Philosophy

This GDip course is delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and seminars totalling eight hours per week. There is also a requirement for you to carry out at least four hours each week of further independent reading and study for each lecture or seminar.

The study of philosophy requires space for dialogue and the lectures include time for questions. Meanwhile, tutorials consist mainly of structured and critical dialogue in a supportive learning environment, while the seminars provide the forum for extending discussions.

You will also be required to complete a dissertation which, alongside independent study, includes six hours of one-to-one dissertation supervision with an expert in your chosen subject area.

Assessment is rigorous throughout the course and includes a combination of essays and exams depending on the options you choose, as well as the dissertation.

Essays are based on the topics discussed in the seminar groups and on your own independent reading. The dissertation of between 12,000-15,000 words is completed on a subject of particular interest to you and will be written under supervision.

The entry requirements for this course have been designed to encourage applications from as wide a range of interested and able people as possible, including mature students, who may have been away from university for a long time, and international students.

As an applicant for our Graduate Diploma, you will usually have achieved a 2.1 or equivalent in a previous degree but this is not a strict requirement and decisions are made on a case by case basis. 

English language requirements

The tuition fees for 2024/25 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved.

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

An MA in philosophy at Durham University, develops the skills and knowledge needed to carry out research at a higher PhD level or progress to a rewarding professional career position.

A philosophy qualification fosters a creative and innovative approach to challenges and situations that is widely sought after by employers.

Such a degree enhances your intellectual, communication, organisational, interpersonal and research skills, and graduates have found employment in teaching, law, journalism, business and politics, the charity sector and the civil service among other professions.

We maintain fruitful relationships with our alumni and organise annual events where there is the opportunity to meet them, find out about their career paths and learn from their experiences.

The Department of Philosophy is one of the most prestigious University departments in the UK with inspirational research staff who are experts in their field. We nurture the thoughts and words of postgraduates as they study ancient and modern thinking on philosophical questions such as who we are and how we understand ourselves and our world.

As well as the more traditional philosophical elements such as Ethics and Values, Knowledge and Reality and Moral Theory, we offer learning in other contexts that range from the History and Theory of Medicine, through the Philosophy of Economics and Aesthetics to Gender, Film and Society.

The Department has a postgraduate community that is both diverse and collaborative, and staff are passionate about providing the space literally and figuratively in which to study. We understand the importance of generating new philosophical ideas and how they contribute to the Department’s research culture. A dynamic and influential programme of guest speakers, seminars, workshops and reading groups reflects this belief.

We are also home to the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS) and we have strong links with several interdisciplinary research centres including the Centre for the Ethics of Cultural Heritage and the Centre for the History of Medicine and Disease.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• World Top 50 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
• 8th in The Complete University Guide 2024
• 8th in The Guardian University Guide 2024

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Philosophy Department pages.

Research Excellence Framework

Facilities

The Department of Philosophy is located at Old Elvet in Durham, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We occupy a listed building in this ancient part of the city, near the medieval Elvet Bridge, and within easy walking distance of the Students’ Union, the colleges and Durham’s historic centre with its Castle and Cathedral.

The Department offers an extensive programme of research-related activities, including weekly lectures and seminars, many of which are given by renowned UK and international philosophers.

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