Philosophy - Master's Programme in the Humanities 2021/2022

Programme

The Master's Programme in the Humanities specialising in Philosophy has a duration of two academic years. You can opt for a one-year version, but the programme is structured to best suit the two-year programme. At the beginning of the first semester, you will make an individually tailored study plan together with the programme coordinator. This is a comprehensive plan for courses you will take and how to organise your thesis writing, etc. The plan can be revised every semester if needed.

The two-year programme consists of course and seminar work equivalent to 75 credits, and a Master's thesis of 45 credits. You will choose to specialise in practical philosophy or theoretical philosophy.

There are three compulsory courses that you must take: Philosophical Perspectives I (semester 1), Philosophical Perspectives II (semester 1 or 2), Master Class (semester 3 or 4). The purpose of Philosophical Perspectives is to introduce and discuss a selection of Western philosophy's historical and contemporary classics, paying special attention to methodological questions including: what is philosophy, what are its tools and methodologies, what is philosophical writing and argumentation? The course Master Class is associated with one of the year's visiting international philosophers. You will read and discuss the guest scholar's work before the visit, under the guidance of one the department's own philosophers.

It is also mandatory to participate in the Higher Seminars that take place throughout both years. The higher seminars that take place may vary between years. However, the following higher seminars currently recur each semester: Theoretical Philosophy, Practical Philosophy, Aesthetics, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Language and Culture, Philosophy of Law, and Philosophy of Science.

You will also take elective courses. At the department, you can choose courses in theoretical philosophy, practical philosophy, and aesthetics). You can also take courses offered in the other specialisations within the Master's Programme in the Humanities. There may also be the possibility of taking other intensive Master's courses in philosophy at other Swedish universities.

You may also choose to include an internship in your study plan, equivalent to either 7.5 or 15 credits. You are responsible for taking the initiative and finding a suitable internship. The programme coordinator will help you to make schedules, determine your internship role and relevance for the studies, and will check that your follow-up when the internship is completed.

The 45-credit thesis is to be written over several semesters. In consultation with the programme coordinator, you may choose to devote full attention to the thesis in one semester or to write while you take courses at the same time. The thesis will enable you to undertake an in-depth study of an area or question which you have chosen together with your thesis supervisor and programme coordinator. The writing of the thesis is supported by special seminars intended only to Master's students, in which your final work will also be presented and discussed.

In practice, you should study two to four courses in parallel, depending on how much time is devoted to thesis writing in a given semester. Typically, you will study a greater number of parallel courses in the first year, while thesis writing intensifies towards the end of the programme.

If you wish to take a 60-credit one-year Master's degree, you will take the course Philosophical Perspectives I and participate in the weekly Higher Seminars, as well as two elective courses in the first semester. In the second semester, you will write a 30-credit Master's thesis (30 credits).

Learning experience

Courses are typically worth 7.5 credits and run for five weeks. Some courses may run through the whole semester or may be given intensively within a short period. Teaching takes the form of seminars, lectures, and independent work guided by study questions.

On a seminar, you present your ideas and discuss with your classmates regarding a course book or other work that you are required to read before the seminar. The aim is to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills. All the students are expected to be active participants in all forms of discussions.

The most common forms of examination are written assignments and take-home exams, although other forms of examination may be used depending on the course. Take-home exam is unsupervised examination that you need to complete independently at home within a certain amount of time. The purpose is to test your ability in applying knowledge to new information or your understanding of a topic. You can check your course book or other study material, but you must use your own insights and considerations to create your answers.

The programme is taught entirely in English.