Programme Specification: MSc Philosophy of Science
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. Application Code
9. First written/last amended
10.
1.
2.
3.
LSE
Accredited for the AHRC Research Master’s
Studentship
MSc
Philosophy of Science
(formerly MSc Philosophy and History of
Science)
Full-time 12 months; part-time 24 months
Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
N/A
V5UG
December 2007/November 2010
The MSc Philosophy and History of Science aims:
To provide advanced training in philosophy of science.
To develop students’ understanding of conceptual and normative issues in science.
To prepare students for doctoral research in the philosophy of science.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
A student completing the MSc Philosophy of Science should have:
Subject knowledge.
 Advanced knowledge and understanding of contemporary philosophy of science
 Knowledge and understanding of theoretical and methodological debates in at least
one science.
Subject skills. The ability to:
 Integrate philosophical and scientific perspectives.
 Read, understand and summarise philosophical texts.
 Understand and use philosophical terminology and engage in philosophical debate.
 Clearly and precisely formulate philosophical questions.
 Present, analyse and critically evaluate philosophical arguments and positions
(including their own), both verbally and in written form.
 Develop philosophical positions and argue for them.
 Recognise the soundness and pertinence (or otherwise) of philosophical arguments.
 Conduct supervised research in philosophy and present the results in the form of a
written thesis.
Transferable intellectual skills. The ability to:
 Analyse complex problems and arguments.
 Use formal techniques in arguments.
 Master difficult texts and follow complex presentations.
 Present ideas in clear fashion both orally and on paper.
 Argue cogently and effectively for a position.
 Evaluate positions from different points of view.
 Integrate arguments and evidence from different domains and synthesise solutions to
problems.
 Make independent and balanced judgements.
 Plan and undertake independent study.
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
 Students in this degree take three examined courses and write a dissertation (see 13
below). The examined courses develop students’ knowledge in particular domains and
foster the development of subject specific and transferable skills. The dissertation is aimed
at developing students’ research and writing skills in philosophy.

Teaching is centred on lectures and seminars, with directed reading being the main
additional source of learning. Lectures are typically used to introduce new material,
concepts and techniques. Seminars are typically used for group discussion of issues
arising from lectures and students’ reading.

Assessment of courses is typically by means of a three hour examination held in June.

Supervisors: All students are allocated a personal supervisor whose responsibility is to
provide the student with advice on all aspects of their studies, to review their academic
progress during the year and to oversee their dissertation research. (Students are allowed
to switch to another member of the Department to supervise the dissertation if this is more
appropriate, in the light of the research interests of that Departmental member.)
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the MSc Philosophy of Science programme regulations.
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
We consider two sorts of applicant: (a) graduates in science (including social science) who
now wish to study the foundations and methods of science and (b) graduates in philosophy
who now wish to specialise in philosophy of science. In both cases a 2.1 (or equivalent) is
normally required.
15. Indicators of quality
1. Consistently positive reports from external examiners.
2. The department has been ranked joint third in the UK for the proportion of its work
deemed 'world leading' in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008.
3. Members of the Department have written key texts and influential articles in many of
the subject areas falling within the scope of the MSc.
4. Members of the Department serve or have served on the editorial boards of many
leading journals in the field.
5. Members of the Department serve or have served on governing bodies of major
professional organizations in philosophy of science.
6. The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE
graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
 Teaching Committee reviews all aspects of teaching and assessment annually.
 The Staff Student Forum for postgraduate students monitors all aspects of graduate
teaching. The Postgraduate Tutor is responsible for handling any problems that arise.
Minutes go to the Departmental Meeting.
 Student surveys. The Teaching Quality Assessment and Review Office conducts surveys
of student opinion at least once a year in each course. Scores for individual lecturers go
to the Convenor who will take action in the event of a problem. TQARO surveys feed into
the Department’s procedures for monitoring and supporting lecturers as well as the
School’s appointments and promotions procedures.
 Academic staff: Peer review of academic staff on a regular basis. A departmental review
of new faculty normally occurs in the second year after appointment and a School review
in the fourth.
 External Examiners’ Reports are received soon after the end of year examinations and
feed into both the School’s monitoring procedures and departmental course and
programme reviews.
 The Teaching and Learning Centre is available to monitor and observe teaching and
offers constructive advice on how to improve the standard of teaching and quality.
 The Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of
teaching quality;
 Departmental TLAC review once every five years.
 The Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all graduate programmes and
ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of
formal stages, so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other
developments.