Philosophy and the Arts (MA)

at University of Warwick

This course allows you to combine the study of philosophy with any/all of three arts disciplines. Warwick has been a home for interdisciplinary work in philosophy and literature since the early days of the university.

This degree is designed to take advantage of our strengths across Philosophy, English and Comparative Literary Studies, History of Art, and Film and Television Studies. Warwick has excellent research strength in all of these areas, and it also has considerable scholarly interaction across these fields, especially through the programming of the Centre for Research in Philosophy, Literature and the Arts.
 

Core modules

Topics in Philosophy and the Arts
This module introduces students to a range of question in the philosophy of art, addressing questions about art in general and about particular art forms or works.

The first half focuses on methodological and foundational questions. What is it to study the arts philosophically? Is the philosophy of art a descriptive or normative endeavour? What is the relation between artistic and other forms of value?

The second half focuses on a diverse range of artists, authors, works or genres from across the arts; these provide an opportunity to explore the philosophical challenge of individual cases. The module aims to integrate study of broad theoretical questions with reflection on - and provocation from - specific art practices. Students will be encouraged to draw on their own experience and expertise in relation to the arts, to test claims on offer.

Optional modules

The programme gives students access to a wide range of modules across four departments.

If you write a dissertation, you will take three optional modules (one from Philosophy and two from the other contributing departments). If you follow the non-dissertation route, you will take five optional modules (up to three from Philosophy and at least two from the other departments). In previous years, optional modules have included:

• Kant’s Aesthetics
• Hegel's Aesthetics
• Revolutionary Aesthetics
• Origins of Mind
• Genealogy, Epistemology, Critique
• World Literature and the Anthropocene
• Critical Theory, Culture, Resistance
• Feminist Literary Theory
• Queer Theory and Praxis
• Ecopoetics
• Screen Cultures and Methods
• Film Criticism, Film Style
• Issues in Documentary
• Irony in Film
• Post-Colonial Cinemas
• Colour and its Meaning
• Visual Art and Poetry
• Reality after Film
• Latin American Modernism
• East meets West: the Visual Arts in Colonial and Post-Colonial India

Minimum requirements

2:i undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.
   

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information, however we are awaiting guidance from the UK government regarding fee status for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members living in the UK for academic year 2021/22 onwards. We are not able to confirm the fee status for these students until the relevant eligibility criteria have been confirmed. Once we have received further information from the UK government, we will provide you with an update on your fee status and let you know if any additional information is required. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.
 

In addition to those pursuing further study, graduates from these courses have gone on to work for employers including: NPower; Oasis Academy; Teleperformance and the University of Warwick.

Our graduates have pursued roles such as: further education teaching professionals; IT business analysts, architects and systems designers; library clerks and assistants and secondary education teaching professionals.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• Identifying Your Skills, Strengths and Motivators for Philosophy Students
• Thinking about Work Experience for Philosophy Students
• Careers in the Public Sector
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year