Master in Philosophy

The Master in Philosophy enables students to take their studies to an advanced level. Previously acquired philosophical knowledge can be extended and deepened into individual specialisms.

Overview: objects and aims of the Master in Philosophy

Since the 2012/13 Winter Semester, the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Studies at LMU Munich has offered a consecutive, research-orientated Master program in Philosophy, which is four semesters (120 ECTS credits) in duration. The Master program is distinguished by the fact that it offers its students a wide range of choices and options for specialisation. Students can choose Master-level courses and lectures which are relevant to them based on their prior knowledge, and which are often informed by the current research findings of the faculty's teaching units, from the following areas:

  • Theoretical philosophy: epistemology, logic, metaphysics and ontology, natural philosophy (especially philosophy of physics), neurophilosophy, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science
  • Practical philosophy: ethics, theory of action and rationality, political philosophy, social philosophy and philosophy of economics
  • History of philosophy: ancient philosophy (primarily Plato and Aristotle), philosophy of the Middle Ages and of the Renaissance, modern philosophy, classical German philosophy (primarily Kant and Hegel), philosophy of the 19th and 20th centuries (primarily Wittgenstein)
  • Other areas of philosophy: philosophy of religion, Islamic philosophy, philosophy of gender and feminism

Faculty 10 at LMU, which is one of the largest philosophy faculties in the German-speaking world, as well as one of the richest in tradition, also gives Master students the chance to create specific links between individual areas as part of developing their philosophical profile; for example, to develop research-based expertise in the field of "Ethics and Ancient Philosophy" or "Philosophy of Language and Classical German Philosophy" or "Contemporary Logic/Philosophy of Science and Social and Economic Philosophy". However, students can also choose to concentrate on one area (for instance, practical philosophy or a sub-field of theoretical philosophy) by means of module choices and research. With a comprehensive array of learning opportunities from across the humanities, students can build bridges to other disciplines in a targeted way according to their own philosophical preferences.

Check out what our graduates have said about the program here.

Key information about the Master in Philosophy

Start of program (first academic semester)
Winter Semester - it is not possible to start in the Summer Semester.
Language of instruction
German. Some optional courses are offered in English. Knowledge of Latin and Ancient Greek is not required.
Language proficiency requirements
See this page from the LMU International Office.
Fees
None, apart from the basic fee of the Studierendenwerk
Academic qualification
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Standard duration of program
4 semesters
Limit on place numbers
None (also none for the foreseeable future)
Registration requirements, application process (first semester) and qualification process
See below
Transfer students wishing to begin in a later semester by transferring already accumulated credits
In this situation, please contact Dr. Wyrwich at latest by mid-August (if intending to transfer in the following winter semester) or by mid-February (if intending to transfer in the following summer semester)
Certification / accreditation of the course
unconditionally accredited in 2019 by the accreditation agency ACQUIN

Eligibility criteria, application procedure and qualification process

Eligibility for the Master program in Philosophy requires proof of a university degree, or an equivalent qualification, from a program (in Germany or abroad) of at least six semesters in length, as well as taking part in a qualification process (Eignungsverfahren). The next opportunity to apply is for the Winter Semester 2025/26. The deadline for applications is 15 July 2025. It is not possible to start the program in the Summer Semester. The following documents must be submitted to the Department of Philosophy/Faculty 10:

  1. Itemised curriculum vitae (including, among other things, your date of birth, place of birth and your current postal address)
  2. Copy of your diploma (in the case of a diploma not written in German or English, the copy must be accompanied by an officially certified translation!). If you have not yet obtained your degree at the time of application, and it has to be submitted later, you must instead submit a Transcript of Records, validated by the responsible examinations office, showing all your examinations and assessments from your first degree up to the time of application, which should total at least 150 ECTS credits. For LMU students, it suffices to send in the LSF-Notenspiegel.
  3. In addition:
    • 3a. A term paper or essay from your previous major or minor studies in Philosophy (at least 10,000 characters in length and written in German), which was provably marked at least "sufficient" (4,0), or
    • 3b. An essay (maximum 15,000 characters and written in German) on one of the following themes (see the tab below) with an attached declaration that it is your own unassisted work.

