MA Philosophy (120EC)

The two-year master’s programme in Philosophy at Leiden University investigates the fundamental principles underpinning human knowledge while cultivating your capacity for reason and sound argumentation.

Why study Philosophy at Leiden University?

This demanding and high-level programme is ideal for students who wish to enhance their knowledge of a particular discipline with complementary understanding of its philosophical foundations combined with further honing of their analytical thinking skills.

The Philosophy (120 EC) master offers you the choice of three specialisations: Philosophy of Humanities; Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics; and Philosophy in World Traditions. Each specialisation delves deep into the philosophical foundations and methodological approaches underpinning that discipline. Content incorporates the very latest academic theory and the field’s historical development across a number of branches of philosophy.

What are your career prospects?

Successful completion of the master’s programme can lead to PhD research and an academic career, or in the public, private or non-profit sectors. 75% of our students choose to enter a PhD programme after their studies, primarily in the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Germany or France. The remaining 25% already have a job when they joined the programme and were seeking to enhance their performance.

Is Philosophy the programme for you?

The intellectual tools yielded by the study of philosophy are typically transferable skills to complement any given profession. The master's in philosophy will train you to become an outstanding critical thinker, capable of breaking down the most complex ideas and evaluating the principles upon which various positions are based. During your master, you will study, analyse and discuss primary philosophical texts while learning how to develop and communicate your own theories and ideas.

Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's programme?

The master’s programme in Philosophy (120) is a two-year English-taught programme. It offers three specialisations:

• Philosophy of Humanities
• Philosophy of Law, Governance and Politics
• Philosophy in World Traditions

Each specialisation offers a range of electives, with a total study load of 120 EC.

Programme structure
For a detailed programme, please visit the programme information for each of the specialisations.

Specialisations

• Philosophy of Humanities (MA)
• Philosophy of Law, Governance and Politics (MA)
• Philosophy in World Traditions (MA)