All programmes > Programme > Course of study : Research Master of Philosophy (Leuven)

Research Master of Philosophy (Leuven) (120 ECTS) Master of Arts

 

Students with a degree obtained at an institution of the Flemish Community

Students who obtained their previous degree(s) at an institution of the Flemish Community should submit an application to the Institute of Philosophy via email.
You can find a list of documents, which should be submitted with every application, on the Apply page of the Institute of Philosophy.

There are no degrees granting direct access to this programme. All candidates can register only after successful completion of the relevant admission procedure.

After admission procedure

On the basis of the following degrees, or similar degrees, obtained at an institution of the Flemish Community:

  • Bachelor in de wijsbegeerte (Leuven)
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Leuven)


These applicants must have completed their degree with a result of at least 75% for philosophical courses and have obtained an average of at least 15/20 for the Bachelor’s paper. In order to establish the percentage obtained for philosophical courses, the results of each course unit will be weighted in accordance with their number of credits.

The diploma requirements listed above are basic (eligibility) criteria. Meeting them alone will not guarantee admission into the programme. Evaluation of applications is based on the quality of the entire application dossier.

Additional requirements
In addition to considering an applicant’s academic record, the Board of Admissions will assess all applications based on the following:
-  Clarity and strength of the proposed research topic.
-  Fit of the project with current research specialisations and interests of potential supervisors.
-  Overall quality of the motivation letter (see the faculty-specific requirements).
-  Academic strength of the writing sample (when applicable).

Applicants with a degree Bachelor of Philosophy/ Bachelor in de wijsbegeerte of KU Leuven follow a specific application procedure.

Applicants holding a degree from a Flemish University other than KU Leuven are required to submit a complete application file via email.

Additional information

Language requirements
Student holding the degree of Bachelor in de wijsbegeerte (programme in Dutch) should make sure that their English proficiency is adequate to following an advanced academic programme in philosophy. This concerns reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. Taking an English proficiency test is recommended but not required.



Students with a degree not obtained at an institution of the Flemish Community

Students who did not obtain their previous degree(s) at an institution of the Flemish Community should submit an application via the Admissions Office:. https://www.kuleuven.be/english/application/

A list of documents required by KU Leuven Admissions is available here: https://www.kuleuven.be/english/application/requesteddocuments.

Programme-specific requirements with regard to these documents and a list of additional documents required by the Institute of Philosophy can be found here: https://hiw.kuleuven.be/en/apply.

Complete applications contain both sets of documents.

Diploma requirements

Students with excellent results in a Bachelor (of Arts) in Philosophy from a recognised higher education institution may be admitted by the Board of Admissions upon consideration of their complete application file.

The diploma requirements listed above are basic (eligibility) criteria. Meeting them alone will not guarantee admission into the programme. Evaluation of applications is based on the quality of the entire application dossier.

Language requirements

The Institute of Philosophy accepts the following tests as a proof of English proficiency:

- TOEFL (internet based or paper delivered). Minimum score: 100 overall (with no subscore below 20)
- Academic IELTS. Minimum score: 7.0 (with no subscore below 6.0)
- ESOL Cambridge: C1 Advanced (CAE) 185 (with no subscore below 169), or C2 Proficiency

An exemption from the proof of English proficiency by means of the above mentioned tests is only granted to applicants who hold a degree obtained in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the USA. The degree and transcripts are sufficient, provided they can prove that the entire study was completed in English. Degrees obtained in an online format cannot serve as a basis for an exemption.

Additional requirements

In addition to considering an applicant’s academic record, the Board of Admissions will assess all applications based on the following:
-  Clarity and potential of the proposed research topic.
-  Fit of the project with current research specialisations and interests of potential supervisors.
-  Overall quality of the motivation letter.
-  Academic strength of the writing sample.
-  Two letters of recommendation.

Applicants may be invited to an interview if, in the view of the Board of Admissions, additional information is required to assess an application fairly.
For more information on the additional requirements, see the programme-specific requirements.

Students with a degree obtained at an institution of the Flemish Community

Students who did obtain their previous degree(s) at an institution of the Flemish Community should submit an application to the Institute of Philosophy via email.
You can find a list of documents, which should be submitted with every application, here.

After admission procedure

On the basis of the following degrees, or similar degrees, obtained at an institution of the Flemish Community:

  • Bachelor in de wijsbegeerte (Leuven)
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Leuven)


For students from KU Leuven, we take into account all obtained results in their KU Leuven career. However, students must have completed, at a minimum, the bachelor’s programme wijsbegeerte/philosophy at KU Leuven with a result of 75% for philosophical courses and have obtained an average of at least 15/20 for the Bachelor’s paper. In order to establish the percentage obtained for philosophical courses, a weighting will be applied to the results of each course unit in accordance with the number of credits involved. There's a specific application procedure for this group.

Students with a Bachelor in de wijsbegeerte from another Flemish university may be admitted by the Board of Admissions upon consideration of their complete application file. Decisions on admission are based on the candidate's letter of motivation and academic excellence.

Additional information

Students holding the degree of Bachelor in de wijsbegeerte (programme in Dutch) should make sure that their English proficiency is sufficient to pursue university education in English. Their reading, listening, speaking and writing skills must be adequate to take courses in English. Taking an English proficiency test is recommended but not required.



Students with a degree not obtained at an institution of the Flemish Community

Students who did not obtain their previous degree(s) at an institution of the Flemish Community should submit an application via the Admissions Office:. https://www.kuleuven.be/english/application/

You can find a list of core documents, which should be submitted with every application, here: https://www.kuleuven.be/english/application/requesteddocuments.

Faculty-specific requirements with regard to these core documents and a list of extra documents required by the faculty can be found here: https://hiw.kuleuven.be/en/apply.

Diploma requirements

Students with a Bachelor (of Arts) in Philosophy from a recognised foreign university may be admitted by the Board of Admissions upon consideration of their complete application file.

Language requirements

The Institute of Philosophy accepts the following tests as a proof of English proficiency:

- TOEFL (internet based or paper delivered). Minimum score: 100 overall (with no subscore below 20)
- Academic IELTS. Minimum score: 7.0 (with no subscore below 6.0)
- ESOL Cambridge: C1 (Advanced, CAE): 185 (with no subscore below 169), C2 (proficiency, CPE): 185 (with no subscore below 180)

Students who hold a prior degree awarded by an English-speaking programme from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or the USA are the only students who get an exemption from the language requirement.

Additional requirements

Faculty-specific requirements with regard to the letter of motivation apply. In addition to the letter of motivation and the other core documents requested to all KU Leuven applicants, the Institute of Philosophy also requires two letters of recommendation and a writing sample for applications to the Research Master of Philosophy programme.
Information can be found here.

Applicants may be invited to an interview, designed to assess your academic potential and overall fit with the Institute of Philosophy. Decisions are based on your ability to think independently, express yourself clearly and to engage with new ideas. We will talk about your research profile and plan of action. If you do not get shortlisted for an interview, that does not mean your application has been unsuccessful. We will arrange interviews according to need for clarification.

Additional information

Decisions on admission are based on the candidate's letter of motivation, (potential) interview and academic excellence.

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