Philosophy of Law, Governance and Politics (MA)
This master’s programme introduces the student to philosophical issues concerning the foundations of law, politics, and policy. This master’s programme is meant for students who wish to combine a master’s in Law, Political Science, Public Administration, or an adjacent discipline with master’s coursework in Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics.
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Why study Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics at Leiden University?
Leiden University is home to an internationally ranked Law School as well as excellent institutes for Political Science and Public Administration. Combined with the Institute of Philosophy, these institutions form the perfect setting for the study of issues concerning the foundations of law, politics, and public policy. In this programme students will learn about the philosophical, methodological, systematic, and normative questions that arise in the study of law, politics, and policy and learn to think systematically about the underlying philosophical questions of these disciplines. These questions concern the source of the authority of the state and its laws, democratic representation, and the implementation of political ideals in a non-ideal world. The combination of these courses with graduate work in law, politics, or public policy, is inspiring and thought-provoking.
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What are your career prospects?
Successful completion of the master’s programme provides excellent preparation for PhD research and an academic career, or for a career in the public, private or non-profit sectors. 75% of our students choose to enter a PhD programme after their studies, primarily in the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Germany or France. The remaining 25% already have a job when they joined the programme and were seeking to enhance their performance.
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Is Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics the programme for you?
You should have an interest in the abstract and theoretical questions that arise in studying law, policy, or politics. A love for analysing abstract problems and for discussing these intensively with your fellow students is essential. If, moreover, you are ambitious and not averse to hard intellectual work, you have what it takes to complete this programme successfully. Please note that to gain admission to the programme, you must show that you are eligible for master’s course work in one of the fields of law, governance, or politics. If you have questions about securing eligibility, please write to the programme chair.
Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's programme?