All documents may be sent in digital form by e-mail to: master.philosophie@lrz.uni-muenchen.de. If you submit electronically, please send the documents in PDF format only (maximum limit for the combined file size of all attachments: 5 MB)! Submission via e-mail is preferred. Otherwise, the documents can also be submitted by post to:

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Fakultät 10 (Hauspost-F. 39)
z. Hd. Herrn Dr. Thomas Wyrwich
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
D 80539 München

Graduates who are interested in the Master in Philosophy at LMU, but who have not completed any academic work in philosophy (e.g. seminar paper, essay) at least 10,000 characters long and marked at least "sufficient" (ausreichend) or "pass" (bestanden) during their previous degree, must submit an academic essay, along with the rest of the required application documents. The essay should be in German, maximum of 15,000 characters in length, and on one of the topics below. You can choose the topics freely from among these. The essay must be accompanied by a signed declaration that it is your own work and was completed only using the given resources.

  • Was ist Transzendentalphilosophie?
  • Was ist eine nach zeitgenössischem Philosophieverständnis berechtigte metaphysische Frage, und wie ließe sich in Sachen Metaphysik auch nach dem Zeitalter der Metaphysikkritik noch rational argumentieren? Geben Sie mindestens ein Beispiel für ein derartiges metaphysisches Problem und skizzieren eine Argumentationsstrategie, in der nach Ihrer Auffassung eine Lösung liegen könnte.
  • Gibt es zeitunabhängige/kontextunabhängige philosophische Aussagen?
  • Was ist ein logisch gültiges Argument?
  • Wie lässt sich Wissen von Nicht-Wissen unterscheiden?
  • Was macht eine gerechte staatliche Ordnung aus?
  • Ist das gute Leben auch ein glückliches?
  • Spricht die Existenz des Bösen/Üblen gegen die Existenz Gottes?

The essay should demonstrate the mastery of academic methods (correct citation of sources, understanding of primary and, in certain cases, secondary literature, etc.) and should be at the level of a short term paper which could be submitted in the first few semesters of a (Bachelor) Philosophy program at a university.

  1. Applicants whose documents show that they have successfully completed a first degree (or will shortly complete one) and have already earned at least 60 ECTS credits in the subject of Philosophy, and who have submitted a writing sample as described in 3a, are automatically qualified for the Master program in Philosophy and receive a letter of qualification (Eignunsbescheid) or letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid). In this case, the writing sample is not re-marked or re-examined as part of the admissions process.
  2. In all other cases, the application documents and the applicant's previous knowledge of philosophy is more closely inspected. Specifically, a member of the admissions committee will examine the submitted essay according to the requirements of § 1 Satz 3 of the Eignungssatzung. The examination can end in the following results:
    • 2a. If the essay is marked as "suitable" (geeignet), the applicant is deemed qualified for the Master program and receives an Eignungsbescheid or Zulassungsbescheid.
    • 2b. If the essay is marked as "potentially suitable" (vielleicht geeignet), the applicant is invited to a selection interview. The interview serves as a joint exploration with the applicant of whether a Master program (as opposed to a Bachelor program, for instance) is right for them. The result of the interview decides whether the applicant is qualified.
    • 2c. If the essay is marked as "not suitable" (nicht geeignet), it is examined by a second member of the admissions committee. If the second evaluation is also "not suitable", then the applicant is not deemed qualified for the Master program.

The official codification of the process can be found in the legal document Satzung über das Eignungsverfahren, which has been modified by the Satzung vom 18.05.2018 and Satzung vom 16.05.2023.

International applicants (i.e. those who are neither German citizens, nor Bildungsinländer/-innen) must, in addition to and separately from their application to the faculty, apply by 15 July (2025) to the LMU International Office for admission to LMU. This requirement does not, however, apply to international students who are already studying at LMU and will complete their studies there. International applicants who have already successfully completed a first (German-language) degree at another German university are also exempt from this requirement. Both of the groups of students just mentioned can contact the Office of the Registrar directly (with a Master-Eignungsbescheid) to begin registration.

