Course work

The total study load of the Research Master programme amounts to 120 EC. The programme is composed of the following four components:

• Methods and Skills (20 EC). The course Philosophical Research: Methods and Skills (20 EC), which is mandatory for all first-year Research Master students, runs the entire first year. This course trains the following skills: methodological perspectives on philosophical texts; the writing of research articles and proposals; academic writing and oral presentation. For a detailed description of this seminar, see the section Philosophical Research: Methods and Skills in this study guide.
• Elective Master Courses (2x10 EC). In the two years of the Research Master programme, you will follow two courses at the master level taught at the Radboud University or at another Dutch university. It is also possible to fill in 10 EC with activities organized by the OZSW (Nederlandse Onderzoeksschool Wijsbegeerte), such as study groups, workshops, or the Autumn School for Research Master students.
• Research Master Seminars (4x10 EC). In the two years of the Research Master programme, you will follow four research seminars, two of which must be taught by the section in which you are enrolled. This is the framework within which you are introduced to the academic research done in your chosen field of specialisation. Each Research Seminar consists of at least ten research meetings, which are sometimes complemented by guest lectures or symposia. You are expected: to actively participate in the seminar, to present the preliminary results of your research orally, to give feedback on the presentations of your fellow students, and to articulate the outcome of your research in a long final paper or in a series of short papers. Under special circumstances, you can replace one of the two Research Seminars in your chosen field of specialisation with a Capita Selecta seminar taught by the section in which you are enrolled. For a list of the Research Master seminars and of the Capita Selecta seminars offered in the academic year 2017-2018, see the section Master Seminars in this study guide.
• Research Essay and Research Master Thesis (40 EC). These components are directly linked to your own research. At the beginning of the second year, you are expected to write a research paper for an equivalent of 10 EC. This research essay constitutes a first step towards the Master thesis and typically consists of an analysis of the relevant primary and secondary literature. The aim of the Research Essay is to establish the status quæstionis in the area in which you will write your thesis. The Research Master thesis, in turn, is composed of two elements, namely a publishable article (20 EC) and a research proposal (10 EC). The criteria for these two elements are specified in detail in the section Research Essay and Research Master Thesis in this study guide.