Bachelor of Arts in Moral Sciences

The Moral Studies programme is built on the ambition to deal with moral issues in an integrated manner. Good conduct and all its concomitant questions should always take into account ethical insights as well as the specific circumstances in which that conduct takes place. With that in mind, we offer you a fundamental theoretical training: you study how philosophy in general, and ethics in particular approach moral thought. At the same time, you will also study such auxiliary disciplines as Economics, Sociology and Psychology. You will gain a specific understanding of how individuals and groups think, reason, and behave, and how this has evolved throughout history. These two cornerstones culminate in an integrated philosophical and empirical study of norms, values and ideologies. You achieve that level of integration by taking on course units on the basics of quantitative and qualitative research methods for Moral Studies. A Moral Studies graduate is equipped to become a critical citizen capable of providing a reasoned view of the complex problems of our society. This critical role is something that Philosophy and Moral Studies have in common. Moral Studies, however, is more application-oriented with a focus on specific empirical circumstances in which moral issues surface.

Bachelor

We offer a three-year Bachelor’s programme, which combines a broad, general training with gradual specialisation.

• The first year offers a broad introduction to the Humanities. Together with students from other study programmes, you will take on a number of general introductory course units in literature, and psychology, among others. You also take a basic training in philosophy. The emphasis, however, is always on specific Ethics course units in which we deal with contemporary theories extensively.
• From the second year onwards, you gain more in-depth knowledge of the first-year learning contents, and you study a number of so-called auxiliary sciences. This in-depth study and specialisation continues in the third year. Staggered over the second and the third year, you take on a number of ECTS credits of a elective set of your choice, i.e. a coherent set of course units from one or more other discipline(s).The choice of elective sets offers an indispensable acquaintance with other disciplines. In some cases, it even facilitates a transition to another Master's programme. In the course of the three-year Bachelor’s curriculum you will also take on methodology course units, introducing you to general philosophical as well as more specific ethics-related research skills such as researching and assessing information, formulating research questions and critically reading texts relevant to your research question, elaborating and presenting your findings orally and in writing. In the third year, the skills that you have acquired throughout the Bachelor’s programme culminate in a Bachelor’s dissertation, an independent research assignment you conduct under the guidance of a supervisor.

Master

The true specialization in your field takes place during your master's programme. For your master's thesis, you will select from a range of philosophical elective course units within the Master of Philosophy or Moral Studies, which are often closely linked to the specialized research conducted within the programme. Additionally, you can also take several courses outside the Moral Studies programme.

• Are you an outstanding student of Philosophy or Moral Studies? Then consider applying for the two-year interuniversity Research Master in Philosophy. Visit researchmasterinphilosophy.be for more information.
• Your bachelor's degree also provides access to other master's programmes beyond those mentioned above, including a Master’s Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: een educatieve master). You can find an overview under the 'Further Studies' tab.

Our programme usually does not lead to a fixed or rigid career path. Career opportunities that are directly in line with the programme are all situated in the academic research and/or education sectors. Research has shown that our graduates also end up in government services, NGOs, at financial institutions or in the media world, the cultural and the IT sectors. As civic engagement is an important factor in their career choice, our graduates also often find their way to positions in the social and education sector.
Take a look at our website for a list of specific professions (in Dutch).