Programme Proposal Form
To be supplied in conjunction with Programme Specification Form for programme approval process
(Link to programme specification template http://www.bbk.ac.uk/qev/programme-approval/)
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Programme Title
Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy
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Home Department
Philosophy
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Exit Award(s)
Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy
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Duration of Study (number of years)
1 year FT; 2 years PT
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Mode of Study
FT/PT/DL/Other
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UCAS Entry
Yes/No/NA
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Level of Award (FHEQ)
Level 7
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Other teaching depts. or institution
None
FT & PT
NA
(if applicable)
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Programme Director
Dr. Michael Garnett
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Start Date (term/year)
Autumn Term 2016
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Expected Student Numbers
0 / 20
(1st year, min/max)
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Enrolment Type
Programme
X
Modular
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Campus Location
Bloomsbury
X
Stratford
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Fees and Funding Codes
JACS Code
V500
Cost Centre
D
Price Group
141
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Programme Summary (rationale, aims, structure)
Rationale: This diploma is being introduced in order to increase the flexibility of our offer at the taught
postgraduate level. Mirroring the structure of our existing MA, it will be available both as an exit award from
the MA and as a target award in its own right.
Structure: There are two routes through the programme: a ‘standard’ route for students with undergraduate
training in philosophy, and a ‘conversion’ route for students looking to transfer into the discipline. The
programme structure for the two routes is as follows:
‘Standard’ Route
Full-Time Y1: Any 6 optional modules (each 15 credits, L7) plus Philosophical Research Methods (30 credits,
L6).
Part-Time Y1: Any 4 optional modules.
Part-Time Y2: Any 2 optional modules plus Philosophical Research Methods.
‘Conversion’ Route
Full-Time Y1: Any 4 optional modules (each 15 credits, L7) plus Introduction to Philosophy (30 credits, L7) and
Introduction to Philosophical Argument (30 credits, L6).
Part-Time Y1: Any 1 optional module plus Introduction to Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophical
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Argument.
Part-Time Y2: Any 3 optional modules.
Aims:
Subject Specific
Students will have:
1.
A detailed grasp of a variety of historical and current philosophical debates across more than one philosophical
subject area;
2.
A critical command of philosophical concepts and distinctions;
3.
An ability to read closely and understand key philosophical texts;
4.
An ability to formulate philosophical questions with precision and clarity;
5.
An ability to summarise philosophical arguments and positions;
6.
An ability to support and challenge philosophical views by constructing arguments and citing relevant
considerations;
7.
An awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of opposing views, and an ability to formulate the best arguments
for those views;
8.
Developed abilities in writing, reading and discussing philosophy, attained through a wide variety of learning
experiences.
Intellectual
Students will have:
9.
The ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a thinker’s position;
10. The ability to formulate their thoughts concisely with clarity and precision;
11. The ability to form, analyse and criticize arguments cogently.
Practical
Students will have:
12. The ability to draw information from the presentation of complex material;
13. The ability to summarise key points from presented material;
14. The ability to analyse complex thought and argument;
15. The ability to draw information together in what they write;
16. The ability to articulate and evaluate the specific questions underlying a more general question;
17. The ability to present well-structured thought orally;
18. The ability to construct cogent arguments in the course of discussion;
19. The ability to use libraries and, where they have facilities, electronic sources of information;
20. The ability to assess the validity of arguments.
Personal and Social
Students will have:
21. The ability to form their own philosophical views, argue for those views, and be prepared to defend or amend them
in the light of criticism;
22. The ability to read philosophy independently;
23. The ability to formulate one’s thoughts clearly and concisely;
24. A developed capacity for independent thought.
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Resources
Are non-standard additional resources required to run this programme?
Yes
No
X
If YES, please give details of additional resources required in relevant section below and confirm that
consultation with relevant section has taken place.
Please note that the teaching and learning must be sufficiently flexible to enable all reasonable adjustments to be made in accordance with the
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
Accommodation
Specific additional room requirements – consult with room bookings
(i.e. if more than 100 people expected to be taught at once or specialist teaching space over and
above lecture theatres and classrooms)
Library
e.g. new journals, new e-resources, extra print copies, e-learning copyright, access to other
libraries – consult with subject librarian
ITS
Use of specific software packages or IT facilities (including workstation rooms) – consult with ITS
User Support Manager
Other
Please state requirements for any other resources and give details of any external funding.
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Scheduled Learning Hours and Assessment (for Key Information Set)
Average Scheduled learning hours each week for each
year of programme
(delete or add years as appropriate)
Proposed Assessment Format for each year of
programme (i.e. year 1 - 50% exam, 50% coursework)
(delete or add years as appropriate)
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Year 1 FT – 7 hours
Year 1 PT – 4
Year 2 PT – 3
Depends on route:
Year 1 FT – 42% exam / 58% coursework OR 100%
coursework
Year 1 PT – 75% exam / 25% coursework OR 100%
coursework
Year 2 PT – 100% coursework
Approval
Programme Director
Michael Garnett
Date
5/06/2015
Head of Department
Hallvard Lillehammer
Date
5/06/2015
Chair of STQEC
Christy Constantakopoulou
Date
25/06/15
Executive Dean
Miriam Zukas
Date
27/07/15
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External Subject Specialist Form
External Subject Specialists may be asked to take part in a relevant Programme Development Panel either through
attendance at a meeting to discuss the proposal or by correspondence.
