Study Philosophy of Science in Europe

This master's program provides a comprehensive and flexible philosophical education, totaling 60 ECTS. It includes core courses across multiple subfields, such as ancient and medieval philosophy, phenomenology and continental philosophy, analytic philosophy, and ethics and political philosophy. Students select at least three of these subfields, which include topics like logic, metaphysics, philosophy of science, political philosophy, and feminist theory. The program also requires a 24 ECTS master's thesis written in English. Students can personalize their curriculum through electives, which may include philosophical electives, non-philosophical electives, short mobility summer schools, and service-learning opportunities.

Applicants to this master's program must hold a bachelor's degree in Philosophy or a closely related discipline with sufficient philosophical background. Admission is not automatic and is based on a full evaluation of the application file. English proficiency is required and can be demonstrated through TOEFL iBT (minimum score 100, no subscore below 20), IELTS Academic (minimum score 7.0, no subscore below 6.0), or Cambridge (C1 Advanced with minimum score 185, no subscore below 169, or C2 Proficiency). Exemptions are granted only to students with degrees from institutions in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, or the USA, provided the full program was completed in English. Applicants must also submit a letter of motivation and a writing sample.

This program addresses the ethical dilemmas at the heart of modern healthcare, from end-of-life care and genetic screening to questions about personality change after neurological surgery, in a field that has grown increasingly important alongside rapid advances in medicine and technology. It is taken as a track within a two-year philosophy master's degree, but with a distinctive structure: students pursue it alongside a separate, health-related master's degree at the same time, graduating with two master's degrees rather than one.

The first year combines four introductory philosophy courses with a course specifically on bioethics, alongside five courses drawn from the student's companion health-related program. The introductory courses cover the history of philosophy from antiquity to the present, normative ethics (examining how people can coexist under competing ethical frameworks such as virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and Kantian ethics), and the philosophy of science, which asks what distinguishes scientific knowledge and whether objective knowledge is possible. The dedicated bioethics course examines the intersection of bioethics, technology, and law, engaging with developments such as so-called "designer babies" and the ethical and legal limits on parental control over a child's characteristics.

The second year deepens this focus with four courses tailored specifically to bioethics. One examines end-of-life issues through the lens of the doctor-patient relationship; another looks at how medical teams navigate complex ethical decisions using real clinical case studies and team-based work; a third gives students the opportunity to sit in on an actual medical ethics committee meeting as part of studying the ethics of medical research; and a fourth examines how political and cultural values shape medical decision-making in different contexts.

Practical training is a highlight of the second year. Students take part in a five-day "Winter School" at a partner university in the United Kingdom, where they present a critical analysis of scholarly papers and discuss them directly with the authors in a symposium format. This is followed by a six-week internship, which may take place at a hospital, a research center, a forensic institute, an advisory body, or a government institute; some students have gone on to receive job offers as a result of these placements. The program concludes with a master's thesis on a freely chosen bioethics topic, with past examples including the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, the effects of deep brain stimulation on personal identity, and end-of-life decision-making.

The program is small-scale, with close contact between students and faculty, many of whom are practicing clinicians or ethicists bringing first-hand experience into their teaching. Students also interact with peers specializing in other areas, such as neuroscience or law, through shared introductory philosophy coursework, and a part-time option is available, with first-year philosophy courses scheduled in the evening where possible.

Graduates develop strong analytical, reflective, and reasoning skills, becoming adept at constructing well-supported arguments in both writing and speech, engaging productively with opposing viewpoints, and combining insights from different disciplines into a coherent whole. Career paths include combining clinical work with a role on a medical ethics committee, pursuing a PhD, working as a researcher at a policy or technology-assessment organization, serving as a clinical ethicist or advisor to healthcare organizations and insurers, or working as a policymaker within government.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in medicine, health sciences, psychology, or a related field; for applicants with a non-Dutch degree, this must be equivalent to a three-year Dutch research-university bachelor's degree. Because part of the curriculum is drawn directly from a companion program, applicants must also separately qualify for and be admitted to one of three specific master's programs, in medicine, psychology, or health sciences; students who are not admitted to one of these companion programs are not able to complete or graduate from this program.

Applicants must also demonstrate English proficiency through an accepted international test: an IELTS Academic score of at least 7 overall, a TOEFL iBT score of at least 100 overall (minimum 20 per section) under the older scoring system, or at least 5.0 overall (minimum 4.5 per section) under the new scoring system used for tests taken from January 2026 onward, or a score of at least 180 on Cambridge CAE or CPE. The TOEFL ITP is not accepted. Tests must have been completed within the two years before the program starts, unless the applicant is exempt on the basis of prior education conducted fully in English within a qualifying country or through an International Baccalaureate diploma.

Applicants must submit a scanned copy of their passport, a completed application file, and proof of English proficiency, if already obtained at the time of application.

This PhD program prepares students to earn their doctorate by building mastery in scholarly research and writing, encouraging conference participation, developing teaching expertise in higher education, and offering opportunities to take part in departmental activities.

Doctoral study is offered in the following fields: Aesthetics, Analytic Philosophy, Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Art History, Film, Media and Culture Theory, Intercultural Philosophy, Logic and Philosophy of Science, Phenomenology, Religious Studies, Ethics and Political Philosophy, and Modern Philosophy.

Graduates go on to work in research institutes, universities, museums, diplomacy, and the press and media.

Applicants must hold a master's diploma with at least a "good" qualification, and should contact the head of their intended doctoral program before applying. A letter of acceptance from a future supervisor is required, and applications are considered only for research topics offered by the doctoral school's supervisors.

English proficiency must reach at least B2 level in both speaking and writing, though the Film, Media and Culture Theory program requires C1 level. Proficiency is demonstrated through one of a specific set of accepted exams: TOEFL PBT (516-554), TOEFL iBT or iBT Home Edition (66-82), IELTS (6.0), CEFR (B2), or Duolingo (85). A prior Bachelor's or Master's diploma earned entirely in English is accepted as proof instead; native English speakers must instead present a B2-level or higher exam in another language.

Required documents include an application form, the master's degree certificate, an academic CV, a research work plan of 3 to 5 pages, two letters of recommendation, a certification of language competence, a letter of acceptance from the future supervisor, and, if available, a list of publications. Admission includes an oral interview, held in person or online, covering the applicant's prior university achievements, research plan, and scientific competence in their field of interest, with final rankings based on a combined evaluation of academic excellence and interview results.