Humanities: Philosophy (Research) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Make the connections that lead to inspiring humanities research

Keen to develop in-depth knowledge of the theories, methods and techniques of your research field, connecting them with other disciplines? Curious to find out how your research relates to societal issues?

The Faculty of Humanities offers two Research Master's programmes: Classics and Ancient Civilizations: Research Master and the Humanities Research Master's.

The Humanities Research Master’s is a unique programme that provides extensive training in research design, in an inspiring and sustainable interdisciplinary research environment. The programme offers excellent preparation for an internationally oriented academic career or for other research-related positions.

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Humanities: Philosophy (Research)

Knowledge for society: from COVID-19 to climate change

The programme is designed to equip the next generation of humanities researchers with the tools to design innovative, imaginative research across disciplines. In close collaboration with highly acclaimed research groups, you’ll develop techniques to connect your research with current societal challenges, and to communicate the results to a broad audience. You’ll benefit from the extensive network our teams have built up with heritage institutions, research institutes, NGOs and business partners, for internships and embedded research projects.

The opportunities are endless – as evidenced by the vast range of projects students have got involved with in recent years. Depending on the chosen area of specialisation, students have worked as assistants for the Environmental Humanities Centre at VU Amsterdam, and for the Graduate School Humanities. Human Language Technology students have collaborated with professors in research projects to improve the recovery of patients after COVID-19, using their text-mining skills. 

Others have studied the language of sexual predators (Forensic Linguistics); or the link between empathy and the first-person perspective in movies, virtual reality, paintings and photography (Critical Studies in Art and Culture); or the history of forced labour and slavery in cooperation with researchers at the International Institute for Social History; or how people tell stories about the environment in nonfictional texts (Literature and Contested Spaces). A Philosophy student spent a semester in the US; one Literature student was an intern at the China Cultural Centre in The Hague, and another one was an intern for the Winternachten Literary Festival. And a History student did an exchange with the European University in St. Petersburg. Students from different tracks have collaborated across faculties and with citizens in Amsterdam to solve neighbourhood issues in a Community Service Project.

Whichever track you choose, you’ll hone your critical-thinking and analytical skills, learn the tools of the trade, and have ample opportunity to explore your future career inside and outside academia, whether you want to become a researcher or an entrepreneur.

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Humanities: Philosophy (Research)

The Research Master’s programme in Humanities is excellent preparation for a career as a researcher.

You’ll graduate not only with top-notch research skills but also with critical-thinking and analytical skills, as well as the ability to formulate and communicate your arguments clearly and convincingly.

On completing the programme, you’ll be an ideal candidate for a PhD position in the Netherlands or abroad. Alternatively, you can take up other kinds of research positions in international and interdisciplinary contexts.

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Humanities: Philosophy (Research)

I have an international degree

The Humanities Research Master's programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities.

To be admitted to the programme, you should have:

• a bachelor’s degree in an academic degree related to your chosen specialisation.
• a proficient level of academic English, 
• proof of excellent study results: outstanding grade for your bachelor’s thesis (7.5 or higher), and an average of no less than 7.5 for a relevant selection of your bachelor’s programme (to be decided by the Admission Board). 
• and clear motivation for doing academic research.

The two-year Research Master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their Master's, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.

Admission is based on a strict selection procedure. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. For further details regarding the admission requirements, see the Teaching and Examination Regulations.

Additional admission requirements per specialization

Additional admission requirements for the specialization Philosophy

To be admitted to the programme, the student should have a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy or a related academic degree.

English language requirements

You must always present official test results proving your proficiency in English. You can apply online without having the test results, but in case you haven’t taken a test yet we advise you to plan a test date as soon as possible. The qualification or test result must have been awarded no more than two years prior to the proposed date of enrolment. Below you will find the minimum English test scores for the English taught programmes at the Faculty of Humanities:

• TOEFL score 600 paper based with a minimum of 55 in each of the subtests plus 4.0 in TWE, score 250 computer based or score 100 internet based with a minimum of 20-23 in each of the subtests).
• IELTS score of 7.0 overall band score (with none of the separate section scores dropping below a minimum score of 6.5).
• Cambridge English: Cambridge Proficiency Exam with score A, B, or C; or Cambridge Advanced Exam with score A, B, or C.

Exemptions from providing the English test scores are applicable to students, who:

• have completed an English-taught secondary or higher education degree in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia; or
• have earned a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an English-taught programme accredited by NVAO in the Netherlands, or
• have earned a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an accredited English-taught programme in another member state of the European Union
• hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Culture from a Dutch university, or
• hold a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Society with a degree in English: Literature and Society obtained at the VU, or
• completed a minor in English at the VU Amsterdam and obtained 30 EC or more.

I have a Dutch university level (WO) Bachelor’s degree (VU Bachelor's degree, VU premaster or Bachelor's degree at another university)

The Humanities Research Master programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities. To be admitted to the programme, you should have:

• a bachelor’s degree in an academic degree related to their chosen specialisation.
• a proficient level of academic English, 
• proof of excellent study results: outstanding grade for your bachelor’s thesis (7.5 or higher), and an average of no less than 7.5 for a relevant selection of your bachelor’s programme (to be decided by the Admission Board). 
• and clear motivation for doing academic research.

The two-year research master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their MA, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.

Admission is based on a strict selection procedure. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application. For further details regarding the admission requirements, see the Teaching and Examination Regulations.

Additional admission requirements for the specialization Philosophy

To be admitted to the programme, the student should have a bachelor’s degree in philosophy or a related academic degree.

Mehr Infos zum Studiengang? Besuche die Website!

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weiter: Masterstudiengänge »

Übersicht der Masterstudiengänge - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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