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About the course

The PhD in Philosophy is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of a thesis and an oral viva voce examination. The primary purpose of the PhD is the preparation and presentation of a substantial piece of independent and original academic research, completed in three years if studying full-time and usually six years if studying part-time. There is also the possibility of early submission in cases where the student makes particularly rapid progress.

The variety of possible thesis subjects is broad and ranges from fundamental areas in philosophy (including topics in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, phenomenology and epistemology like the mind-body problem, free will and determinism, the problem of induction, the nature of disagreement, or the nature of individual experience) to more practically-oriented areas including philosophy of culture, political philosophy, or ethics with thesis topics exploring aspects of legal or ethical systems, as well cultural and social phenomena. Faculty members are available to advise on the student’s choice of subject (and see below, ‘Defining a Subject for Research’).

A large proportion of our PhD students are engaged in full-time study, but there is also an option for part-time study where this fits better with a student’s other commitments. Part-time study can be ideal for those who are looking to gain a postgraduate qualification without leaving employment and wish to develop their careers while they continue earning, or for those who are home-based for whatever reason and wish to develop their skills. All students are expected to engage with the academic life of the University, to attend skills-training meetings where these are relevant, as well as research seminars and workshops.

PhD students are expected to attend the Humanities Research Institute’s graduate Research Days in their area of research – usually one per Term – and are encouraged to attend other seminars that may be relevant to their research. These provide an opportunity for PhD students to share their work with their peers, and to engage with visiting experts in their field.

The University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø PhD is intended to impart all the skills necessary for the student to work as an independent researcher and writer – skills that are valued by both academic and non-academic employers. But the PhD can be undertaken just as fulfillingly as an exercise in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and as a means of exploring areas of enquiry that are of particular interest to the student. A number of our most successful student researchers are those who take up doctoral study at the end of a successful career in a different field or profession.

Defining a subject for Research

Some students know from the outset the precise subject on which they intend to work. For most, however, the definition of a research proposal is usually a gradual process, with the student starting with a general area of interest, and then focusing on a more closely defined topic as a result of further reading and consultation, usually with the Course Director.

RESEARCH SEMINARS

Graduate students in Philosophy at the University have access to a wide range of research seminars in the course of the academic year. A number of these advanced seminars are exclusively for doctoral students. A further series of seminars are available to all research students in Philosophy (whether Master’s or PhD). The research seminar meets regularly either at the University’s offices at 51 Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, or at the Reform Club in Pall Mall, SW1. Further details of the forthcoming year’s research can be obtained from the Director of Research in Philosophy.

STUDY PERIOD

The usual period of doctoral research is three years for the those who engage in full-time study, though the University’s Regulations also permit candidates who make particularly rapid progress to apply to the University Research Committee for permission to submit at the end of their second year of study.

Part-time study is also available, with students completing the dissertation in five or six years.

SUPERVISION

Every PhD student in School of Humanities is supported by two supervisors. Supervisors are experts in their field of study and support students throughout the PhD. Students will also benefit from the advice and support of other academic members of the Faculty who will be involved in progression through the various stages of the PhD, including Annual Review meetings with a senior professor (where progress is monitored and support offered towards the planning of the next period of study).

Each student is allocated two supervisors. There is a First (or Principal) Supervisor, who is the student’s regular guide during his or her research, and with whom the student meets regularly throughout the year. There is also a Second Supervisor, whom the student may consult on a more limited basis where a ‘second opinion’ on a particular draft chapter may be helpful.

Supervisors

Supervisors for the PhD at The University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø include some of the most distinguished scholars working in the field, among them:

Dr Mikołaj Sławkowski-Rode, Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy in the Humanities Research Institute, University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø, and Director of Graduate Research in Philosophy at the University. His publications include The Meaning of Mourning: Perspectives on Death Loss and Grief (Rowman and Littlefield, 2023) as well as numerous articles in learned journals. He has been involved in The University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s research degrees in Philosophy since their establishment by Scruton. He is also a Research Fellow in Philosophy at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw.

Professor John Cottingham, Professorial Research Fellow in Philosophy. Professor Cottingham’s research focuses on early-modern philosophy (especially Descartes), the philosophy of religion, and moral philosophy. He is also a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Reading, Professorial Research Fellow at Heythrop College, University of London, and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford.

Dr Jonathan Price has a PhD in the philosophy of law from Leiden University and a DPhil in Law from Oxford University. He studied with Sir Roger Scruton in Oxford and is currently the Director of the Centre for Theology, Law and Culture at Pusey House, Oxford. He is the founding editor of the peer-reviewed journal Politics & Poetics and the author of The Egalitarian Constitution: Modern Identity in Three Moral Values (Leiden 2018).

Dr Ralph Weir was supervised by Sir Roger Scruton at Oxford when reading for the BPhil. He subsequently received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge and went on to start a Philosophy BA and MA at the University of Lincoln. His publications include: The Mind-Body Problem and Metaphysics: An Argument from Consciousness to Mental Substance (Routledge, 2023). He is also Member of the Faculty of Theology of Religion, University of Oxford.

MORE INFORMATION

Enquiries should be directed in the first instance to our Admissions Officer (London Programmes), at humanitiespg@admissions@buckingham.ac.uk. It is usually also possible to speak with the Course Director, in advance of submitting your application.

Further information about the range of seminar topics and speakers for the coming year can be found in the downloadable brochure which can be found below.