Welcome to the Department of Philosophy at the University of Münster!


With eight professorships, a large number of mid-level academic positions, and several research fellowships and teaching assignments, the Department of Philosophy at the University of Münster is one of the largest institutes of philosophy in Germany. It is involved in numerous research networks and projects and cooperates closely with other University departments and with institutions around the world. Thanks to its broad range of subjects and research areas, students can choose courses ranging from ancient to modern philosophy and from formal logic and argumentation theory to applied ethics. For further information on the institute and its research interests, as well as on undergraduate and graduate programmes, please use the navigation bar (overview) below.

Resources
Students of the Department of Philosophy can obtain academic advice through the Service-Büro. Our advisors assist German and international students with all matters related to study programmes and are responsible for organising the module final exams. Click here for further information.
The Department of Philosophy has set up an academic writing workshop, called the Schreibwerkstatt, to support students and researchers with their writing projects in philosophy. Click here for further information (in German only).

Once a month, the Department of Philosophy offers career guidance in cooperation with the Employment Agency of Münster. To avoid waiting times, we recommend registering by email. Click here for further information.

Always up to date – Sign up for our newsletters
We publish two newsletters – one for students and one for instructors – containing the latest information about upcoming events, important registration dates, examination deadlines and new programmes. The newsletters inform students and lecturers about postponed office hours and course cancellations due to illness. You can find more information and registration details here. You can also subscribe to our RSS-Feed for current announcements.

Overview

Department staff

Professorships

  1. Professor Dr Franziska Dübgen
    Areas of specialisation: political philosophy and philosophy of law
  2. Professor Dr Ulrich Krohs
    Areas of specialisation: philosophy of science and philosophy of nature
  3. Professor Dr Walter Mesch
    Areas of specialisation: ancient and medieval philosophy
  4. Professor Dr Michael Quante
    Areas of specialisation: ethics and practical philosophy
  5. Professor Dr Reinold Schmücker
    Areas of specialisation: philosophical aesthetics, theory of cultural science, and philosophy of media
  6. Professor Dr Oliver R. Scholz
    Areas of specialisation: ontology and epistemology
  7. Professor Dr Niko Strobach
    Areas of specialisation: logic and philosophy of language
  8. Professor Dr Christian Thein
    Areas of specialisation: didactics of philosophy, philosophy of education and social philosophy

A complete list of academic staff, including PhD students and postdocs, can be found here.

Delegates
Dr Katja Stoppenbrink (for Prof. Dr Michael Quante)

Secretaries
Sandra Bertels (for Prof. Dr Niko Strobach)
Andreas Ebbers / Sigrun Fels (for Prof. Dr Franziska Dübgen, Prof. Dr Niko Strobach)
Claudia Güstrau (for Prof. Dr Ulrich Krohs, Prof. Dr Walter Mesch, Prof. Dr Reinold Schmücker)
Tanja Uekötter (for Prof. Dr Oliver R. Scholz, Prof. Dr Michael Quante, Prof. Dr Christian Thein)

Executive Management of Department
Dr Sibille Mischer

Courses and events

This section contains information about the various events held by the Department of Philosophy as well as the opportunities it offers.

Course cCatalogue for of the Department of Philosophy
The course catalogue (KVV) for the current semester can be found here. In addition, please refer to the LSF in combination with the course catalogue for further course information. To configure your own KVV, please see our tutorial (in German). 

Lectures, colloquia and reading groups
Graduate students, doctoral candidates and academic colleagues have the opportunity to form reading groups to discuss particular themes and texts. Participation in a reading group is optional in the master’s programme in philosophy. Use the navigation on the left to learn more about the current reading groups. If you are a graduate student interested in organising a reading group, or if you have already formed a reading group and would like to advertise it on the homepage, please contact Dr Sibille Mischer.

Every year a renowned philosopher is chosen to be the distinguished speaker for the Münster Lecture in Philosophy (Münstersche Vorlesungen zur Philosophie), established in 1997. The invited philosopher gives an evening lecture and participates in a one- or two-day colloquium where students are able to directly engage with him/her in discussion. Further information can be found here.

The departmental Colloquium serves as a forum where members and guests of the Department of Philosophy offer lectures at regular intervals. Organised by the professors and academic staff themselves, the lectures take place on Wednesdays (6-8 pm) in a comfortable and public atmosphere. An overview of the Colloquium’s programme can be found here.

