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Graduate Calendar
Spring 2019

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PHILOSOPHY

THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE

General Nature of the Program

The aim of the program is to give students the opportunity to deepen their philosophical understanding both by broadening their undergraduate background and/or by allowing them to concentrate their studies in one of the two specific areas of focus in our program. One area is informal logic, the theory of argument, and the theory of critical thinking; the other area is twentieth-century continental philosophy and critical social theory. It is expected that theses and major papers will be written in one of these two areas. The possibility of concentrating in some other area exists but is conditional upon staffing resources, which are subject to change. The Philosophy M.A. program is structured in such a way as to encourage maximum participation by students in seminars and to allow extensive contact with professors outside of formal class time.

MA in Philosophy

Admission Requirements

See the admissions section of the Graduate Calendar for general requirements for admission into an M.A. program at the University of Windsor. The Philosophy program normally requires a BA honours in Philosophy or its equivalent for regular admission to the Master's program (M-2 admission level) and a general BA in Philosophy or its equivalent for admission to the qualifying stream of the Master's program (M-1 admission level).

Program Requirements

For general requirements for the Master's degree, see section titled, The Master's Degree - Program Requirements. The following are particular requirements for the M.A. in Philosophy:

1) The student may proceed to the degree in any one of the following ways:

(a) successfully complete eight courses, two of which may be in a cognate field.

(b) with permission, successfully complete six courses, two of which may be in a cognate field, and satisfactorily complete a major research paper on which there shall be an oral examination. To be granted permission to write a major paper, students must satisfy the following criteria: (i) complete at least 4 graduate courses in philosophy, including the Departmental Seminar – PHIL-8900, with a minimum average of 80%; (ii) pass the master’s qualifying examination; (iii) secure the sponsorship of an academic supervisor for the proposed research project; (iv) submit to the Graduate Coordinator a research plan that was approved by the academic supervisor.

(c) with permission, successfully complete at least four and not more than six graduate courses (the fifth and sixth courses may be in a cognate field), and satisfactorily complete a thesis on which there shall be an oral examination. To be granted permission to write a thesis, students must satisfy the following criteria: (i) complete at least 4 graduate courses in philosophy, including the Departmental Seminar – PHIL-8900, with a minimum average of 80%; (ii) pass the master’s qualifying examination; (iii) secure the sponsorship of an academic supervisor for the proposed research project; (iv) submit to the Graduate Coordinator a research plan that was approved by the academic supervisor.

Note:
i.Students considering doctoral studies should consult with faculty members in the relevant fields to determine the optimal stream, coursework, major paper, or thesis.
ii.Students in stream C must submit to the Graduate Committee an acceptable thesis proposal by the end of their second full-time term.

2) All students proceeding to the degree must:

(a) include the Departmental Seminar (Philosophy PHIL-8900) among their courses for the degree;

(b)pass the master's qualifying examination. Students will be assessed on the content of the Departmental Seminar using a variety of evaluative methods, including written and oral examinations.

3) M.A. Qualifying Year (M-1 admission): Students at the I Master's level are required to take PHIL-4910 (Honours Seminar) (see section titled, Philosophy Courses in the Undergraduate Calendar).

4) Program Approval: Each student must have his or her projected program approved by the Graduate Coordinator.

PHILOSOPHY: COURSES

PHILOSOPHY: PROGRAM

GRADUATE STUDIES FACULTY REGULATIONS