Program Overview

At Essex, we take philosophy back to its roots in everyday existential, social, and political problems. We embrace the relevance of philosophy to other forms of enquiry - political, cultural, legal, medical, aesthetic – and bring this to bear on urgent issues in public life, such as the controversial issues raised by mental health legislation or public policy regarding end of life care.

This degree will feed your intellectual curiosity and challenge your thinking. You’ll acquire the skills required to dig deeper into ideas and question received wisdom. You’ll rigorously examine the most fundamental questions about human life: Does God exist? Is material success all that counts in life? What do I owe to others? How free am I to decide my own future?

On the four-year MPhilos Version of this course (five years if taking a year abroad or placement year), you will gain solid knowledge in the different areas of philosophy and develop the key skills of the discipline during your first three years at Essex. In your final year, you will take MA-level modules, which will allow you to investigate more advanced topics and write a draft journal article as your final project. You’ll cover a wide range of topics from the meaning of life to capitalism and its critics, from ancient philosophy to current trends in European thought; our School has particular strengths in the areas of:

• Ethics
• Political Philosophy
• Philosophy of Religion
• Modern European Philosophy (including critical theory, phenomenology, and existentialism)

Our MA-level modules include:

• Kant
• The Frankfurt School
• Phenomenology and Existentialism
• Environmental Ethics
• Critical Theory
• Topics in Contemporary Philosophy

Study abroad

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course.

Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.

If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university.