Lectures by visiting scholars take place throughout the semester. National and international scholars present current research in their field of expertise.

More philosophy at the WWU:
Other institutes associated with the Department of Philosophy hold lectures on philosophical themes on a regular basis. Of particular relevance are the lectures and courses offered by the Centre for Bioethics and the Center for Philosophy of Science (ZfW).

Research

This section presents the diverse areas of research at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Münster.

In History of Philosophy, some notable examples include:

  • Ancient philosophy and its reception in the Middle Ages and early modern period
  • Kant and German Idealism

In Systematic Philosophy, the research activities focus on:

  • Applied ethics (especially bioethics, medical ethics, and questions concerning nanotechnology)

and

  • Metaphysics and its relation to the sciences

With regard to key contemporary issues, research activities are networked and documented by the participants in research associations and assembled research groups, such as:

The goal of the Department of Philosophy is to establish a graduate school with an international network involving researchers from around the world.

The Center for Philosophy of Science plays an important role in the interdisciplinary networking of philosophy at the University.

Beyond the associations and groups mentioned above, research is being conducted in areas such as epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, anthropology, philosophy of science and the philosophy of language. This vast array of subjects distinguishes the Department of Philosophy from other institutions in Germany.

Further information about the department’s areas of research – as well as particular publications and the subjects currently being worked on – can be found here.

Academic advice (Service-Büro)

You can contact the academic advisors at the Service-Büro, a student service financed by the University of Münster, for answers to all your questions about our study programmes and the organisation of exams. Julia F. Göhner, M.A. and Dr Timo Dresenkamp are available to personally assist you during office hours and are reachable by email or phone. The Service-Büro can also be contacted over the shared email address or via phone: +49 251 83-24475.

The Service-Büro assists students in the following ways:

  • advises students throughout the course of their studies
  • helps students plan study-related measures such as study abroad (e.g. through Erasmus etc.) and assists them during their visits abroad (by telephone or email)
  • advises incoming Erasmus students studying at the Department of Philosophy in Münster
  • helps students with the recognition of academic achievement and exams either from another degree programme in Münster or from another institution
    assists students with transferring credit
  • helps students organise their exams, such as registering for module final exams in the Bachelor and Master of Education degree programmes, and coordinates the times of the oral exams
  • forwards course results to the Examinations Office and serves as a mediator with problems concerning the award of academic credit
    advises new students who may be interested in studying philosophy, as well as enrolled students who may be considering transferring to the philosophy programme
  • issues certificates for BAföG recipients

Additionally, the Service-Büro works closely with the department’s module instructors and administrative director to plan courses and coordinate career advising. The staff members of the Service-Büro also work as instructors for the Department of Philosophy.

Subscribe to our newsletter
To stay up to date, we recommend subscribing to the Service-Büro newsletter. Our newsletter informs students about upcoming registration deadlines, the exam dates of module final exams and much more. Sign up here.

Office hours
Dr Timo Dresenkamp’s office hours can be found in the Instructor’s office hours.

FAQs for international students

Q: Which courses am I allowed to attend?
A. You are basically allowed to attend all courses offered by the Department of Philosophy. In some cases, the consent of the respective instructor may be required. An overview of all the courses offered by the Department of Philosophy can be found here.

Q: How do I register for courses?
A. First, put together an overview of the courses you wish to attend. Then submit your overview in person to the Service-Büro at the Department of Philosophy. In some cases, a form entitled “Changes in Learning Agreement” may be issued.

Q: How good does my German need to be to study at the Department of Philosophy in Münster?
A. The courses offered by the Department of Philosophy are always held in German. Your knowledge of German should therefore be good enough to be able to understand the content of the seminars and lectures and to comprehend the assigned reading materials.

Q: Can oral exams be held in a language other than German? Can written essays be submitted in a language other than German?
A. This is possible, in principle. You will of course first need the agreement of the respective instructor.

Q: Whom can I contact for assistance?
A:

  • For questions about enrolment, please contact the responsible staff member at the Student Admissions Office.
  • For questions concerning the Erasmus progamme, please contact the International Office at your home university.
  • For all questions concerning the philosophy programme or exams, please contact Dr Timo Dresenkamp or Julia F. Göhner, M.A. at the Service-Büro. We can also help you in person during office hours.