Program Overview

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Philosophy PhD

Research Overview

We're one of the leading philosophy research communities in the UK and welcome applications from enthusiastic and committed PhD students.

We offer:

• Experienced and expert supervision
• Internationally recognised research publishing
• A highly inclusive and supportive environment

Our Research Strengths

We're active across a mixture of established and emerging areas. Particular strengths include:

• Applied, Feminist and Social Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of Mind
• Logic and Language
• Philosophy of Science
• History of Philosophy
• Philosophy of Religion
• Epistemology
• Moral Philosophy
• Political and Legal Philosophy

This list is not exhaustive. Contact us to discuss your particular interests.

Current Staff Research and Expertise

Get a feel for our current work – see our active staff research projects or find an expert in your area of philosophy.

We host three active research groups that you are encouraged to get involved with:

• Nottingham Centre for Social Philosophy
• Political Epistemology Network
• Philosophy of Mental Health

We also have seven active research clusters:

• Philosophy Without Borders
• Gender, Sex, Race and Social Identity
• Recreation, Play and Games
• South and East Asian Philosophy
• Science and Metaphysics
• Normative Philosophy
• Mind, Psychology and Mental Health

Current PhD Research

Our current PhD students are exploring a diverse range of issues including:

• Metaethics
• Homelessness
• AI ethics
• Moral responsibility
• Philosophy of action
• Medical ethics
• The nature of perception
• The philosophy of time
• Social epistemology
• Microaggressions
• Environmental ethics
• Truth
• Health and trust
• Plato
• Mental health

Case Studies

Being Seen - Philosophy of Mental Health - watch interviews with PhD candidate Andy Farr and supervisor Craig French reflect on the early stages of research into the therapeutic effects of trauma portraiture.

Recently Completed Theses

• On Philosophers' Hallucinations: Naïve Realism and the Master Argument from Hallucination’ - Giorgio Mazzullo
• Hume’s moral sentiments and Humean moral aliefs - James Chamberlain
• Physical disability and well-being - Thomas Crawley
• Humean revisions to the best system account of lawhood - Mike Hughes
• Normativity and ethics: the error in the error theory - Kipros Lofitis
• Dispositionalism: a study on properties - Andrea Raimondi
• Weakness of will and its connection with practical reasons - Samaneh Keshavarz

Your Department

• Department of Philosophy website
• Ranked 11th in the UK for our research outputs in the Research Excellence Framework 2021

"I think that philosophy often forces us to slow our thinking down much more than we are used to doing in our everyday lives. That can be hard, but I also think that this is part of successful work in many academic disciplines as well as in other pursuits." Dr Lina Jansson

Course Content

You will complete a written thesis of around 80,000 words, with expert support and advice from your academic supervisors.

You will also take a verbal examination called a viva voce where you explain your project in depth to an examination panel.

Online Course

The department offers this PhD by Distance Learning. For more information, please see our PhD Philosophy by Distance Learning course page.

Entry Requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Home / UK Students

• MA with merit in philosophy or related subject.

EU / International Students

• MA with merit in philosophy or related subject.
• International and EU equivalents: We accept a wide range of qualifications from all over the world. For information on entry requirements from your country, see our country pages.
• IELTS: 7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
• English language requirements: As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English.

Meeting Our English Language Requirements

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach you academic skills in addition to English language. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

For on-campus presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see our CELE webpages for guidance.

Visa Restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Applying

Supervisors

You will have a minimum of two supervisors who will offer expert guidance, support and feedback throughout your research.

If appropriate researchers can also have supervisors from outside the Department of Philosophy.

You're encouraged to identify and contact a potential supervisor before submitting an application.

Supervisors and research specialisms

If you are unsure of how your research interests might fit into our research areas, contact the postgraduate admissions tutor Dr Zachary Hoskins who'll be happy to help.

Our step-by-step guide contains everything you need to know about applying for postgraduate research.

Fees

Home / UK

• £5,006

International

• £23,000

Additional Information for International Students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Funding

There are funding opportunities which are only open to students within the Faculty of Arts.

Postgraduate funding for Faculty of Arts students

Possible sources of funding include:

• Society for Applied Philosophy
• The Royal Institute of Philosophy

There are many ways to fund your research degree, from scholarships to government loans.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Support

You can expect to be made to feel at home in a department with a strong and supportive research culture.

