What is an MPhil or PhD?
Both MPhil and PhD research degrees involve an extensive investigation of a particular topic.
MPhil research takes a maximum of three years to complete full-time, or five years part-time, and is assessed by the submission of a dissertation of up to 60,000 words. The PhD takes a maximum of four years full-time and seven years part-time and the results of your research will normally be assessed by a written thesis of up to 100,000 words and oral examination. The PhD is only awarded when the results of your investigation make an original contribution to knowledge in the field.
A PhD is the highest qualification that a university can award and offers a challenging and exciting opportunity to work at the cutting-edge of research: if you have these qualities Exeter can offer a very supportive environment in which to pursue research.
Advice for PhD applicants
Our online learning resource 'Considering a UK PhD?' provides lots of helpful advice and information from staff and students about the PhD experience at Exeter.
You may wish to read our general advice for PhD applicants webpages, which give tips on how to put together a successful research degree application.
Applicants for research programmes are also advised to visit the College's webpages to check for specific advice (see further information link). Here you will be able to find out about staff research interests and make preliminary enquiries about supervision. We advise that you do this before applying.
Location
Streatham Campus, Exeter
The Department of Sociology has established a Centre for the Philosophy of the Social Sciences and offers PhD supervision on philosophical topics, especially Philosophy of Science (natural and social), Philosophy of Mind, Social and Political Philosophy, and Social/Applied Ethics. Current work pursued by Doctoral students includes Philosophy of action, explanation and understanding; various topics in Philosophy of Biology.
Distance-based PhD
It may be possible to study for a PhD or MPhil with only occasional visits to the University. Distance-based students undertake the majority of their research at an off campus location of their choosing. This may mean they visit the campus at just a few keys times during their studies and for no more than four months per year. If you think you may be interested in a distance-based MPhil/PhD, please read the guidance and further information before applying.
I find engaging with issues of social cognition and agency truly inspirational and rewarding. After completing a Masters in Economics and Philosophy, I wanted to combine these interests by pursuing a PhD in the Philosophy of Social Science at the University of Exeter. Several research groups at Exeter have rapidly gained international recognition for the quality of their projects, especially in the philosophy of society and cognition, thus making the intellectual life on campus very attractive.
While studying at Exeter, I was twice invited by the Department of Philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley as a ‘visiting student researcher’, and as a ‘guest scientist’ in a psychology lab at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. During and after these visits, I have developed significant portions of my doctoral project and disseminated the results by presenting refereed papers at international conferences as well as by leading discussions in various workshops and departmental seminars.
Shortly after completing my PhD, I was awarded a European Neuroscience and Society Network grant from the European Science Foundation, which has allowed me to engage with working scientists in sustaining discussions and cross-disciplinary exchanges about the practice, methodology and experimentation in the mind and brain sciences. This has also enabled me to secure a postdoctoral fellowship at the Jean Nicod Institute, the centre of analytic philosophers of the École Normale Supérieure in Paris.
I would strongly recommend considering the University of Exeter for two reasons. Firstly, the Sociology and Philosophy department is a highly interdisciplinary and flexible research environment with a focus on naturalistic approaches to the study of culture and cognition. Secondly, over the last four years the University has actively worked to position itself at the forefront of research and teaching across the country, going through major changes and increased investments in research infrastructures.
Mattia Gallotti, PhD in Philosophy 2010
