A copy of your degree certificate and transcripts, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying (please submit an official English translation where the original is not in English)
• Your approved English Language test* (if applicable)
• A personal statement in response to the questions asked in the supporting statement section of the application form
• A full up-to-date CV
• Any previous UK CAS, visa and BRP documents if you’re an international applicant who has previously studied in the UK on a Tier 4/ Student Visa.

* Applicants who have not yet completed an approved English language test may apply for a Masters course prior to taking a test.

Personal Statement Requirements

Please summarise your reasons for applying to this particular programme of study. Your response can include details of your previous study/work experience relevant to the programme and career ambitions. Your response can provide us with important information on your suitability for the course, so please complete carefully.

Please explain why you have chosen to apply for this Masters course at the University of Leeds by answering the following questions in separate numbered paragraphs:

1. What areas of this course particularly interest you and why? Have you studied these before? Please explain your reasons for applying to this particular Masters course

2. Why do you want to study this course at Leeds? Please comment on aspects such as available resources at the University and in the city, research specialisms within the school or academics you would like to work with.

3. What potential themes have you considered for dissertation research?

4. How will studying for this course help you to achieve your longer term goals?

5. Why do you see this course as a particularly valuable subject to study?

6. What skills and experience do you have that have prepared you for this course? You may like to give details of any final year work/projects you have previously undertaken, relevant work experience etc.

Relevant work experience might include: Teaching; Civil Service; Business Analysis; Health Service Management, Charity Sector; Journalism; Law; Local Govt; Policy Officer; Psychotherapy; Social Research.

Next Steps

Where further information to support the assessment of your application is needed, we may ask for a recent sample of written work.

We do not generally request references, unless further information is required to support the assessment of your application.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2027

This course is taught by

School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science

Contact us

Postgraduate Administration Office

Email: prhs_pgenquiries@leeds.ac.uk

Fees

UK: £12,400 (Total)

International: £27,300 (Total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Learn more about Masters funding. 

Scholarships are also available to help fund your Masters. Find out more and check your eligibility below:

Career opportunities

This course will equip you with a range of in-depth subject knowledge, but it will also develop your high-level skills in research, analysis, interpretation and communication.

All of these qualities are valuable to a range of employers across sectors and industries, and we’re proud of our record in preparing postgraduates for their careers after graduation. They’ve gone into roles such as teaching, consultancy, business management, administration, accountancy, law, journalism and the civil service, among others.

Where this degree could take you

Here’s an insight into the job roles some of our philosophy graduates have obtained:

• HR Assistant, AdviserPlus
• Client Development Executive, Allen & Overy LLP
• Sales Executive, Alpine Elements
• Technical Services Manager, ASAPP
• PR Executive, Black Letter PR
• Metadata Manager, Bloomsbury Publishing
• Senior Consultant, Digital Marketing, Capgemini Invent
• Research Assistant, Catsnake Film

Many of our graduates also progress to further study and ultimately pursue academic careers.

Careers support

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one.  

Our Careers Service has the global expertise and sector-spanning industry partnerships that, combined, go well beyond simply helping you get a job. They provide you with the resources you need to upskill and achieve the future you aspire towards – even in the face of lightning-paced change. 

• Dedicated Employability Team: Meet with our qualified careers consultants and specialist employability and placements officers, on hand to help you choose the right path and develop the skills to get there. They can support with CV and cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile building, mock interviews and navigating AI: get confident with tailored advice and techniques.  
• Employability and networking events: Get involved in a full range of events, including careers fairs and specialist industry talks with employers who are actively recruiting. You’ll also benefit from mentoring and a supportive careers community, helping you make connections, build your network, and shape your journey as a future professional. 
• Skills training: We embed transferable skills training in all our programmes to support your transition to the workplace. Gain expertise employers value, such as communication, problem-solving and research and data analysis. 
• MyCareer system: Access a dedicated portal where you can book careers appointments, view helpful resources and browse vacancies and events. Access digital tools, including LinkedIn support, video interview preparation, plus global job market and visa guidance. We also offer pre‑arrival support to help you prepare for career planning in the UK and make the most of your time with us. 
• Exclusive opportunities: Bring your enterprise to market with our award-winning business advice service, Spark. Apply for vacancies only available to our students. And hone your skills further with Leeds University Union, home to volunteering opportunities and over 300 clubs and societies. 

Work placements and industry experience

You can sign up for a group placement project to gain first-hand experience of contemporary museum and gallery practice.

We have close links with many cultural institutions and organisations in the region, so there are plenty of opportunities and themes across the sector for you to explore.

Alongside placement activities, you’ll receive guidance on key aspects of professional practice, during sessions frequently led by experienced museum staff.

Placement projects vary from year to year. Our students have previously engaged on placement projects in collaboration with organisations that include:

• The Walt Disney Company
• Unilever
• L'Oreal (UK)
• SXSW London
• Porsche Cars Great Britain
• NBC Universal
• J Barbour & Sons
• Bentley Motors
• Ralph Lauren

Global Industry Programme

As a Masters student at Leeds, you’ll have the unique opportunity to gain real-world industry experience with our Global Industry Programme.

You’ll develop key professional skills and gain invaluable insight into working in your chosen field, helping to solve a real business problem from a live company brief.

This experience will enhance your CV, helping you stand out in the competitive graduate jobs market and improving your chances of securing the career you want.

Benefits of the Global Industry Programme:

• Fully online and designed to fit around your studies.
• Opportunities to make professional networks in areas such as digital marketing, business growth, sustainability and funding strategy.
• Gain valuable insight and build consultancy experience with a UK or international organisation, working on a time limited brief.
• Work as part of a team across disciplines to tackle real business needs.
• Advance your experience and hands-on skills by putting the course teachings into practice.
• Improve your employability prospects.
• Make new friends, build confidence and consider your future plans.