Taught postgraduate course
Ethics and Technology MA
A one-year taught masters in the ethics of the technologies that now see, decide and speak for us, taught in the Faculty of Philosophy with the Centre for the Ethics of Perception.
Key facts
- Award
- MA
- Duration
- 1 year full time, or 2 years part time
- Start
- September 2027
- Entry
- A first or upper second-class degree, or equivalent, in any subject
- Places
- About 24
- Fees
- UK £11,450; international £26,900
Overview
The MA is for graduates of philosophy, law, computing, the social sciences and anything else who want to think rigorously about technology: how it changes what we can see and know about each other, who answers for decisions made by systems, and what we might owe to the systems themselves.
It is taught by members of the Faculty of Philosophy, including the Centre for the Ethics of Perception, with guest seminars from lawyers, engineers and, from 2027, fellows of the Frothly–Oxenfurt Fellowship in Machine Ethics.
Course structure
Core modules
- Ethical Theory for Technologists (30 credits)
- The Ethics of Perception and Recording (30)
- Research Methods and Research Ethics (15)
Options (choose three)
- Machine Minds and Moral Status (15)
- Consent, Data and the Law (15)
- Philosophy of Technology (15)
- Privacy, Surveillance and the State (15)
- Responsibility and Automated Decisions (15)
Dissertation
A dissertation of 15,000 words (60 credits), written over the summer with a supervisor.
Deadlines for 2027–28
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications for University scholarships | |
| Final deadline for international applicants | |
| Final deadline for UK applicants |
Applications are made through the University’s graduate application system, with a transcript, two academic references and a writing sample of about 2,000 words. Applications received by the scholarship deadline are considered for all University funding without a separate form.
Course changes
Modules and options may change between years and after you have accepted an offer. If we make a significant change, we will tell you and explain your options.
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