When you undertake a PhD/MPhil in Philosophy at Liverpool, you’ll benefit from a long history of combining research excellence in core areas of philosophy, with innovative work at the frontiers of the discipline – from politics to spirituality, Chinese philosophy to speculative futures, neo-Platonism to feminism. We value plurality, innovation and creativity.
Philosophy explores a set of approaches and methods that can help us to make sense of whatever is puzzling, perplexing or interesting in the world around us. In the Department of Philosophy, our thriving community of postgraduate researchers benefit from our research environment and make an important active contribution to it.
While we value our pluralism, we also seek opportunities to work together. Four research groups support our research. When you study with us, you’ll benefit from our programme of visiting speakers, workshops, reading groups and postgraduate activities, and help to foster connections with interdisciplinary research centres and global networks of scholars.
Our work also involves collaboration with colleagues in a wide variety of national and international universities and partner organisations. We regularly host visiting researchers from outside the UK and work closely with many partners in the city, including Tate Liverpool, National Museums Liverpool, Open Eye Gallery, NHS North-West and FACT.
We welcome research proposals in the following areas:
Our postgraduate research students are an integral part of our research culture and environment. All our postgraduate researchers belong to one of our four department research groups, through which they can participate in a variety of research activities, including reading groups, exhibitions and conferences.
Thursday afternoons are our department research afternoons, in which all the postgraduates and academic staff participate. Our postgraduate researchers can also attend research and professional skills training, insights workshops with visiting speakers, and the Stapledon Lecture series. Our Work in Progress seminars are organised and chaired by our postgraduate research students, who are also encouraged to present their research at these meetings.
Explore our research groups to find potential supervisors in your topic of interest. Alternatively, take a look at our staff pages.
You may need the following documents to complete your online application:
Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Full-time place, per year - £5,006
Part-time place, per year - £2,503
Full-time place, per year - £24,600
Part-time place, per year - £12,298
Fees stated are for the 2025-26 academic year.
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this degree, as well as general student living costs.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.
There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding. These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition fees and living expenses.
If you’re awarded this prestigious scholarship, you’ll receive significant funding to support your postgraduate research. This includes full payment of your PhD fees and a cash bursary of £17,000 per year while you study. One award is available in each academic year.
If you’re a UK student, either born in or with strong family connections to Merseyside, you could be eligible to apply for financial support worth up to £12,000 per year for up to three years of full-time postgraduate research (or up to five years part-time pro-rata).
Apply to receive tailored training support to enhance your sporting performance. Our athlete support package includes a range of benefits, from bespoke strength and conditioning training to physiotherapy sessions and one-to-one nutritional advice.
The Department of Philosophy has a large, dedicated postgraduate research office, a department library, a common room and kitchens.
We’re based in Gillian Howie House, which is an accessible and inclusive space. We have ramp and lift access to all floors, single sex, gender neutral and disabled toilets, and a Hearing Assist System in our seminar rooms. Students who require one can ask for a disability support plan and access to dedicated support.
PhD students can also use dedicated desks and study spaces in the School of the Arts building.
A PhD in philosophy marks you out as someone with extraordinary critical and analytic skills, and the ability to write and present ideas of extreme complexity. Your research will always be a testament to your ability to work autonomously at the highest intellectual level, guided by a commitment to understanding, knowledge and intellectual virtue.
A Philosophy PhD from University of Liverpool can lead to a diverse range of careers, including academia, teaching, library and archive services, media and journalism. Many PhD graduates pursue academic careers, teaching and conducting research at universities and colleges in the UK and overseas. As a first step toward this, our PhD students often take up positions after their PhDs as postdoctoral researchers and teaching fellows.
You’ll also develop skills in project management, teaching, administration, public speaking and leadership. You’ll handle budgets, organise and market events, mentor other students and be part of a team of researchers and teachers. You’ll receive training and experience to enable you to flourish in these areas. This includes bespoke training for philosophy students in the Department of Philosophy and the School of the Arts.
Once you graduate after completing your PhD, you’ll gain free access to Prosper to help you unlock your potential and kickstart your postdoctoral research career.
Prosper provides structured career development and support, designed specifically for postdocs, in close collaboration with employer partners and principal investigators.
Opportunities include coaching, workshops, webinars and a buddy scheme designed to help you realise the next step in your career journey.
You can also access online resources including the Prosper portal so you can manage your personal and professional development at your own pace.
As a postgraduate researcher at the University of Liverpool, you have access to an exciting portfolio of development opportunities, designed to support your ongoing success and help you realise your ambitions.
These development opportunities, available through The Academy’s PGR Development Hub, are suitable for all subject specialisms. You might be just commencing your research or in the final stages of completing your PhD.
An initial Development Needs Analysis will encourage you to reflect on your abilities. This exploration of your personal, professional and career development needs will form the foundation of a bespoke development plan you’ll agree with your supervisor.
The aim is to immerse yourself in new experiences, engage in development opportunities designed exclusively for postgraduate researchers, and reflect on your progress.
Our campus Career Studio is a space for students and graduates to drop into and talk to a career coach. Career coaches are highly trained to help no matter what stage you are at in planning for your future career.
You can access tailored guidance and support to find and apply for full-time and part-time roles, placements, internships and graduate schemes. You will also find the help you need if you have a start-up idea or want to create a business plan. You can explore the world of work, prepare for job interviews, and access careers events and workshops.
The Career Studio is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm, simply drop in at a time that works for you.
These are the trailblazers, the leaders, the true originals. Our postgraduate researchers are shaping their future, and the future of the world we live in, advancing knowledge with each discovery.
Liverpool is a wonderful place to pursue a PhD in Philosophy. The faculty here are dedicated and immensely knowledgeable with a wide range of research specialisms; there is a thriving postgraduate community; and there are plenty of research seminars, conferences, and colloquia on hand to help you to develop as a student, philosopher, and researcher.
Want to find out more about studying a PhD with us? Chat with our postgraduate research student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
Discover the qualifications you'll need to apply for this course.
You’ll typically need both of the following:
You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.
We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
| Qualification | Details |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5 |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 overall, with minimum scores of listening 21, writing 21, reading 21 and speaking 23. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted. |
| Pearson PTE Academic | 69 overall, with no component below 61 |
Do you need to complete a Pre-sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?
The length of Pre-sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.
If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests, to determine the length of Pre-sessional English course you require.
Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.
| Your most recent IELTS score | Pre-sessional English course length | On campus or online |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.5 | 6 weeks | On campus |
| 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0 | 10 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 6.5 overall, with no component below 5.5 | 12 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5 | 20 weeks | On campus |
| 5.5 overall, with no component below 5.0 | 30 weeks | On campus |
| 5.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.0, and no component below 4.5 | 40 weeks | On campus |
If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-sessional English course length you require.
Please see our guide to Pre-sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5, for further details.
Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.