Admissions status:
Open. The current round closes on October 15, 2025.| Course Details | Description |
|---|---|
| Level | Postgraduate |
| Degree | MA |
| Length | 3 terms (1 year) or 6 terms (2 years) |
| Department | Department of Philosophy |
| US degree credits | 30 (1 year) or 60 (2 years) |
| Austrian degree ECTS credits | 60 (1 year) or 120 (2 years) |
Program Description
The Master of Arts in Philosophy at CEU is designed for students looking to build on their foundational education in philosophy and pursue a PhD at leading departments worldwide.
Offered as a one-year or two-year degree, the MA in Philosophy provides comprehensive training in ancient and modern philosophy taught by an international faculty of professional philosophers. You will learn from professors who actively contribute to the fields of political philosophy, epistemology, philosophy of language and mind, metaphysics, language and logic, applied ethics and more.
The Philosophy Department at CEU will enable you to take an interdisciplinary research approach and develop analytical and systematic thinking skills throughout your contemporary philosophical studies. You will be able to make and assess arguments, develop your own theories and communicate your reasoning effectively.
How the MA in Philosophy Works
The Master of Arts in Philosophy at CEU is offered as a full-time, one-year or two-year program.
- The one-year program (60 ECTS, 30 credits) builds on prior training in philosophy acquired during an undergraduate program. Students who already have a fundamental knowledge of philosophy will begin exploring specific subject areas and develop their analytic skills in preparation for an academic or professional career.
- The two-year program (120 ECTS, 60 credits) is a foundational philosophy track covering most of the major areas of philosophy, mainly from an analytic perspective, including the major periods in the history of philosophy.
The courses of this MA program (one-year and two-year) are organized into mandatory and elective courses. The mandatory subjects will prepare you for applying philosophy in academic and professional environments. The elective modules will enable you to hone your expertise in your chosen branch of philosophy. You will conclude your education with a thesis on a topic of your choice.
If you choose the two-year master program in Philosophy, your mandatory curriculum will be expanded to thoroughly cover the history of the discipline, as well as the elementary concepts of contemporary philosophy. At the end of your first year, you will be familiar with all major philosophical schools of thought and build philosophical arguments.
During the one-year and two-year master’s degree in Philosophy, you will develop analytical and argumentation skills through the participatory style of teaching in the form of a Departmental Colloquium. The department arranges for about ten colloquia each term, during which visiting or CEU faculty give talks on diverse topics followed by discussions with the audience. You will be guided by your teachers in exploring the most pressing philosophical questions of the 21st century.
In addition to practical colloquia, you will advance your knowledge of academic writing to be able to contribute your research to the most prominent academic journals for philosophy.
Expanding Your Expertise with Advanced Certificates
Advanced Certificates are student-only programs that enable you to dive deep into different subject areas through highly specialized training. This unique option offers you the possibility to tailor your learning experience at CEU according to your future academic and professional career.
The following certificates are available for students of the MA in Philosophy:
Who Is This Program For
This Master of Arts in Philosophy program enables students to proceed to doctoral training in any philosophy department around the world. Equipped with advanced critical thinking and reasoning skills, you will be ready to engage in philosophical debates on complex issues. Our interdisciplinary approach allows you to draw from different subject areas, giving you a unique perspective on the most-discussed topics in the modern school of philosophy.
Check If You Meet the Eligibility Criteria
To be accepted into the one-year program, you must have earned a first degree (bachelor's or equivalent undergraduate degree) of not less than four years of full-time studies with a minimum of 240 ECTS credits or equivalent. You must have graduated with at least a minor in philosophy to qualify for this option.
To be accepted into the two-year program, you must have earned a minimum of 180 ECTS credits (or equivalent) during your undergraduate studies. Holders of three-year BAs or of degrees in subjects other than philosophy are advised to apply for the two-year program.
You can find out more about the eligibility criteria for master’s degrees at CEU here.
What Awaits You
Our programs blend specialized training with practical philosophical argumentation skills. You will actively apply theories and concepts learned during your mandatory and elective modules at regularly hosted Departmental Colloquia. All students are encouraged to tailor their curricula by choosing in-depth elective modules. Advanced Certificates are available to all enrolled students to create an even more personalized study program.
