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This MA programme was established by the late Professor Sir Roger Scruton, the inaugural Professor of Philosophy at The University of Buckingham, and reflects his values and the subjects which he illuminated in his extensive writings. The focus is on philosophical questions that have a direct bearing on our understanding of and participation in the contemporary world, not the abstractions – usually expressed in impenetrable language – to which much modern philosophical writing has succumbed.

The Master’s degree can be taken either full-time and completed in a single academic year, or taken part-time and extended over two years. Although original research it the prime focus of the programme, there is also a strongly collegial aspect to the course, as all research students meet regularly throughout the year for a series of early-evening seminars by some of the most distinguished philosophers working in contemporary Britain and beyond. The seminars are held in the Reform Club in Pall Mall, London, SW1, and provide an opportunity for students to meet and debate with the visiting speaker. Each seminar is followed by a working dinner at which discussion continues. (The full seminar programme is given below.)

True to its Scrutonian origins, this MA in Philosophy will explore questions which have direct bearing on the most pressing issues in politics and contemporary society. Throughout his career Scruton was deeply invested in the political implications of fundamental disputes in philosophy. Likewise, central to Scruton’s vision in designing the programme was his conviction that the best way to learn philosophy is by doing philosophy, i.e. engaging in philosophical discussion of issues that are important for understanding the world and the human being’s place within that world. The MA seminars will combine these two principles by opening to discussion some of the central issues of world and national politics in the context of some of the most fundamental questions in philosophy.

Students will examine the intellectual origins of a variety of political traditions – libertarian, social democratic, conservative, socialist among others – and acquire a grounding in the deep philosophical issues that underlie political discourse today.

There are no timed examinations involved. Instead, the student works towards the completion of a dissertation of not less than 20,000 words and not more than 25,000 words. The submission of this as a completed text constitutes the sole mode of examination. The student has a free hand in the choice of research topic, subject only to the limitations of surviving evidence and the originality of the subject – both matters on which the Programme Director and the student’s supervisor are available to offer advice, during and after the application process.

The University of Buckingham MA programmes are intended to impart all the skills necessary for the student to work as an independent researcher and writer – skills that are valued by both academic and non-academic employers. But the MA can be undertaken just as fulfillingly as an exercise in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and as a means of exploring areas of enquiry that are of particular interest to the student.

Tutorials and classes will normally take place at the University of Buckingham’s London offices at 51 Gower Street, Bloomsbury, WC1E 6HJ, close to the British Museum.