MA Double Degree Philosophy

The double degree Master's programme in Philosophy offers a comprehensive philosophical education. Both partner programmes (MA in philosophy at Bamberg University and the Laurea magistrale in philosophy joint degree conferred by the University of Udine and the University of Trieste, Italy) offer a wide spectrum of courses in philosophy. The offer includes history of philosophy (ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary); theoretical philosophy and metaphysics; moral, political, and legal philosophy; aesthetics and philosophy of art; philosophy of architecture; philosophy of music; philosophy of science; philosophy of language; and philosophy of the mind. Furthermore, both faculties have members specialising in continental philosophy as well as members specialising in analytical philosophy. Students in the double degree programme can construct their educational path by choosing from among the offers of the two partner programmes. The aim of the double degree programme is to give a well-rounded, broad education. The curriculum stretches throughout history and covers both the analytical and the continental tradition. At the same time, each student is required to specialise in an area and to work on analytical and argumentative skills within in that area. The rationale behind this educational goal is that current philosophical research in a culturally multidimensional world requires the capacity to work with a very specialised method as well as the capacity to interact with other traditions and schools of thinking. The double degree programme takes advantage of the variety of the specialisations of the faculties of the two partners and allows students to gain a unique education in the Italian and German philosophical culture. The investigation of the influence of the philosophical traditions of each country on the culture of the other is the strength of this path. Topics like the influence of German classical philosophy (Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel) on Italian neoidealism (Benedetto Croce and Giovanni Gentile) and the influence of Italian Medieval, Renaissance, and modern philosophy (Aquinas, Campanella, Bruno, Ficino, Vico) on German thinking as well as the developments of post-neoidealism and neorealism in contemporary philosophical debates (both analytical and continental) in Germany and Italy are the focus of this programme. Faculty members at the partner universities have strong research records in these fields. The influences of the philosophical exchanges between Italy and Germany on culture at large are also treated, particularly in reference to architecture, music, and literature. These are also among the specialities of the philosophy faculty members from the two partner universities. The programme takes two academic years. Students spend the first academic year at the home university (where they first enrolled) and the second academic year abroad. No knowledge of the foreign language is a prerequisite for admission. In the first year at the home universities, students have to take 12 credits ECTS in the language of the partner institution if they do not already have an adequate knowledge of this language. In the second year, they can still use the language of their home institution for exams in the partner institution if they have not yet mastered the language of the partner institution. Indeed, many members of both faculties are fluent in English, Italian, and German. All three languages are used for teaching, seminars, workshops, and conferences. Students in the double degree programme follow the normal path of the Master's programme of their home university in the first year. These include a fixed numbers of credits in theoretical philosophy and in history of philosophy. Students in the double degree programme have to fill the fixed number of free-choice credits with credits in the language of the partner institution and with seminars on Italian-German culture, which take place specifically for their benefit. In