Master course admission requirements are defined by the French Community of Belgium Decree of 7 November 2013 defining the hiher education landscape and the academic organisation of courses.
General and specific admission requirements for this programme must be satisfied at the time of enrolling at the university.
Unless explicitly mentioned, the bachelor's, master's and licentiate degrees listed in this table or on this page are to be understood as those issued by an institution of the French, Flemish or German-speaking Community, or by the Royal Military Academy.
In the event of the divergence between the different linguistic versions of the present conditions, the French version shall prevail.
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- > Holders of a 2nd cycle University degree
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- > Access based on application
- > Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration
Specific access requirements
1° Student must hold a first level university degree.
2° Provide proof of level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference in French.
3° To have developed the following skills in the context of their previous academic training:
- mastery of the written and oral scientific practices of the French language;
- competence in the following philosophical disciplines: logic, morals, epistemology, anthropology, metaphysics, political and social philosophy, aesthetics and philosophy of art;
- mastery of the history of philosophy;
- competence in the commented reading of a major text from the philosophical tradition.
The 30 credits of the Minor in Philosophy or of the Certificat universitaire en philosophie (fondements) may satisfy these requirements.
In the absence of sufficient training in one or more of these subjects, supplementary classes will be integrated into the master's programme (from 15 credits to a maximum of 60 credits). This preparatory module is established by the jury on the basis of the student's previous course of study.
Course equivalences are submitted for approval to the jury (small panel).
4° Students wishing to pursue a master's degree with a teaching focus must have a degree of the French Community of Belgium; failing this, they will have to pass a French language proficiency examination to demonstrate that their command of written and spoken French is equivalent to Level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (for further information, visit https://uclouvain.be/en/study/inscriptions/french-language-master-teaching.html).
University Bachelors | |||
| Diploma | Special Requirements | Access | Remarks |
| UCLouvain Bachelors | |||
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Direct access | ||
| Bachelor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics | Direct access | ||
| Other bachelor | If students have chosen one of the following minor or certificate: Minor in Philosophy Certificat universitaire en philosophie (fondements) | Access with additional training | Maximum 15 credits of supplementary classes integrated into the master's programme If the UCLouvain Admissions Office considers the enrolment application sufficiently complete, it will submit the application to the faculty for a decision. |
| Any other bachelor | Access with additional training | Maximum 60 credits of supplementary classes integrated into the master's programme | |
| Others Bachelors of the French speaking Community of Belgium | |||
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Direct access | ||
| Other bachelor | If students have chosen one of the Certificat universitaire en philosophie (fondements) | Access with additional training | Maximum 15 credits of supplementary classes integrated into the master's programme (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) |
| Any other bachelor | Access with additional training | Maximum 60 credits of supplementary classes integrated into the master's programme (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) | |
| Bachelors of the Dutch speaking Community of Belgium | |||
| Bachelor of philosophy | Proficiency in French at level B1 (CEFR) | Direct access | |
| Foreign Bachelors | |||
| Bachelor in Philosophy or equivalent training | Access based on application | In case of admission, additional training to be determined depending on the student's educational background (consult Access on the file) | |
Non university Bachelors | |||
> Find out more about links to the university Only applicable to graduates of higher education institutions of the French Community of Belgium | |||
Holders of a 2nd cycle University degree | |||
| Diploma | Special Requirements | Access | Remarks |
| "Licenciés" | |||
| Licence en philosophie | Direct access | Programme to be determined depending on the student's educational background (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) | |
| Masters | |||
| Master [60] in Philosophy | Direct access | Programme to be determined depending on the student's educational background (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) Taking into account the student's educational background will allow 45 to 60 credits to be exempted. | |
| Master [120] in Philosophy, second focus | Direct access | At the end of master 120, each focus of the Master [120] in Philosophy can be obtained in a new programme of 30 credits. | |
| Master [120] in Ethics | Access with additional training | Programme to be determined depending on the student's educational background (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) | |
| Other Belgian master | If students have chosen one of the following programmes: Minor in Philosophy Certificat universitaire en philosophie (fondements) Certificat universitaire en philosophie (approfondissement) | Access with additional training | Maximum 15 credits of supplementary classes integrated into the master's programme (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) If the UCLouvain Admissions Office considers the enrolment application sufficiently complete, it will submit the application to the faculty for a decision. |
| Any other Belgian master | Access with additional training | Programme to be determined depending on the student's educational background (consult Admission and Enrolment Procedures for general registration) | |
| Foreign Masters | Access based on application | All candidates must ensure that they meet the specific access requirements. In case of admission, maximum 60 credits of supplementary classes integrated into the Master's programme (consult Acces on the file). | |
Holders of a non-University 2nd cycle degree | |||
| Only applicable to graduates of higher education institutions of the French Community of Belgium | |||
Access based on validation of professional experience
> It is possible, under certain conditions, to use one's personal and professional experience to enter a university course without having the required qualifications. However, validation of prior experience does not automatically apply to all courses. Find out more about Validation of priori experience.
Candidates who do not fulfil the abovementioned admission requirements, but who have duly attested significant experience relevant to the field of study in question, may apply for admission to the programme on the basis of an individualised admission procedure.
For more information on the procedure for admission by validation of learning from experience (VAE) in the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts and Letters: https://uclouvain.be/fr/facultes/fial/valorisation-des-acquis-de-l-experience-vae.html.
Access based on application
Access based on application : access may be granted either directly or on the condition of completing additional courses of a maximum of 60 ECTS credits, or refused.
Conditions of access based on application 2024-2025 of the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts and Letters are available in this document (in French).