The course

Royal Holloway's MA in Modern Philosophy offers a unique approach to postgraduate study of philosophy by bringing into conversation Anglo-American ‘analytical’ philosophy on the one hand and ‘European’ or ‘Continental’ Philosophy on the other. The MA is designed for students to use both these traditions whilst exploring the future of philosophy as a means of understanding what is at stake in the social, political, and economic upheavals of today. As such, you will explore the key issues, thinkers and texts that are determining the future development of philosophy.

At Royal Holloway we have a unique approach to the subject that looks beyond the narrow confines of the Anglo-American analytic or European tradition of philosophy to connect it to other disciplines across the arts, humanities and social sciences. The result has been the creation of a truly interdisciplinary and collaborative programme that brings together academic staff from departments across the university - including scholars of drama and theatre, literature and political philosophy. Not only dedicated teachers of the subject, our philosophy staff are also experts and published authorities in their field.

This distinctive approach means that whichever area of philosophy you choose to study at postgraduate level, you will be able to place it in a wider context, with the support of experts across the disciplines. Our departmental specialisms include a wide range of philosophical topics such as ancient and Hellenistic philosophy, 19th and 20th-century European philosophy and contemporary analytic philosophy and American pragmatism.

We host a variety of additional activities throughout the year, including a visiting speaker series organized with our active student-run Philosophy Society, a number of workshops and conferences, and a reading group that meets weekly in central London.

Teaching & assessment

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework and a dissertation.

Your future career

Philosophy degrees are well-regarded by employers because they give you the capacity to think through issues and problems in a logical and consistent way and to develop critical and transferable skills which can be applied in almost any area of employment.

So, by choosing to study this intellectually demanding discipline you will develop a broad range of highly prized transferable skills, both practical and theoretical, such as:

• the ability to communicate views and present arguments clearly and coherently
• the ability to critically digest, analyse and summarise complex ideas
• time management and the discipline to meet deadlines
• organisation and research skills
• problem-solving skills and capability

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.