Master of Arts in Applied Ethics
Utrecht University
Key Information
Campus location
Utrecht, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 - 2 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
EUR 2,209 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* EU/EEA, Surinam or Swiss students; €17,500: International students
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Explore the Interaction Between Moral Practices and Ethical Reflection
Moral problems occur in all areas of life: professional, personal, political. Should banks impose strict criteria on clients to promote corporate social responsibility? How to allocate fairly the benefits and burdens of climate change policy options? For which purposes is the use of big data morally permissible? Do you believe it is ethical for us to use biological enhancement technologies to make us better, rather than simply well? Can it be justified to use biotechnology to change animals in order to avoid welfare problems in livestock? Such problems require careful reflection on the facts – but also on our basic moral values.
Explore Ethical Theories in relation to Actual Practical Dilemmas
The Applied Ethics Master’s program offers you an in-depth focus on the interaction between moral practice and ethical theory, allowing you to explore ethical theories in relation to actual practical dilemmas. At the end of your studies, you will possess a thorough theoretical background in ethics, including important methods and debates in applied ethics. You will also understand the implications of legal and political frameworks for ethical argumentation.
The program offers the opportunity to do an internship with a national or international organization or NGO, and to participate in elective Master-level courses abroad.
Interdisciplinary studies
Our interdisciplinary approach offers you multiple avenues of investigation into applied ethics. In addition to studying philosophy, you will learn about the contexts in which moral problems arise and the different types of analysis that may be needed in various contexts. You will also examine how viewpoints from different disciplines can strengthen ethical reflection and argumentation.
The Master’s program in Applied Ethics is embedded in Utrecht University’s Ethics Institute, a research-driven organization that focuses on human dignity and human rights, education ethics, animal ethics, sustainability ethics, public health ethics, and bioethics. Read more about the teaching and research environment, including our teaching staff.
International and Diverse Student Body
This English-taught Master’s program attracts international and Dutch students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds (for example, philosophy, medicine, law, international studies, economics) as well as people with professional experience (for example, health care professionals, lawyers, veterinarians, management consultants in corporate social responsibility & business ethics, or journalists). This unique student body provides a wide range of viewpoints through which you can explore ethical dilemmas.
Program Outcome
During your studies in this program, you will develop the necessary skills to analyze important current ethical issues. You will learn to critically propose possible solutions as well as to engage professionals and other individuals concerned in reflection on the moral dimensions of their practice. After completing the program, you will have the skills to:
- Identify and analyze ethical arguments about moral problems in different social and professional contexts.
- Present sound input to public debates on moral issues.
- Formulate theory-based policy recommendations regarding moral issues in specific practices.
- Organize constructive ethical deliberation in institutional and professional contexts.
In your program, you will have the opportunity to actively work on your career development.
Benefits of the Program
Your choice of Utrecht University will place you in the only Master-level program in Applied Ethics offering courses beyond bioethics. Internationally, there are a small number of other Applied Ethics programs. Our Master’s program offers you the following benefits:
- You will learn to establish a strong link between ethical theory and moral practice.
- You can choose courses from a broad range of applied ethics topics, such as sustainability and climate change ethics; animal and nature ethics; medical and public health ethics; law, morality and politics; and business ethics.
- The program is research-driven; there is a strong link with the research projects of the Ethics Institute.
- You will benefit from the experience of the Ethics Institute in teaching ethics to professionals in fields as diverse as biology, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.
- The program’s flexibility offers you the ability to develop a tailor-made program by choosing elective courses and a national or international internship geared to your specific disciplinary background and career aspirations.
Career Opportunities
There are various career opportunities after graduating with a degree in Applied Ethics. A recent survey shows that around 30% of our graduates work at a university today, either as teachers or as Ph.D. students. After finishing the program, you are also able to teach ethics to professionals or to work as a consultant in governmental and diplomatic services. Some of our alumni work in journalism or in various NGOs or banks.
Professional Careers
Alumni of this program have found jobs in several fields of the labor market. Here are some examples of jobs in which expertise of ethics is required.
- One of our graduates is a Product Developer at ASN Bank in the Netherlands. He works on products from the very first stages of forming ideas through the turnkey delivery.
- Another alumna is a Junior Advisor at KPMG, a global network of professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services.
- Also, one of our alumni works as a Senior Policy Advisor for school board governance at the Ministry of Education in Canada. He is a policy analyst moving cabinet submissions and regulatory amendments through the decision-making process.
Academic Careers
The Master in Applied Ethics is not especially focused on academic research. However, it does provide students with skills necessary for an academic career. Approximately 25-30% of our students eventually attain a Ph.D. position at universities both in the Netherlands and abroad.