MA in Philosophy

Course requirements and degree plans for a MA in Philosophy

If you are pursuing the M.A. degree, then you may pursue a general master’s-level education in philosophy or concentrate in Bioethics. The curriculum for both programs reflect the unique faculty and resource profile at IU Indianapolis.

Course Requirements

Applicants to the M.A. are expected to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, or its equivalent, with a grade point average of at least 3.0 overall (on a scale of 4) and at least 3.0 in the student’s major. There is no specific major requirement, but applicants must show a record of coursework (or equivalent experience) demonstrating that they are sufficiently prepared to do graduate work in philosophy. Acceptable coursework includes an undergraduate degree in philosophy.

Core Courses

Philosophy Core (15 cr. required)

  1. History (6 cr. required)
    • PHIL-P 515: Medieval Philosophy (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 522: Topics in History of Modern Philosophy (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 536: Topics in the History of Contemporary Philosophy (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 558: Classical American Philosophy (3 cr.)
  2. Topics (6 cr. required)
    • PHIL-P 514: Pragmatism (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 540: Contemporary Ethical Theories (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 543: Social and Political Philosophy (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 553: Philosophy of Science (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 560: Metaphysics (3 cr.)
    • PHIL-P 562: Theory of Knowledge (3 cr.)

Electives (15 cr. required)

  • Any course from the Philosophy Core (above)
  • PHIL-P 503: Semiotics of C.S. Peirce (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 507: American Philosophy and the Analytic Tradition (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 520: Philosophy of Language (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 525: Topics in the History of Philosophy (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 542: Ethics and Values of Philanthropy (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 545: Legal Philosophy
  • PHIL-P 552: Philosophy of Logic
  • PHIL-P 561: Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL-P 572: Philosophy of Religion
  • PHIL-P 600: Topics in Philosophy (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 650: Topics in Semiotic Philosophy (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 701: Peirce Seminar (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 730: Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 748: Seminar in American Philosophy (3 cr.)
  • Any PHIL course offered in Bioethics concentration

Thesis Option

You may petition to write a thesis (P803, 6 cr.) under certain circumstances. You must secure permission from your graduate director and three faculty members who are willing to constitute a thesis committee. If you receive permission to write a thesis then you need only take 9 cr. of electives.

Grades

No course with a grade lower than a B (3.0) will count toward this degree.

Admission Requirements:

  1. Graduate School Application form (contact teamgrad@iu.edu with subject line PHIL for a fee waiver code)
  2. Three Letters of Recommendation
  3. Statement of Purpose
  4. GRE Scores*
  5. TOEFL Scores (non-native English speakers only)
  6. Official Transcripts (required from all institutions attended or currently attending)
  7. Writing Sample

For more information contact:

Graduate Program Director & Advisor, Professor Chad Carmichael, crcarmic@iu.edu