- A deepened appreciation of the significance and value of ideas in and for internationalisation and globalisation
- A grasp of how to pursue a career in academic life and the acquiring of transferable skills in research and organisation
- A knowledge of how to write research proposals and attain funding from national and international organisations
- An awareness of how to compose and structure philosophical writing for peer reviewed journals, book collections and monographs
- An awareness of how to present and defend philosophical papers in seminars, workshops, conferences and other fora.
- An enhanced awareness of how to work with texts, organise a thesis and set out extended philosophical arguments clearly and compellingly.
- An enhanced awareness of the relevance of philosophy to other academic disciplines and to personal, professional and political life.
- An extensive knowledge of library and online sources that facilitate research, including classical and foreign language sources.
- Detailed studies of these complementary disciplines (philosophy and literature) and of literary theory through a programme delivered with the Schools of English and Modern European Languages.
This course is available through the following application route(s)
The MA in Philosophy and Literature interdisciplinary course, delves into the intriguing intersections between philosophy and literature. Explore the essence of texts, the worlds they portray, and the intricate relationships between reader, text, author, and reality.
The MA in Philosophy and Literature will be useful for any job requiring a subtle understanding of debate and disagreement, or requiring close attention to texts, especially in the cultural sector. The programme offer graduates from Philosophy or Literature (English and other literatures) the opportunity to study the many areas of overlap between the disciplines. The central questions concern the status of the text, the status of the world represented in the text, and the relationship between the reader, the text, the author, and that world.
- Unique combination of philosophy and literature
- Close attention from dissertation supervisor
- Vibrant academic and social community
Our MA in Philosophy and Literature programme is aimed at students who wish to deepen their knowledge of the core areas of philosophy and literature at graduate level. It is also intended to provide a good foundation of graduate work for students who wish to continue to more advanced graduate research. It aims to provide an integration of literary theory and text-based work with the philosophical implications of the area. The School of Philosophy encourages our students to be critical philosophical thinkers with the ability to reflect on current philosophical debates, history of philosophical thought and add their own contribution. We aim to provide a learning environment that fosters collegiality and a pluralistic approach to the main areas of philosophy and encourages students to engage critically with questions. As the largest teaching and research centre in philosophy in Ireland, the programme benefits from many world-leading figures in philosophy that give invited seminars and conferences throughout the year. Small group seminars and participation in conferences and workshops are a key element of the programme design. As such, the programme uses key approaches to teaching such as philosophical debates, critical reflections, essays and paper presentations.
About This Course
Graduates of UCD School of Philosophy have continued to have successful academic careers in Ireland, Europe and the US. Others are prominent playwrights, journalists, human-rights activists, broadcasters, film-makers and musicians. A small number of our graduates continue into PhD programmes both at UCD and abroad.
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
| Trimester | Credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Core Modules |
PHIL40410 | Philosophy & Literature | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Core Modules |
PHIL40030 | Dissertation | Summer | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41240 | John Henry Newman - Philosophical Perspectives | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41280 | Feminist & Gender Theory | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41510 | Ethics in Public Life | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41810 | Critique, Destruction & Deconstruction | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41840 | Invention of the Modern Self | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41890 | Authenticity and Implicit Attitudes | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL40250 | Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL40970 | Topics in Philosophy of Mind and Cognition | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41320 | Topics in Continental Philos | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41330 | Philosophy of Time | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - A)2 of: Students should select 2 modules from Philosophy Option Group |
PHIL41880 | Reading Nietzsche | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG40940 | Gender and Sexuality in Theory and Representation | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG41570 | World-Systems,World-Literature | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG41640 | Joyce, Ulysses | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG41670 | Contemporary US Genre Fiction: Intersection, Disruption, Protest | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
GRC40330 | Exploring New Worlds | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
IRFL40170 | The Narrative Art | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
SLL40230 | Introduction to Cultural Theory | Autumn | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
EDF40060 | Digital Methods | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG41840 | American Lyric: Document and Memoir | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG41860 | Queer Frictions: Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Literature & Culture | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
ENG42080 | Un/Settling Global Literatures | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
GRC40290 | The Plays of Euripides | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - B)3 of: Students should select 3 modules from the Literature Option Group. Students MUST contact the Programme Co-Ordinator before registering for any module especially those offered by the School of English and Drama (ENG). Students who fail to do so will not be allowed to register for that module. |
SPAN40360 | Historical Memory in Spain | Spring | 10 |
MA Philosophy & Literature (W179) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 10100
nonEU fee per year - € 22600
MA Philosophy & Literature (W180) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 5460
nonEU fee per year - € 11300
***Fees are subject to change
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.
EU fee per year - € 10100
nonEU fee per year - € 22600
MA Philosophy & Literature (W180) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 5460
nonEU fee per year - € 11300
***Fees are subject to change
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.
Applicants must present an undergraduate degree in either Philosophy or a Literature. If the undergraduate degree is in literature, you should have at least two courses in literary theory, each with a grade of at least B- (60%). An overall grade of B- (60%) in your undergraduate degree (to be confirmed by a transcript); two academic letters of reference; a sample of philosophical or literary-theoretical writing, such as an undergraduate essay.
- Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.
- These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes
How to Apply
General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to MA Philosophy & Literature:
| ROWCLASS | Apply to | Application Type | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt | W179 MA Philosophy & Literature Master of Arts |
Full-Time Commencing 2024/2025 September |
Graduate Taught | Apply |
| showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt | W180 MA Philosophy & Literature Master of Arts |
Part-Time Commencing 2024/2025 September |
Graduate Taught | Apply |
* you can change options at the top of the page