PELP

The interdisciplinary Master Program in Political, Economic and Legal Philosophy (PELP) centres on the relation of normative theory and social practice. Social structures and problems – whether economic, political or legal - are interdependent and inescapably normative, both in their presuppositions and their implications. The aim of the PELP program is to enable students to understand and investigate this interdependence and underlying normativity, in order to help them to deal appropriately with a wide range of political, legal, economic and social problems. Strong emphasis is laid on interdisciplinarity and the connection between theoretical and practical issues in science and philosophy.

Academic degree: Master of Arts "MA"

Working Languages: German and English

Target Group, Preconditions

The PELP program is developed for the following target group:

Students with Bachelor degrees in human, social, cultural, economic, legal, and applied sciences, or any other equivalent national and international study programs. The equivalence will need to be recognised by the Rectorate. Completion of the PELP program as a whole requires 120 ECTS credits. If students don’t have a Bachelor degree in philosophy they can still enroll in the MA PELP. However, they will have to have successfully completed additional courses in philosophy at the BA level (including logic, theoretical and practical philosophy and history of philosophy) to the extent of 28 ECTS before they complete their MA PELP studies.

Occupational Areas

The PELP program prepares graduates for both scientific and practical careers; for example, and non-exhaustively, jobs in administration and public services, politics (political parties and organizations, NGOs), business, education (universities, universities of applied education and other educational institutions), consulting, ethics counselling, media.

Duration

The standard duration (4 semesters) can be extended under certain special circumstances, for example if the program is completed while working.

Pedagogical Goals

The PELP program aims to provide students with the intellectual tools required to first analyse and evaluate the normative dimensions of complex public, economic and legal issues and decisions, and then to develop original normative solutions to the various problems raised by these issues. The program provides a systematic introduction to basic aspects, problems and methods of philosophy and political, legal, economic and social sciences, to ethical ways of arguing, and to the process of formulating and implementing political decisions. Additionally, the program develops essential competencies in cooperation, integration, and interdisciplinary discourse. The aim to foster the ability to conduct independent scientific work is reflected in the high value given to the Master Thesis in the program. It is not only expected that students will write a Thesis with around 30.000 words, but the Master Thesis (30 ECTS) and the related courses (10 ECTS) sum up to a total of 40 ETCS.

[PELP Flyer]