History and Philosophy of Science MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert

The programme provides broad-based training in the history of science, the philosophy of science, and an “integrated history and philosophy of science”. The historical coverage is broad, from antiquity to the present, while the philosophical coverage spans causality and the philosophy of medicine as well as the metaphysics of chemistry and computer science.

MSc students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of one core module (15 credits), four optional modules (60 credits), three ancillary modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

The Postgraduate Diploma programme consists of one core module (15 credits), four optional modules (60 credits) and three ancillary modules (45 credits), available in full time mode

The Postgraduate Certificate programme consists of one core module (15 credits) and three optional modules (45 credits), available in full time mode

• Introduction to Science and Technology Studies

Students choose four options from the following:

• Science in the 19th Century
• Material Culture and Science in the 18th Century
• Early Modern Science
• Medieval Science and Medicine in Global Perspective
• Science in Antiquity
• Causality, Mechanism, and Classification in Science
• Knowledge, Evidence, and Explanation in Science
• Science, Art, and Philosophy
• Special Topics Seminar in History and Philosophy of Science
• One optional module from our sister MSc programme, Science, Technology, and Society, may be substituted provided it contributes to a coherent programme of study.
• Module descriptions can be found on the STS website

In addition, students choose three ancillary modules which may be options from our degrees, or selected from any other programme at UCL.

All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000–12,000 words.

The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, lectures, tutorials and research supervision. Student performance is assessed through coursework such as long and short essays, advocacy work and project work.