Explore contemporary issues in political philosophy and legal theory
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
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Upcoming eventsStudy issues in political and legal philosophy and investigate them through your own research.
On this MA you can choose from a wide range of option modules. You'll also be able to create a substantial piece of research following your own interests, with our support. You'll develop valuable transferable skills in research, analysis, critical thinking and presentation which will be essential if you are thinking of continuing to study to PhD level. The skills that you develop on the course will also equip you for a range of careers.
You’ll join our postgraduate community across both the Department of Philosophy and York Law School, and will be invited to participate in our broad and diverse research culture.
We hold an Athena SWAN bronze award for our commitment to gender equality.
You'll study philosophical issues at the centre of contemporary political and legal debates. Teaching will be research-led, drawing on our strong and diverse research community. You'll learn about dissertation preparation, and will work on postgraduate research skills. Later in the year you and your peers will hold an in-house conference.
You'll attend regular research seminars (colloquia) in the department at which guest speakers will discuss their latest research.
You’ll receive encouragement, support and guidance in selecting and independently studying ideas of personal interest to you, as well as receiving a solid foundation in central areas of political philosophy and the philosophy of law.
Course structure for part-time study
Year 1: Advanced Topics in Political Philosophy and two option modules.
Year 2: Foundational Issues in Legal Theory, Research Skills and Dissemination Practice, one option module and your dissertation.
You will also study three option modules. The availability of each option module is subject to a minimum enrolment number. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Your 10,000 word dissertation enables you to produce a sustained piece of critical writing on a topic of your choosing. It will allow you to apply the core knowledge, skills and experience that you have gained in the previous stage of the course.
You'll attend dissertation preparation seminar to enable you to write your proposal, with further support later in the year. You'll be supervised by a member of staff with expertise in the relevant area.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
I particularly liked the broad course content offered by the Department of Philosophy at York, as well as the combination and balance of taught and research elements. The teaching staff are brilliant. Their combination of academic rigour and approachability is winning. They are always happy to provide feedback and discuss lines of thought.Daniel, MA in PhilosophyFind out more from our students.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £11,200 | £25,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£5,600 | £12,950 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
For further information on all eligibility criteria and how to apply for our scholarships see our funding opportunities for Philosophy.
A prize of £500 awarded to the MA Philosophy student who achieves the highest essay mark (>72) in the January MA assessment period.
A prize of £300 will be awarded to the student who achieves the highest essay mark (>72) in the field of philosophy of religion, or research on contemporary issues or themes using a philosophy of religion perspective.
C and JB Morrell Trust Bursaries
Two bursaries available to students on the MA in Political and Legal Philosophy. These bursaries are for £3000 as a contribution towards living costs, paid in three instalments of £1000 across the year.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll be taught by intensive seminars and individual or small-group tutorials, which will allow you and your tutors to systematically explore complex issues at the forefront of political and legal philosophy.
You'll be part of a lively research community which includes staff, postgraduate students, postdoctoral scholars and academic visitors from across the arts and humanities.
You will be based in the Department of Philosophy on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be nearby on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Your work will be assessed in a variety of ways:
You will also receive assignments throughout your course which will provide constant feedback on your development, and help prepare you for your assessments.
Studying Philosophy develops skills that are highly sought after by employers and transferable to many different careers. Our graduates have gone on to roles in marketing, education, finance, IT, the charity sector, tourism and leisure industries, as well as into academia.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You will need to submit examples of written work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting written work.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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