Philosophy

Overview

A PhD, also known as a doctorate, is a requirement for a career as an academic or researcher. In addition, it has become a qualification valued by many employers who recognise the skills and commitment a PhD requires. Employers also recognise that a PhD indicates excellent research capabilities, discipline and communication skills.

Over the duration of the Philosophy programme from University of Kent, you produce an original piece of research of up to 100,000 words. Recent research theses have included ‘Evolutionary Ethics Without the Error: How Care Ethics Can Vindicate Moral Realism’, ‘Morality as Ideology: Marx, Materialism and Ideology-Critique’, ‘Causality in Complex Systems: An Inferentialist Proposal’, ‘Moral Epistemology, Particularism and Generalism’, ‘Intelligence, Relevance, Action and Perception’, ‘The Story of My Life: Virtue, Character and Narrative’, ‘Reasoning, Objectivity and Interdisciplinarity: Making the Links’, and ‘Vulnerability in Bioethics: Humans and Animals’.

The Department of Philosophy offers supervision from world-class academics with expertise in a wide range of disciplines, able to support and guide you through your research. Your progress is carefully monitored to ensure that you are on track to produce a thesis valued by the academic community. Throughout your programme, you are able to attend and contribute to research seminars, workshops, and research and transferable skills training courses.

Careers

A PhD in philosophy is a valuable and flexible qualification, which allows you to develop skills in logical thinking, critical evaluation, persuasion, writing and independent thought. 

Graduates have gone on to positions in journalism, administration in the civil service, education, advertising and a range of managerial positions. Some go on to pursue research in the area, many continuing with PhDs at Kent or other higher education institutions.