Philosophy of Law, Governance and Politics (MA)

Career prospects

Where do our graduates work?

The master’s programme in Philosophy (120 EC) offers outstanding preparation for students seeking a profession that requires knowledge of a specific discipline and the added value of advanced skills in logic, reasoning, abstraction and critical thinking.

Successful completion of the master’s programme can lead to PhD research and an academic career, or 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.

Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:

• PhD student at a Dutch university
• Curator at a gallery
• Project advisor on digital literacy
• Campaign strategist for a Campaign developer
• Scientific employee for a foundation

Teacher qualification

If you are interested in a career in teaching, you can apply for the Dutch-taught teacher-training MA at the ICLON Graduate School of Education after graduating from the master’s programme. To be admitted, you need to have a master’s degree in the  relevant discipline. Fluency in Dutch is mandatory, and additional entry requirements may apply.

Willem Kieviet

Graduated in Philosophy of Law (MA Philosophy 120)

“As a legal consultant, I provide legal support to employees who come into conflict with their employer. I use my input to try to get both parties back to the negotiating table. If this is no longer possible, negotiations are necessary to find a definitive resolution. Sometimes, if no settlement can be reached, the case goes to an appeals board or a court. Being able to give a voice to the ‘weaker’ employee in the face of a strong employer is inspiring and gives me a sense of satisfaction.”

Learning to (literally) think through abstract texts and concepts

“During this Master’s specialisation, you learn to (literally) think through abstract texts and concepts. What is the rationale, the thinking, behind a text? In my legal ‘craft’, there is often a need to interpret legal texts and collective labour agreements. These texts, which can be abstract, are not set in stone, but rather are constantly changing, so you can’t look only at the literal interpretation of the text; the intention and the spirit are just as important. If you can think in the abstract, you have an advantage over the opposition.”

Getting into even more philosophical depth

“Once I’d completed the Master’s degree in Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law within the Faculty of Law, I wanted to study philosophy in even more depth. This Master’s specialisation definitely met this expectation. The course offers a great opportunity to add philosophical depth to legal questions, a depth which, unfortunately, you don’t get from the classical study of law.”

In which sector do students find jobs?

The graphs below are based on alumni data from the cluster of the MA (60EC) and MA (120EC) in Philosophy 2016-2020.

• 25 % Government and semi-government organisations
• 25 % Education
• 13 % Research
• 8 % Consultancy
• 8 % Non-profit (e.g. at an idealistic organisation))
• 4 % Culture, sports and leisure
• 4 % IT
• 4 % Business services
• 4 % Media and journalism
• 4 % Financial organisations
• 1 % Other

Career preparation

Find out how this programme exactly prepares you for your future career and check our career preparation activities.