What is the MA in Moral Sciences?

The Master’s programme in Moral Sciences is a degree in applied ethics that offers you an in-depth study on the interaction between moral practice and ethical theory, allowing you to explore ethical theories and relevant social scientific insights and data in relation to contemporary ethical issues.

What does the course look like?

Applied ethics courses offered are global ethics, bioethics and sexual and relationship ethics. More philosophical courses focus on social and political philosophy and on ethical theory. In an advanced course on moral science, students reflect on the interplay between science, philosophy and (applied) ethics. The master’s thesis allows students to thoroughly develop their knowledge and thoughts of a self-chosen topic.

What are the aims of the course?

The basic aim of the MA degree in Moral Sciences is to equip the students with both ethical and philosophical knowledge and skills, as well as with a sound social scientific training. The guiding idea is that in order to be able to critically think through ethical issues, the informed ethicists should not only be at home in ethical (applied) theory, but also be able to read, discuss and conduct (social) scientific research, relevant to the problems discussed.

What are the central research themes in line with the course?

Students will benefit from the vibrant research activities and centres from the Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences. Core research themes include medical ethics and bioethics, sexual ethics and politics, (philosophy of) science in a democratic setting, the scientific study of morality and the ‘moral brain’, etc.

Full programme