Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford - The Henry Wilde Prize in Philosophy

What the Henry Wilde Prize is

This is an academic award presented by the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Oxford. It is awarded once a year for the best performance in philosophy in the final examinations. The prize is awarded to the top philosophy graduate from all degree programmes at Oxford that include philosophy. In some years, two students share the prize, and the runners-up are occasionally awarded an honourable mention (‘Proxime Accesserunt’, Latin for ‘those who came closest’). Their names are entered into the Faculty’s official list of prize-winners. It is not a monthly scholarship, and the prize is not linked to a fixed monetary value.

Who can win it

• Where you study: You’re studying at the University of Oxford.
• Your degree: You will sit your ‘Final Honour Schools’ (the final examinations at Oxford) as part of a degree programme that includes philosophy. This includes both pure philosophy and combined degree programmes such as Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Philosophy and Theology, Philosophy and Modern Languages, or Classical Philology and Philosophy.
• Results: Of all the graduates in your year group, you have achieved the best overall results in philosophy.
• Nationality: Anyone can win, regardless of their nationality, as long as they are studying at Oxford.

How it is awarded

There is no application process. The examiners at the relevant ‘Final Honour School’ select the winner themselves, basing their decision solely on your final examination results, and put forward your name to the faculty.

How realistic are your chances?

Of all the students who complete a philosophy-related degree at Oxford, only one – and occasionally two – are awarded this honour each year. To be awarded this honour means being the best philosophy student in the year group – so the bar is set as high as it possibly can be. You cannot apply for it. The only thing you can control yourself is to achieve outstanding results in your final exams; the rest is out of your hands.