You can find out more about the University of London's external programme in philosophy by following the links below.
Programme Information Lists general information on the University of London’s external programmes in philosophy, including the structure of the degree and diploma, costs, methodology, etc.
Student Handbook (including in-depth course descriptions) (pdf) Provides further information on studying philosophy as a University of London external student. It also gives in-depth descriptions which serve, in large part, as study guides for the philosophy courses themselves, and so are of use to anyone wanting to thoroughly explore the topics involved.
Basic Reading Those who are designing their own self-study programs in philosophy might find the following three books helpful. They are provided free of charge as part of the course material to registered University of London philosophy students (free, once registration fees are paid, that is!), or they can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk by clicking on the appropriate links. The Philosophy 1 & 2 guides serve as the essential study guide material for the University of London courses.
University of London Philosophy Forums A separate section hosted on the Rights Philosophy Forum, located on the main forums page, dedicated specifically to the University of London philosophy programme. The section provides a separate forum for each course in the Univeristy of London philosophy programme. While non- UOL participants are welcome to use this section of the forums, they are asked to at least first familiarize themselves a bit with the course topic they wish to participate in. To ensure meaningful participation, non- relevant posts will be removed from the forums or moved to an appropriate area.
Why I chose University of London
I came to philosophy through the back door. I became interested in it, especially in the ethical philosophy concerning human rights, well before graduating from San Francisco State University. I'd done quite a lot of reading and research on my own (much of that research is reflected in this site), and had begun sketching my ideas out and developing my own theories. But I came to realize that there are a lot of annoying little gaps (well, some littler than others at any rate) in my philosophical knowledge.
Not being content with simply saying “at least I know that I know nothing,” I decided to embark on a more formal course of study. I investigated several programs, and seriously considered returning to San Francisco State to pursue a full-time master’s in philosophy. But, as I am now making my home in Spain, that wasn’t exactly convenient. I also seriously considered the external master’s program in humanities at California State University, Dominguez Hills, which allowed a concentration in philosophy. That program itself looks both interesting and well designed, and I went so far as to register and sign up for classes. But, at the end of the day, I decided I didn’t want a concentration in philosophy; I wanted to study philosophy in all its gritty wonder. As for Spanish universities, arranging part-time study at a formal university appears more difficult here than in the states, the programs are more structured and less flexible. There is a distance university here in Spain which has a good local reputation. But: A) I would have been studying for quite a few years (maybe up to ten years of part-time study); B) many of the philosophers I am interested in originally wrote in English, and I’d prefer to read them in the original language; C) I would have been required to take two years of either Latin or Greek, which I frankly have no current interest in, and which has little relevance to my philosophical goals; and D) I don’t know how well-known the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) has outside of Spain.
The University of London’s external program, on the other hand, offers a great deal of flexibility both in the program, and how it’s completed. I’m intensely interested in the great majority of topics I’ll be studying, and at least mildly interested in the rest. The price is also accessible, which helps. Furthermore, the lead college for the program (that is, the particular University of London college that designs the program and is more or less responsible for its update and execution) is Birkbeck, one of the top- ranked philosophy programs in the UK (check out the Philosophical Gourmet listings, if you’re curious). Moreover, external students are held to the exact same exam standards as those attending the college in person: meaning this is not a mail-order degree where you send off your check and in six months or a year someone sends you a diploma. While there is no direct tutoring offered for the program (a distinct bummer), at least one is forced to study at a rigorous level, in a guided, directed manner.
So why not just study on my own, buy the three general guidebooks, and have at it? A couple of reasons: 1) I would eventually like to be taken very seriously in the field of philosophy, and I want to start building respectable credentials in the area; 2) knowing that I have a three-hour essay exam at the end of every course, graded to stringent standards, is a strong study motivator for not just learning the material, but attempting to thoroughly master it; 3) the degree also serves as a big fat carrot on a stick, which will hopefully help ensure that I will actually complete the program (as opposed to the perennial promise to myself that I really ought to read the Critique of Pure Reason one day).
This is my first year in the program, so at present I have no comments as to how reality matches up with my expectations. It looks to be a tough row to hoe, but interesting enough to keep me on track. My present plan is to complete the Diploma requirements in two years, and to finish the BA in another four or five years of part-time study. We’ll see how that works out. Wish me luck. Or, as my high school humanities teacher—who gave me my first taste of Plato—used to say, “Wish me justice.”
