MRes Dissertation in Philosophy

• Credit value: 120 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Professor Jennifer Hornsby
• Assessment: a dissertation of up to 20,000 words (100%)

The MRes Philosophy dissertation is a major piece of individual research, supported by one-to-one teaching. You may write on any philosophical topic that the Department is competent to supervise and to assess. Upon selecting your topic, you will be assigned a dissertation supervisor who is often a leading expert in your chosen field. You are entitled to one preliminary meeting with your supervisor, followed by five supervisions dedicated to the development of outlines or drafts of your work.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• demonstrate a grasp of philosophical debates in your chosen subject area
• demonstrate a critical command of relevant philosophical concepts and distinctions
• understand relevant philosophical texts and key philosophical theories and arguments in your chosen subject area
• formulate and contribute to the understanding of philosophical questions with precision and clarity
• support and challenge philosophical theories by constructing arguments and citing relevant considerations
• assess the strengths and weaknesses of a philosopher's theories
• form your own judgement on philosophical questions, argue for them, and be prepared to defend your judgements in the light of criticism
• read and research philosophy independently.