Philosophy

Programs of Study

Master of Arts

Candidates must pass 30 credits of courses at the 500-, 700-, or 800-levels. In addition, they must submit two papers of a form and quality appropriate for submission to a philosophy journal, and these papers must be approved by a committee of faculty members.

Doctor of Philosophy

Candidates must:

1. pass 42 credits of courses at the 500-, 700-, or 800-levels. Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an M.A. in Philosophy from another institution may count up to 24 credits of graduate courses taken at the other institution toward this requirement;
2. complete the two papers requirement (See M.A. requirements above).  Students entering the program with an M.A. from another university need submit only one paper; the paper must be submitted by the beginning of their third semester;
3. qualify in four areas: metaphysics and epistemology, ethics, history of philosophy, and logic. For each of the first three areas, candidates qualify in that area by achieving an average grade of at least B+ in three courses in that area. Candidates qualify in logic either by examination or by satisfactory course work in two courses approved by the department, one in formal logic, the other in philosophical logic;
4. propose and have approved, at least a year before the degree is to be awarded, a topic and plan of work for the dissertation;
5. defend the dissertation in an oral examination.

J.D.-M.A. Program

This department, in cooperation with the School of Law, offers a combined program leading to the degrees of J.D. and M.A. in Philosophy. In order to enter the program a student is required to secure admission separately to the School of Law and to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences through normal admissions procedures; and to subsequently secure admission to the joint program by application to the program committee.

The program normally takes 3-4 years to complete, and ordinarily consists of the complete first-year program at the School of Law, followed by three years of courses from the curricula of the two schools and, where appropriate, from other graduate offerings at the University. The student must meet all the requirements set by the respective departments to be awarded each degree. This involves, in the School of Law, a minimum of 86 credits, as well as completion of the school’s curricula; and, in the Department of Philosophy, 24 credits and completion of a thesis written under the supervision of a faculty advisor. With the approval of the members of the program committee, a student may count up to 12 credits earned at the graduate level in the Department of Philosophy or other graduate offerings in the University, toward the 86 credits required for the J.D. degree; and up to six credits earned in the School of Law toward the 24 credits required for the M.A. degree.