UCD School of Philosophy Scoil na Fealsúnachta UCD

Graduate Programmes

 

UCD Philosophy was ranked among the top 100 departments of Philosophy worldwide according to the recent QS World Rankings survey (2017 and 2018).

The information on this page concerns our taught masters programmes (MA and MSc).

For details about the doctoral programme, see the Research PhD section.
Extended MA, designed for graduates with little or no background in philosophy.
PhD Awards in the UCD School of Philosophy.
MSc in Cognitive Science, in conjunction with the UCD School of Computer Science and the UCD School of Psychology.

UCD Graduate Studies website.

Apply to UCD‌‌

The taught masters (MA programmes)

UCD School of Philosophy has a thriving postgraduate community with over sixty students working on topics from across the philosophical spectrum. The School prides itself on cultivating a supportive and friendly atmosphere, and there is plenty of intellectual stimulation on offer in the form of seminars, reading groups, symposia, and an annual postgraduate conference. It is also home to the international postgraduate philosophy journal, Perspectives.

The School offers a number of MA programmes. Each programme comprises six taught modules and a dissertation of 12-15,000 words. Students taking these courses full time take three modules in the first semester, three in the second, and submit their dissertation at the end of August. (Part time, this will mean three modules in the first year, three in the second, with the dissertation due at the end of the second August. Part time students may decide, in a given year, whether to take one module in the first semester and two in the second, or vice versa.)

The School offers more than a dozen MA modules. Modules differ from year to year, but the areas remain the same. The finalised list of modules for any academic year will be made available by May before the start of the year.

Pure Philosophy MA Programmes

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Students on the general programme choose any six modules from the available Philosophy modules.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The MA in Contemporary European Philosophy requires the student to select FOUR modules in Contemporary European philosophy, and TWO modules from the remaining MA modules.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 
The MA in Consciousness and Embodiment is an interdiscipilinary MA on the topic of embodied consciousness and cognition.  It requires the student to select SIX modules from a specified list of MA modules on offer in Philosophy, Psychology and Computer Science. The MA in Ethics: Theory and Practice requires students to  complete modules in Moral Theory and Applied Ethics, select THREE more modules from a list of Philosophy modules with ethical content as well as ONE from a list of Ethics modules provided by other disciplines.  

   Interdisciplinary MA Programmes

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The MA in Philosophy and Literature requires the student to select THREE modules from a list of four specific Philosophy MA modules, and THREE modules from a list offered by the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics and the School of English, Drama and Film. The MA in Philosophy and Public Affairs requires the student to select THREE modules from specific Philosophy MA modules, and THREE modules from a list offered by the various Schools in the College of Social Sciences and Law.                                                  The School of Philosophy contributes to the MSc in Cognitive Science.                                           

 ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Applications to study postgraduate philosophy in any one of these programmes should be submitted online.
COMPLETE APPLICATIONS ARE ASSESSED ON A ROLLING BASIS.

Admission Requirements:

(Note that these requirements do not apply to the MSc in Cognitive Science. For information on that programme, follow the link above)

Applicants may apply for any of the one-year Masters degrees if they have obtained one of the following:

  • A BA degree with at least Second Class Honours, Grade I in the subject of the MA (or a relevant subject) and at least Second Class honours, Grade II in a second subject. 
  • A BA degree with at least Second Class Honours, Grade I in the subject of the MA or in a relevant subject.
  • Second Class Honours, Grade I (or equivalent standard) in a relevant postgraduate diploma.

However, all applicants will be assessed on a case-by-case basis so that in certain exceptional cases an award at a lower level or a 2.2 classification may be considered.

If you are unsure as to your eligibility you should check with the School Manager.

It should be noted that eligibility to apply for admission to the graduate programmes does not guarantee a place on the programme as demand generally exceeds the number of available places.

English Language Requirement

For all programmes, fluency in written English is required. If you are not a native speaker of English and your secondary education or university degree has not been carried out in English, then you must satisfy the following English language requirement: A minimum score of 6.5 IELTS (minimum of 6.0 in each band).