MA (Social Sciences) (Hons) Philosophy at University of Glasgow

Programme overview

Philosophy is available within the MA (Social Sciences) degree as a joint honours combination with Economics, Politics or Sociology. Students study Philosophy alongside a social science subject over four years, with philosophical training in knowledge, ethics, mind and political thought.

Duration: 4 years full-time | Intake: September | Location: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

What you will study

Years 1 and 2 cover Philosophy 1A: How Should I Think?, 1B: How Should I Live?, 2A: What am I? and 2B: What is there?; Honours options include Epistemology, Metaphysics, Formal Logic, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Political Philosophy and a Year 4 dissertation.

Career pathways

Example graduate roles include business development officer, digital marketer, software developer, assistant economist, content editor, research executive, teacher and publishing editor. Graduates go on to professional roles and further study; University of Glasgow Graduate Outcomes data (graduates of 2023-24, surveyed 15 months later) shows 93.3% in work or further study and 75.4% of those in work in graduate-level employment.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

MA (Social Sciences) (Hons) Philosophy joint degrees: Philosophy/Economics LVC5, Philosophy/Politics LV25, Philosophy/Sociology LVH5 (4 years each). Application deadlines (2027 entry): 15 October for Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Oxford/Cambridge applicants; 13 January for all other UK applicants; 30 June for international students. Applications are made through UCAS. International applicants from non-English-speaking countries: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no subtest under 6.0 (one-skill retake accepted; single test, taken within 2 years 5 months of the start date). Equivalents: TOEFL iBT 92 overall with minimum Reading 22, Listening 20, Speaking 23, Writing 21 (tests from 21 January 2026; 90 overall with Reading 20, Listening 19, Speaking 19, Writing 21 for earlier tests); PTE Academic 59 overall and in all subtests; Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 176 overall with no subtest below 169; Oxford ELLT 7 overall with no subtest below 6; LanguageCert Academic SELT 70 overall with no subtest below 60; Password Skills Plus 6.5 overall with no subtest below 6.0. Accepted school qualifications include IGCSE English First Language grade C, A-level English grade C, IB English A SL5/HL5, WAEC English grade C6. University of Glasgow pre-sessional English courses are also accepted.

Intake: September 2027

Duration: 4 years full-time

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