MA in Philosophy: Philosophy and Science
Groningen, Netherlands
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Nov 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Feb 2027
TUITION FEES
EUR 19,900 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for Non-EU | for EU/EEA EUR 2,694
Key Summary
About: MA in Philosophy: Philosophy and Science at the University of Groningen examines foundational, methodological, ethical and historical issues across disciplines. The 60 ECTS programme, taken with your master's, adds an MA in the philosophy of your field. It includes courses on philosophy and history of science, writing and research skills, tutorials, colloquia and master's thesis.
Career Outcomes: This MA builds research and analytic skills for academic and public roles. Potential careers include PhD researcher, university lecturer, science policy advisor, ethics consultant and science communicator. It also supports roles in publishing, journalism, consultancy, public sector and NGOs, involving interdisciplinary analysis.
Every field of study raises a number of philosophical questions: about its foundations and methodology, its ethical and political implications, its connection with other disciplines, and its history.
Thinking about these questions gives you a deeper insight in your discipline, be it physics, medicine, psychology, economics, history, or any other field of study. This unique programme of 60 ECTS, combined with the ECTS from your initial master's, gives you an additional MA degree in the philosophy of your field.
This master programme offers courses in the philosophy and history of science, skills courses to improve your writing, and tutorials in which you work with experts on the philosophy of your discipline. Additionally, the programme will regularly organize colloquia with experts working on the intersection of the philosophy, science and humanities.
You will learn to participate in discussions and write texts that bridge the gap between the scientific context and philosophical or public discourses. The master thesis will focus on a topic of your own choice in the field of philosophy or history of your specific discipline. The programme will provide you with philosophical research and writing skills that will enhance both your competence in your field and your thinking in general.
Why study this programme in Groningen?
The Faculty of Philosophy is a home to internationally renowned researchers working at the very forefront of the philosophy and history of science. Staff members have hands-on experience in an exhaustive range of scientific and scholarly fields as well as a thorough knowledge of the philosophy and history of those fields of study.
On top of that, results of the National Student Assessment (NSE) show that our students are very satisfied with the contents of our programmes and that they highly value the expertise of our teaching staff. Small-scale classes and a friendly, informal setting enhance contacts between our staff and students. In reviews of the Keuzegids Universiteiten and in the Higher Education Review of Dutch University Faculties, our faculty is almost always rated number one by both students and professors year after year. It scored 3 times 'excellent' in the last assessment of philosophical research in the Netherlands.