MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

The MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine is a full-time 9-month course that provides students with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by senior members of the University. Students acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests, as well as a critical and well-informed understanding of the roles of the sciences in society. Those intending to go on to doctoral work learn the research skills needed to help them prepare a well-planned and focused PhD proposal. During the course, students gain experience in presenting their own work and discussing the issues that arise from it with an audience of their peers and senior members of the department; they attend lectures, supervisions and research seminars in a range of technical and specialist subjects central to research in the different areas of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine.

The MPhil course is assessed by two research essays and a dissertation.

The topics of the essays and dissertation should each fall within the following specified subject areas:

1. Ancient, medieval and early modern sciences
2. Ancient, medieval and early modern medicine
3. Sciences in the age of empire, c. 1750–1900
4. Modern medicine and biomedical sciences
5. Modern sciences
6. Metaphysics, epistemology and the sciences
7. Ethics and politics of medicine and the sciences
8. Philosophy of the physical sciences
9. Philosophy of biology and the life sciences
10. Philosophy of social and cognitive sciences

In addition to the individual supervisions that support work on essays and dissertations, the MPhil lectures are the core teaching resource for this course. They introduce research topics, methods, and approaches adopted by the department's teaching officers. Each lecture is followed by a small-group seminar that explores the topics in more depth. All MPhil students attend each lecture, but they can choose which subsequent seminars to follow.

Students are encouraged to attend the other lectures, research seminars, workshops, and reading groups that make the department a hive of intellectual activity. The department also offers a postgraduate training programme that focuses on key research, presentation, publication, and employment skills.

The educational aims of the programme are:

• to give students with relevant training at first-degree level the opportunity to carry out focused research in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine under close supervision
• to give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests
• to enable students to acquire a critical and well-informed understanding of the roles of the sciences in society
• to help students intending to go on to doctoral work to acquire the requisite research skills and to prepare a well-planned and focused PhD proposal

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will have:

• developed a deeper knowledge of their chosen areas of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine and of the critical debates within them
• acquired a conceptual understanding that enables the evaluation of current research and methodologies
• formed a critical view of the roles of the sciences in society

Skills and other attributes

By the end of the course, students should have:

• acquired or consolidated historiographic, linguistic, technical and ancillary skills appropriate for research in their chosen area
• demonstrated independent judgement based on their own research
• presented their own ideas in a public forum and learned to contribute constructively within an international environment.

Continuing

Students admitted for the MPhil can apply to continue as PhD students. The usual preconditions for continuing to the PhD are an overall Distinction mark in the MPhil, agreement of the PhD proposal with a potential Supervisor, and satisfactory performance in an interview.

Open Days

The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options:

• Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about applying for postgraduate study.

• Postgraduate Virtual Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information.

For more information about upcoming events visit our events pages.