Ancient Philosophy

Teaching and learning on the MSt in Ancient Philosophy normally consists of individual supervisions with members of the faculty during term-time, classes and lectures, and ongoing independent research.

You must choose two subject options. The first subject option must be chosen from the following list of undergraduate papers in ancient philosophy:

• Plato: Republic
• Plato on Knowledge, Language & Reality in the Theaetetus and Sophist
• Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics
• Aristotle on Nature, Life and Mind
• Knowledge and Scepticism in Hellenistic Philosophy
• Latin philosophy

Tuition for these subjects is offered in the form of supervisions, as well as lectures and classes. Assessment is by one 5,000-word essay on a topic chosen by you and approved by the course co-ordinator.

The second subject option consists of two classes, which change every year, and you must attend both classes. Assessment is by two 5,000-word essays in topics linked to the area covered in the two classes. You may choose to write both essays on topics linked to one class or to write one essay on a topic linked to the first class and the other essay on a topic linked to the second.

Students must also offer a thesis of 10,000 to 15,000 words on a topic they choose in consultation with the course coordinator and a prospective supervisor.

It is not a course requirement for students without any (or with little) Ancient Greek to attend the language classes currently run by the Faculty of Classics, but it is highly recommended that they do so, as being able to read philosophical texts in the original language is an advantage for Ancient Philosophy students. Students with intermediate or advanced Greek may choose to attend more advanced Ancient Greek classes.

If you pass the MSt in Ancient Philosophy, you will have the opportunity to apply to continue to the DPhil in Philosophy via a year as a Probationary Research Student.

However, if you have no to little Ancient Greek and you would like to progress to the DPhil in Philosophy, you should attend the Ancient Greek classes as attendance and progress in these classes will normally be an academic condition for admissions to the DPhil in Philosophy.

Upon completion of the course, you should have:

• pursued a course requiring a high standard in each of the three examined elements (a thesis and two subject options);
• selected at least two areas of ancient philosophy and studied them through individual supervisions with an expert supervisor and either by lectures (offered by an expert or experts in the relevant field) or by classes (convened by an expert or experts in the relevant field) at which students give presentations;
• written a thesis under the guidance of an expert supervisor;
• been examined on your chosen areas by a requirement to write three essays of up to 5,000 words each;
• had the opportunity to attain some knowledge of Ancient Greek, or consolidate and increase existing knowledge;
• had many opportunities to hear and give talks in philosophy, by attending an annual Graduate Philosophy Conference, talks by invited speakers, philosophy societies, and discussion groups; and
• been a member of a college graduate community, associating with graduates from many countries, cultures, and academic disciplines.

You may attend any graduate or undergraduate classes, seminars and lectures in and outside of the Faculty of Philosophy which are of interest to you, provided those classes, seminars and lectures are open to you.

During term-time the Faculty of Philosophy normally offers a weekly workshop that allows members of the faculty and graduate students to discuss work in progress in ancient philosophy by speakers from Oxford and elsewhere. All graduate students specialising in ancient philosophy are encouraged to attend this workshop.

The course has no fieldwork, industrial placement or year abroad element, but you may decide to attend conferences, workshops or research training elsewhere.

For this course, the allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Faculty of Philosophy and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Faculty of Philosophy and Faculty of Classics.

MSt in Ancient Philosophy graduates usually progress to doctoral programmes, either at the faculty itself or elsewhere. Some, however, have pursued non-philosophical academic careers, or careers outside academia, including banking, information technology, law, management consultancy, teaching and public service. The graduate destinations of the seven most recent cohorts of students is available on the MSt alumni webpages.

The faculty aims to assist students and graduates in securing academic jobs. The faculty appoints a Placement Officer who, in conjunction with the Graduate Studies Assistant, runs the faculty’s placement scheme. The Placement Officer also helps job applicants with the preparation of their CVs, provides advice about the presentation of material in an application dossier, arranges practice interviews and generally attends the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association to support candidates who have interviews there.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

Courses suggested by the faculty

Classical Languages and Literature DPhil
Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature MSt
Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature MPhil

All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Philosophy

Ancient Philosophy MSt

Philosophy DPhil

Philosophy BPhil

Philosophy of Physics MSt

Practical Ethics MSt

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Entry requirements