Philosophy

UCAS code: V500

Subject Requirements

Essential: No special subject requirements.

Highly Desirable: Arts/Science mix useful.

Written Work

Candidates are asked to submit one piece of written and coursework (preferably marked). This piece of work can be in any subject area.

Admissions Tests

Applicants are invited to attend a general interview and a subject interview at the college. The subject interview will be with the Director of Studies in Philosophy and another philosopher, usually a Faculty teaching officer. Applicants are asked to complete a written test (of no more than one hour) on the day of interview, consisting of several short questions designed to test logic skills, and a short essay on one of several philosophical topics. During the interview there will be an opportunity to discuss topics of interest to the candidate. Although no specific preparation is required for either the test or the interviews, it is highly desirable that applicants do some general preparatory reading in philosophy beforehand.

Director of Studies

General Comments

Few students study philosophy at school, and so nearly all philosophy undergraduates enter Cambridge fresh to the subject. In the first year they do Ethics, Logic and Metaphysics (the latter covers general questions about the nature of mind and reality). In the second and third years there is the opportunity to specialise in Aesthetics, Political Philosophy, the History of Philosophy and the Philosophy of Mathematics, Science or Psychology.

People can be drawn to Philosophy for any number of reasons, from an interest in moral questions to puzzlement about the nature of numbers. The only essential qualifications are curiosity about large intellectual issues and the desire to resolve them by careful argument.

Further information –

Philosophy Faculty Admissions pages

Philosophy (information from the Cambridge Admissions website)

Updated July 2011