The Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy is a part-time course in philosophy aimed at those with a degree in a related subject. Taught over a series of two-day teaching weekends and supporting one-to-one supervisions, the course explores a range of philosophical topics, from Ancient Philosophy to Existentialism. The first unit examines the origins of our notions of truth and reality by exploring a variety of texts from the ancient world. In the second unit, students will consider how these ideas developed in early modernity as scientific enquiry takes hold. In the third unit, students will grapple with Existentialism. Throughout, students will engage in one-to-one supervisions and will be asked to choose one element of the taught content to relate to a contemporary problem in modern life, such as Artificial Intelligence or post-truth politics.
Students may use this course as a progression route to an MA or MPhil. Prior study in philosophy is helpful but is not essential.
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Key Features
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in Philosophy. More specifically, it will appeal to:
- Students who have taken the Institute’s Advanced Diploma (level 6) courses, or another level 6 qualification
- Students particularly interested in, amongst other things, the History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language, Existentialism and Continental Philosophy
- Anyone wishing to improve their analytic, critical and creative thinking, or anyone wishing to progress to further postgraduate study in Philosophy
The Postgraduate Certificate is equivalent to 60 credits at Level 7 within the Higher Education Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS).
Aims of the course
The Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy aims to:
- Provide students with specialist knowledge and understanding of philosophical ideas and concepts at the frontiers of philosophical debate and research
- Enable students to acquire and develop the skills necessary to conduct critical analysis and evaluation at the highest levels; and
- Develop the student’s ability to analyse and evaluate different methods for conducting independent and collaborative research
What will I be studying?
The Postgraduate Certificate is divided into three units which are structured chronologically spanning philosophical thought, ancient to modern. Each of the three units is taught via a 2-day teaching block and an individual supervision. Students are expected to attend all of the teaching blocks and their supervisions throughout the year.
Unit 1: Ancient Philosophy - ''Know thyself!": Classical educational priorities from Plato to the Middle Ages
Course dates: 12 and 13 October 2024
In this unit, students will explore the role philosophy has played in informing educational practice. Students will explore the way in which philosophy promotes both an inward-looking approach (the cultivation of the individual through self-reflection and self-understanding, often motivated by searching, 'maieutic' questioning by others) and an outward-looking moment of social engagement, dialogue and action. The principle at work here is that positive contributions to community and society are best accomplished by individuals who 'know themselves'. In individual supervisions, students will be tasked with understanding the contemporary application of this thinking.
Unit 2: Modern Philosophy – Kant on Reason and Intuition
Course dates: 1 and 2 February 2025
How is knowledge acquired? How should the philosopher proceed in understanding the world? This unit will explore Kant’s answers to these questions and place them in the context of 18th-century discourses on the role of reason for philosophical speculation. In class, students will undertake a detailed examination of Kant’s 'On a Newly Arisen Superior Tone in Philosophy’, and ask: can philosophical knowledge be obtained through a private intuition? In supervisions, students will further discuss the methodology of philosophical work, and ask: what should be the “tone” of philosophy today?
Unit 3: Existentialism – Kierkegaard’s Existential Thought
Course dates: 10 and 11 May 2025
Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) has been called ‘the father of existentialism’. Certainly, his work has been pivotal for major subsequent figures in European Philosophy, from Husserl and Heidegger to Sartre and Merleau-Ponty, Derrida and Deleuze. But Kierkegaard’s contributions are difficult to pin down, not least because of the ways his enigmatic texts resist interpretation in terms of theories and doctrines. This final unit will introduce Kierkegaard’s idea of a radical alternative to systematic philosophy. Topics covered will include: the limits of reason, the use of ethical exemplars, the earnest thought of death, and the essence of tragedy.
Additional information
Although this is a non-residential course, students requiring residential accommodation may be able to book Bed & Breakfast at Madingley Hall, as availability permits, at a discounted student rate. Should you be offered a place on the course further information will be sent about how to book pre-allocated accommodation. Please do not book accommodation directly via the Madingley Hall website as there might not be room availability via this route.
This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by August 2024 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far.