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Programme Title
Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy
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Name of External Subject Specialist
Thomas Crowther
(Professor/Dr/Mr/Ms)
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Present post and place of work
Tel/Email
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Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Warwick
t.crowther@warwick.ac.uk
Philosophy
Area of subject expertise
Details of any current or previous involvement with cognate programmes or with the College
Lecturer in Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Birkbeck from 2003-5 (Temporary, fixed-term post).
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Comments on the proposed programme
6a. appropriateness of the proposal in relation to the College’s Common Awards Scheme, national Framework for Higher Education
Qualifications, Higher Education Credit Framework for England, relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Statements and, where appropriate,
Professional,
Statutory
or
Regulatory
Body
requirements
(see
‘Academic
Infrastructure’
at:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/default.asp)
The Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy is consistent with the guidance for the award of PG Dip in the College’s Common Awards Scheme, it
relates well to the descriptors for Level 7 programmes in the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, it meets the
credit requirements for PG Diplomas in the Higher Education Credit Framework for England, and reflects the relevant descriptors in the
QAA Benchmark Statement for Philosophy.
6b. overall comments
I am happy to support the proposal for the Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy.
1. The programme addresses a need for greater flexibility in postgraduate study, with respect to the dissertation element of the Philosophy
masters programme. This is particularly welcome for students taking the degree as a conversion course, who have the opportunity to study
an additional taught option before beginning independent research in philosophy.
2. The option of studying according to a ‘standard’ or a ‘conversion’ route addresses the popularity of Masters-level study in Philosophy for
those without the relevant background in the subject. (As course convenor of MA in Philosophy at Warwick, I field many enquiries about the
suitability of our MA in Philosophy degree for those without an undergraduate degree in the subject.) The conversion route is clear and
coherent, containing a good mixture of ‘introductory content’ and philosophical skills training.
3. The opportunity to upgrade to the MA degree allows for maximum flexibility and choice for students on the programme.
4. Because the taught elements of the programme are the same as those that would be taken on MA Philosophy programmes, students on
the diploma receive the same flexible schedule of teaching delivered by world-leading researchers.
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Agreement
Signature: T. M. Crowther
Date: 2-6-2015
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Programme description for publicity purposes
Once your programme has been formally approved, it will be publicised on the Birkbeck website and (if you
meet the appropriate deadline) our print prospectuses. The Birkbeck website receives around 3 million
visitors a year and the vast majority of those visitors will look at our centralised course listings at
www.bbk.ac.uk/study. The online prospectus is our number one tool for recruitment, so please complete the
following fields as fully and richly as possible. This information will be sent to External Relations and
uploaded to the web. If you need help completing these fields, please contact the Digital Publications
Officer in External Relations.
Please note: this form only needs to be completed at the programme proposal stage of the quality
assurance process. You do not need to resubmit this appendix at the programme amendment stage.
Content area (with instructions)
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Attendance
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How many times a week will part-time
and full-time students have to attend?
Are there any weekend, daytime or study
trip elements? Please detail any distance
learning aspects.
Funding and Financial Support
3
Are there any sources of funding
students can apply for, either within
Birkbeck or externally?
Programme introduction
This is the introductory paragraph that
appears at the top of the programme’s
webpage. Please use this paragraph to
really emphasise what is unique,
interesting and appealing about your
course. Aim for 100–300 words, use
short paragraphs and avoid bullet
points.
Your text
Full-time students attend 3-4 sessions per week; part-time students
attend 1-2 sessions per week.
Classes run from October to April. In May and June students may need
to attend for examinations.
This Postgraduate Diploma is ideal for students who wish to develop
their philosophical interests but who do not wish to undertake a full
MA. On this programme you will take all of the same taught elements
as you would for the MA, but you will not be required to undertake an
independent research project (dissertation).
Our uniquely flexible programme offers postgraduate teaching in
central aspects of Western philosophy in the broadly analytic tradition.
The curriculum is research-led, with specialist modules taught by
leading figures in their fields, and with a consistent focus on the
fostering of intellectual curiosity and the development of independent
thinking.
The Diploma is open to those with a first degree in philosophy wishing
to progress to more advanced levels of study and also to those without
undergraduate training in philosophy. (If you did not study philosophy
as an undergraduate, you take a special route through the programme.)
It may be studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years,
and it may be studied exclusively in the evening or in the daytime as
well.
Postgraduate Diploma students may apply to upgrade to the MA at any
point during their programme.
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Why study this course at Birkbeck?
