Do you have a strong desire to sharpen and clarify the loose arguments and vague concepts we all encounter in newspaper articles, textbook readings and everyday conversations? Are you as interested in questioning answers as answering questions? The research Master in Philosophy is a challenging, two-year programme that prepares you to participate in the current debates in the international philosophical community and to develop your own research contributions to the field.

Explore core themes, texts, and specialisation opportunities

The programme integrates a strong foundation in the core themes and texts of philosophy with extensive opportunities and flexibility for specialisation. You can explore issues, methods, and philosophers central to your own research project by participating in elective seminars, specialized tutorials, and seminars at other universities in the Netherlands or abroad.

Go to study programme

Am I eligible?

Philosophy is a selective research Master’s programme. Do you want to know if you are eligible for this Master?

Check the entry requirements

Why this programme in Utrecht?

Our students share their experiences with the RMA programme

Developing your career plans

In this research Master's programme, you'll cultivate the knowledge and skills to engage in the global philosophy research community. Our coursework emphasizes analytical rigor, conceptual clarity, expressive precision, compelling argumentation, and historical context. We provide career guidance and offer research internship opportunities.

Active research community

You will conduct research within an active community of postdocs, PhD researchers, and senior staff, gaining hands-on experience and engaging in current international philosophy discussions. Utrecht University's Philosophy researchers excel in the following areas:

  • History of Philosophy: Plato and Greek political thought; Hellenistic philosophy (Stoicism and Epicureanism), 17th century (Descartes and Spinoza, and their contemporaries) and 18th and early–19th centuries (Kant and German Idealism); continental philosophy (Nietzsche, Arendt, Habermas, and the Frankfurt school).
  • Theoretical Philosophy: Metaphilosophy, social and formal epistemology, philosophy of logic and language, contemporary analytic metaphysics, philosophy of reasoning, agency and AI.
  • Ethics Institute: Ethical justification, theories of political justice, moral psychology, and the ethics and politics of public health.
Meet our teaching staff

Collaboration and interdisciplinarity

Much of the philosophy research done in Utrecht has a strong interdisciplinary emphasis. This interdisciplinary approach and collaborative effort is evident in:

After graduation

Philosophers can be found in a surprisingly wide range of careers, from journalism and politics to banking and consulting. Those who go on to do a PhD in Philosophy can pursue numerous different roles that professional philosophers play in society. 

More on career prospects

The internship gave me first-hand experience on what a research project looks like from the inside.

Key facts

Degree: 
Philosophy (research)
Language of instruction: 
English
Mode of study: 
Full-time
Study duration: 
2 years
Start: 
September
Tuition fees: 
Dutch and other EU/EEA students (statutory fee, full-time) 2024-2025: € 2,530

Non-EU/EEA students (institutional fee) 2024-2025: € 20,043

More information about fees
Croho code: 
60128
Accreditation: 
Accredited by the NVAO
Faculty: 
Humanities
Graduate school: 
Humanities