Bachelor of Philosophy (Leuven)

What could you come to have in common with Herman Van Rompuy, the first 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 truth, a BA in philosophy will help you to orient your thoughts about the world that we are living in, and it will also teach you to use philosophical skills in analysing contemporary scientific and societal debates. Come to Leuven and get to know yourself.

What is the Bachelor of Philosophy all about?

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.

Advanced Placement

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). 

Structure

The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy programme is a three-year programme of 180 ECTS credits divided into 3 stages. The student should earn an average of 60 ECTS credits per stage. The programme is structured around basic and historical philosophy courses (the so-called “Core Courses”), seminars and electives.

• The Core Courses provide the student with the necessary knowledge of the history of philosophy and key philosophical themes and concepts.
• In the seminars, the student learns how to read and analyse texts closely, as well as give well-structured presentations, and write philosophical papers.
• Electives, which also include non-philosophical courses, stimulate the student’s interests and encourage interdisciplinarity.

An important part of the programme is the Bachelor’s Paper with Seminar, a course in which the student learns to research and write a more extended piece of philosophical scholarship.

International

Philosophy has been taught at KU Leuven since its founding in 1425. Throughout the centuries, the university has remained an important and influential centre of philosophical thought, with a strong commitment to the international dimension of education. In more recent times, the Institute of Philosophy, established in 1889, has continued this august tradition and is now an internationally recognised centre of philosophical research and education.

The Institute of Philosophy is international in every sense of the word.

• It offers a complete programme of philosophical studies in English, in addition to a complete programme in Dutch.
• It has its roots in the eminent tradition of European continental philosophy. In recent years, however, it has embraced other philosophical traditions ranging from Anglo-American thought to non-Western philosophy. The Institute is truly committed to philosophical pluralism.
• Members of its teaching staff come from, among others, the USA, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Ireland.
• It attracts visiting scholars and students from all over the world. Some 70 different nationalities are represented.
• It has Erasmus+ exchange agreements with more than 40 European universities, including universities in Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Dublin, Lisbon, Madrid, Siena and Istanbul. Bachelor-level students have the opportunity to study at a foreign partner university for one semester, in either the second or the third stage of the 180 ECTS BA programme.
• With 5 research centres, some 40 full-time staff and more than 150 adjunct faculty members, post-docs and doctoral students, it is among the largest research groups in philosophy on the continent.
• It hosts several international conferences every year with widely varying themes and involving a mix of well-established and up-and-coming philosophers from near and far.
• It has one of the finest philosophical libraries in the world. The library contains more than 90,000 volumes and maintains subscriptions to more than 300 journals. It is user-friendly, with open stacks, a liberal lending policy, extensive electronic resources and an online catalogue.
• In 2018 the Institute of Philosophy was ranked 31st in the world among philosophy programmes (QS World University Rankings).

 

For more information, please visit the programme page