Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
Education Bachelor's degree programmes Philosophy of a specific discipline
Header image Philosophy of a specific discipline

Philosophy of a specific discipline

What makes natural science 'scientific'? What is a just law? What can science tell us about free will and ethical responsibilities? Explore the philosophical aspects of science in this degree.

The bachelor Philosophy of a specific discipline is a combination bachelor and fully English-taught. After the first year of your bachelor, you enroll in this program while continuing with your own original bachelor. You can study at your own pace and spread out the one-year programme over two years. At the end of the three or four years you will be awarded to bachelor degrees.

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 structure of the programme and courses on offer see page 44 of the 2024-2025 study guide.

Check out the Open Days at the University of Groningen. Please contact the study advisor for information about visiting the faculty in person.

Facts & Figures
Degree
BA in Philosophy of a Specific Discipline
Course type
Bachelor
Duration
36 months (180 ECTS)
Croho code
57084
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Philosophy
Why study this programme in Groningen?

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.

Programme
CoursesCourse Catalog >
Course units of the scientific discipline (120 EC)
CoursesCourse Catalog >
1 specialization course and practicals (5 EC)

1 Specialization course

3 Elective advanced courses (15 EC)

3 Elective advanced courses

6 introductory courses (30 EC)

6 Introductory courses

Bachelor's thesis and thesis course (10 EC)

Bachelor's thesis

Curriculum

The 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).

Entry requirements

Admissible Dutch diploma profiles

  • academic propedeuse

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
certified competences

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.

Choice of degree programme check

Prospective students can request a meeting to discuss their choice of degree programme.

Registration procedure

Sign up in Studielink by selecting the programme 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.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202501 September 2025

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education
  • At least 60 ECTS of the first year of your bachelor program or a propaedeutic exam: in order to be admitted, you need to have a completed a propaedeutic degree/first year of a non-philosophical research university bachelor program. We will check whether you have obtained enough ECTS
  • It is not possible to apply for this program with a degree of a university of applied sciences (HBO)
certified competences

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.

language test

TOEFL IBT score of 92, an IELTS score of 6.5

Language requirements

ExamMinimum score
IELTS overall band6.5
TOEFL internet based92

Registration procedure

Sign up in Studielink following the steps below:

Sign up in Studielink by selecting the programme 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.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 13100full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Job prospects

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
Research

Research

Philosophical research in Groningen has a strong reputation, witness the excellent marks it has received for many years from international assessment committees. The research in Groningen covers a wide area, and it is carried out in three departments: History of Philosophy, Theoretical Philosophy and Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy.

Study associations

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.
https://stuffgroningen.nl/
Read more
Student profile

ambitious, critical, serious, hard-working

(Binding) study advice
  • A minimum of 45 EC in the first 12 months (binding)

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.

Related master's programmes