Philosophy

What could you come to have in common with Herman Van Rompuy, the former President of the European Council? A bachelor's degree in philosophy from Leuven, in the heart of Europe! An ideal basis for further studies in philosophy at Leuven or further afield, or a launching pad for an exciting professional career in fields such as law, economics and medicine, the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (BA) programme will do much more than introduce you to the highly sought-after skills of logic, critical thinking and close reading. Structuring your own quest for meaning, a BA in philosophy will help you to make sense of the world and your own place in it, and it will also teach you to use philosophical skills in analysing contemporary societal debates. Come to Leuven and get to know yourself!

The aim of the BA programme is to provide a thorough, broad and comprehensive historical and systematic education in philosophy. At the same time, the programme seeks to provide students with research skills for successful written and verbal expression in philosophy. Students also learn to use philosophical skills in analysing contemporary societal debates. The BA thus prepares students for further studies in philosophy and many other fields as well as for a variety of careers.

The Institute of Philosophy offers a comprehensive range of BA, MA, Research Master and PhD degrees, all taught in English. Viewed collectively, our undergraduate and post-graduate degrees aim to familiarise students with the history of philosophy as well as with contemporary movements in analytic and continental philosophy so that they are able to engage with the fundamental areas of philosophical research. The Institute of Philosophy is proud to offer its students a broad philosophical education and a wide range of courses and seminars, as well as personalised study support and guidance.

The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy is a three-year programme (180 ECTS credits) but students with some university-level education may be eligible to apply for admission with advanced placement. Students with a BA degree in a field other than philosophy and no academic background in philosophy are recommended to apply to the one-year Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy abridged programme (64-65 ECTS credits). 

This is a bachelor's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.

Basic Philosophical Courses

• Logic
• Introduction to Ethics
• Philosophical Anthropology
• Theory of Knowledge
• Political Philosophy and the Ethics of Globalisation
• Philosophy of Science
• Metaphysics

Historical Philosophical Courses

• Historical Introduction to Philosophy
• History of Philosophy: Ancient Philosophy
• Contemporary Anglo-American Philosophy
• History of Philosophy: Medieval Philosophy
• History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy I
• History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy II
• Phenomenology and Contemporary Continental Philosophy

Research Skills

• Research and Writing Tutorial
• Bachelor's Paper with Seminar

Seminars

Religion and Meaning

• European Perspectives on Religion and Meaning

Electives

Requirements

• A Belgian degree of secondary education;
• A Belgian degree of short-course higher education;
• A Belgian degree of higher education for social advancement, with the exception of the certificate of pedagogic aptitude;
• A degree or certificate, awarded in the context of the Flemish HBO;
• A degree or certificate which, pursuant to a law, Decree or European guideline or another international agreement, is deemed equivalent to the certificates mentioned in the categories above.
• In addition to this KU Leuven may admit candidates who have obtained a degree or certificate in a country outside of the European Union, which is not deemed equivalent as mentioned in 5°. This is only possible on the condition that this document gives admission to a Bachelor's programme in the country where it has been awarded, comparable to a Flemish Bachelor's degree, and on the condition that the degree of certificate in question is authenticated. Candidate students who fall into this category file their application with the International Admissions and Mobility Unit
• TOEFL (computer-based test 213 pt., internet-based test 79-80 pt., paper-based test 550 pt.) or IELTS (6,5 - 7 pt.)
• PDF scans of your diplomas and transcripts of academic records
• PDF scan of the translation of your diploma and official transcripts
• PDF of the proof of payment of the application fee made either via bank transfer or via credit card
• PDF scan of the identity page of your passport
• PDF of your motivation letter (recommended size: one A4 page)
• PDF of your CV

Scholarships

• Erasmus+
• VLIR-UOS scholarship.