Philosophy and Psychology

Philosophy and Psychology is a combination that addresses some of the deepest questions we can ask about the human mind. Philosophy approaches these questions through careful analysis of concepts, arguments and theories, examining what it means to have a mind, how knowledge is possible, what constitutes a free action and how conscious experience relates to the physical brain. Psychology examines the same terrain through empirical methods, designing experiments to investigate how people perceive, remember, think, feel and behave, and building theories grounded in evidence.

Studied together, the two disciplines illuminate each other, with philosophy sharpening your conceptual tools and psychology grounding your thinking in empirical reality.

At the University of St Andrews this four-year full-time MA (Hons) combines philosophical training in both historical and contemporary work with empirical psychology, developing your capacity for rational and independent argument alongside your understanding of how the mind actually works. Philosophy at St Andrews will develop your skills of criticism and analysis, clear thinking and principled debate, while your psychology work will engage you with the methods and findings of cognitive, social and developmental psychology. The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in an international context.

Graduates from Philosophy and Psychology degrees are well equipped for a wide range of careers. Many go on to postgraduate study in clinical psychology, counselling psychology, cognitive science or philosophy of mind, and subsequently into professional psychological practice or academic research. Others find careers in human resources, management consultancy, user experience research, education and the policy sector, where the combination of conceptual rigour and understanding of human behaviour is genuinely valuable.

The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are sought across virtually every professional field that involves understanding and working with people.