Philosophy of a specific discipline

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Unsplashed background img 2

Deze opleiding

!Deze opleiding communiceert alleen in het Engels.
We tonen daarom de Engelstalige opleidingsinformatie.
What makes natural science 'scientific'? What is a just law? What can science tell us about free will and ethical responsibilities? In this degree, you'll explore the philosophical aspects of science.

open_in_newstudy website

locatieGroningen
diplomaBA
typeregulier, 180 EC
start1 september
taalvolledig English
opleidingsduur3 jaar voltijd
accreditatiesNVAO
croho-code57084
numerus fixusnee
honoursnee

The bachelor Philosophy of a specific discipline is an English-taught program. After the first year of your bachelor, you can enroll in this program. You can either start it while continuing your own bachelor, usually during the 2nd and 3rd year of your first bachelor, or start the bachelor Philosophy of a specific discipline after your first bachelor (usually as a 4th year of your bachelor studies).

Philosophy of a specific discipline consists of:

  • a Minor (30 ECTS), introducing you to the history of philosophy and to some of the major philosophical areas such as ethics, philosophy of science, social-political philosophy, and logic;
  • a Specialization Course (5 ECTS) that introduces you to the field of philosophy that is most relevant to your first bachelor and connects both disciplines;
  • three electives (15 EC) to gain more in-depth knowledge of your Specialization;
  • a Bachelor’s Thesis (10 ECTS) in which you carry out philosophical research connected to the discipline of your first bachelor, in well-organized course;
  • 120 ECTS of your first bachelor programme

More information about the programme and courses see page 45 of the 2023-2024 study guide.

Check out the Open Days at the University of Groningen.

Waarom aan de RUG?

awardNVAO beoordeling goed
2013
This programme received the Quality Label Top Programme in the Keuzegids 2022. Moreover, our Philosophy programmes have been awarded excellent results by research and teaching assessment committees. In the past fifteen years we have ranked #1 during 11 editions of the Elsevier Ranking, which is based on a national questionnaire among students and professors.
The University of Groningen is one of two research universities in the Netherlands that offer a bachelor's programme in philosophy.

Studieprogramma

Unsplashed background img 2
opbouwThe programme begins with an introduction of 30 EC. You will become acquainted with the history of philosophy and the major philosophical areas such as ethics, philosophy of science, political philosophy, and logic. After this, you will select 20 EC of advanced courses that relate to your specific scientific discipline. Finally, you will write a bachelor's thesis in which you will develop your own philosophical ideas about a particular topic of research in your scientific discipline (10 EC).
1e jaar
periode
Course units of the scientific discipline
2e jaar
periode
6 introductory courses
1 specialization course and practicals
3 Elective advanced courses
Bachelor's thesis and thesis course

Onderwijs

taal van onderwijs100% en
avondonderwijsn.v.t.
afstandsonderwijsn.v.t.
onderwijsvormen
individual assignment, lecture, literature study, research, self study, seminar, tutorial
bindend studieadvies
  • minimaal 45 EC in de eerste 12 maanden


You will be offered study advice after the first year of study. You can expect a positive result if you have earned more than 45 ECTS credit points (out of a total of 60 ECTS). If you have earned fewer than 45 ECTS and are issued a negative result, you will not be allowed to continue with your degree programme.
You will receive preliminary study advice in December to make sure that you know where you stand. Please contact your study advisor as soon as possible if you have any questions about the BSA system.
N.B. Some degree programmes use a tutoring system; please check with your study advisor.

Toelating en kosten

startmomenten

1 september 2024

aanmelding deadline : 1 mei 2024
wettelijk tarief : € 2530 (€1265 in het eerste jaar)
instellingstarief : € 11500
niet-EU/EER studenten : € 13100

1 september 2025

aanmelding deadline : 1 mei 2025
collegegeld nog niet bekend

Sign up in Studielink by selecting “Philosophy of a Specific Discipline (Bachelor)” and one of the seven offered tracks. For each bachelor programme offered at the University of Groningen, there are one or two tracks offered. Find your track

Please indicate on Studielink that you will not start in the first year as this bachelor is offered on a post-propaedeutic level. We will check whether you have obtained your propaedeutic exam and will finalize your registration.

After completion of your enrolment you will receive an email from the study advisor with information about the courses and how to enrol for these in Progress.

Please view this overview of tuition fees and enrolment for EU/EEA, non-EU students or international students doing a non-Dutch bachelor.




toelaatbare profielen
WO propedeusetoelaatbaar
toelatingseisen

erkende certificaten
After you have been admitted, you should submit a list of results (Transcript of Records) obtained in the propedeutic phase of your first degree programme (an overview of results in Progress from the student administration of the degree programme will suffice) to the Board of Examiners via fil-admin@rug.nl in order to request for exemption from the examination of Module 1 of the Philosophy of a Specific Discipline degree programme.

