The master 120 en philosophie aims to give students advanced skills in philosophy and give them the opportunity to carry out individual, original research.
Philosophy teaching and philosophical research at UCL go back to 1889. Since this time, the Institut supérieur de philosophie has never ceased to explore new philosophical trends and topics, whilst remaining true to what it has already accomplished. It has thus always linked dialogue with tradition and an openness to contemporary concerns. Incidentally, the Ecole louvaniste has always stressed the need to be open to other disciplines (history, theology, exact science, economics, law, etc). This desire for a cross-disciplinary approach is all the better served as UCL is a complete university, which of course helps the link between philosophy and other academic disciplines.
At the end of this second level,
1. Students will have acquired more in-depth knowledge of the following six sectors of philosophical research, spread into three focuses.
a. Research focus
- either the sector of 'orientations philosophiques fondamentales'
- or the thematic sector of philosophical aesthetics
- or the thematic sector of philosophy of science
- or the interdisciplinary sector of the societal issue of science and techniques
c. Teaching focus
c. 1. sector of philosophical didactics
b. Professional focus
b. 1. sector of German and French philosophy
2. students will be able
• to make a critical literary summary on a given issue;
• to address and defend philosophical arguments;
• to take part in philosophical debates in their specialist area
• to produce individual research, draft it and present the results orally;
3. students may have acquired experience outside of UCL, most frequently of an international nature, (thanks to stays abroad, in particular as part of Erasmus exchanges in Europe, or Erasmus mundus exchanges, or through meeting foreign professors and researchers) ;
4. at the end of this course, students will be prepared for third level research (doctorate).
The master 120 en philosophie includes core courses (75 credits) including a dissertation, a choice of focus (30 credits) and optional courses (15 credits). There are three types of focus: research, teaching or professional.
1. Research or teaching focus
The research focus trains students in how to undertake research. As for the teaching focus, it guides students towards secondary teaching.
The student can divide his courses out in two ways
First possibility. During the first year, he chooses 40 credits from the shared subjects of the core courses, 15 credits from the optional courses and takes the preparation seminar for the dissertation (5 credits). In the second year, he chooses five credits from the shared subjects which were not chosen before, a focus (30 credits) and completes his dissertation (25 credits).
Second possibility. During the first year, he chooses 45 credits from the shared subjects of the core courses, 10 credits from the optional courses and takes the preparation seminar for the dissertation (5 credits). In the second year, he chooses 5 credits from the shared subjects which were not chosen before, a focus (30 credits) and completes his dissertation (25 credits).
Whatever the focus or the options chosen, the programme of this master shall total a minimum of 120 credits, spread over two years of study each of 60 credits
2. Professional focus
This focus is exclusively reserved to students who have been admitted to enrol on the master 'Philosophies allemande et française dans l’espace européen (Europhilosophie)' on the Erasmus Mundus programme (www.europhilosophie.eu/mundus/), and of which ISP is a partner.
This master offers students from across the world high-level training over two years in the fields of German and French philosophy and the way they interact within the European intellectual and cultural area. Each year, 13 students who are not European Union nationals are selected and given an annual grant of 21.000 EUR. 13 European Union students are also selected and their mobility is covered by the Erasmus programme.
Depending on his study path, a student who spends a term at UCL will choose 30 credits from the core course courses and will enrol on the professional focus in German and French philosophy. A student who spends a whole masters year at UCL will choose 35 credits from the core course courses and 20 dissertation credits.
Whatever the programme chosen, the master 120 programme will total a minimum of 120 credits spread over two years of study of 60 credits each.
Whatever the focus or the options chosen, the programme of this master shall total a minimum of 120 credits, spread over two years of study each of 60 credits
Core courses:
Research focus
Teaching focus
Professional focus
Optional courses
The teaching focus master 120 en philosophie gives access to higher secondary school teaching.
The research or professional focus master 120 en philosophie gives access to the 'agrégation de l’enseignement secondaire supérieur' (AESS).
The teaching, research or professional focus master 120 en philosophie gives access to a doctorate.
There is a university certificate in philosophy (advanced module) which borrows courses from the second level.
