Philosophy of Mind & Psychology MSc

This interdisciplinary programme is ideal for students interested in studying the mind from a philosophical and psychological perspective. A key strength of this programme is its blend of courses from both philosophy and psychology. Our affiliation with the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience and our research strengths make this programme especially attractive to students interested in issues relating to perception. It is specifically designed for students who have a background in either philosophy or psychology and provides a foundation for philosophical or psychological research at the doctoral level.

Academic contact: Nicolas.Cote@glasgow.ac.uk
Teaching start: September

Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time

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Why this programme

Studying Philosophy of Mind & Psychology

Introducing Philosophy of Mind & Psychology

We are a world top 50 university for Psychology (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026).

Explore fundamental questions about the mind, memory and perception through a unique combination of philosophy and psychology, drawing on a range of specialist expertise to integrate critical analysis with empirical research.
Study courses shaped by the latest research and taught by leading academics in the philosophy and psychology of mind and perception, drawing directly on their current work.
You will participate in the ongoing PPN (Philosophy, Psychology, Neuroscience) seminar series, including special sessions where guest speakers meet with students in this program to discuss specific research projects.
You will also take part in research activities in Philosophy, Psychology, and The Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience - a world-class perceptual research centre.

Key Facts

This degree is ideal for anyone:

Keen to deepen their understanding of fundamental philosophical questions about the mind, particularly in relation to perception
Interested in the relationship between philosophy and the science of the mind, and keen to combine philosophical reasoning with scientific and experimental methods
Looking to explore how scientific inquiry and philosophical reflection can inform and enrich one another
Intending to pursue a PhD in philosophy or psychology, or a career that values critical thinking, analytical skills and abstract reasoning

Key topics include:

The metaphysics and science of perception, including extended perception and sensory engineering
The nature of memory in humans and animals, and its relationship to imagination, time and space
Research methods in psychology, including data coding and the fundamentals of neuroimaging
Selected topics in social psychology, including contemporary cross-cultural research on social influence, group behaviour and leadership

Skills you will develop:

Critical reasoning skills: Through coursework, supervision and dedicated workshops on argument analysis, you will learn to identify and formalise the structure of arguments, distinguish claims from supporting evidence, evaluate the strength of evidence, and construct sophisticated original arguments grounded in rigorous reasoning.
Experimental research skills: You will have the opportunity to develop and apply statistical methods to empirical data, design and evaluate research protocols, assess evidence in relation to research hypotheses, and undertake your own empirical research projects.
Written and oral communication skills: Through written and oral assessments, including live Q&A sessions and supervised research projects, as well as presentation workshops and peer evaluation exercises, you will learn to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively, defend your work with confidence, and present information in a style that is accessible to specialist and non-specialist audiences alike.
Professional skills: Benefit from a range of professional development workshops designed to prepare you for the workplace, including guidance on job interviews, presentations, research proposal writing, providing constructive feedback, and navigating professional and academic environments.

Panel Discussion and Q&A

Watch a recording of our recent panel discussion and Q&A with students and staff from this degree.

Panel discussion and Q&A

Programme structure

You will study a range of philosophy and psychology courses. Modes of delivery include lectures, seminars, and lab work. During the summer, you will also write a dissertation on a topic of your choice, supported by an expert supervisor.

Semester 1

Semester 2

You will also take 50 further credits of courses at level 5 in Psychology across semesters 1 and 2. The options available can change each year, but may include:

Summer

Philosophy Dissertation

Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. More information: Student contract.

Career prospects

This programme provides students with rigorous and personalised training in problem solving, writing, presentation and research. These invaluable skills can be applied in a wide range of careers, including journalism, teaching, the Civil Service, local government, business, publishing, law, and the arts. It also provides students with an exceptional foundation for doctoral level research.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2027-28

MSc

Home & RUK

Full-time fee: £11,481
Part-time fee: £1,276 per 20 credits

International & EU

Full-time fee: £27,390

Fee status

Fee status guidance

Deposits

International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2000 to secure a place on this programme.

Deposits: terms & conditions

The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% administration fee will be deducted unless otherwise stated.

a: Deposits WILL be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

Where the University is unable to offer you a place on the programme as specified on the offer. A full refund will be issued in this case.
Death of a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
SERIOUS ill health of the applicant or a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
Applicant does not meet conditions of offer. This may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide at least two language tests which were taken after the date the deposit was paid).
Visa / ATAS refusal: we will only consider a refund if the visa / ATAS refusal was based on matters outside of the applicant’s control.
If a refund request is received within 14 days of the deposit being received a full refund will be issued under the Consumer Protection Regulations.

b: Deposits WILL NOT be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

An applicant decides not to attend the University for any reason not outlined above.
Personal financial constraints / unsuccessful scholarship application.
Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and hold it against the applicant’s account to secure their place for the following year of entry. You may defer twice. After the second deferral standard conditions will apply.
There is still time to meet the English language test requirement before the final upload date. Please see section a) 4.
Visa / ATAS was applied for too late. Please see section a) 5.
Any documents used for admission are proven to be fraudulent. We work in partnership with Qualification Check to check academic qualifications. English language qualifications are verified with the provider.
The refund request is received more than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email.