Weekly Research Seminar

Involves both members of the department and outside speakers. Speakers have included:

• Helen Beebee
• Jeff McMahan
• Antony Duff
• Katherine Hawley
• Brad Hooker
• Helen Yetter-Chappell

If you would like more information about our seminars or would like to attend, please visit our seminars page for more information.

More details about upcoming and past speakers are on our department website.

Postgraduate Seminars

Run by postgraduate students this allows you to present your ongoing research in a constructive and supportive atmosphere.

"As chair of the Postgraduate Research Seminar it's been great to not only listen to my peers deliver their research, but to watch as their work constantly evolves and develops and on a weekly basis. The Postgraduate Research Seminar, and the friendly and inclusive environment we've created, is without doubt one of the best parts of doing my philosophy PhD at Nottingham." Taylor Matthews, PhD student

Teaching Opportunities

During your doctoral studies, you may have the opportunity to apply to work as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PGTA) within the Faculty of Arts. We offer a limited number of part-time annualised hours contracts of employment. They provide invaluable teaching experience in delivering and supporting seminars, as well as marking, assessing and giving feedback on students' work. We provide dedicated training and professional development. Applications for PGTA positions are competitive and not guaranteed.

Open Door Policy

You are very welcome to drop in and discuss your current work with any available member of staff.

Workshops, Conferences, and Reading Groups

These often run in the department, and postgraduate students are encouraged to participate. For current details see the Department of Philosophy website.

Publishing Support

We actively encourage postgraduate students to be published in major journals. Recent postgrad articles have appeared in:

• Mind
• Australasian Journal of Philosophy
• Philosophical Studies
• Analysis
• Oxford Studies in Metaphysics
• Ratio

A publication record equips you well for the philosophy job market. It also provides evidence of commitment and excellence for those considering career routes outside of academia.

Midlands4Cities Students

If you are funded through the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership you will complete a portfolio of research training, devised in consultation with your supervisors and Head of Postgraduate Studies.

Language Learning

You can make full use of the Language Centre facilities for both research-specific learning and personal interest.

Researcher Training and Development

The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them. We work together to promote a healthy research culture, to cultivate researcher excellence, and develop creative partnerships that enable researchers to flourish.

Postgraduate researchers at Nottingham have access to our online Members’ area, which includes a wealth of resources, access to training courses and award-winning postgraduate placements.

Graduate Centres

Our graduate centres are dedicated community spaces on campus for postgraduates.

Each space has areas for:

• Studying
• Socialising
• Computer work
• Seminars
• Kitchen facilities

Student Support

You will have access to a range of support services, including:

• Academic and disability support
• Childcare services
• Counselling service
• Faith support
• Financial support
• Mental health and wellbeing support
• Visa and immigration advice
• Welfare support

Students' Union

Our Students' Union represents all students. You can join the Postgraduate Students’ Network or contact the dedicated Postgraduate Officer.

There are also a range of support networks, including groups for:

• International students
• Black and minority ethnic students
• Students who identify as women
• Students with disabilities
• LGBT+ students

SU Advice provides free, independent and confidential advice on issues such as accommodation, financial and academic difficulties.

Careers

Careers advice, graduate destinations, and career progression.

Whether you are considering a career in academia, industry or haven't yet decided, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Expert staff will work with you to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop your interview skills and meet employers. You can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Philosophy doesn’t lead to a single specific career - it leads into a huge range of professions!

Our graduates go on to many different sectors including:

• Business and finance
• Commercial, industrial and public sector management and marketing
• Sales and advertising
• Academic research

"I have found that as I grow and mature my background in Philosophy serves me more and more. I know where to look when I need help dealing with the human condition, both in and out of the office."

Andrew Schafer, MPhil Philosophy 2009, now Product Specialist at Cloudflare

The average annual salary for postgraduates from the School of Humanities was £25,563*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

I’m interested in human beings, particularly their ethics or morality. As a philosopher I encourage my students to develop a systematic and general understanding of human beings and their world, and to test their ideas through rigorous argument. Philosophy is really no more than the search for a theory of human beings and is therefore vital in understanding the challenges those beings face.”

Dr Neil Sinclair, Professor in Philosophy

Research Excellence Framework

The University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, according to analysis by Times Higher Education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

• 11th in the UK for our research outputs
• Over 80% of our publications recognised as internationally excellent
• 90%* of our research is classed as 'world-leading' (4) or 'internationally excellent' (3)
• 100%* of our research is recognised internationally
• 51% of our research is assessed as 'world-leading' (4*) for its impact**

*According to analysis by Times Higher Education ** According to our own analysis.