Philosophy and Applied Philosophy (Bachelor's)

Several educational goals are identified in the bachelor's degree:

• To acquire basic knowledge of selected areas of the field of philosophy and their application to solving theoretical and practical problems.
• To acquire the skill to analyze and interpret a professional text in the home language as well as in a foreign language.
• To acquire the ability to think in logical contexts, think independently, discuss and present your positions based on argumentation and critical thinking.
• Prepare for work in various organizations and institutions of state and public administration, non-profit sector or other social and humanitarian areas.

 

Education outcomes in categories:

1. Knowledge: the graduate will master general theoretical knowledge about the main fields of study in philosophy. He/she will be able to explain the basic conceptual, categorical and methodological apparatus of the field in relation to the specific focus of the study program. He will understand knowledge and problems in individual philosophical disciplines. He will have knowledge of the main currents of thought in the history of philosophy and know their main representatives.

2. Skills: the graduate will have intellectual skills in analytical, critical and conceptual thinking. He is able to transform specific theoretical and practical problems into broader contexts, analyze and interpret a professional text, effectively use argumentative strategies of authors and schools of thought, critically evaluate them and present his findings.

3. Professional competences: the graduate will have mainly developed competences – to identify and independently solve philosophical problems, – to interdisciplinary connect knowledge from philosophy with other scientific disciplines, – to work effectively and critically with textual information sources, – to think in logical contexts, to think independently and present their positions based on sound reasoning and critical thinking.

4. Transferable competences: the graduate will have developed oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, digital skills, creativity, interpersonal skills, mentoring skills, metacognitive skills and reasoning in context, work in and with a team, ability to manage workload situations, language competences in the mother tongue as well as in a foreign language.

General characteristics of the professional profile of a graduate of the philosophy and applied philosophy study program

A graduate of a specific study program in philosophy and applied philosophy of the field of philosophy has general theoretical knowledge in the basic areas of the field of study, which he classifies, draws conclusions from, and finds connections between them in the context of the main topics of the field. Can explain the basic conceptual, categorical and methodological apparatus of the field in relation to the specific focus of the study program. He is able to analyze the starting points and conclusions of individual problems from the mentioned areas of the field. The graduate possesses intellectual skills in the area of ​​analytical, critical and conceptual thinking and proposes solutions to professional problems. It uses the methods and techniques of philosophy, philosophical logic, ethics and aesthetics, specifies, organizes, modifies and connects the general theoretical or practical problem of the field with a specific problem and presents its typical basic arguments. He can analyze and interpret a professional text, effectively use the argumentative strategies of individual thinkers and critically evaluate their arguments. Interdisciplinary connections form part of these practical applications.

The graduate is characterized by independence in the application of philosophical methods, methods of logical and methodological analysis, methods of basic empirical investigation and description in solving theoretical and practical problems of the studied program in wider contexts. When presenting his own opinion in a professional manner, he can effectively use the argumentative strategies of individual historical representatives of the field. He expresses his opinion in a cultured manner in language (oral and written). He has mastered the basic habits of independent work and expanding his professional knowledge. He can take positions on individual and social problems and make decisions with knowledge of multiple value perspectives. He responsibly decides on the moral, social, legal and economic contexts of the department.

Department of Philosophy and Applied Philosophy at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, unlike other Slovak departments of philosophy, focuses on the practical dimension of philosophy. He gives his students skills that they use in solving specific ethical, social or political problems. Of course, there is also the transfer of knowledge from the history of philosophy, logic, ontology or epistemology, as well as courses approaching other cultures and other ways of thinking, such as Jewish and Arab philosophy or the philosophy of ancient India and China. Optionally, as part of mandatory optional subjects, we offer students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the basics of other humanities disciplines - sociology, economics and religious studies or anthropology. However, we do not understand this theoretical equipment as an end in itself, but as a necessary tool for an honest analysis of difficult questions arising from practice and the identification of various possibilities for their solution. Therefore, the Department of Philosophy and Applied Philosophy also includes the unique Center for Bioethics, which was established in June 2008 by Prof. RNDr. Peter Sýkor, PhD. as a scientific research and teaching workplace with a multidisciplinary and pluralistic approach to bioethical issues. The Center for Bioethics is dedicated to research and teaching of bioethics in its broadest sense, which includes both medical and environmental ethics: https://centreforbioethics.sk/

The specificity of our study program is the emphasis placed on working with a philosophical text. That is why each of the profile compulsory subjects of systematic philosophy and history of philosophy includes a relevant (textual) seminar. Thanks to them, students improve their ability to understand and critically assess the text, which they can use both in their field and in applied practice, but also in everyday life, in which texts of various types play a key role.

