The Graduate Diploma in Philosophy enables you to pursue your ambition to study philosophy, be it to progress to an MA or to feed a desire to understand more about the study of knowledge and existence, and the contribution it has made to society for millennia.
The course is offered over nine months full-time or 18 months part-time and does not require any formal background in philosophy as an academic discipline. You will select four optional modules, ranging in content from ethics and values to the history and theory of medicine, and from ancient philosophies to 20th century European philosophy. You will also be required to produce a dissertation.
As a GDip student you will benefit from the wealth of activities in the Department, including joining EIDOS, the postgraduate philosophy society, weekly research seminars and reading groups, and occasional conferences, workshops and Royal Institute of Philosophy lectures.
We not only pride ourselves on our reputation for excellence in research and teaching but also in being able to offer a vibrant and supportive place of learning for our student community. We are at the forefront of teaching and research in philosophy and how it may be applied to major issues that we face throughout the world.
Our intention for you as a GDip student is to develop the skills and knowledge that will enable you to make a positive contribution in global debates and policy that informs the lives that we all lead.
Course structure
Core module:
A 12,000-word Dissertation on a topic of interest, chosen in consultation with your dissertation supervisor.
The remainder of the course is made up of four optional modules, at least two of which must be at Level 3 and no more than one should be at Level 1.
In recent years, optional modules have included:
Level 1
Ethics and Values
Knowledge and Reality
Reading Philosophy
The Philosophical Traditions
Being Human: An Introduction to Post-Kantian Philosophy
Science, Medicine and Society
Level 2
Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy of Religion
Political Philosophy
Language, Logic and Reality
Moral Theory
Biomedical Ethics Past and Present
History, Science and Medicine
Philosophy of Science
Philosophy of Economics: Theory, Methods and Values
Fundamentals of Logic
Feminist Philosophy
Epistemology
Early Modern Philosophy
Level 3
Aesthetics
Issues in Contemporary Ethics
Language and Mind
Philosophical Issues in Contemporary Science
Metaphysics
History and Philosophy of Psychiatry
20th Century European Philosophy
History and Philosophy of Psychiatry
Ethics in Business Practice
Formal and Philosophical Logic
Biomedical Ethics Past and Present
Philosophy, Climate Change and the Environment
Revolutions in Modern Philosophy: Kant and the other Trailblazers
This GDip course is delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and seminars. There is also a requirement for you to carry out 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 in your chosen subject area.
Assessment
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 modules and on your own independent reading. The dissertation of up to 12,000 words is completed on a subject of particular interest to you and will be written under supervision.
Entry requirements
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.
The tuition fees for 2025/26 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).
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/study/individual-course-and-cta-images/Postgraduate-Prospectus.png)
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/study/individual-course-and-cta-images/Postgraduate-Scholarships.png)
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/study/individual-course-and-cta-images/Postgraduate-Meet-Students.png)
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/study/individual-course-and-cta-images/Book-an-Open-Day.png)
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/study/individual-course-and-cta-images/V500.jpg)