We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:
IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition) 92 or above with 20 in each section. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency overall 176 with 162 in each component.
Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components.
We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.
English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Philosophy has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years and it is central to our understanding of the world and of our place in and interaction with it. Philosophy provides the tools whereby the presuppositions of all areas of intellectual and practical activity may be systematically and critically examined.
While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, characteristic of philosophy is the emphasis on the use of argument, critical enquiry, rigour in reasoning, and clarity of expression, including the making of pertinent distinctions.
The University has a strong historic connection to the subject, counting Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among its former students. Edinburgh has one of the UK’s largest philosophy departments and the Philosophy Society attracts high-profile speakers.
The study of English Literature aims to develop your critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills by engaging with a broad range of texts and a variety of approaches to reading.
By enhancing your unique literary and critical faculties, the programme prepares you to contribute to a society in which an understanding of texts of all kinds is crucially important.
You will acquire an understanding of the cultural contexts of all major periods of English literature from the late middle-ages to the present, and a detailed knowledge of a specific topic or set of texts within each period.
This combined programme enables you to gain an in-depth knowledge in both subject areas, and the opportunity to specialise in the topics that interest you most.
More info: Click here
Year 1
You will study Greats: From Plato to the Enlightenment, Morality and Value and Logic 1. These courses introduce you to key topics in the history of philosophy, morality and ethics, and the nature of argument.
In English Literature, you will take two ‘Literary Studies’ courses which will introduce you to the essential skills needed for the critical close reading of the core literary genres of poetry, drama and prose. You will read works of literature written in English from around the world, and encounter a range of ideas about the nature and purpose of literary study.
You can also choose to take Philosophy of Science 1, which looks at philosophical problems and assumptions around science.
Year 2
You will take two courses in philosophy: Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality.
In your second year English Literature courses, you will be introduced to the study of English literature in its cultural and historical contexts, focusing on a selection of major periods. These courses will explore the relationship between literary texts and the construction of national, international and imperial cultures.
You can also choose to take courses in other subjects, such as sociology and politics, that cover topics related to philosophy or literature.
Year 3
You will start to specialise. You will choose courses from a range linked to our areas of expertise. In philosophy, these include topics linked to the major areas of the subject, and could include:
Philosophy of Religion
Metaphysics
Political Philosophy
Philosophy of Language
Ancient Philosophy
For English Literature, you can start to specialise by selecting courses from an extensive range of options. Some courses may focus on further development of your critical skills, and help you prepare if you choose to do your dissertation in English Literature in Year 4.
Year 4
You will choose another four to six courses from a wide variety available.
You will also complete either an independent dissertation on a Philosophy or English Literature topic of your choice, or a coursework dissertation via two extended essays in Philosophy.
Programme structure
Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.
To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.
The Philosophy and English Literature courses you study throughout your programme provide you with the analytical and critical-thinking skills that are highly valued in the workplace.
Previous graduates have gone on to work in education, commerce, journalism, finance, law and computing.
Some graduates also choose to continue with their studies and pursue a research or academic career.
