Philosophy MPhil

Pursue innovative research with experts working at the cutting-edge of their fields. Staff specialisms cover most traditional areas of Philosophy, including analytic, continental and empirical approaches and an exciting range of growing sub specialties. We have particular strengths in ethics, epistemology, philosophy of mind and the intersections between these.

Our research in moral philosophy covers normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics. Many of our staff have overlapping expertise in normative theory, practical reason, moral psychology and social-political philosophy, with our work in applied ethics including research on health, biobanking, nutrigenomics and sport.

Research in philosophy of mind and psychology has grown to include interdisciplinary publications on perception and the science of consciousness. We have expanded our concentration of expertise in epistemology, with several staff working on social epistemology and epistemic normativity alongside the field’s long-established topics.

We likewise have research expertise on many key figures from the history of philosophy, including Nietzsche and Wittgenstein, as well as a range of philosophers central to the more recent analytic and continental traditions. Indeed, much of our research lies at the intersection of these traditions, drawing upon the insights of each.

Programme aims

The research programme aims to offer knowledge and expertise to take you on to a role in Higher Education, or employment requiring high-level skills in research or advanced subject knowledge.
This PhD programme recruits a diverse range of Home/EU and International students who want to engage in a research environment that is characterised by the combination of expertise across both analytic and continental approaches to philosophy.

Distinctive features

• Philosophy at Cardiff is distinctive in the ways it draws upon analytic, continental and empirically-informed approaches to the subject.
• Our PhD students participate in weekly research seminars and training workshops, a range of regular reading groups and an annual conference and are encouraged to publish their work.
• We offer teaching opportunities on the undergraduate degree and PhD students can undertake the School’s unique “Learning to Teach” programme, accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
• The School makes funding available each year for PGR students who wish to attend conferences related to their research.
• The School has a dedicated suite with computing facilities for its research students.