De stad

studievereniging

STUFF
STUFF is the social network of all philosophy students of the University of Groningen.
STUFF organizes philosophical activities, like lectures and debates and trips to foreign universities as well as many social happenings such as monthly meetings at a local café, (theme) parties, competitions etc.

aan het woord: studenten en docenten

Marise Timmenga
Marise Timmenga

The bachelor Philosophy of a Specific Discipline has been a wonderful addition to my academic journey, and it marked the beginning of my 'career' switch to philosophy.

Starting with courses that introduce you to the field of philosophy, you will learn about core concepts, movements and methodologies within philosophy, some of which still underlie our current thinking . The applications of what you’ll learn extend beyond the BA, and I have found the skills and insights I have developed to be useful in both my primary discipline and in my personal life...
Most of the courses, but my discipline’s specialization course in particular, provided in-depth thought about concepts that were mentioned during my primary bachelor, but that were not further explored. It has helped me to better understand the development of my discipline, and the assumptions that it implicitly holds, and its recurring patterns of thought. If you like to challenge yourself, your views and your assumptions, if you love those “aha!” moments when you suddenly make new connections, and if you thrive in a community of curious and kind people, then this program is absolutely the right choice for you.


lees verder ...
Ren de Jong
Initially I intended to do only the Philosophy minor but after completing the first semester I was sold.

The Philosophy minor made me aware that my whole mindset was adjusted to studying biology. I had gotten used to learning biological mechanisms, doing experiments and writing reports but I'd forgotten to look beyond this.

The “why-questions” had faded to the background but became very prominent while I was studying for the minor: What does it actually mean to do research? How are ethics and science connected? What is permitted in science and what are the implications of discoveries for society?.When I graduated high school and had to decide what to do next, I was absolutely clueless...
Everything seemed interesting! Philosophy already caught my eye but I was afraid it would be too theoretical for me. I thought it would only be reading about dudes that lived a thousand years ago. So in the end I chose Biology since it was a really broad study. Although I liked it, in the back of my mind I was still thinking about studying something else on top of it. The minor in my third year proved an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at philosophy. Initially I intended to do only the Philosophy minor but after completing the first semester I was already sold.The Philosophy minor made me aware that my whole mindset was adjusted to studying biology. I had gotten used to learning biological mechanisms, doing experiments and writing reports but I had forgotten to look beyond this. The “why-questions” had faded to the background but became very prominent while I was studying for the Philosophy minor:What does it actually mean to do research? How are ethics and science connected? What is permitted in science and what are the implications of discoveries for society?So in short, I really liked philosophy. Doing the whole Philosophy bachelor’s would cost me an extra three years, so I decided to register for Philosophy of a specific discipline instead. This is a one-year programme so it wouldn’t delay me too much but I could still get some in-depth knowledge.While doing the Philosophy minor I was mostly interested in ethics and social & political philosophy so I decided to do more of these courses. Last year I followed a course in ethics and we had to write an essay on a topic of our own choice. This seemed like a good excuse to try and combine philosophy with biology, so I wrote about evolution and morality. Being intrigued by this topic I even made it the topic of my thesis. It was about the question whether evolution can undermine the existence of objective moral values. This way I was able to look at the implications of evolution (my specialization within biology) in other fields.Last week I even spent a Sunday at the University Library because I was really excitedHowever, this bachelor's is not necessarily just about your original discipline, you can also choose courses that are solely about philosophy. I am currently doing a course called “death and responsibility” and the lecture hours are the two most interesting hours of my week. The lecturer is somehow able to make Heidegger sound understandable and interesting. Last week I even spent a Sunday at the University Library to do the reading because I was really excited. I am now at the point where I can finish my bachelor and I am quite sad to leave this amazing faculty. Maybe I will just do a master to stay a bit longer.


lees verder ...
Christiaan Triebert
afgestudeerd in 2015
I'd be happy to see a philosophy course integrated in all academic programmes

The Faculty of Philosophy feels a hidden gem of serenity in an otherwise bustling street of the Netherlands' cosiest city centre. Its entrance, and I mean its student entrance, not the main door at the street side which can only be opened by staff, is accessible through an alley that leads to a small courtyard cluttered with bikes. I had a hard time finding it behind the façade of the Oude Boteringestraat, which made me arrive late for my first ever lecture there, as if I was a freshman again.

