MA Philosophy and Theology
About this course
Philosophy and theology are disciplines that have been in conversation for millennia, and studying them together at degree level develops a particularly rich intellectual formation. Philosophy uses reason and argument to examine the most fundamental questions about knowledge, reality, ethics, and human nature, asking what we can know, what we should do, and what it means for something to be true. Theology engages with the beliefs, texts, and traditions of religious communities, examining them historically, philosophically, and comparatively, and asking what it means to speak of God, transcendence, and ultimate meaning. Together, they address some of the most profound and enduring questions in human thought. At the University of Edinburgh, you will study both disciplines over four years full-time, engaging with major thinkers in both fields and with the long history of their intersection, from Plato and the Church Fathers through Aquinas, Hume, and Kant to contemporary philosophers of religion and systematic theologians. You will develop skills in rigorous argument, close textual reading, and the evaluation of complex evidence, and you will learn to move between different modes of inquiry with intellectual confidence. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and encounter different philosophical and theological traditions in another academic context. The typical entry tariff is 152 UCAS points. Graduates of philosophy and theology carry a combination of skills that is genuinely valued across a wide range of careers: the capacity for careful argument, comfort with difficult and contested questions, and the ability to read complex texts sympathetically and critically. Teaching, chaplaincy, the civil service, journalism, law, social work, charitable and faith-based organisations, publishing, and academic research are all common destinations. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in philosophy, theology, religious studies, or ethics.
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