Program Overview
Program Overview
You will earn 60 ECTS/30 credits during your studies. The spring term is dedicated to the MA thesis work, which you will begin preparing for during the Winter Term.
Fall Term:
Academic Writing for Philosophy MA students
Departmental Colloquium
Logic
Courses from the list of electives
Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
Departmental Colloquium
MA Thesis Seminar
Courses from the list of electives
Optional: Advanced Certificate
You will earn 120 ECTS/60 credits during your two-year studies. The spring term is dedicated mainly to exam preparation or MA Thesis work. You will begin preparing to write your thesis in the Fall Term of the second year.
Year One:
Fall Term:
Ancient Philosophy
Ethics
Logic
Philosophy of Language
Departmental Colloquium
Academic Writing for Philosophy MA students
Courses from the list of electives
Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
Continental Philosophy
Early Modern Philosophy
Epistemology
Metaphysics
Departmental Colloquium
Courses from the list of electives
Optional: Advanced Certificate
Year Two:
Fall Term:
Departmental Colloquium
Courses from the list of electives
Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
MA Thesis Seminar
Departmental Colloquium
Courses from the list of electives
Optional: Advanced Certificate
* Subjects are only available to students of the One-Year MA in Philosophy.
** Subjects are only available to students of the Two-Year MA in Philosophy.
Advanced Issues on Human Nature 1 & 2
Ancient Philosophy*
Applied Ethics
Continental Philosophy*
Early Modern Philosophy*
Early Modern Philosophy Reading Course
Epistemology*
Ethics*
Ethics and the Cognition of Nature in Ancient Philosophy
Great Themes of Late Antique and Medieval Philosophy Latin and Byzantine (LAMS)
Happiness, Utility and Well-being
Introduction to Political Theory
Logic and Philosophy of Modal Reasoning
Metaphilosophy
Metaphysics*
Metaphysics of Mind 1 & 2
Methods in Political Philosophy: Reading Kagan
Moral Psychology
Morally Contested Markets
Philosophy of Gender and Race
Philosophy of Language*
Philosophy of Love and Friendship
Philosophy of Nature
Philosophy of Religion
Political Theory: Justice and Equality
Relativity
The Family: Gender and Childrearing
The Origin of Abstract Combinatorial Thought**
Topics in Cognitive Science**
Truth in the History of Western Philosophy 1 & 2
Wittgenstein’s On Certainty
Writing Sample Preparation
This program overview is provided as an example based on previous years' curricula. It is for informational purposes only and subject to change. Course offerings, schedules and content may be updated or modified at any time without prior notice. Please refer to official sources or contact the relevant department for the most current program details.
Program Accreditation
The Master of Arts in Philosophy at CEU is registered with the New York State Education Department in the United States and accredited by AQ Austria in Austria. CEU is accredited in the United States by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Find out more about accreditation at CEU.
Your Instructors
See the full list of professors that are currently teaching in the program.
After Graduation
Graduates of the MA in Philosophy are well-prepared to continue their academic career in a Philosophy department anywhere in the world or to teach philosophy at the secondary school level and beyond.
Your Career Prospects
Students who wish to embark on a professional journey after graduation will benefit from a wide range of employable skills nurtured in this program, such as analytical thinking, the ability to ask better questions and complex problem-solving in interdisciplinary settings. You may consider exploring roles with the following job titles:
- Bioethicist
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Development Manager
- Due Diligence Officer
- Economist
- Historian
- Human Resources Manager
- Investor
- Journalist
- Management Consultant
- Philosophy Teacher
- Political Scientist
- Recruiter
- Stockbroker
- Technology Ethicists
- Venture Capitalist
Continue Your Education at CEU
5 Reasons to Study MA in Philosophy at CEU
- Study in Vienna: For the duration of the program, you will be based in Vienna, which was named the world's most livable city for the third consecutive year in the Global Liveability Ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)2.
Dual degree: Earn both an American and Austrian degree and expand your doctoral training prospects internationally.
Develop universally valued employability skills: Complex problem-solving skills combined with the ability to assess multifaceted topics and ask the right questions are considered an asset in the international job market.
Global perspective on current challenges: Study with internationally renowned faculty members who bring innovative research into the classroom.
Internationally recognized: CEU is ranked amongst the Top 50 worldwide in the 2024 edition of QS World University Rankings by Subjectin Philosophy.
