Department of
Philosophy of Mind
Documentation and Academic Structure of the Department
The Department of Philosophy of Mind examines the foundational philosophical questions concerning consciousness, mental states, personal identity, and the relationship between mind and body — the conceptual bedrock beneath every empirical and applied study of the human mind conducted elsewhere in the Institute.
Where the Department of Consciousness Studies (Faculty I) examines awareness as a formative medium and the Department of Cognitive Science (Faculty III) examines the mechanics of cognition empirically, the Department of Philosophy of Mind examines the prior conceptual questions both depend on: what a mental state actually is, whether consciousness can be explained in physical terms, and what makes a person the same mind across time.
This document establishes the Department’s complete academic and institutional documentation architecture across seven structural layers.
Foundational Framework
Governing Field. Human Formation, examined through the discipline of Philosophy of Mind — the systematic study of consciousness, mental states, personal identity, and the mind–body relationship at the conceptual level presupposed by every empirical study of the mind.
Central Premise. Before any science of the mind can measure, model, or study consciousness, it must already presuppose an account of what consciousness is and what would count as explaining it. The Department examines those presuppositions directly, rather than leaving them unexamined beneath disciplines that build upon them.
Foundational Theoretical Anchor. The Department operates under the Principle of Charitable and Honest Argument established by the Department of Philosophy, and coordinates closely with the Department of Consciousness Studies (Faculty I), the Department of Cognitive Science (Faculty III), and the Department of Symbolic Human Formation and Comparative Symbolic Systems (Faculty VIII), whose Theory of Symbolic Consciousness draws directly on this Department’s conceptual groundwork.
Programme List
The Department offers a complete academic ladder from foundational study through doctoral research.
Delivery Framework
The Department is delivered online-first, using structured cohort-based study supported by Module Specifications, Study Guides, Teaching Manuals, and Assessment Briefs for every unit, consistent with the Institute’s established production standard.
Curriculum
The BA (Honours) Philosophy of Mind curriculum proceeds across four levels, numbered PM101 through PM111, following the Institute’s core pedagogical standard: scaffolded progression from structured instruction toward fully independent conceptual research.
| Level | Focus | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | Foundations of Philosophy of Mind; the mental–physical distinction; introduction to theories of consciousness | PM101–PM104 |
| Level 5 | Personal identity and continuity; the hard problem of consciousness; comparative theories of mind across traditions | PM105–PM107 |
| Level 6 | Independent conceptual research; capstone argumentative thesis on a live debate; specialization electives | PM108–PM109 |
| Level 7 (MA) | Advanced philosophy of mind; mind and symbolic/relational formation; research methods; dissertation | PM110–PM111 |
Key Pedagogical Standard. Every module moves the learner from structured instruction toward the independent capacity to identify the unexamined conceptual assumptions beneath any empirical claim about the mind — no learner exits the programme still treating a contested philosophical position as settled scientific fact.
Research Fields and Centres
The Department maintains the following primary research fields:
Centre for Philosophy of Mind
The Department’s standing research centre, coordinating cross-domain research with the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Consciousness Studies (Faculty I), and the Department of Cognitive Science (Faculty III).
Assessment and Ethics
Assessment in the Department evaluates the rigour of a learner’s conceptual analysis and argumentative engagement with live philosophical debates — never agreement with any single settled theory of mind, since no theory of consciousness currently commands unanimous philosophical consensus.
Because the philosophy of mind bears directly on how empirical mind-sciences interpret their own findings, the Department applies a dedicated integrity principle.
Award Titles
Public-Facing Department Page
The Department of Philosophy of Mind is where the Institute studies the conceptual bedrock beneath every empirical study of the human mind — what a mental state is, whether consciousness can be explained physically, and what makes a person the same mind across time. As a sibling Department of Faculty II, it does the definitional work every mind-science elsewhere in the Institute quietly depends on.
Learners join a structured academic pathway from Certificate through PhD, moving from guided foundational study toward independent conceptual research, supported at every level by the Institute’s full documentation standard: Module Specifications, Study Guides, Teaching Manuals, and Assessment Briefs.
