MA Philosophy

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses.  

On this day, you will find out more about the School, our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.  

For more information, see open days and visits .

Please note, due to the high volume of applications we receive, an early application is advised.

If you meet our entry requirements but we are unable to make you an offer, you may be placed on a waiting list.

Candidates on a waiting list will receive an offer only if places become available.

The MA Philosophy course at the University of Manchester gives you the tools to think deeply, argue clearly, and tackle the biggest questions facing society today. If you want to study philosophy at postgraduate level, this intellectually rigorous and flexible course will help you build the skills needed for academic research or a career where critical thinking is essential.

Taught by internationally recognised academics, your studies will be grounded in analytic philosophy and include extensive research training to prepare you for a substantial independent project. You’ll be enabled to identify research needs, undertake work to reach these and reflect upon your practices through a core unit, taught alongside your choice of optional course units chosen from the broad selection offered. You’ll also decide whether to write a 10,000 or 15,000-word dissertation, working closely with a specialist supervisor in your chosen area.

Optional course units on the MA Philosophy course range from the philosophy of mind and history of analytic philosophy to topical questions such as ‘how to do things with words today.’

As one of the few philosophy departments within a School of Social Sciences, you’ll benefit from interdisciplinary connections across politics, law, sociology, economics and anthropology. You’ll also have access to a vibrant research culture, including regular departmental seminars, postgraduate-led workshops, and major national and international conferences. Bursaries are available for students attending external events.

Whether you’re preparing for PhD study in philosophy or aiming for a career in the civil service, journalism, law, teaching or research, you’ll graduate with highly transferrable skills in research design, argumentation and creative problem-solving. Studying philosophy at Manchester means joining a university ranked top 10 in the UK in Philosophy (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025), and one of the UK’s most targeted by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).

On this course, you will:

• Build a strong foundation in analytic philosophy through rigorous, research-led teaching
• Sharpen your analytic and critical thinking skills to a standard that prepares you for doctoral study
• Explore a wide range of philosophical topics, from core areas to specialist research themes
• Develop skills in argumentation, logic, and independent analysis, ideal for careers in law, policy, publishing, consultancy and beyond
• Learn in small-group, seminar-style classes that support personalised learning and in-depth discussion
• Grow your research expertise with dedicated support and training in advanced philosophical methods

A thriving conference scene

As part of our active research community, you’ll have access to a regular programme of departmental seminars and international conferences such as our annual postgraduate conference, Open Minds and annual Postgraduate Welcome Workshop. Recent events include;

• Evidence-Based Law;
• The Vienna Circle and Beyond;
• Themes in Oppressive Language;
• Social Norms and Oppressive Structures;
• Northern Phenomenology Network Workshop;
• Manchester Workshop in Islamic Philosophy;
• Ineffability and Transcendence;
• David Lewis and His Place in the History of Analytic Philosophy.

Bursaries are available to support students attending external conferences.

Funded research projects

You’ll be studying in a department rich with researchers leading major, externally funded projects in the field. Recent projects include; The Age of Metaphysical Revolution, David Lewis and His Place in 20th Century Philosophy, Knowledge of Emotion: Expression and Social Cognition, and The Architecture of Consciousness.

Academic Support

You’ll benefit from excellent supervision and tailored research support throughout the course. The University of Manchester Library is one of only five National Research Libraries in the UK, offering exceptional access to digital and print resources across philosophy and the wider social sciences.

Strong networks

Our staff are active researchers whose work appears regularly in international journals and with leading academic publishers. You’ll be learning from people who are shaping contemporary debates in philosophy – and who bring those ideas into the classroom.

Variety of units

Alongside specialist, focused units ranging from aesthetics we also offer unique options such as a team-taught Landmark Papers unit, which makes students familiar with a wide range of thought-provoking philosophical texts.

All MA Philosophy units are taught through small-group seminars. The seminars usually involve some general context-setting and guidance from the course director but are often largely focussed on student-led discussion of set texts that you will have studied in preparation for the discussion.

This fosters a proactive and collaborative approach to engaging with the topic and to developing your own views and arguments. All units apart from Research Skills run for one semester.

The Research Skills unit runs through both semesters, the purpose is:

• to develop your research, writing and presentation skills;
• to guide you through the planning of your dissertation, from selecting a topic and a supervisor to identifying and reviewing key literature;
• to think about what makes for the best philosophical writing.

The MA director will take care to match students with the most suitable supervisor for your dissertation given your research interests.

You will work on your dissertation throughout the academic year, first through the assessed components of the Research Skills unit, and then over the summer as you complete the dissertation.

Many course units are assessed by 3,000-word essay, submitted t towards the end of the semester.

However, assessment varies across units with the Aesthetics unit involving a reflective journal rather than an essay. Research Skills is assessed through a combination of a presentation, a research proposal, and other written work designed to give you experience of producing philosophical content in a variety of formats and for a variety of purposes.

Part-time students

Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time course.

“Through this course, I was able to apply and develop my analytic skills towards new areas of philosophy and thrive in totally unexpected ways. It was a great challenge to lead the seminar discussions and delve deeper into the nature of aesthetic appreciation; something we usually take for granted.

This goes for all course units in Philosophy, but I love how they strike a perfect balance between expert guidance and developing student autonomy. I loved the challenge of identifying and tackling issues in aesthetics on my own, knowing I could rely on my course supervisor if I needed steering in the right direction. What started as apprehension for the unknown developed into my favourite area of philosophy and something I will seriously consider studying further in the future.

This experience has given me the confidence to apply my thinking skills to areas beyond what I initially assume to be my strongest areas, making me less afraid to take on new challenges and opportunities when my student days reach their conclusion.”

The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).

Our MA Philosophy course equips you with advanced skills in critical thinking, research design, written and verbal argument, and independent inquiry. These skills are highly valued across a wide range of careers. Our graduates go on to work in sectors such as:

• journalism;
• teaching;
• law;
• the Civil Service and public sector;
• the charity sector.

You will also be well prepared to continue your studies at PhD level , whether in Philosophy or a related field. The course is designed to support academic development while building transferable skills relevant to both public and private sector roles.

The University has its own dedicated, award-winning Careers Service where you can benefit from tailored careers support, practice interviews, CV and application support, job listings for Manchester students, and much more. Better yet, you will have access to our Careers Service both during your course and for two years after you graduate, so we know you’re on the right path.