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Philosophy and Mathematics

Course details
  • MA (Hons)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-time
  • 08/09/2025
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Central area campus

Course summary

Philosophy

Philosophy has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years. It is central to our understanding of the world and our interaction with it.

Philosophy gives you the skills to think about great philosophical questions in a clear and systematic way.

While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, the study of philosophy focuses on:

  • argument

  • critical enquiry

  • rigour in reasoning

  • clarity of expression, including making important distinctions

Philosophy at Edinburgh

The University has a strong historic connection to the subject, counting Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among its former students.

Edinburgh has one of the UK’s largest philosophy departments and the Philosophy Society attracts high-profile speakers.

Our programme covers the basics of Western philosophy and offers you the opportunity to specialise in your areas of interest.

Mathematics

Mathematics courses will help you develop your knowledge of pure mathematics in a formal way. They will also introduce you to ways of mathematical thinking required at university level.

As you progress through the programme, you will build foundation in advanced mathematics, studying compulsory and optional mathematics courses alongside philosophy.

Please note, courses below may be subject to change.

How to apply

This course is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact the provider to find out more.

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
VG51
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

Not accepted

A level

A*AB
A*AB. Required subjects: A levels: Mathematics at A*. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

Scottish Higher

AAAB
AAAB by end of S5 or AAAA by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: Mathematics at A or Advanced Higher Mathematics at B. Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics. Sixth-year work in Mathematics is recommended. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. National 5s: English at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

37 points
37 points with 666 at HL. Required subjects: HL: Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 6. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. SL: English at 5.

Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply.

You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

UCAS Tariff - Not accepted

-

A level - A*BB

Required subjects: A levels: Mathematics at A*. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

Scottish Higher - AABB

AABB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: Mathematics at A or Advanced Higher Mathematics at B. Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics. Sixth-year work in Mathematics is recommended. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. National 5s: English at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 34 points

34 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 6. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. SL: English at 5.

Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5Total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL (iBT)92Total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English AdvancedTotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Cambridge English ProficiencyTotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Trinity ISEISE II with distinctions in all four components.
PTE Academic65Total 65 with at least 54 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies. For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher: SQA National 5 at C; SQA Standard Grade at 3; SQA Intermediate 1 at A; SQA Intermediate 2 at C; GCSE/IGSCE at C or 4; Level 2 Certificate Grade C or IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry). Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.

Learn more on the The University of Edinburgh website

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not available

Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
Channel Islands£9535Year 1
Republic of Ireland£9535Year 1
Scotland£1820Year 1
EU£28000Year 1
International£28000Year 1
England£9535Year 1
Northern Ireland£9535Year 1
Wales£9535Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.

EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.

Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme

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