PhD in Philosophy

I did the MPhil at Cambridge several years ago, at the time not knowing if I wanted to continue with philosophy. To my surprise, I enjoyed the experience so much, I returned for the PhD.

My PhD project is interdisciplinary and lies at the fringes of mainstream analytic philosophy. However, I have been given nothing but support and encouragement. If anything, I have been actively pushed to develop the more ambitious claims in my work. Graduate study at Cambridge gives you enough breathing room to develop your own ideas and approaches. The department is also eager to support your extra-curricular activities - I recently applied for some funding to run a social project and the staff were incredibly helpful with the application.

One of the very special things about studying philosophy at Cambridge is the graduate student community. I have found it to be welcoming and supportive. My peers have given me very helpful feedback on my work and are endlessly encouraging. And if you are ever feeling down - there is a cadre of stuffed dinosaurs in the graduate centre available for cuddling!

Sahanika Ratnayake, PhD student (May 2019)

I came to Cambridge in 2015, having done my B.A. and B.Phil. in Oxford.  That the Faculty’s academic standard is extremely high goes without saying, as does the cultural and intellectual wealth of the wider university.  What is really distinctive here is the warm and collaborative culture among the graduate students, and the great extent to which the Faculty operates as an intellectual community.  This is a thing of great value, and one that absolutely cannot be taken for granted.  Among its happy consequences for me is that fact that, though I came to Cambridge primarily to do specialist work on one topic, it remained easy and natural to learn about many areas of philosophy throughout time as a doctoral student.  I also want to mention the Faculty’s tremendous administrative staff, who contribute so much not only to the efficient running of the Faculty, but also to its relaxed and friendly culture.

Samuel Hughes, PhD Student (May 2019)

I started my PhD in 2014, having completed the MPhil the previous year. Beginning with the MPhil allowed me to gain valuable research experience in diverse topics from the philosophies of mathematics, language, and mind to the history of the subject. Exploring these areas channelled my interests into a form specific enough for a sustained research project and I started this year with a relatively clear sense of direction.

Since then, I have profited tremendously from the unique research environment that Cambridge offers. Not only are there workshops, seminars, and discussion groups to take part in within the faculty, but in addition the College environment provides graduates with the opportunity to discuss their work with researchers from other disciplines. I have found this to be particularly helpful – having your work subjected to a diversity of perspectives ensures that your thought is not blind to them, but it can also provide you with the impetus to think about a certain problem differently. For anyone with an interest in pursuing graduate study in philosophy, I cannot recommend such an environment highly enough.

Luke Cash, PhD student (May 2015)