Skip navigation

Philosophy and Politics

  • Master of Arts (with Honours)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-Time
  • 13 September 2027
  • Undergraduate
Central area campus
More about The University of Edinburgh

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
Apply

Course summary

Philosophy

Philosophy has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years. It is central to our understanding of the world and our interaction with it.

Philosophy gives you skills to think about philosophical questions in a clear and systematic way.

While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, the study of philosophy focuses on:

  • argument

  • critical enquiry

  • rigour in reasoning

  • clarity of expression, including making important distinctions

Politics

Politics studies the theory and practice of how societies are governed. It asks questions such as:

  • How do our political institutions create collective rules and who has the power to make them?

  • What are the consequences of political decisions?

  • What is the nature of a just society, and how do we get there?

Drawing on the expertise of leading academics and researchers in the field, you will explore the origins and present-day contexts of societal conflicts about power and resources.

You will also study the:

  • processes of governance at the local, national, and international levels

  • morality of political action

  • limits of freedom and justice

Programme benefits

  • Philosophy has been taught at the University since its foundation in 1583. Edinburgh was the centre of the Scottish Enlightenment and has a distinguished place in the history of philosophy.

  • You will have a choice of more than 40 option courses in Years 3 and 4 in all the main branches of philosophy.

  • Our world-leading academics are especially strong in philosophy of mind and cognition, language and science, ethics and political philosophy, epistemology, and the history of philosophy.

  • The University has a strong historic connection to the subject, with Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among its former students.

  • Edinburgh has one of the UK’s largest philosophy departments and the Philosophy Society attracts high-profile speakers.

  • Our programme covers the basics of Western philosophy. Later in the degree, you can select from a variety of courses on subjects from the philosophy of wellbeing to feminism.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Central area campus

Study options

  • Master of Arts (with Honours) • Full-Time • 4 Years

Start dates

  • 13 September 2027

Apply by
13 January 2027

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
VL52
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Points of Entry:
Year 1

How to apply

Apply by
13 January 2027

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
VL52
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
A*A*A-AAB

Required subjects: A levels: no specific A level subjects required. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

Scottish Higher
AAAA

AAAA (achievement by end of S5 preferred) (Standard). ABBB by end of S6 (Minimum). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. National 5s: English at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
36-34

from 36 points with 665 at HL to 34 points with 655 at HL (Standard). 34 points with 655 at HL (Minimum). Required subjects: HL: no specific subjects required. SL: English at 5.

Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference. https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/2027/324-philosophy-and-politics?utm_source=ucas&utm_medium=programme&utm_campaign=ug_institution_profiles&utm_content=listing

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level ABB

Required subjects: A levels: no specific A level subjects required. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

Scottish Higher ABBB

AAAA (achievement by end of S5 preferred) (Standard). ABBB by end of S6 (Minimum). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. National 5s: English at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Offer: 34

from 36 points with 665 at HL to 34 points with 655 at HL (Standard). 34 points with 655 at HL (Minimum). Required subjects: HL: no specific subjects required. SL: English at 5.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL (iBT)total 92 with at least 20 in each component (before 21 Jan 2026); total 4.5 with at least 4.0 in each component (from 21 Jan 2026). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English Advancedtotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Cambridge English Proficiencytotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Trinity ISEISE II with distinctions in all four components.

You must prove that you can read, write, listen and speak in the English language at a level that will allow you to succeed in your studies. This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals. You can meet our English language requirements with qualifications from school or an English language test. We accept any of the following, at the specified grade or higher: National 5: English at C; GCSE: English at C or 4; Level 2 Certificate: English at C; International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level: English at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry). Before you apply, check the required subjects for this programme, as you may need a higher English grade to meet the academic requirements. If you don’t have school qualifications that meet our requirements, we accept any of the English language tests, at the specified grade or higher, as detailed above. We also accept other English language tests and qualifications from around the world. Qualifications from the following English language tests must be no more than two years old from the start date of your programme, regardless of your nationality: IELTS, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, Oxford Test of English Advanced, Trinity ISE. All other types of English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of your programme. If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country or region, as defined by UKVI, there is no time limit on how old these other types of English language qualifications can be.https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.

Learn more on the The University of Edinburgh website

International entry requirements

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/international-qualifications

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not available

Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
Scotland£1820
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland£10050
EU & International£31100

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.

England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) students commencing or continuing their studies in September 2027, the tuition fees will be £10,050.

EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.

Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme

Related courses

At The University of Edinburgh

Like this page