Permanent Department Documentation Order
The permanent documentation order of the Department, restated for reference:
Delivery Framework Detail
Programme Specification I — Certificate in Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification II — Diploma in Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification III — BA Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification IV — BA (Honours) Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification V — Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification VI — Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification VII — MA Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification VIII — Specialized Master’s in Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification IX — MRes Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification X — MPhil Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification XI — PhD Philosophy of Mind
Programme Specification XII — Professional Practice Certificate in Conceptual Analysis for Mind Sciences
Summary Programme Table
A consolidated summary of all twelve programmes offered by the Department.
| Award | Abbreviation | Duration | Credits | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate in Philosophy of Mind | CertPoM | 6–12 months | 60 credits | ₦450,000 |
| Diploma in Philosophy of Mind | DipPoM | 1 year | 120 credits | ₦850,000 |
| BA Philosophy of Mind | BA PoM | 3 years | 360 credits | ₦2,400,000 |
| BA (Honours) Philosophy of Mind | BA(Hons) PoM | 4 years | 480 credits | ₦3,100,000 |
| Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy of Mind | PGCert PoM | 6 months | 60 credits | ₦900,000 |
| Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy of Mind | PGDip PoM | 9 months | 120 credits | ₦1,600,000 |
| MA Philosophy of Mind | MA PoM | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦2,900,000 |
| Specialized Master’s in Philosophy of Mind | MA PoM (Spec.) | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦3,200,000 |
| MRes Philosophy of Mind | MRes PoM | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦3,400,000 |
| MPhil Philosophy of Mind | MPhil PoM | 2 years (FT) / 3 years (PT) | 240 credits | ₦5,600,000 |
| PhD Philosophy of Mind | PhD PoM | 3–4 years (FT) / 5–6 years (PT) | 360 credits | ₦9,100,000+ |
| Professional Practice Certificate in Conceptual Analysis for Mind Sciences | PPC CAMS | 6–9 months | 60 credits (practice-based) | ₦1,100,000 |
Credit Framework
The Department applies the Institute’s standard credit framework: one credit represents approximately 10 notional learning hours, inclusive of guided instruction, independent study, conceptual analysis practicum where applicable, and assessment.
| Level | Credits (Full Level) | Notional Learning Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 (Certificate/Year 1) | 120 | 1,200 |
| Level 5 (Diploma/Year 2) | 120 | 1,200 |
| Level 6 (BA Year 3 / Honours Year) | 120–240 | 1,200–2,400 |
| Level 7 (Postgraduate/MA) | 180 | 1,800 |
| Level 8 (MPhil/PhD, research credit) | 240–360 | 2,400–3,600 |
Conceptual Integrity Ethics Principle
Because conceptual claims about the mind can be mistaken for settled empirical fact by learners and the public alike, the Department’s ethical commitments govern every module, practicum, and research activity it authorizes.
This principle governs curriculum design, conceptual analysis practicum, assessment design, and all research conducted across the Department, and stands alongside the Principle of Charitable and Honest Argument (Department of Philosophy), the Principle of Ethical Coherence (Department of Ethics), the Principle of Non-Weaponized Reasoning (Department of Logic), the Principle of Proportioned Confidence (Department of Epistemology), and the Principle of Earned Authority (Department of Wisdom Studies) as the sixth founding ethics principle of Faculty II.
Tuition Principle
Tuition for every programme is published in full above, with no undisclosed fees. Where a learner’s circumstances warrant it, the Department may offer needs-based tuition adjustment, cohort scholarships, or staged payment plans, at the discretion of the Institute’s admissions and finance offices.
Tuition figures reflect the Institute’s standard credit-based tuition model and are reviewed annually.
Final Delivery and Access Declaration
The Department of Philosophy of Mind is delivered online-first to maximize access for learners regardless of geographic location, with structured cohort support, complete documentation for every module, and a clear pathway from Certificate through PhD. No learner shall be required to relocate to access any taught programme offered by this Department.
Final Structural Declaration
The Department of Philosophy of Mind stands as a founding Department of Faculty II, holding the conceptual foundations that every empirical and applied study of the human mind across the Institute ultimately presupposes. Every award, module, and research activity documented above proceeds through the Department’s permanent structural chain:
This chain governs the Department of Philosophy of Mind now and permanently, coordinated with, and answerable to, the Principle of Charitable and Honest Argument held by the Department of Philosophy.