Philosophy in the Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area

The Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area (Gemeinsamer Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftlicher Profilbereich) aims to encourage Master students to dedicate part of their programs to interdisciplinary studies and to give them the chance to specialize independently. A large number of Master programs at LMU take part. Subject departments advertise their own modules and courses in the Profile Area and give their students the opportunity to make use of courses on offer from other subjects, in accordance with the respective examination and study regulations.

Important links for the Profile Area

Central website of the Profile Area (with information about modules offered by and points of contact for different subjects, about the module handbook, about FAQs, etc.)

Examination and Study Regulations (Prüfungs- und Studienordnung) for the Profile Area, 2012 version, valid for Master students who registered before Summer Semester 2020

Examination and Study Regulations (Prüfungs- und Studienordnung) for the Profile Area, 2020 version, valid for Master students who registered in Winter Semester 2020/2021 or later

Notes on the Profile Area provision in Philosophy

  • A minimum of 6 and a maximum of 30 ECTS credits can be earned in the area of Philosophy, depending on the examination and study regulations of the respective Master program.
  • The Philosophy modules can be combined with modules from other subjects in the Profile Area. It is also possible to earn all your Profile Area credits in the subject of Philosophy, as long as you have not already registered for assessments in Profile Area modules from other subjects. The Philosophy modules in the Profile Area can be taken in the first through seventh semesters of the Master program, in any desired sequence. But please note when registration for Profile Area modules is recommended according to the plan of study or "Anlage 2" of the Examination and Study Regulations for your Master program.
  • Specifically, there is the opportunity in the Philosophy area to take
    • up to two Master seminars (WP Phil 1 and/or WP Phil 3) and
    • up to two special lecture courses (WP Phil 2 and/or WP Phil 4).
    • In a special lecture course (Spezialvorlesung), 6 ECTS credits can be earned by submitting a successful Protokoll (of around 20,000 characters in length, possible grades are "pass"/"fail"). In a philosophical Master seminar, 9 ECTS credits can be earned either by submitting a successful term paper (around 40,000 characters, graded numerically) or by a successful presentation (15-30 minutes in length) with accompanying Protokoll (around 15,000 characters, graded numerically), according to the lecturer's instructions.
  • Any attendance requirements related to course content are noted in the LSF course catalog in the entries for courses which are can be chosen under WP Phil 1 to 4. Even though there is no formal attendance requirement in the subject of Philosophy, Faculty 10 expects regular participation from all students who have chosen a course.
  • Special lectures and Master seminars do not have to be taken in any particular combination. All Philosophy modules can be completed individually and independently of one another. WP Phil 1 through 4 are completed by means of module assessments which are independent of each other. These assessments can be repeated (up until the seventh semester) as many times as you need to pass, although many courses will not be offered again every semester. If you pass an assessment in WP Phil 1 or WP Phil 3, it is furthermore possible to sign up for a so-called freier Prüfungsversuch (free exam attempt) in another WP Phil 1 or WP Phil 3 seminar in order to improve your grade. The freier Prüfungsversuch applies to all assessments which you passed on the first attempt within the standard period of study.

Please also note: if you registered for one of the assessments (WP Phil 1-WP Phil 4) via the LSF system and you do not pass (for instance, because you did not hand in any work), you must register for the corresponding assessment in a later semester (in the seventh semester at latest) and pass. Choosing an elective module by signing up for the assessment in LSF is fundamentally binding.

Extra information about the Profile Area for students of the Master in Philosophy

  1. Students who are enrolled in the Master program in Philosophy must take modules worth 2 x 12 ECTS or (exactly) 24 ECTS credits in total in the Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area, unless they intend to take the study abroad or double major modules.
  2. In principle, there are no limitations on the content of the modules you take: you are free to create your own blend. You can concentrate on a single subject or combine modules from different subjects. You only need to keep in mind policies and module selection rules which subjects can enforce internally in their subject area. Here is an example relating to the Profile Area examination regulations from 2012: if you take a partial module assessment (Modulteilprüfung) in the subject "General and Comparative Literature", you must take another compatible partial module assessment in order to complete the module you signed up for.
  3. Registration for assessments is also binding in the Profile Area. For example, if you do not hand in a term paper which you registered for, you must still pass the corresponding assessment in the Profile Area (in a different, compatible course).
  4. Please also note in this regard that a few Profile Area subjects (such as "General and Comparative Literature") only allow a limited number of re-takes for assessments, and furthermore offer them only on certain dates. If you do not consider these things in advance, it can lead to difficulties in graduating from the whole Master program.
  5. In principle, you can attempt to improve your grade in any (numerically graded) Profile Area assessment, which you passed on the first attempt during the standard period of study, by means of a freier Prüfungsversuch.
  6. Philosophy Master students can also, if they wish, obtain Profile Area credits partly or entirely in the subject of Philosophy (see point 2 above). If you choose to do this, you should be aware that a Philosophy module chosen from the Profile Area cannot be taken more than once, for example as one of the compulsory Master seminars, which you have to complete anyway as part of the Master in Philosophy. Rather, the Profile Area modules must be taken in addition to the other required modules in your Master studies. Moreover, please note that obtaining all Profile Area credits in Philosophy can only work in the following way: two Master seminar assessments (9 ECTS each) and one special lecture Protokoll (6 ECTS).

Philosophy courses in the Profile Area and LSF registration periods

  • List of Philosophy courses in the Profile Area in Winter Semester 2024/25
  • Course registration period on LSF: 23 September to 7 October 2024 (via the LSF menu item "Course catalogue", not "Register for courses"!)
  • Assessment registration period on LSF (= term papers, Protokolle for special lecture courses, etc.): 20 January to 31 January 2025. If you want to take assessments for Philosophy courses in the Profile Area, registration is mandatory.

Point of contact for questions about the Philosophy section of the Profile Area

Thomas Wyrwich
Dr. Thomas Wyrwich

Student advisor and Philosophy degree program coordinator