Master in Philosophy of Science (M.A.)

Not only our understanding of the world in but the world we live in itself is profoundly shaped by science and technology. This central role of science in modern societies raises many important and pressing philosophical questions. Scientific claims appear to have a special authority: they seem to be objective and reliable in ways in which other beliefs are not. Yet scientific claims are also frequently contested. What, then, is the source of science’s special claim to knowledge? What role should scientific expertise play in democratic decision-making processes? What is the proper role of moral and political values in science?

Much of scientific activity also consists in constructing models of different parts of the world (in sciences as diverse as climate science, economics, psychology, or epidemiology). But do these models aim to represent features of the real world as accurately as possible or are they merely useful tools—practical devices that help us find our way around in the world?

Other philosophical questions concerning our understanding of science include: What relationships do scientific theories and hypotheses bear to empirical data and evidence? What counts as evidence? Does the world contain natural divisions among different types of things and, if so, how can we discover what these are? What does it mean to explain a phenomenon? Philosophy of science investigates these and other domain-specific questions as they arise across the various special sciences, such as physics, biology, psychology, or economics.

Our Master’s programme allows students to engage with the central issues in philosophy of science in an international and interdisciplinary learning environment and our rigorous, research-led programme offers a range of valuable benefits to students: 

1. Intellectual Development:

• Critical Thinking: Enhances your ability to think critically about complex issues and evaluate arguments rigorously.
• Analytical Skills: Improves your capacity to analyse and synthesise information from diverse sources and to develop and articulate informed views on important issues.

2. Research Skills:

• Methodological Training: Familiarises you with transferable analytical and research methods used in philosophy and other academic disciplines.

3. Career Opportunities:

• Academia: Prepares you for further studies and a potential academic career in philosophy or related fields.
• Science Policy and Ethics: Qualifies you for jobs in science policy and science management.
• Consulting and Advisory Roles: Opens opportunities in consulting, where critical thinking and ethical reasoning are valued.

4. Societal Impact:

• Public Discourse: Enhances your ability to contribute to public debates on scientific and technological issues.
• Ethical and Policy Decisions: Equips you with tools to address ethical and policy issues in scientific practice and technology.
• Science Communication: Improves your ability to communicate complex scientific ideas clearly and effectively.

In addition to the core curriculum in philosophy of science our programme also offers students specialisations in the philosophy of different special sciences, in ethics and political philosophy, and in epistemology and metaphysics. We offer a wide range of seminars in our programme that help students build core analytic competencies and engage cutting-edge research topics. Some recent seminars include:

• Models, Explanation and Computer Simulations in Science
• AI in Science and Society
• Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
• Social Epistemology of Science
• Philosophy of Psychology
• History and Philosophy of Measurement
• Philosophy of Rights
• Explaining the Social World

You can check out our English courses taught in the current semester here.

The MA Philosophy of Science is designed for students who have completed their undergraduate studies in philosophy or in a relevant scientific discipline (whether as a major or a minor), and wish to expand and deepen their philosophical skills, with a special focus on the philosophy of science.

Admission is open to students with a first degree in philosophy and to graduates from other relevant fields with an interest in philosophy of science. Detailed information can be found on the programme profile page.

Up-to-date information on application deadlines can be found on the programme profile page.

Find out more about how to enrol for our programme here.