Alumni

Simon Taylor

Simon Taylor’s first degree was in History and Politics. In 2006 he successfully applied for an AHRC award to study on the MA in Political Philosophy at York. He is currently studying for a PhD at Columbia University in New York.

The most attractive aspect of the MA was the wide and varied choice of courses. This afforded me the opportunity to pursue my interests in both historical and contemporary political thought. In addition, the Political Philosophy Group provides a genuinely welcoming and inclusive atmosphere within which to discuss ideas.

I have recently begun a fully-funded PhD at Columbia University, and I feel certain that the support I received throughout the MA - both personally and intellectually - has been invaluable in helping to prepare me for this further study.

Political philosophy and the history of political thought were the topics which most engaged me throughout my undergraduate degree, and I relished the opportunity to explore these issues in greater depth during the MA.

Louise Coskeran

Louise Coskeran applied to the MA in Toleration and Political Philosophy after gaining a 2.1 in Politics, Economics and Philosophy at the University of York. She secured a Morrell Studentship and graduated in 2007. She currently works as a marketing consultant in Amsterdam.

I discovered a passion for political philosophy during my undergraduate degree at York, and wished to explore some of the themes that I had touched upon at postgraduate level.

The strength of the political philosophy group at York meant that the MA was ideal. I haven't been disappointed with my choice and had the added benefit of gaining funding from the Morrell Trust. The course has allowed me to gain a deeper knowledge historical and contemporary political theory, as well as giving me the opportunity to debate controversial applied issues of toleration faced by liberal democracies.

There is also considerable scope for choice of dissertation topic and the support provided by the department is invaluable.

Danny Robinson

Danny Robinson's first degree was in War Studies and Philosophy at King's College London (2.1). He successfully applied for a place on the York MA in Toleration and Political Philosophy in 2005, winning one of the eight available Morrell Scholarships. Danny currently teaches in Japan.

Upon the completion of my degree I was far from satisfied with the depth to which I had been able to go into some aspects of my studies, particularly moral and political theory.

The MA at York has enabled me to continue the study of these areas and has also exposed me to a number of interesting thinkers in the field that I had either not previously encountered or not had the opportunity to study in much detail.

The way the MA is organised allows for multiple opportunities for group discussion of the material that I have found the experience both enlightening and indeed enjoyable. In addition, the funding opportunities at York, from which I have benefited, have made this further year of study less of a financial burden then it may otherwise have been.

Tom Youldon

Tom Youldon's first degree was in Politics at York (2.1). He successfully applied for a place on the York MA in Toleration and Political Philosophy in 2003 and graduated with a distinction. Tom currently works as a Press Secretary at the Treasury.

I decided to take my MA at York despite initially worrying that it would set my job search and career back a year after talking with friends who were already in work.  They argued that even if I didn't want an academic career, I would develop my analytical skills, acquire a high degree of proficiency in a particular area (always handy for in job interviews!) and would meet lots of interesting people. They weren't wrong.

After a wonderful year at York, I won a place on the civil service fast stream and joined the Treasury. Over the past three years, I've had a succession of challenging positions all of which have centred around making written and verbal arguments, calling upon the skills I developed at York.  I have found that many faststreamers had postgrad qualifications especially in economics and political philosophy.  This discovery prompted me to set up a small philosophy group at the Treasury which is great for a drink in the evenings as well as an exchange of views.

I'm grateful for all the help and support I received at York and am certain that getting my MA was the right decision.