Program Overview

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English and Philosophy, MA

Introduction

English and Philosophy at Aberdeen combines all the advantages of the UK’s second most highly-rated research hub for English literature, language and creative writing, with a fascinating exploration of how we as humans approach the ‘big questions’ of fundamental importance to us throughout the ages to the present day. The intellectual skills you will develop and their transferability will make you a very attractive graduate with wide career options, including in business.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MA
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: QV35
• Pathway Programme Available: Undergraduate Foundation Programme

Aberdeen is a leading centre for the study of literature, language and creative writing, rated second in the UK for its research output. You will study poetry and prose through the dynamic relationship between author, reader and literary text, covering every period from Chaucer to contemporary English, Scottish, Irish, European and American writing and the cultural and critical impact of powerful and controversial modern works. You will be inspired by enthusiastic teachers and researchers, themselves acclaimed authors and poets and be encouraged to develop your own creative writing skills.

Philosophers attempt to answer questions such as: What is knowledge? What is the nature of truth? Why should we act morally? Philosophy is just as much the study of reasoning and argument as it is the application of thought to specific problems. What makes Philosophy at Aberdeen especially attractive is the breadth of courses, the user-friendly materials you will use and the experts who will teach you. In your first year alone, you will study topics such as How Should One Live? Controversial Questions, and Experience, Knowledge and Reality.

The skills you will develop through combining these subjects will be a great foundation for any career you choose, including business, so your career options will be wide.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

What You'll Study

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Experience, Knowledge and Reality (PH1023)
  • Academic Writing for Divinity, History & Philosophy (AW1007)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Acts of Reading (EL1009)
  • Experience, Knowledge and Reality (PH1523)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select ONE OR BOTH of the following:
    • Controversial Classics (EL1513)
    • Rethinking Reading (EL1536)
  • Plus, select TWO of the following courses:
    • Controversial Questions (PH1027)
    • How Should One Live? (PH1522)
    • Logic and Argument (PH1034)

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Encounters with Shakespeare (EL2011)
  • The Tragedy of Knowledge (EL2512)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select further courses of choice to make up 120 credits, of which 45 credits must be from level 2 Philosophy courses.

Year 3

• Optional Courses:
  • Two level 3 EL courses to be chosen from two of the groups below:
    • Medieval/Renaissance Literature:
      • EL30CP: Page and Stage: Renaissance Writings
      • EL35DQ: Knights, Virgins and Viragos: Chaucer and Medieval Writing
    • Romantic/Victorian Literature:
      • EL30XR: Romanticism
      • EL30VC: Fallen Women and Self-Made Men
      • EL35VB: Bildungsroman to Alien Invasion
      • EL30SB: Britain and the 19th Century World
      • EL35QA: Sympathy for the Devil: Scottish Short Stories
    • Contemporary/Modern Literature:
      • EL35KN: Haunted Texts
      • EL30FF: Modernism: Make it New
      • EL30RD: American Voices: Self and Society,
      • EL30WC: Queer Times
      • EL35UT: Art and Atrocity: Representations of Violence and Trauma
      • EL35UT: Art and Atrocity: Representations of Violence and Trauma
      • EL35ZF: Images Adequate to Our Predicament: Art for the Anthropocene
  • Plus, select ONE course from the following:
    • EL30YB: Creative Writing: Creativity and Craft
    • CE301C: Celtic Encounters: The Gaelic World in Irish and Scottish Literature
  • Plus, select a further 60 credit points from level 3 courses in Philosophy.

Year 4

• Optional Courses:
  • Select ONE of the following dissertation options:
    • English Dissertation (EL4502)
    • Philosophy Dissertation (PH402D)
  • Plus further credit points from level 4 courses in English and level 4 course(s) in Philosophy to gain a total of 60 credits in each discipline. At least 90 credit points should be taken at level 4.

How You'll Study

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
• Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
• Written examinations at the end of each course.

The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study English and Philosophy?

Why English

• An international profile through major literary projects such as the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen and the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels of Sir Walter Scott.
• The WORD Centre for Creative Writing, promoting creative projects in fiction, non-fiction and collaborative mixed-media in all the languages of northeast Scotland (from Doric to Polish).
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, home to literary treasures collected over 500 years, charting the power of the written word from ancient papyri and medieval manuscripts to contemporary e-books and other media.
• Historic collections including rare printed books, the 12th century Aberdeen Bestiary, MacBean Stuart and Jacobite Collection, the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and an exceptional collection of Charles Dickens' first editions.
• A packed campus programme of student and public events, exhibitions, seminars, invited speakers and the annual WayWORD Festival, welcoming internationally acclaimed authors to discuss literature, including European writers.
• Research centres include the nationally recognised Centre for the Novel, the Centre for Modern Thought, and the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies.

Why Philosophy

• Famous philosophers who worked at the University include Thomas Reid, founder of the 18th century Scottish School of Common Sense Philosophy, and Alexander Bain, who helped lay the foundations for modern scientific psychology.
• The Aberdeen Philosophy in Education Group (APEG), which is unique in Scotland, trains students to discuss philosophical questions with local primary and secondary school pupils.
• Café Philosophique brings philosophers and the local community together, using popular films and novels to explore philosophical puzzles in an informal atmosphere.
• The Centre for the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine acts as the focus for research, teaching and engagement in the history, philosophy, ethics, literature and museology of science, technology and medicine.
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library offers superb collections, including early printed works of natural philosophy and medicine, the archives of Thomas Reid, and records of the Aberdeen Philosophical Society.
• We offer a packed programme of public events, lectures and debates, including the annual WayWORD literary festival, which attracts high-profile scientists, scholars, authors, actors and broadcasters to discuss and debate the big issues of today.
• The skills you learn in Philosophy—for example, to think and write clearly, to explain complex ideas, to challenge orthodoxy—lend themselves to many careers.
• Studying Philosophy will change how you think about things and how you approach life's challenges.
• Philosophy is interesting! Students from all disciplines often report that studying Philosophy was the most rewarding experience of their studies.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

• SQA Highers:
  • Standard: AABB
  • Minimum: BBB
  • Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS:
  • Standard: BBB
  • Minimum: BBC
  • Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535
• EU / International students: £20,800
• Self-funded international students commencing eligible undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 will receive a £6,000 tuition waiver for every year of their programme
• Home Students: £1,820

Careers

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.

• More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
• More information on the Careers and Employability Service

Our Experts

You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.

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English and Philosophy at University of Aberdeen

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