What the students say

The MAP has been a milestone in my academic career. Here I am having the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of my main area of interest (medieval philosophy) while being encouraged to use such expertise to critically engage in metaphysical contemporary debates. This has definitely widened my intellectual horizons. Moreover, I feel really lucky for having such amazing professors who are world-renowned specialists in their fields; and with this, a lot of opportunities appear. For instance, right now I am co-organizing a summer school titled “The Metaphysics of Relations on Ancient and Medieval Philosophy” together with two professors of the MAP that have inspired me way before coming to Lugano! How cool is that?

From the moment I got a taste of the stimulating environment of the MAP, I could not help but think that philosophy was the only thing I wanted to do. The impressive body of professors at the MAP and the freedom they give you in allowing you to do so to research any topic made me develop at best my interests and my skills. Furthermore, the thorough guidance from the first days of classes to the PhD applications has been invaluable for me to build my philosophical confidence. Thus, I wholeheartedly encourage everyone who wants to pursue a PhD in philosophy to consider applying to the MAP.

The Master in Philosophy (MAP) offers a unique opportunity to work with many esteemed scholars coming from all around the world.
It allows you to have a close interaction with them and to get useful advice about your studies and professional future. I felt really welcomed in Lugano.

For me, the Master in Philosophy (MAP) became something like a new home. It provided a safe space, where I have been and still am continuously encouraged to grow, professionally as well as a person.
Among the many opportunities offered to this aim, teaching a tutorial accompanying Prof. Berto’s introduction to Modal Logic, has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life as a student so far. I think that it is only a slight overstatement to say that in terms of opportunities offered to motivated students the MAP comes close to a Kripkean non-normal world where nothing is necessary but everything is possible.

If you are looking to be challenged and to genuinely prepare yourself for a PhD in philosophy then the MAP is the programme for you. I had high expectations when I arrived, having seen the names of so many influential philosophers listed as teaching staff, and those expectations have been consistently met or exceeded.One of the most surprising aspects of the MAP has been how my interests have shifted in the first semester, not just from one sub-discipline of philosophy to another, but also in the sense that they have become distributed more broadly due to the excellent teaching across diverse topics. I also want to add that the focus on independent research during the master has allowed me to engage with those diverse topics, while maintaining enough specificity to be well prepared to begin a PhD.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this programme is the diversity of its courses. Here one can find professors and students with both historical and theoretical interests and engage in discussions on every aspect of philosophy.
Professors in this programme are leading figures in their respective fields, from the most prestigious universities throughout the world. For me, the first semester was very demanding, but the encouragement from the professors, many hours of individual supervision, and the support from my colleagues helped me to overcome the initial difficulties. Thanks to this constant assistance, even though the programme gets more and more demanding, I find it easier to manage my tasks.

I like MAP very much. This is a high-quality programme with excellent professors. They give both great lectures and individual supervision. You can ask as many questions as you want in person or by email since all of them are very friendly. The students here enjoy philosophy and they are also hard-working and self-disciplined. In particular, it creates an atmosphere that encourages me to study philosophy. 

I consider studying at the MAP a privilege: not only are students offered a high-quality programme in analytic philosophy, but they are also considered vessels of rich ideas that can actually shape the philosophical community. Here I have found an excellent environment to deepen my knowledge of the philosophy of physics, which is my area of interest, under the guidance of world-class professors who constantly offer me the theoretical basis and the practical skills to be able to actively engage with the contemporary debate.