What the Alumni say

The Master in Philosophy (MAP) is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who would like to see how research looks like already before starting a PhD.
During my years, the director, the coordinator and the whole group of professors have shown a great desire to help me focus on the topics that interested me the most.
They did so not only through individual supervision and tutoring but also helping me apply to conferences, and send my first papers to philosophical journals.

When I began my studies at the Master in Philosophy (MAP), I was expecting to find a high-quality course of studies. Now I can confidently assert that what I found has been beyond my expectations.
The MAP, based in a hugely developing Swiss university, clearly shows the ability to attract the best world-class academic staff belonging to the leading philosophical schools.
The programme is not only of the highest quality, but it is also adequately flexible such that it allowed me to pursue my personal research interests and to improve my skills through discussions with the best experts in my field.

Taking part in the Master in Philosophy (MAP) at USI has been fundamental for my career. Building a professional, interesting and competitive project is not usually taught in universities.
As a master student, it is common to feel lost in a maze. The environment at USI allows one to interact personally with professors that are among the best professional analytic philosophers; something which, from my experience, turned out to be essential for finding a PhD position.
Been guided as I were at USI gave me a fil rouge to find a quick exit to the maze which, I doubt, I would ever found alone.

Master in Philosophy (MAP) students receive a first-class multidisciplinary education. Not only were we required to study intensively our elected fields, but we were also asked to exit our comfort zone.
This was difficult but rewarding. No doubt, I will continue using for my whole career the knowledge and topic-neutral skills I obtained at the MAP.
When I applied for the MAP, I feared I might not be able to pay my bills in Switzerland, a country that is not known for its cheap prices. My worries proved ungrounded. The MAP offers not only scholarships but also job opportunities for its students. I worked as a MAP student assistant from late 2017 to early 2019. Then I was hired as a teaching assistant by the Faculty of Theology. Moreover, I received scholarships from Reginaldus foundation, Universitá della Svizzera italiana, and Fidinam Foundation (chronological order).

When I was a BA student in Bologna, I spent a week in Lugano to participate in some lectures at the Master in Philosophy (MAP).
I found the level of the lectures so high that I was not sure to be ready for it. But I like challenges, I sent my application, and I received an acceptance letter! The first semester at the MAP was tough, but thanks to the lectures, the seminars, the individual supervision I benefited from, and hard work, I managed to improve and improve. I began my PhD less than one month after my graduation. Like many others, I feel thankful to the professors of the MAP for the guidance they offered to us. Besides being PhD student in Geneva, I am now PhD assistant of the direction of the MAP, and I am very happy to see how much the MAP is growing during the years!

Choosing the Master in Philosophy at USI has been the best possible decision for me. Given my goal of pursuing an academic career, at USI I have found everything I was hoping for. The MAP has given me the opportunity of improving my philosophical skills, thanks to a dynamic and active philosophical community and to a very well-designed program of courses. At USI, I had the chance of studying under the supervision of some of the top philosophers within my fields of interest, that is metaphysics and philosophy of physics.
Finally, the MAP’s tutorship program has significantly helped me publish a paper in a peer-reviewed journal by the last semester of my second year, and the support of the professors has been crucial in preparing my PhD applications.

When I enrolled in the Master in Philosophy (MAP), I was a bit skeptical, and I asked myself whether this program would have really helped me follow my ambition of pursuing a PhD in philosophy of physics. My skepticism was quickly swept away. Not only the MAP provided me with in-depth knowledge of the most important issues in contemporary analytic philosophy, but I also had the opportunity to personalize my study plan to specialize in the field I like the most. To give a few examples, I took exams such as Linear Algebra, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, as well as several exams in philosophy of physics and philosophy of science. I am now doing a PhD at the University of Geneva (while being a PhD assistant at USI) and I now realize how much what I learned during my master studies is precious for my current research.

I graduated from the Master in Philosophy (MAP), but then I decided not to pursue Philosophy. I am now attending an Executive Master in Digital Marketing & Social Media Communication to know and master the world of digital, and I started an internship as Social Media Manager.
My philosophical background gives me a strong capacity to communicate and write in a persuasive and readily comprehensible manner. This is because the MAP requires students to submit regular written work, to produce research papers and to develop their presentation and discussion skills.
And if I’m being sincere, these skills have brought a significant advantage to me as a job candidate with respect to other people. This makes me feel lucky for having taken part in this great programme, and thankful for all the professors from whom I have learned.

I was admitted to Cambridge law while I was completing MAP; the tailored teaching approach at MAP and variety of courses made it possible to explore various interests of mine, and they helped consolidate important skills that later proved valuable for a smooth transition to a legal career. I have recently signed a contract with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and I will join their London office. My studies at MAP contributed to an important extent to my current achievements and I would recommend the course to anyone who wants to pursue postgraduate studies in philosophy while being able to explore related areas! 

I am grateful to the MAP because it allowed me to earn, alongside philosophy, a minor in corporate communication. This gave me a great competitive advantage in looking for a non-academic career. Today, thanks to my hybrid path, I am in charge of marketing and communication for a brand operating in the world of beauty. I can say with absolute certainty that combining the deep contents of philosophy that I learnt at the MAP with more technical knowledge has been a winning choice to work in a company.