"everything that makes a philosophical beginning possible we must first acquire by ourselves"
Masters degrees in philosophy
MA taught courses
We offer the following Masters courses:
We also offer an MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights, administered by the University of
Essex's Human rights Centre:
The MAs are normally full-time courses of 12 months
duration or may be taken part-time over 24 months or by
modular study. The normal
prerequisite for entry to the course is a first or good upper
second-class honours degree, or equivalent, in Philosophy, or
a relevant discipline in the Humanities or Social Sciences.
Assessment is normally on the basis of
coursework and a
supervised dissertation of 15-16,000 words due by 15
September.
The MA is awarded with either a Pass, Merit or Distinction.
The pass mark for MA work is 50. Normally all work must
attain this standard.
Postgraduate modules for 2013-14
Our postgraduate philosophy modules for 2013-14 offer you the chance to engage in the in-depth study of key philosophers, including Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, Derrida and Quine, Foucault, the Frankfurt School, Kierkegaard, as well as Freud and Lacan.
MA dissertation topics
Our list of past MA
dissertation titles shows the range of Philosophers and topics that can be the subject of a philosophy Masters dissertation.
Applicants from North America
It is important to distinguish the Essex MA degree from the
Masters degree typical of many North American universities.
The MA degree at Essex is a one-year degree that prepares
students for embarking on a PhD, whether in Britain, North
America or elsewhere. It combines taught modules (October
through April) and a supervised dissertation (to be submitted
by 15 September).
The structure of the programme is designed to
provide both advanced module work and the opportunity for
independent research, as well as assistance in preparing
applications to Ph.D. programs, in the UK or abroad. The
programme is suitable for applicants with a GPA of 3.0 or
above for upper division module work in their major field of
study.
Languages for All
As a University of Essex student, you can also study a language alongside your course for free as part of the Languages for All scheme.