Master of Arts in Philosophy
Utrecht University
Key Information
Campus location
Utrecht, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 2,209 / per year *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* EU/EEA, Surinam or Swiss students; €17,500: International students
Scholarships
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Introduction
Explore Fundamental Philosophical Issues and Their History
Do you have a strong desire to sharpen and clarify the loose arguments and vague concepts we all encounter in newspaper articles, textbook readings, and everyday conversations? Are you at least as interested in questioning answers as answering questions? The Research Master in Philosophy provides a challenging research-oriented program that prepares you to participate in the current debates in the international philosophical community and to develop your own research contributions to the field.
A Solid Foundation Plus Specialised Knowledge
The program combines an advanced grounding in the core themes and texts of philosophy with ample opportunity and flexibility for specialization. Through elective seminars, specialized tutorials, and seminars at other universities in the Netherlands or abroad, you will have the opportunity to dive into issues, methods, and philosophers that are central to your own research project. Moreover, since you will conduct your research in an active research community of postdocs, Ph.D. researchers, and senior staff, you will gain hands-on experience as a researcher and participant in current international discussions in philosophy.
Developing Your Career Plans
During this research Master’s program, you will develop the knowledge and skills to participate in the international research community in philosophy. Our course content offers high standards of analytical rigor, conceptual clarity, expressive precision, compelling argumentation, and historical perspective. We offer guidance and advice on developing your career plans. You also have the possibility of doing a research internship.
Program Outcome
UU Program in Philosophy offers you:
- A program tailored to match your interests.
- A unique combination of contributing and interrelated disciplines.
- An internationally oriented research environment.
- The possibility of spending a semester abroad.
- Top position in research rankings.
- Personal supervision and an inspiring atmosphere.
- A research thesis to explore in-depth a topic of your choice.
Curriculum
Participate in Internationally Renowned Research
Utrecht University’s Philosophy researchers have distinctive research strength in the following areas:
- History of Philosophy: Plato and Greek political thought; Hellenistic philosophy (Stoicism and Epicureanism), 17th century (Descartes and Spinoza, and their contemporaries) and 18th and early–19th centuries (Kant and German Idealism); continental philosophy (Nietzsche, Arendt, Habermas, and the Frankfurt School).
- Theoretical Philosophy: Metaphilosophy, social and formal epistemology, philosophy of logic and language, contemporary analytic metaphysics, philosophy of reasoning, agency, and AI.
- Ethics Institute: Ethical justification, theories of political justice, moral psychology, and the ethics and politics of public health.
Career Opportunities
Philosophers can be found in a surprisingly wide range of careers, from journalism and politics to banking and consulting. Those who go on to do a Ph.D. in Philosophy can pursue numerous different roles that professional philosophers play in society. Some teach or have leadership roles at universities, while others work in governmental policy contexts or in non-governmental organizations. Philosophers often play a prominent role in the cultural and intellectual life of their societies as well.
Academic Careers
As a graduate of the Philosophy program, you are well prepared to start working on a Ph.D. project at universities in the Netherlands and abroad. Frequently, students work closely with the academic staff in developing grant applications to fund these positions, and in recent years, graduates have been exceptionally successful – 66% have secured full-time, funded Ph.D. positions in philosophy. They hold positions at leading universities worldwide, including:
Oxford University (United Kingdom) | University of Leuven (Belgium) | University of Antwerp (Belgium) | University of Giessen (Germany) | University of Göteborg (Sweden) | Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands) | University of Groningen (The Netherlands) | University of Tasmania (Australia) | University of Cologne (Germany) | University of Western Ontario (Canada) | Radboud University (The Netherlands) | Wageningen University (The Netherlands) | Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
Non-Academic Careers
Philosophy graduates frequently report that their philosophical training gives them an edge in establishing themselves and advancing in the workplace, particularly in organizations where decision-making and communication call for drawing careful conceptual distinctions, articulating compelling arguments, and analyzing complex texts and situations.