Use 3–6 bullet points to describe why
Birkbeck is the best institution for
studying this course: academic
excellence, career and employability
opportunities, library facilities and
•
•
Our uniquely flexible Diploma may be studied in the evening
or in the day, over 1 or 2 years, and with or without prior
philosophical study.
The Department of Philosophy is one of the UK’s leading
philosophy departments.
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archives, geographic location, research
centres, the research interests and
achievements of academics, progression
routes to further study, etc.
•
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•
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Course structure text before module
listing
Describe the structure of the course in
terms of: core, compulsory and option
modules and dissertation/ project,
including any credit points (if relevant).
Modules will be inserted into the
programme description in groups:
‘Compulsory’, ‘Core’, and ‘Option’
modules, and ‘Dissertation/ Project’.
Please check online that all modules for
your programme contain descriptive
text.
We offer a wide range of modules taught by our
internationally recognised research staff.
As a philosophy student, you will be part of the thriving
philosophical community in the University of London and
eligible to attend the extensive range of seminars and
conferences put on by the Institute of Philosophy. Library
resources include the department's specialist library, which
supplements the main Birkbeck Library and University of
London libraries. You will also have access to computer
workstations with email and internet facilities.
Find out more about our research excellence, study resources
and student support services.
Watch videos of our postgraduate students discussing their
experience of studying at Birkbeck.
The Postgraduate Diploma is designed to allow you to choose your own
balance of depth and breadth in your coverage of different subject
areas. If you already have an academic background in philosophy, you
take:
• Any 6 option modules (see below for an indicative list of
available options). Each option module consists of 10 lectures
and 10 seminar sessions run by the lecturer, with set readings
every week and assessment by a final essay.
• Philosophical Research Methods: this compulsory module
consists of 10 intensive 2-hour seminar sessions focused on
the close reading of philosophical texts.
If you do not already have an academic background in philosophy, you
may be admitted to the 'Conversion' route. This is an alternate version
of the programme with a special structure designed to help you to
transfer into the discipline at postgraduate level. You take:
• Any 4 option modules (see below for an indicative list of
available options). Each option module consists of 10 lectures
and 10 seminar sessions run by the lecturer, with set readings
every week and assessment by a final essay.
• Introduction to Philosophy: this double module consists of 20
lectures and 20 seminars, designed to introduce you to the
central questions and ideas in 4 core areas of philosophy:
metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and political philosophy. It
also includes lessons in study skills and practice in
philosophical writing.
• Introduction to Philosophical Argument: this compulsory
module consists of 10 lectures and 10 classes and is designed
to introduce you to some of the basic formal and informal
tools of philosophical argument.
Option modules
In order to provide maximum flexibility, half of our modules are taught
during the evening and half during the day. Each year we flip the
previous year’s daytime modules to the evening and the evening
modules to the daytime, thus ensuring that evening-only part-time
students can access our full range of modules over two years.
Note that the following list is intended only as a guide. For the most upto-date information on our optional modules, please see our current
student pages or contact the Philosophy Department.
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Philosophy of Action
Topics in Ancient Philosophy
Philosophy of Art
Berkeley and Leibniz
Advanced Topics in Epistemology
The Biology of Evil
Evolution and Philosophy
Fiction and Language
The Idea of Freedom
Kant’s Philosophy
Advanced Topics in Metaphysics
Philosophy of Mind
Moral Responsibility
Morality, Nature, and Evolution
The Philosophy of Nietzsche
Philosophy, Business and Society
Philosophy and Gender
Philosophical Logic
Political Power
Philosophy of Psychology
Philosophy of Science
Twentieth Century Continental Social Philosophy
Course structure text after module
listing
This section appears after the list of
modules. You may want to expand or
clarify some aspects of the course
structure or provide information about
recent dissertation/project topics.
Sample timetable
These can be uploaded as Word or PDF
documents, so please email a copy to the
Digital Publications Officer, Ben Winyard
(b.winyard@bbk.ac.uk).
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Further study opportunities
Please provide the names of any
programmes that students can progress
onto after completing this course and we
will insert a link to that programme. Is
there a specific progression route to a
particular higher level of study?
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Postgraduate Diploma students can apply to upgrade to the MA
Philosophy.
Careers and employability
What are some of the career areas that
graduates from this course have gone
into? If possible, please provide specific
job positions/titles/examples. If you have
any facts or statistics about graduate
destinations, please provide them. Try to
make this section as full, factual and
useful as possible.
Graduates in philosophy go on to a wide range of careers, including
law, management, politics, recruitment and journalism. Read more
about the careers philosophy graduates pursue.
Find out more about the destinations of graduates in this subject.
Birkbeck offers a wide range of free careers support and advice for
students.
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How to apply
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If prospective students need to
complete a supplementary form or
written task, then please send the
supplementary form and/or a paragraph
of instructions to
BSISHelp@bbk.ac.uk. The instructions
will be included in the confirmation
email sent to applicants on submission
of their main application form.
Application deadlines and interviews
We recommend that you apply as early as possible. Later applications
will be considered subject to the availability of places.
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