Study programme

The Master's Programme in the History and Philosophy of Science at Utrecht University offers qualified students the opportunity to pursue an intensive course of study in the historical and philosophical dimensions of science. The programme is hosted by the Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, and it is supported by the Descartes Centre for the History and Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities, which is a leading international centre for research in the history and philosophy of science.

The programme encompasses one full year of training in history and philosophy of science, mostly in the form of seminars, and a second year of research, at the end of which students submit a substantial master's thesis.

The programme is sufficiently broad and flexible to allow students to tailor it to their particular interests and background. Apart from three core courses, providing a general introduction at graduate level to the history and philosophy of science and the humanities, all courses in the programme are optional. By suitably choosing their courses, students can put together a programme that emphasizes either the history or the philosophy of any specific branch of science as well as interdisciplinary aspects. The philosophical part of the programme lays particular stress on fundamental issues in physics, biology, and mathematics.

More information about the courses can be found on the page Schedules