Applied Ethics

The Applied Ethics Master’s programme offers you an in-depth focus on the interaction between moral practice and ethical theory, allowing you to explore ethical theories in relation to actual practical dilemmas.

A tailor-made programme

The programme’s flexibility offers you the ability to develop a tailor-made programme by choosing elective courses and a national or international internship geared to your specific disciplinary background and career aspirations. You can choose courses from a broad range of applied ethics topics, such as:

• sustainability and climate change ethics
• animal and nature ethics
• medical and public health ethics
• law, morality and politics
• business ethics

At the end of your studies, you will possess a thorough theoretical background in ethics, including important methods and debates in applied ethics. You will also understand the implications of legal and political frameworks for ethical argumentation.

Why this programme in Utrecht?

Interdisciplinary studies

Our interdisciplinary approach offers you multiple avenues of investigation into applied ethics. In addition to studying philosophy, you will learn about the contexts in which moral problems arise and the different types of analysis that may be needed in various contexts. You will also examine how viewpoints from different disciplines can strengthen ethical reflection and argumentation. 

International and diverse student body

Our Master’s programme attracts international and Dutch students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds (i.e. philosophy, medicine, law, international studies, economics) as well as people with professional experience (i.e. health care professionals, lawyers, veterinarians, management consultants in corporate social responsibility & business ethics, or journalists). This unique student body provides a wide range of viewpoints through which you can explore ethical dilemmas.

Ethics Institute

The Master’s programme in Applied Ethics is embedded in Utrecht University’s Ethics Institute, a research-driven organisation that focuses on justice, on technology ethics, sustainability ethics, economic ethics, animal ethics, and bioethics.

After graduation

Around 30% of our graduates work at a university, either as teachers or as PhD students. Our graduates are also able to teach ethics to professionals or to work as a consultant in governmental and policy contexts. Some of our alumni work in journalism or at various NGOs or banks. 

The combination between philosophical theory with tangible, real-life scenarios allowed me to truly 'apply' philosophy and ethics.