Location:

Leuven, Belgium

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Academic Year

Program Overview

Program Description:

The Institute of Philosophy offers a comprehensive range of BA, MA, MPhil and PhD degrees. Viewed collectively, our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees aim to familiarise students with the historical traditions of philosophy as well as with contemporary movements in English-speaking and Continental Philosophy so that they are able to tackle the fundamental areas of philosophical research. All its programmes are taught in English. Courses are taught by means of lectures and seminars, while doctoral study is based around meetings with a supervisor. This is an advanced Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.

The MPhil is situated in the curriculum of the Institute of Philosophy after the BA and MA. The MPhil programme is primarily research-oriented and functions as a first step towards the doctoral programme. Students should already have acquired a broad and somewhat specialised knowledge of philosophy and possess the skills needed to conduct independent research. The MPhil aims to deepen this knowledge, with particular focus on an area of research in which the student wishes to prepare a PhD. The process of gaining more in-depth knowledge and the process of specialisation go hand in hand. The objective is to obtain a thorough familiarity with and fundamental understanding of an area of research, and thereby to attain a level of expertise demonstrating this.

Philosophy has been taught at KU Leuven since its founding 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: Centre for Phenomenology and Continental Philosophy and the renowned De Wulf-Mansion Centre for Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy. The Institute is also home to the Centre for Metaphysics and Philosophy of Culture, the Centre for Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy and the Centre for Logic and Analytical Philosophy. The Institute of Philosophy is committed to philosophical pluralism and aspires to the highest possible standards in education and 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.

Setting Description:

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition. From its Christian view of the world and the human, KU Leuven endeavours to be a place for open discussion of social, philosophical and ethical issues and a critical centre of reflection in and for the Catholic community. KU Leuven offers its students an academic education based on high-level research, with the aim of preparing them to assume their social responsibilities. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied research. It is strongly inter- and multidisciplinary in focus and strives for international excellence. To this end, KU Leuven works together actively with its research partners at home and abroad. KU Leuven encourages personal initiative and critical reflection in a culture of idea exchange, cooperation, solidarity and academic freedom. It pursues a proactive diversity pol

Cost:

The Flemish Government's generous co-financing system ensures that tuition fees for Bachelor's and initial Master's programmes remain relatively low: 890 EUR per academic year (subject to change without notice).