Master of Arts in Philosophy
Admission to Program
To enter this program with classified graduate status, students should have completed the following five undergraduate courses (or equivalent Philosophy courses at another university) with a grade of B or better. Students who have not completed these prerequisites may begin the program as conditionally classified with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator in Philosophy, but they will be required to make up any deficiencies by receiving a grade of 3.0 or better in each prerequisite class.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 205 | Formal Logic I | 3 |
| PHIL 301 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 303 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 450 | Ethics | 3 |
| Select One Course in Core Area of Metaphysics and Epistemology | 3 | |
| Being and Knowing | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Theory of Knowledge | ||
| Philosophy of Perception | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Minds, Brains, and Computers | ||
| Philosophy of Language | ||
| Philosophical Logic Workshop | ||
| Advanced Logic Workshop | ||
A GPA of 3.0 or better is expected for (1) the last 60 undergraduate units, and (2) all Philosophy courses.
Written English Proficiency Requirement
The University has a requirement for written English proficiency that is to be assessed at two different points in a student's program.
Level One
Pre-admission writing sample.
Level Two
Satisfactory completion of the examination in PHIL 898 (and Oral Exam).
Advancement to Candidacy
To advance to candidacy so as to commence work formally on their M.A. thesis, students must have completed 18 units with grades of B or better, which must include PHIL 715 and at least two other graduate seminars in Philosophy. An “Advancement To Candidacy” form must be filed with Graduate Studies.
All upper-division courses offered by the Philosophy department may be considered for the master's degree, upon approval of the graduate coordinator. The graduate coordinator will not approve any course numbered 300 to 599 in which a student receives a grade below an A-. Courses numbered 600 to 699 must have received a grade of B- or better, except that with permission of the graduate coordinator some courses in this range may be counted with a grade of CR.
Students become subject to declassification from the Philosophy MA program and/or disqualification from the University if they are on administrative or academic probation for more than one consecutive semester during their time as a graduate student.
Philosophy (M.A.) — Minimum 33 Units
Course Requirements:
Students must take three required courses: PHIL 715 Seminar in Philosophical Writing; PHIL 896 Directed Reading in Fundamental Philosophical Texts (the M.A. qualifying exam); PHIL 898 Master's Thesis (and Oral Exam). PHIL 715 should be taken during the first year (preferably during the first semester of graduate coursework); PHIL 896 should be taken during the second or third semester of graduate coursework (and in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator); PHIL 898 should be taken during the final semester of coursework. Also required are four elective philosophy graduate seminars (12 units), as well as another 12 graduate or upper division elective units. Students may select from a wide array of graduate and upper division courses, including various kinds of supervised research and applied, practicum, or publication projects to complete the last group of 12 elective units, but at least three of the units in this group must be at the graduate level.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 715 | Seminar in Philosophical Writing 1 | 3 |
| Graduate seminars in philosophy excluding PHIL 715 | 12 | |
| Additional units in philosophy or in a related field with approval of Graduate Coordinator (3 units must be at the graduate level) | 12 | |
| PHIL 896 | Directed Reading in Fundamental Philosophical Texts (A student who fails the comprehensive examination at the end of this course may repeat the course only once) 2 | 3 |
| PHIL 898 | Master's Thesis (and Oral Examination in Defense of Thesis) 3 | 3 |
| 1 | PHIL 715 should be taken during the first year (preferably during the first semester of graduate coursework) |
| 2 | PHIL 896 is a mandatory CR/NC course. Students who fail the exam may attempt it only once more, after enrolling again. Before enrolling again, students should consult with the Graduate Coordinator to determine when they are ready. It must be completed with a CR before the student may enroll in PHIL 898, the master's thesis course. |
| 3 | PHIL 898 should be taken during the final semester of coursework. |