...
Day in, day out, I’d focus on conflict and war, strengthened even more by the wide variety of the Middle Eastern Studies courses I took in addition to my degree programme. With hitch hiking as my purest passion, I enjoyed listening to the countless interpretations and perspectives people have on conflicts, war, and the world itself. But questions that were once simply interesting to explore, eventually started to bug me. What is truth? Is there a truth? What is right, what is wrong? What ethical responsibilities do I have? What does scientific even mean? Some thought-provoking courses on theoretical and methodological problems within IRIO made me realize I wanted to question more. But I was already far into my bachelor’s programme… What to do?An absolute godsendAnd then I found out about the English-taught Philosophy of a Specific Discipline programme. An absolute godsend for those curious students that wish to explore more philosophical aspects of science, I must say. While continuing my normal programme, I had the opportunity to also deepen and widen my philosophical interest. The programme did not give a simple answer to my questions. Often, they were a tantamount of possible answers. But perhaps more importantly the programme offered the tools to approach such questions, it taught the skill of thinking critically, thereby only widening the gray zone. Besides, I must also emphasize that I felt the lecturers genuinely care about their students, given their critical and useful feedback on essays and exams, as well as their well-prepared lectures.I’d be happy to see a philosophy course integrated in all academic programmesThat sounds like a lot of sunshine and roses. Which it is, from my perspective. If there is one quote that intrigues me, it’s Friedrich Nietzsche’s ‘There are no facts, only interpretations’. He wrote the sentence in his essay On Truth and Lies (1873). There is no objectivity, only subjectivity. All our ideas and judgments are formed through our own perspective. In today’s information age, we have access to the greatest amount of information ever. However, the amount of misinformation and disinformation also appears to be increasing. Therefore, one of the most important aspects of this programme has not been finding concrete answers but mastering the skill to think critically. I’d be happy to see a philosophy course integrated in all academic programmes. But well, that’s my opinion. In Nietzsche’s words, ‘You have your own way. I have my way. As for the right way, correct way and the only way, they do not exist.’ So for now, the Philosophy of a Specific Discipline provides an excellent solution, for me, and just like its location, its existence also still remains a hidden gem for many university students.About ChristiaanThis interview was taken in 2016. After finishing his Bachelor's in Groningen, Christiaan Triebert earned a Master’s degree in War Studies at King’s College London. In 2017, he was awarded the European Press Prize for his reconstruction of the coup in Turkey in 2016. From then on, things developed quickly. He has worked for Bellingcat and Airwars. After that, Christiaan worked for Bellingcat and in 2019, he started at the New York Times (and was awarded UG Alumnus of the Year).


lees verder ...

Keuzehulp

Unsplashed background img 2

Studievergelijker

1/2 RUG
Filosofie van een Bepaald Wetenschapsgebied
star NVAO
€ 303 gemiddelde kamerhuur
1 eerstejaars
?% vrouw
? uur contacttijd/week
2/2 Erasmus
Double degree with Philosophy (Wijsbegeerte van een bepaald Wetenschapsgebied)
star Keuzegids topopleiding 2017
€ 342 gemiddelde kamerhuur
242 eerstejaars
50% vrouw
? uur contacttijd/week
disclaimer: bovenstaande cijfers en beoordelingen zijn aangeleverd door de opleidingen zelf. Wij kunnen de juistheid niet garanderen.

Na de studie

Unsplashed background img 2

Beroepsperspectief / arbeidsmarkt

Students in philosophy have many possibilities finding a job. As they are qualified as critical, analytical thinkers with a broad understanding of culture, society and the sciences, they can apply for jobs in different fields. Our alumni have found jobs in:
  • Education: universities, universities of applied sciences, secondary education
  • Journalism and communication
  • Business
  • Policy and politics: ministries, municipalities, political parties, NGO's
  • Research

aansluitende masteropleidingen

instellingopleidinginstroomeisen
UvHBurgerschap & Kwaliteit van Samenlevengeen aanvullende eisen
RUGDDM Political Philosophy and PPE + aanv. eisen
RUGDigital Humanitiesgeen aanvullende eisen
RUGEducatie in de Mens- en Maatschappijwetenschappen - Filosofie educational+ 30 EC pre-master
RUGFilosofiegeen aanvullende eisen
UUHistory and Philosophy of Science researchgeen aanvullende eisen
UULeraar VHO filosofie full-time,part-time educational+ 60 EC pre-master
Universiteit LeidenLeraar VHO in Filosofie educational+ 60 EC pre-master
Amsterdam UVALerarenopleiding Filosofie educational+ 60 EC pre-master
Amsterdam UVALerarenopleiding Filosofie part-time educational+ 60 EC pre-master
UvHMaster Humanistiekgeen aanvullende eisen
UvHMaster Zorgethiek en Beleidgeen aanvullende eisen
Universiteit TwentePhilosophy of Science, Technology & Society full-time,part-timegeen aanvullende eisen
RUGPhilosophy, Politics and Economics+ aanv. eisen
bron: doorstroommatrix.nl

Potentiële beroepen

beleidsmedewerker sociale zaken en welzijn
bron: UWV

Contact

Anouk Labberté

study advisor

Meer informatie?
Bezoek de website van deze opleiding.

open_in_newstudy website