Admission requirements
Which degree is required?
The requirements you have to satisfy depend on previously obtained diplomas.
It is important to succesfully go through one of the scenarios described below before or in parallel to engaging in the official enrolment procedure via the Apply! button, which will otherwise remain blocked.
We distinguish three cases: (1) students with a master degree in philosophy and/or moral sciences, (2) students with only a bachelor degree in these disciplines and (3) students without any degree in philosophy or moral sciences.
1. You have a master degree in philosophy and/ or moral sciences
These students can be exempt from 60 credits of the programme and obtain the degree upon the successful completion of a track of 60 credits. There are three subgroups:
1A. Students who have achieved great distinction or greatest distinction in a master’s degree in Philosophy, in Moral Sciences or in Philosophy and Moral Sciences at a Flemish University.
These students are admitted and can enroll after the programme coordinators have checked and confirmed that they indeed satisfy this requirement. This means that students in these categories who want to enroll have to send an email the programme coordinators at RM.Phil@ugent.be. Attach the relevant documents to this email and explain which research seminars you want to follow (and why).
1B. Students who hold a master’s degree in Philosophy, in Moral Sciences or in Philosophy and Moral Sciences from Flemish University without the required degree (see 1A).
These students can be admitted after a review procedure. Details about this procedure can be found here.
Special case: Flemish students who expect to obtain their master degree between July and October 2025, should follow the admission procedure for 1B students.
1C. Students with an master degree in Philosophy obtained outside the Flemish community.
These students can be admitted after a review procedure. Details about this procedure can be found here.
2. You have a bachelor degree in philosophy and/ or moral sciences, but no master degree in these domains.
These students are required to attend the full programme of 120 credits. There are three subgroups.
2A. Students who hold a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, in Moral Sciences or in Philosophy and Moral Sciences from a Flemish university.
We recommend that these student finish their regular 1-year master programme first. Contact the programme coordinators at RM.Phil@ugent.be to discuss this.
2B. Students with a bachelor degree in Philosophy obtained outside the Flemish community
These students can be admitted after a review procedure. Details about this procedure can be found here.
Special case: if you expect to obtain your bachelor degree in Philosophy before October 2025, you also are in this category.
3. You have no bachelor or master degree in philosophy or moral sciences
Again, there are two subgroups.
3A. Students with a master degree in a different discipline
These students can only be admitted after a review procedure if they have attended sufficient philosophical/moral science course units. By this we mean: a package amounting to at least 60 credits that includes philosophical/moral science methodology courses, and courses at an advanced level.
Details about this procedure can be found here.
If admitted, these students follow the full programme of 120 credits.
3B. Students who only have a bachelor degree in a different discipline
These students cannot be admitted to the programme.
Will I need to sit an entrance exam?
You will not need to sit an entrance exam to begin the programme, but the selection committee might decide to conduct an on line interview with you in order to clarify certain aspects of your application before reaching a decision about admission.
Are there any language requirements?
If you have obtained your bachelor or master degree outside the Flemish community, you have to prove English language proficiency at B2 level. Click here for an overview of types of proof that are accepted.
Are you the holder of a foreign degree?
If you hold a foreign diploma (non-Belgian degree), you have to consider specific administration. Check the most important steps to consider.
Important deadlines
Deadline for application for students with a Belgian or Dutch diploma is 1 September 2025. Decisions are communicated before 15 September.
Deadline for application for other students who do not need a visa to stay in Belgium is 15 May 2025. Decisions are communicated before 1 June.
Deadline for application for students who need a visa to stay in Belgium is 15 February 2025. Decisions are communicated before 1 March.
Candidates with a Flemish or Dutch diploma can enroll at their preferred university immediately after the approval of the application by the steering committee.
Other candidates who pass the selection by the steering committee have to start the standard application procedure for international students at their preferred university as soon as possible.
Enrolling institutions:
– Free University of Brussels (VUB)
– Ghent University
– University of Antwerp