Program Overview

Master's in Political, Legal, and Economic Philosophy

The Master's program in Political, Legal, and Economic Philosophy (PLEP) at the University of Bern aims to provide a context in which students from different countries can address questions concerning the relationship between politics, economics, morality, and law. This interdisciplinary degree is designed to allow students to study the ethical dimensions of public policy, corporate and non-governmental action in fields as diverse as health policy, employment relations, the environment, and international relations.

Program Details

• The program is a Mono-Master Program (120 ECTS credit points) available as a two-year, full-time course of study.
• Students can enter the program each semester, in spring as well as in autumn.
• The PLEP Master's program offers an interdisciplinary analysis of practical political questions and problems of the social world.
• It allows students to engage in intensive debate on normative dimensions of state action, non-state action, and economic action.

Curriculum

• The program consists of coursework and a Master's thesis.
• Coursework includes:
  • 3 Seminars in Philosophy (8 credit points each)
  • Colloquium "Methods of Practical Philosophy" (4 credit points)
  • Colloquium "Master's Thesis" (4 credit points)
  • 1 Compact Course from the philosophy department (4 credit points)
  • 1 Project on a philosophical topic (paper dealing with a freely chosen topic in consultation with the supervisor, ca. 8000 words, may contain preliminary work for the Master's thesis) (6 credit points)
  • Freely chosen courses or achievements in Philosophy on the Master's level for a total of 18 credit points
  • Courses in Economics, Political Science, and Law on the Master's level for a total of 30 credit points
• Master's thesis (ca. 25000 words, excluding bibliography, 30 credit points)

Example Curriculum

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from a recognized university with:
  • 90 ECTS credits in the branch of studies Philosophy or
  • 90 ECTS credits in the branch of studies Political Sciences or
  • a total of 90 ECTS credits in the branches of studies Business Administration / Management and Economics or
  • 90 ECTS credits in the branch of studies Law or
  • 180 ECTS in total in the branches of Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics
• Language requirements:
  • English language skills: TOEFL Internet 92, TOEFL Paper 580, IELTS 6.5, or Cambridge First Certificate in English
  • German language skills: level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (if applicable)

Tuition Fees

• Semester Fees for the Program: 805 CHF per semester (Swiss Students), 1005 CHF per semester (Students without Swiss Residency)

Career Opportunities

• The interdisciplinary degree in Political, Legal, and Economical Philosophy (PLEP) is designed to allow students to study the ethical dimensions of public policy, corporate and non-governmental action in fields as diverse as health policy, employment relations, the environment, and international relations.
• By providing a structured introduction to appropriate methods of the disciplines of Philosophy, Politics, Law, and Economics and, more particularly, to ethical reasoning, policy-making, and implementation students have the knowledge and skills to pursue a whole range of future careers and professional activities.

Alumni Testimonials

• "...got an internship at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, United Nations and International Organizations Division."
• "...found a job at a daily newspaper in Liechtenstein. I work there mainly in the political section."
• "...worked for an animal welfare organization. At the moment I work for the Ethikschule Kind und Tier in Basel (perfect combination of highly urgent theoretical and practical ethical questions)."
• "...worked as Associate Protection Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). My job is to make sure that the Buthanese refugees in Nepal have access to the national courts of justice and that their right to a fair trial is respected."
• "...continued on a PhD at the University of Osnabrück."
• "...joined a PhD program in practical philosophy which is part of the Research Priority Program in Ethics at the University of Zurich. I'm currently working on the following subjects: ethics of risk, food security and financial speculation in commodity markets, and the moral evaluation of high frequency trading."
• "...worked at a NGO in Nepal."
• "...did an internship at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and began my doctoral studies at the Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main."

Private/Public Sector Positions

• Liechensteiner Volksblatt (Liechtenstein national newspaper), Head of the editorial department economy
• SRF (Swiss public broadcasting company) Journalist / Video documentation
• Federal Office for Migration
• Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education at the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK, London, Internship
• Swiss Road Safety Council, Manager
• Clinical Ethics Unit of the University Hospital Bern (Inselspital), Internship
• UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency), Nepal
• Animal Welfare Organization
• Womens Hope International (NGO), Fundraising and Public Relations
• Radio RaBe, Cultural community radio station in Berne, Switzerland
• Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, United Nations and International Organizations Division, Internship

Example Academic Positions

• PhD at the University of Bern (CH)
• University of Zurich (CH)
• Goethe University Frankfurt (D)
• Assistant at the Institute of Philosophy in Bern
• Assistant at the Faculty of Law, Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Bern