Dr Alex Carter is Academic Director for Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies at University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE). He is a Bye-Fellow at Fitzwilliam College. Alex was awarded his PhD in Philosophy by the University of Essex in 2015; his thesis explores some of the surprising aspects of Wittgenstein’s views concerning freedom and fatalism. Before this, Alex studied Philosophy at the University of Wales, Swansea and the University of Bristol.
Alex's approach to teaching is to encourage students to feel the "pain of the problem” - to make plain the very real ways in which philosophical problems affect our lives. Accordingly, Alex is most keen to offer his support to philosophical projects that, not only inform contemporary debates, but actively affect change. Alex's ongoing research interests include Wittgenstein’s later philosophy, the theology of Simone Weil and the philosophy of humour. He is currently researching the relationship between humour and creative practice via the concept of ’serious play’.
Expected academic standard
Applicants are normally expected to hold a 2.1 degree or higher from a UK university or an equivalent from an overseas university.
There is provision to accept applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.
Language requirement
If English isn’t your first language, you will be required to submit evidence that you meet the University’s English language requirement before you are admitted.
Please see full details on the University Language Requirement webpage.
Language requirements for this course are below:
- IELTS Academic: Overall band score of 7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component)
- TOEFL Internet: Overall score of 110 (a minimum of 25 in each individual component)
- C1 Advanced: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element), plus a Language Centre assessment.
- C2 Proficiency: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200, with no element lower than 185)
There are no exceptions to this requirement and, if you are offered a place on the course, it will be subject to you meeting this requirement.
Visa information
If you are not a UK resident please visit the the International Students website to read about visas for part-time students. Please make sure you have investigated your visa requirements in advance of booking as we cannot offer a refund if you find you are unable to take up the place due to visa constraints after you have booked your place on the course.
Teaching
Teaching and learning on the course is delivered through a combination of presentations by the tutor, a range of interactive and participative methods of teaching and learning, and through reading and assignments to be undertaken by students outside of the teaching sessions. Such interactive and participative methods of teaching and learning may include small and whole group exercises, projects, case studies, structured seminar discussion, videos, and oral presentations. The course will be supported by our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Assessment
You will be required to submit summative assignments totalling 11,500 – 14,500 words across the course, further details of which will be given in the course guide when available.
In addition to attending both the face-to-face teaching during each day school and submitting assignments, you will need to set aside time for independent study. Credit is generally calculated in terms of hours of study and assumes that each credit is awarded for around 10 hours of successful learning; so, by this calculation, a 60-credit course will involve around 600 hours of successful study. Examples of how study may be broken down are: pre-class preparation, classroom time (lectures, seminars, discussion, presentations, debates, case-studies etc.); engagement with the VLE; peer-to-peer interaction, preparations for assignments, assignment writing and feedback, and so on.
Fees
The course fee for 2024-25 is £4,750 for Home students and for EU/Overseas students the fee is £8,240.
Students will be expected to cover the application fee (£50 online) and any costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence* incurred during teaching sessions in Cambridge.
*Please note that refreshments and subsistence for some sessions will be provided free of charge
Once accepted onto the course you can pay in two ways:
- in full on enrolment (by credit or debit card)
- in three equal instalments (by credit or debit card): the first on enrolment. The exact dates for the second and third instalments will be confirmed in the student’s individual booking details
Please note, your place on the course is not secured until payment is received by us, accompanied by any necessary documentation, i.e. proof of English language proficiency.
Funding
There are no scholarships or bursaries for this course. We recommend that you explore any potential funding well in advance of the application deadline.
This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by August 2025 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far.
Using the Applicant Portal, you can create and submit your application and supporting documents, and you can also request your references.
An application is only complete when:
- you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
- you have paid the application fee if applicable.
- your referees have provided their references.
There is an application fee of £50.
Applicants will be required to apply online and will need to provide a full CV and a writing sample* in addition to:
- uploaded scans of relevant qualification certificates and transcripts
- language proficiency if required
- contact details of two referees who will be contacted on your behalf
*Please provide a sample of writing (500 words) from one of the 2 options below:
Either:
A) A sample of recent work from the last 3 years
Or:
B) An answer to the question: What, if anything, is significant about Kierkegaard’s claim in Concluding Unscientific Postscript that “God does not think, he creates; God does not exist, he is eternal”?
All eligible candidates will be considered for interview.
