Master of Arts in Ancient Philosophy

at Durham University United Kingdom

Our taught MA pathway in Romantic and Victorian Literary Studies offers choice, flexibility and the opportunity to specialise within this field. You can learn from the rich variety of research expertise in the Department and you also have the chance to concentrate on a particular area of literary study within the field. Our commitment to research-led teaching means that students are able to explore the cutting edge of the discipline - from Romantics legacies to the representation of women in Victorian poetry and painting, to critical theory. We provide an intimate, dynamic and supportive environment for students of all backgrounds and nationalities.

Our course offers up-to-date training in research methods and skills. You will choose three modules, at least two of which are from within the pathway, and you will write a dissertation on a subject related to Romantic and/or Victorian studies.

This is a four-year multidisciplinary degree in which the compulsory Japanese language and culture modules will be taught at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (MLaC) and in the Department of History.

You will choose a selection of other modules relevant to the study of Japan from other departments, including Anthropology, Education, Government and International Affairs, Economics, and Theology and Religious Studies.

Alternatively, you may choose to take additional modules in MLaC including European languages and Chinese. You will spend your third year studying the Japanese language at a university in Japan. You are not expected to have any previous knowledge of Japanese, but a pathway is available if you have an A Level or equivalent qualification in Japanese.

The MA in Research Methods (Behavioural Science) is a Social Sciences faculty degree that involves other departments within the University.

Students intending to have a career as a research psychologist or behavioural scientist need to acquire a high level of research skills at postgraduate level. Research methods training therefore forms a central part of the MA course, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods. One third of the course is also devoted to the dissertation which may be carried out in any area of psychology related to behavioural science. The taught course modules include both generic and subject level components, providing an introduction to broad issues and methodological approaches in behavioural science and the social sciences.

Economics and Politics are closely linked throughout society. Our BA (Hons) Economics and Politics degree reflects this connection, exploring multiple perspectives while also helping you develop your own viewpoint. You’ll have the opportunity to cover diverse topics such as world economy, macro and microeconomics, corporate finance, international relations and development economics. In Years 2 and 3 you can adjust the balance of subjects to broaden your experience or focus in on your major area of interest.

This Economic and Social Research Council approved MA provides training in research methods with a focus on methods used by researchers in anthropology. At the end of this course, you will be well-prepared to go on to do research in Anthropology or a related discipline. Most students expect to move on to a PhD.

The course includes training in qualitative and quantitative methods needed by researchers in social sciences and draws on expertise within the Department of Anthropology to provide specialised training in either sociocultural anthropology, medical anthropology, the anthropology of development or cultural evolution (depending on your chosen pathway). It is affiliated to the Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership, which offers funding to British and European Union students interested in taking the course preparatory to moving on to a PhD at Durham.

Taught by expert staff, undergraduate education in Politics at Durham is structured around three main streams: Political Thought, Political Institutions, and International Relations. In addition to learning research skills, the degree includes the opportunity to study the politics and international relations of specific regions, as well as theoretical examinations that help us to understand how we make sense of a complex and inter-connected world. You will move from general study in these areas in your early years to more specialised options in Years 2 and 3.

Modules in the second and third years reflect the research expertise of the School’s academic staff. Such areas include, but are not limited to: European Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Thought and Political Theory, Middle East Politics, the Politics of East Asia, International Relations, and International Political Theory.

The School places great importance on research-led teaching, which integrates new and cutting-edge research into the curriculum and introduces you to a variety of research-oriented skills and research-based projects.

This course involves the study of historical and systematic theology from a range of Christian perspectives. Durham has long-established strengths in both Greek and Latin patristics, the medieval Church and Reformation, contemporary Catholic and Anglican theology, theological ethics, and philosophical theology.

The Music and Philosophy joint degree course at Durham enables you to pursue your interest in both disciplines, explore the fascinating intersection between them, and enjoy belonging to two particularly vibrant departments. In Philosophy, a wide selection of modules is on offer, addressing the most fundamental questions that arise in diverse areas of human concern, from religion and politics, to morality and the sciences. In Music, the learning of techniques such as harmony, counterpoint, and aural skills are juxtaposed with an investigation of the most up-to-date thinking in musicology, critical theory, composition (acoustic and electroacoustic), analysis, ethnomusicology, cognitive musicology, and performance.

Joint Honours in English and Philosophy is a cross-disciplinary course, which develops and assesses skills, knowledge, and understanding across English and Philosophy, typically including a range of major philosophical and literary texts, important concepts, questions, arguments and methods. The course also fosters understanding of the relationships between English and Philosophy (through, for example, the compulsory Theory and Practice of Literary Criticism module, as well as optional modules offered by both Departments) and to develop detailed knowledge in either English or Philosophy through the preparation of a Dissertation on a chosen topic. The syllabus is equally weighted between the two subjects, although you may take one module more in one of the subjects (and therefore one less in the other) in Year 3.

The study of philosophy at Durham does not follow one particular school. The Department is unique in the UK in its wide-ranging expertise in anglo-American analytical philosophy and continental philosophy. Each of these has its own distinctive set of issues and approaches to resolving them. We also have special expertise in the philosophy of science, and social science, and the history of science and medicine. So at Durham, you will follow one of the widest-ranging philosophy degrees in the country.

At Durham, you will have the opportunity to study Philosophy as a Single Honours degree, or with another subject including: English, Psychology, Politics or Theology. Philosophy can also be combined in a Joint Honours degree within the Natural Sciences degree or as part of a Combined Honours degree.

Philosophy is a new subject for many students, so in your first year you follow a range of introductory courses, introducing the fundamental philosophical subject areas.