Another specific feature of our study program is the emphasis on the development of critical thinking. Therefore, during their studies, students will become familiar with the basics of logic, argumentation, academic writing and will test their practical argumentation skills in a subject called the Oxford Debate. In this way, we try to develop teamwork, discussion and argumentation in oral or written speech among students.

In addition, we also pay attention to students' language skills, so in both semesters of the first year, students take the compulsory subject English for philosophers and a special seminar called Philosophical Terminology in a Foreign Language. In addition, texts or study literature in a foreign language are used in several compulsory as well as compulsory optional subjects.

• worker in "third sector" organizations and institutions
• worker/referent in cultural and social facilities
• clerk in magazine editorial offices
• clerk in publishing houses
• mass media worker
• worker/professional officer in state and public administration

Admission Requirements for Full-Time and Part-Time Study

Admission fee:

Submitting the application form in printed form
(paper):                                          €40 bachelor and doctoral studies
                                                              €35 Master's degree
Electronic application submission:        €35 bachelor's and doctoral studies
                                                                                          €30 master's degree

The application can be submitted:

a) by mail to the address:                             Študijné oddelenie  FF UCM, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 917 01   Trnava,
b) in person:                                                           v podateľni UCM v Trnave
c) electronically                                                   https://e-prihlaska.ucm.sk/ 

Note
When registering the application electronically:

• the applicant is obliged to save the application uploaded in AIS (electronic application) (the status of the application "registered" is not sufficient,
• we recommend using the electronic student book. Applicants who will graduate in the academic year 2024, submit a summary of grades for the 1st to 3rd year (4-year study), or for the 2nd to 4th year (5-year study). The report card from the last year and the matriculation certificate must be delivered additionally by post to the study department.
• in the event that the applicant does not have the possibility to use the electronic student book, it is necessary to send certified copies of the documents by post to the study department,
• in the attachment of the electronic application, the applicant uploads a CV and confirmation of payment of the fee for the admission procedure.
• the applicant, who graduated before 2024, delivers to the Study Department (in person or by post) certified copies of the report cards for the 1st to 4th year (4-year study), or for the 2nd to 5th year (5-year study) together with the school leaving certificate.

When applying in writing:

• the application form together with all mandatory attachments must be sent by post to the address: Study Department FF UCM, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, or hand it in at the post office,
• applicants who graduate in the academic year 2024 send the report card from the last year of study and the matriculation certificate additionally by mail.

Bank:                                 State Treasury
Account:                         7000071919/8180
Variable Symbol:       22407
Constant symbol:    0308
Specific symbol:       applicant's social security number without slash
IBAN:                                 SK59 8180 0000 0070 0007 1919
SWIFT:                              SPSRSKBAXXX

The fee must be paid exclusively by bank transfer.

Tuition fees in external study programs:
First degree study programs (three-year): €750
Second degree study programs (two years): €900
Third degree study programs (four years): €1,400
Third degree study programs (five years): €1,200

Procedure for the admission procedure and instructions for filling out the application
Documentation of education obtained outside the territory of the Slovak Republic
The applicant is obliged to submit a decision on the recognition of a document on education obtained outside the territory of the Slovak Republic no later than the day of registration.

 

Information for international students

 Information for international applicants to download

Knowledge of the Slovak language is required for the study of all study programs - including the study of foreign languages. Foreign students who do not have a high school diploma in the Slovak language or a university diploma from a Slovak university must take a language exam.
This condition does not apply to students with Czech citizenship.
It is necessary to register for the language exam in the online form no later than August 20, 2024.

Владение словацким языком требуется для всех учебных программ – включая иностранные языки. Для иностранных студентов, которые не подтверждают свой аттестат зрелости по словацкому языку или университетский диплом словацкого университета, сдача экзамена по словацкому языку является обязательной.
Это условие не распространяется на студентов с чешским гражданством.
Заявление о сдаче экзамена по словацкому языку должно быть подано в онлайн-форме не позднее 20 августа 2024 года.