Elanor Taylor

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Why did you choose your programme here at the University of Edinburgh?

There were staff working on a variety of different areas of philosophy that I was particularly interested in. For example, at the time, I was interested in philosophy of cognitive science and associated issues like the philosophy of mind. I was also able to study history of philosophy. Also, the prospect of getting to study more philosophy in Edinburgh, which is a really beautiful city, was really enticing to me.

What were the main highlights from the programme in your experience?

There are a number of really wonderful things about this programme. The best thing was the intellectual community. It was a thriving, bright, welcoming intellectual community which made studying philosophy really exciting. I was surrounded by people who made me feel welcomed, who were encouraging me to push myself but in a very supportive environment – that was just a wonderful experience and it had a huge impact on me. It made me want to do more. Being around this really lively scholarly community was also really good fun.

How has the MSc subsequently helped your career?

The MSc was instrumental for applying to graduate schools in the USA. I was able to use my masters thesis as a writing sample to support my application. I did not do a thesis as part of my undergraduate degree at Oxford so the long masters thesis I completed at Edinburgh was vital for applying for my PhD. I secured a place at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I also did a lot of professional development whilst at Edinburgh. I went to a lot of talks by visiting speakers which hadn’t been a feature of my undergraduate degree at all. I was able to see professional philosophers delivering lectures which helped me to get an induction into the profession of philosophy as well as an insight into the topics, and this proved very helpful.