Timeframe for requesting a refund

Refund requests must be received no later than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email. As per section b)7 above the request will be denied.

Receiving a refund

To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, the University will pay all refunds to the original payer using the source payment details. This is known as a “return to source” payment.
All appropriate documentation and evidence relating to the original payment must be provided, when requested.
All payments and refunds are in GBP currency - the University is not responsible for any exchange rate fluctuations or beneficiary bank charges associated with the refund.
Where University approved payment methods have not been used, this may cause significant delays or prevent payment altogether.
We will aim to issue the deposit refund within 8 weeks of receipt of information per point 2 above. At peak times this may be longer.

How to request a deposit refund

Please go to our enquiry form and select 'Fees and Deposit' as the enquiry reason and then 'Can I have a deposit refund?'.

Please upload all supporting documentation to your applicant self-service portal before submitting the above request.

Find out more about Deposits

Additional fees

Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
Registration/exam only fee: £170

Funding opportunities

The scholarships shown are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in Philosophy, Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science or Linguistics.

A 2.2 Honours degree may be considered where supported by relevant experience

English language requirements

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

For applicants from non-majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

Accepted English Language Tests

We accept a wide range of English language tests for entry to this programme. Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date, and requirements must be met using a single test.

IELTS Academic/IELTS Academic for UKVI/ IELTS Academic online

6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
We do not accept General Training

TOEFL iBT (including MyBest and Home Edition)

Test taken up to 20 January 2026

90 overall with no subtest less than Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

92 overall with no subtest less than 4.5

PTE Academic (test centre only)

65 overall with no subtest less than Reading 60; Listening 60; Speaking 65; Writing 60
We do not accept the online PTE Academic

Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency

176 overall with no subtest less than 169

Oxford ELLT

7 overall with no subtest less than 6

LanguageCert Academic/Academic SELT/ Academic Online

70 overall with no subtest less than 65

Password Skills Plus

6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English II

96 overall with no subtest less than 90

Kaplan Test of English

Any two subtests at 480 or higher, and any two subtests at 450 or higher

PSI Skills for English

B2 Pass with Merit

Duolingo English Test

120 overall with writing at 120 and no subtest less than 110

Oxford Test of English Advanced

140 Overall with any two subtests at 126 or higher, and any two subtests at 136 or higher

Alternatives to English Language test

Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)

students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within 6 years of programme start.

TNE degree from UK university taught at a campus outside of the UK

students must be awarded the degree by the UK university and must have completed the degree within 6 years of programme start.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study and remain valid for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Our courses give you:

direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS);
essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University;
flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/mlc/eas/pre-sessionalcourses/

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

Heriot Watt
Kingston Upon Thames
Middlesex University
Manchester University
Reading University
Edinburgh University
St Andrews University
UCL
Durham

International students

We are proud of our diverse University community that includes students and staff from more than 140 different countries.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.

Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.

Documents

As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:

A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
A copy of the photo page of your passport

We may also request additional documents such as a personal statement, portfolio, references or a sample of academic writing to support your application.

If we request a reference, this should typically be an academic reference. However, where this is not possible, a reference from a current employer may be accepted. If you already have a copy of your reference on letterheaded paper, you can upload this with your application. Otherwise, you may provide your referee’s name and contact details on the online application, and we will contact them directly.

You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.

You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.

For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.

If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.

Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

Application deadlines

For entry in September 2027

International & EU applicants

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International application rounds

Applications are considered on a rolling basis within each round, and the decision date shown for each round is the latest date by which you will receive an outcome on your application.

Round 1: 1 October 2026 to 5 November 2026

You will receive our decision on your application by 18 December 2026.

Round 2: 6 November 2026 to 17 December 2026

You will receive our decision on your application by 3 March 2027.

Round 3: 18 December 2026 to 4 February 2027

You will receive our decision on your application by 8 April 2027.

Round 4: 5 February 2027 to 25 March 2027

You will receive our decision on your application by 6 May 2027.

Round 5: 26 March 2027 to 13 May 2027

You will receive our decision on your application by 10 June 2027.

Round 6: 14 May 2027 to 8 July 2027

You will receive our decision on your application by 29 July 2027.

As we receive a high volume of applications, prospective students are only allowed to apply to each programme once per year.

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UK applicants

24 August 2027