Philosophy & Public Affairs

The MA in Philosophy and Public Affairs is especially designed for those people with an interest in public policy debates, e.g. in journalism, the civil service, public policy research institutes, etc.. At the same time, it will be useful for any job requiring a subtle understanding of debate and disagreement, or requiring close attention to texts.



Unique combination of philosophy and social science

Close attention from dissertation supervisor

Vibrant academic and social community

UCD School of Philosophy is ranked in top 100 QS rankings 2024



MA in Philosophy and Public Affairs programme is aimed at students who wish to deepen their knowledge of the core areas of philosophy and its application to public affairs at graduate level. It is also intended to provide a good foundation of graduate work for students who wish to continue to more advanced graduate research. It aims to provide an integration of social and political theory with the philosophical implications of the area. The School of Philosophy encourages our students to be critical philosophical thinkers with the ability to reflect on current philosophical debates, history of philosophical thought and add their own contribution. We aim to provide a learning environment that fosters collegiality and a pluralistic approach to the main areas of philosophy and encourages students to engage critically with questions. As the largest teaching and research centre in philosophy in Ireland, the programme benefits from many world-leading figures in philosophy that give invited seminars and conferences throughout the year. Small group seminars and participation in conferences and workshops are a key element of the programme design. As such, the programme uses key approaches to teaching such as philosophical debates, critical reflections, essays and paper presentations.

Students have to take the 'flagship' module, 'The Good Society', taught by a philosopher and a social scientist. In addition, students must take two further modules from the following three: (i) 'Law, Liberty and the State', (ii) 'Critical Theory', (iii) 'Religion and Society'.



The other three modules are to be taken from a list of approved modules in other social science schools



While it is recommended that full-time students take three modules in each semester, it is up to the student. Students must then complete the dissertation by the end of August, and this will be worth 30 credits.



Stage 1 - Core

Dissertation PHIL40030



Stage 1 - Option

Human Rights Law and Equality EQUL40070

Masculinities, Gender and Equality EQUL40310

Critical Geographies: Spatialising Power and Inequalities GEOG40970

The Good Society PHIL40420

Autonomy as a Philosophical Problem PHIL40840

Feminist & Gender Theory PHIL41280

Topics in Continental Philos PHIL41320

Ethics in Public Life PHIL41510

Truth, History, Justice PHIL41560

Moral Agency PHIL41660

Thinking without Subject: Mind and Body before Descartes PHIL41670

Theories of International Relations POL40050

Politics of Development POL40100

International Political Theory POL40140

Comparative Public Policy POL40160

International Political Economy POL40370

Comparative European Politics POL40540

Theory of Human Rights POL41030

The Global Political Economy of Europe POL41650

Applicants need at least four philosophy courses as part of an undergraduate degree (to be confirmed by a transcript); an overall mark of B- (60%) in your undergraduate degree (to be confirmed by a transcript); two academic letters of reference and a sample of philosophical writing, such as an undergraduate essay.



Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage. https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax

90

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

MA Philosophy & Public Affairs (W182) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 7055

nonEU fee per year - € 19200


MA Philosophy & Public Affairs (W183) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 4590

nonEU fee per year - € 9600


***Fees are subject to change


Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme.

Commencing September 2025

Graduates of the programme have gone into diverse areas such as public or private research institutes, local, national or international institutions as policy analysts, firms operating in the global market and looking for professionals capable of understanding and interpreting political, social and economic trends and devising long-term strategic plans, media, journalism, publishing

and the NGOs.