Modules and courses

Semester
Modules
1. Semester / WiSe (30 CP, 8 SWS)
WP 1-3: a Master seminar of your choice (2 SWS, 9 CP, assessment: term paper or Referat+Protokoll) [Theoretische Philosophie Gebiet 1 or Praktische Philosophie Gebiet 1 or Antike Philosophiegeschichte]
WP 4-6: another Master seminar of your choice (2 SWS, 9 CP, assessment: term paper or Referat+Protokoll) [Theoretische Philosophie Gebiet 2 or Praktische Philosophie Gebiet 2 or Spätantike/Mittelalterliche Philosophiegeschichte]
P 1: two special lecture courses in philosophy of your choice (4 SWS, 12 CP, assessment: a Protokoll in one of the two lecture courses; no grade, only "pass"/"fail")
2. Semester / SoSe (30 CP, 6 SWS+X)
P 2: Wissenschaftliches Schreiben I: an essay course of your choice with tutorials (3-4 SWS, 9 CP, assessment: 4 Essays)
WP 7-9: another Master seminar of your choice (2 SWS, 9 CP, assessment: term paper or Referat+Protokoll) [Theoretische Philosophie Gebiet 3 or Praktische Philosophie Gebiet 3 or Frühneuzeitliche Philosophiegeschichte]
Additional qualification area 1 (12 ECTS) consists of either a) courses from the Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area or b) Master-level double major study or a Master-level semester abroad (WP 10, 11, 15 and/or 16) [If you take option a), option b) cannot be chosen later, and if you take option b), option a) cannot be chosen later.]
3. Semester / WiSe (30 CP, 6 SWS+X)
P 3: Wissenschaftliches Schreiben II: another essay course with tutorials of your choosing (3-4 SWS, 9 CP, assessment: 4 Essays)
WP 12-14: another Master seminar of your choice (2 SWS, 9 CP, assessment: term paper or Referat+Protokoll) [Theoretische Philosophie Gebiet 4 or Praktische Philosophie Gebiet 4 or Moderne Philosophiegeschichte]
Additional qualification area 2 (12 ECTS) consists of either a) courses from the Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area or b) Master-level double major study or a Master-level semester abroad (WP 10, 11, 15 and/or 16) [if you chose option a) in the previous semester, you cannot choose b); if you chose option b) in the previous semester, you cannot choose a).]
4. Semester / SoSe (30 CP, 2 SWS)
P 4: Master colloquium (2 SWS, 6 CP, assessment: Referat = presentation and discussion of your own Master project + Protokoll on other projects)
P 5: Master thesis and disputation (24 CP)
The exact "areas" you can choose in the Master seminars will be specified each semester in the course catalogue (LSF). The two intensively supervised essay courses can be used to practice your ability to prepare academic essays with a specific goal within a short amount of time. It goes without saying that you can and should attend further philosophical lectures, talks, colloquia and seminars at the faculty (without assessment) out of curiosity and to supplement your education. Only the compulsory parts of the program are sketched here.

Length requirements for assessments and final grade calculation

  • Hausarbeit (term paper): around 40,000 characters
  • Essay: around 12,000 characters
  • Referat (presentation): around 15-30 minutes
  • Protokoll Seminar: around 15,000 characters
  • Protokoll Spezial-VL: around 20,000 characters
  • Masterarbeit (MA thesis): around 150,000 and max. 300,000 characters (≈ 75 to max. 150 pages)

The final grade is calculated from the highest two grades achieved in the four compulsory Master seminars (weighting: 30); the highest grade achieved in the modules P 2 and P 3 (i.e. only the better of the two essay courses counts; weighting: 16); if applicable, grades from the Profile Area (Master double major study and study abroad are only evaluated as "pass"/"fail" and so do not count towards the final grade; weighting: 24) and the MA thesis grade plus the disputation grade (in proportion 5/6 to 1/6; weighting: 50). The MA thesis thus counts for about 50% of the final grade!

Explanation of the "weightings" and the final grade calculation with an example: All Profile Area points were earned in Philosophy modules. Final grade = 30*(average of the two highest grades achieved in the four compulsory modules) + 16*(P 2 or P 3 grade, whichever is higher) + 9*(Master seminar 1 Profile Area) + 9*(Master seminar 2 Profile Area) + 50*(MA thesis+disputation grade), all divided by 114.

