Philosophy - master
- Nordic applicants: 15 April
- EU/EEA + Swiss applicants: 1 March
- Non-EU/EEA applicants: 15 November
About the study
Are you interested in systematically exploring philosophical questions at an advanced level? Would you like to engage critically with both classic philosophical texts and contemporary philosophical research? If so, the master’s program in philosophy might be a good fit for you.
What will you learn?
In the master’s program in philosophy you get the chance to engage in in-depth explorations of a range of philosophical questions. And you get considerable freedom in choosing specific topics to work on in line with your own research interests.
The programme consists of a master’s thesis of 60 credits, and a training component with five courses - each of 10 credits.
The five courses in the training component cover Norwegian philosophy, ethics, metaphysics and philosophy of mind, political philosophy, and epistemology and philosophy of science. In addition, there is a 10 credits course in sustainability and innovation that is mandatory for all master students at UiT - The Arctic University of Tromsø.
The master's thesis itself is an independent and substantial piece of philosophical research where you delve into a topic of your own choosing with the support of a supervisor. By working on the thesis, you will acquire expertise within a clearly defined philosophical area, and general skills that are valued both in and outside academia.
Student life
What can you become?
The master’s degree in philosophy gives you analytical expertise, the ability to critically reflect and good language skills. This is relevant competence for professions within schools and education, cultural institutions, political organisations, nature management, non-profit organisations, public administration and management, journalism, the publishing, media and communication industries, and in business.
In combination with other teaching subjects and practical pedagogical education, a master’s degree in philosophy qualifies you for teaching in primary and secondary schools.
The master’s degree programme also forms the basis for further research education in the subject of Philosophy.
Access to further studies
A master’s degree in philosophy qualifies you for admission to PhD studies in philosophy or other relevant disciplines. In addition, you must achieve a grade requirement, which varies between different institutions.
At the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Teacher Education (HSL), a grade point average of B (or equivalent) is required.
Programme structure
How is the teaching organized?
The programme uses several different teaching methods:
- lectures
- seminars
- individual supervision
- writing training
- colloquium groups
- self-study
The Master's degree program consists of a training part and a master’s thesis, each worth 60 credits. The training part consists of five 10-credit courses in philosophy and one interdisciplinary course in sustainability and innovation. The courses in philosophy are based on the research that takes place at the department.
The master's thesis is an independent work of approximately 80 pages, on a topic of your own choosing. You will have a professional supervisor who will provide you with individual supervision. In addition, you will choose a specialization syllabus of 7-800 pages, of which at least half is original literature. The evaluation of the master's thesis is twofold, and the grade is set after a comprehensive assessment of both the thesis and an oral exam.
Language of instruction
The Master's degree program in philosophy is in English. Instruction and examination papers are also in English, but you have the opportunity to choose whether to answer the exams in English, Norwegian, or another Scandinavian language.
Programme structure
See the subjects you can take in this study programStudy plan
Outgoing exchange
It is possible to use one semester to travel on exchange. We recommend that you use the department and faculty's well-established exchange agreements. Before leaving, the student must have prior approval, i.e. the supervisor helps the student choose courses that can be approved as part of the programme.
Final approval at UiT is sought with documentation of passed exams in the recommended courses abroad. For an updated overview of which universities the study program in philosophy has agreements with, please refer to UiT’s website about internationalization, or contact the international coordinator.
Studiesteder du kan utveksle til
Admission requirements
Bachelor's degree in philosophy or a related disciplinary field with a specialization of at least 80 credits in philosophy or equivalent.
The specialisation should show a progression from introductory to more advanced courses in philosophy.
Applicants must have a minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian C (2,5) in the ECTS scale.
Admission capacity
8 places
Applicants from Norway or Nordic countries
Her finner du all informasjon knyttet til søking og opptak.
International applicants from EU/EEA and Switzerland
You will find more information about international admission here.
International applicants from outside EU/EEA
- You will find more information about international admission here.
- Non-EU students must be prepared to pay tuition fees, more information here
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