Study location	United Kingdom, Egham, Surrey
Type	Master courses, full-time
Nominal duration	1 year
Study language	English
Awards	MA

Entry qualification	Undergraduate diploma (or higher) Upper Second Class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

Language requirements	English IELTS: 6.5 (with 7.0 in writing and no sub-score below 5.5 ) CAE: 176 overall (with a minimum of 185 in writing and 162 in all other subscores)

Other requirements

At least 2 reference(s) must be provided. Academic A motivation letter must be added to your application. We will consider students from non-traditional backgrounds on the basis of the submission of a substantial essay on philosophy, or demonstrable research experience, and an interview. Interviews may be held in cases where entry requirements are not formally fulfilled, and essays may also be requested.

More information	royalholloway.ac.uk/..dern-philosophy.aspx

Overview

Interested? To learn more about this study programme, entry requirements and application process, please contact one of our consultants in a country nearest to you.

Programme structure

Core modules
Advanced Topics in Philosophy The European Philosophical Trajectory – From Kant to the Present
Legacies of Wittgenstein
Philosophy Dissertation

Optional modules
In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Adorno and Critical Theory
Contemporary Continental Political Theory
Continental Aesthetics
In this module you will develop an understanding of the historical study of aesthetics and the philosophy of art in the European tradition. You will engage with a wide variety of philosophical texts, developing your ability to read, interpret, and evaluate philosophical approaches to aesthetics and art. You will look at Kant’s third critique, followed by a survey of important works in continental aesthetics.

Human Rights – From Theory to Practice
This module explores some of the key issues which arise in the moral evaluation of human rights, both in general and with respect to particular rights. You will consider the role of rights in political and moral discourse and develop an understanding of some of the key criticisms to which they’ve been subject. You will also look at the three major categories of rights which have attracted much debate: economic rights, minority rights, and group rights. Finally, you will gain an oversight of the three central rights in liberal societies, examining the ways in which they have been interpreted and defended in light of recent political debates.

Identity, Power and Radical Theory
This module will introduce you to new conceptualisations of identity, difference, power, and politics that are associated most notably with what has been termed ‘Post-Marxist’ or the ‘New Left’. You will see how recent changes in both political theory and practice – some of which are associated with changes linked to globalization and the emergence of new social movements – present compelling a paradigm shift in the way politics is understood. You will focus on four concepts – identity, power, resistance, and otherness – that have become salient in contemporary political philosophy and international relations theory and on four theorists – Althusser, Gramsci, Laclau and Mouffe, and Foucault – whose thought on these issues has underpinned a great deal of New Left political theory and practice. You will look at how these issues have become prominent in the theory and politics around feminism and lesbian politics, and at new problematics for thinking about political thought and practice, with particular focus on what has been called the ‘micropolitical’ realm.

Political Concepts
Twentieth Century French Thought
In this module you will develop an understanding of the key developments of the Twentieth Century French philosophical tradition. You will look at how the French tradition developed as an alternative approach to philosophical problems on the basis of the perceived failure of classical analytical approaches. You will engage with a number of theorists, studying key texts in depth, further developing your ability to express, question, and justify theories, both dialogically, and in writing. You will assess arguments presented by Jacques Derrida, Jean-Francois Lyotard and Gilles Deleuze.

Career opportunities

An MA in Philosophy is ideal for preparing graduates not only for doctoral research in philosophy or related fields in the humanities and social sciences, but also for a wide range of careers in education, the arts, politics and public policy. With up to 90% of our most recent graduates now working or in further study, according to the Complete University Guide 2015, it’s true to say our graduates are highly employable. In recent years, PhD graduates have taken up academic positions at Oxford, Bristol and Roehampton Universities. Outside of academia, our graduates have embarked on teaching careers in the UK and overseas, undertaken archaeological and museum work and pursued careers in journalism, finance, politics and the arts.