5-Year BA-MA Program - Philosophy Major
The Department of Philosophy offers a program in which qualified students may earn both a BA and MA in philosophy in five years. This is accomplished by applying 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses to both the BA and MA. Interested students typically apply for conditional admission to the program during, or immediately following, their third year of undergraduate study. A student will be conditionally admitted to the program only if he or she:
• is a declared Philosophy major;
• has completed at least 90 credit hours overall with a minimum GPA of 3.25; and
• has completed at least 15 credit hours in Philosophy with a minimum GPA of 3.5.
Applicants must also provide three letters of recommendation. Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to have completed PHIL 235 and at least one 400-level Philosophy course. The Department may consider other relevant factors, such as an applicant’s work experience and level of academic promise, in deciding whether to conditionally admit students to the BA/MA program. Both the Department of Philosophy and the Graduate School must approve all conditional admissions into the BA/MA program. The Department will inform applicants of its decisions by the beginning of their fourth and final year of undergraduate study.
Both the Department Head (or designee) and the Graduate School must approve any course taken for graduate credit before the student satisfies all requirements for the BA. A student conditionally admitted to the BA/MA program may complete up to 9 credit hours of graduate credit to count toward both the BA and MA requirements. Only graduate courses taken after conditional admission into the BA/MA program may be used to satisfy the requirements of both degrees.
Conditional admission to the BA/MA program does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MA program in Philosophy. Students conditionally admitted into the BA/MA program at the start of their fourth year must apply that year for admission to both the MA program and the Graduate School. Such applicants must follow standard application procedures; in particular, they must submit GRE scores and a writing sample. If the student is accepted by both the MA program and the Graduate School, they will be fully admitted to the BA/MA program; they must then complete the standard curriculum for the MA program.
Students are ineligible for graduate assistantships until they satisfy all requirements for the BA degree.
Philosophy Major, MA - Requirements
Thesis Option
The requirements for an MA with thesis are 30 credit hours of graduate course work, including 6 credit hours in PHIL 500. Of non-thesis credit hours, at least two-thirds must be in courses at or above the 500-level. See the department’s graduate student handbook for more specific details.
Non-Thesis Option
The non-thesis MA requires 30 credit hours of graduate course work of which at least two-thirds must be in courses at or above the 500-level. Students seeking the non-thesis option must also pass a final written examination on all work offered for the degree. An additional oral examination may be required. As a part of the master’s degree, and in addition to a final comprehensive examination, a culminating (capstone) experience is expected. Examples of culminating experiences include presenting a paper at a refereed national or regional philosophy conference or presenting a paper at a departmental colloquium.
