Philosophy

Study programme

The programme consists of Core Courses, Electives and a Master’s Thesis.

• Core Courses (32 credits)
  • Three Text Courses (12 credits)
  • Four Advanced Courses (16 credits)
  • One Seminar (4 credits)
• Electives (8 credits)
• Master’s Thesis (20 credits)

Within the Core Courses, students have the opportunity to choose from a variety of Text Courses and Seminars. The Master’s Thesis is the pinnacle of a year of intensive study in which a student learns to find his/her way in the world of individual scientific research. The thesis work is guided by a supervisor.

Career prospects

The programme does not directly prepare the student for a specific professional activity. Graduates work in many different disciplines, in business, in civil service, politics, the book and publishing industry, the media, the socio-cultural sector and many more. Many employers are interested in finding candidates who are not only well-grounded in a specific field, but who can also handle fundamental questions that arise in the course of their work. Graduates also tend to have just as much success in teaching as if they had studied specifically to become teachers. Philosophy is still less eminent in programmes of secondary education. Philosophers mainly end up teaching more general courses. Philosophy is more prevalent, however, in higher education. Teaching in higher education usually requires a doctoral degree. Graduates in Philosophy also score comparatively well in exams for the civil service, ministries, the financial world and so on.

Application and Admissions

Detailed information on application procedures and admission requirements depends on your preceding qualifications, etc.

• You will find more information on application matters here.

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Assets

Philosophy has been taught at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven since its foundation in 1425. Throughout the centuries, the university has remained an important and influential centre of philosophical thought, with a strong commitment to the international dimension of education. In more recent times, the Institute of Philosophy, established in 1889, has continued this august tradition, and is now an internationally recognised centre of philosophical research. It houses the famous Husserl-Archives and the renowned De Wulf-Mansion Centre for Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy. The institute is also home to the Centre for Metaphysics and Modern Philosophy, the Centre for Culture and Philosophy, the Centre for Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy and the Centre for Logic and Analytic Philosophy.

The Institute of Philosophy is committed to philosophical pluralism and to the highest possible standards in research. Its teaching staff of more than thirty outstanding scholars offers a wide variety of challenging courses and research seminars at undergraduate and graduate levels. With a population of nearly 700 students, comprising some 40 different nationalities, the institute is a vibrant intellectual community that celebrates the subject of philosophy in all its many guises.

The library of the institute is one of the finest philosophical libraries in the world. It contains more than 100.000 volumes and subscribes to more than 400 journals. It is user-friendly, with open stacks, a liberal lending policy and an online catalogue. The students also have access to other excellent collections at the Central University Library, the Maurits Sabbe Library of the Theology Faculty, and to the considerable holdings in philosophy of other libraries in the university’s library network.