Additional qualification area in semesters 2 and 3

In the second and third semester of the Master in Philosophy, an additonal qualification area makes up part of the course, in which a total of 24 ECTS credits must be earned over the course of the program (typically, according to the standard course of study, this means 12 ECTS credits in the second semester and 12 ECTS credits in the third semester).

You may, however, distribute these 24 compulsory ECTS credits in a different pattern across your course of study, as long as this is within the limits of the standard and maximum program duration. There are six different ways in which the 24 ECTS credits can be acquired: A 1, A 2, A 3, B 1, B 2, B 3. You must choose one of the following options:

Option A (Profile Area)

A 1A 2A 3
All credits from the Profile Area are earned in Philosophy modulesThe credits from the Profile Area are earned partly in Philosophy modules, and partly in modules from another subject (or subjects)The credits from the Profile Area are earned entirely in modules from another subject (or subjects)
Registration for WP 1, 2 and 3 (standardly)
see also the separate page on Philosophy in the Joint Humanities Profile Area
Registration for assessments: LSF1Registration for assessments: LSF1Registration for assessments: LSF1
Numerical grades and "pass"/"fail"Depending on the modules, numerical grades or "pass"/"fail" or bothDepending on the modules, numerical grades or "pass"/"fail" or both

Option B (Study abroad/Double major)

B 1B 2B 3
Only MA double major (WP 11 and 16)Only MA study abroad (WP 10 and 15)MA study abroad [one semester] (WP 10) and MA double major (WP 16)
Required evidence: a Transcript of Records listing completed courses from another Master program ("Master double major"), or an equivalent proof of academic achievement (value: at least 24 ECTS). The corresponding Master program is not allowed to be the "entry ticket" with which you applied to the Master program in Philosophy.Required evidence: a Transcript of Records showing two semesters studying abroad in a non-German-speaking country. At least one Philosophy course at Master/advanced level, worth at least 6 ECTS credits, must have been taken and passed each semester. If this is satisfied, then you earn 24 ECTS credits under option B 2.2Required evidence: a Transcript of Records showing one semester studying abroad in a non-German speaking country. At least one Philosophy course at Master/advanced level, worth at least 6 ECTS credits, must have been taken and passed during the semester. If this is provided, then you earn 12 ECTS credits under option B 3.2 The remaining 12 credits (-> WP 16, "MA double major") can, for instance, be covered by further Master (Philosophy) courses abroad or at LMU, which must then add up to the required number of credits.
Submission to the degree program coordinator1Submission to the degree program coordinator1Submission to the degree program coordinator1
only "pass"/"fail"only "pass"/"fail"only "pass"/"fail"

1 Please note: If you register bindingly for any assessment from a Profile Area module via the LSF system, then you can no longer choose options B 1, B 2 and B 3. Similarly, if you apply to the degree program coordinator with the required evidence for any of the modules WP 10, 11, 15 or 16, then you can no longer choose options A 1, A 2 or A 3.

2 It is furthermore also possible to complete other modules of the Master program, including modules with numerical grades (with the exception of modules P 4 and P 5), through Philosophy courses of equal value taken abroad by applying for credit transfers (Leistungsanrechnung).

Name Title Email Tel Position
Wyrwich, Thomas Dr. Thomas.Wyrwich@lrz.uni-muenchen.de +49 89 2180-2099 Student advisor and Philosophy degree program coordinator

What graduates say about the Master in Philosophy

"I really liked the freedom of choice, which allowed me to choose exactly the right courses for my needs. Thanks to Prof. Christof Rapp, I am now under the magic spell of Aristotle."

"The Master program in Philosophy was very well organised and allowed me complete freedom to combine the academic content which personally interested me. The variety of courses was broad [...] The work on women's issues as well as the additional program for social skills were supportive and very good for interdisciplinary exchanges across the whole university. The program co-ordinators were very competent, friendly and patient! The teaching focused on different areas of expertise. I was personally enticed by the interdisciplinary offerings as well as lectures on current hot topics. Every one of my lectures was very enriching and served as an excellent foundation for my professional life. All in all, I am very satisfied. Thank you very much!"

"I studied philosophy after studying a diverse range of other humanities subjects and if I could start my studies all over again, there's no doubt about it: I would study philosophy straight away (as a double major with a subject which leads more directly into a profession)! Right now in Munich you have a lot of freedom of choice and interests."