Courses
MA courses
Introduction
In 2009/10 there were a total of 52 students on the three MA programmes. Around half of 2009 entrants were part-time. Module class sizes average around 12 to 15 students. In addition to taught modules, students are encouraged to attend fortnightly research seminars, and to participate in the several student-led reading groups that normally run each year. Students are also free to take language courses and to attend classes and research events in other Kingston programmes, e.g. events arranged by the London Graduate School or by programmes in Art and Design, English, Political Economy, and so on.
Structure
All of the MA programmes follow a similar structure. Students take four taught modules worth 30 credits each, and write an MA dissertation worth 60 credits, for a total of 180 credits. One of these four taught modules is compulsory, and specific to each MA. Each MA programme is structured by a set of three or four other recommended modules. In addition to their core course, students must take at least one of these designated modules, but may also choose options from the other programmes in order in to tailor the course to their particular interests. Students agree a choice of MA dissertation topic with their supervisor, after attending a series of research skills seminars.
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- Aesthetics and Art Theory MA
- Modern European Philosophy MA
- Philosophy and Contemporary Critical Theory MA
MPhil/PhD courses
Introduction
As of June 2010 there were a total of 16 research students enrolled in the CRMEP. Research students are encouraged to attend fortnightly research seminars, and to participate in several student-led reading groups that normally run each year. Students are also free to take language courses and to attend classes and research events in other Kingston programmes, e.g. events arranged by the London Graduate School or by programmes in Art and Design, English, Political Economy, and so on.
Structure
Research degrees (full-time or part-time) mainly involve independent study and preparation of a dissertation. In the case of a PhD, the dissertation should qualify as an independent and original contribution to scholarship, in principle worthy of publication in either complete or abridged form. A PhD dissertation should run to around 80,000 words (maximum), and normally takes three to four years of full-time study to complete, or around six years part-time. An MPhil thesis is normally around half the length of a PhD thesis, and is less bound by the criteria of originality.
Research students prepare their dissertations under the supervision of a Director of Studies, with the additional support of a second supervisor. The emphasis in the first year is usually on background reading and further development of the research proposal. After the first year, supervision meetings usually begin with discussion of a piece of the student's written work, e.g. a draft or partial draft of a dissertation chapter.
There are no taught components for the PhD or MPhil programmes, though new research students are encouraged (and often required) to sit in on MA modules which might be relevant to their projects. All students are required to attend a number of research skills workshops, normally in their first year of enrolment.
At the end of each academic year, in late May or early June, all research students are required to attend a collective annual review, to discuss the development of their work over the course of the year.
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