MSc Philosophy, Science & Religion

In collaboration with the School of Divinity

From September 2023 this programme will be moving to the School of Divinity. For more information, please visit:

Philosophy, science and religion are three endeavours that shape in far-reaching and fundamental ways how we think, what we value, and how we live. Public discourse, professional life, politics and culture revolve around the philosophical, scientific and religious ideas of our age; yet they and their relationship to each other are not well understood.

This online programme brings together leaders in the fields of philosophy, science and theology, based both in Edinburgh and across the world. The innovative online format of the programme and the flexibility of study it offers make it accessible to those with family or professional commitments, or who live far from Edinburgh.

Showcasing Philosophy at Edinburgh

Why study Philosophy, Science & Religion at Edinburgh?

  • Philosophy is rated 4th in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

  • We're ranked 7th in the UK and 21st in the world for philosophy (QS World University Rankings by subject 2023).

Programme structure

Photo of a student browsing the University website on a laptop

This is an online only programme that will be taught through a combination of short video lectures, web discussion boards, video conferencing and online exercises.

You will have regular access both to faculty and dedicated teaching assistants, including one-to-one interactions. You will also interact with other students on the programme as part of a dedicated virtual learning environment.

Studying online at Edinburgh

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

Course options

You will take options from a wide range of courses offered by the Department of Philosophy and the School of Divinity both jointly and individually, and will be required to write a dissertation.

All students will be required to take two core courses:

  • Philosophy, Science and Religion 1: The Physical World
  • Philosophy, Science and Religion 2: Life and Mind

Course options include:

  • History of Science and Religion
  • Mind, Matter, and Spirit
  • Philosophy of Religion
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Science and Scripture
  • Islamic Philosophy

In addition, students are able to take option courses from the online MSc in Epistemology, Ethics & Mind.

For more information about the courses please visit the Degree Programme Table:

When to apply

We operate a gathered field approach to applications. You may submit your application at any time.

All complete applications that satisfy our minimum entry requirements will be placed on a shortlist and held until the next batch processing deadline. Applications will then be ranked and offers made to the top candidates.

Find out more about the degree programme and how to apply: