M.A.

Terminal Master of Arts in Philosophy

The Terminal M.A. degree requires 30 hours of graduate course work, including a first-year graduate tutorial and at least 12 additional hours of seminar and/or thesis work. M.A. candidates must pass a comprehensive examination over their course work or must write and successfully defend an M.A. thesis.

Fast-Track Master of Arts in Philosophy

The fast-track M.A. provides excellent KU undergraduates in Philosophy an opportunity to complete an M.A. in Philosophy within a year of completing the bachelor’s degree.  Talented students who are planning to continue their studies at the doctoral level or to continue to law school will receive a competitive advantage by acquiring a graduate degree in less time than a traditional terminal M.A.

Master's Degree Program Profile (pdf) (statistical overview of the Philosophy MA program)

Admission to the Terminal M.A. in Philosophy

Apply to the graduate program via the Office of Graduate Studies online application system.

Prerequisites:

In addition to the general admission requirements from the Office of Graduate Studies, applicants are expected to have taken the following six courses or their equivalents as preparation for graduate work:

1. symbolic logic
2. history of ancient philosophy
3. history of modern philosophy
4. history of 19th/20th-century Continental philosophy
5. value theory
6. metaphysics/epistemology (broadly construed to include philosophy of language and philosophy of mind).

Students may be admitted without some of these courses, but they are expected to make up the deficiencies early in their graduate careers and outside of the minimum hours required for degree.

Deadlines:

Students may begin the graduate program in either the fall or spring semester.  However, applicants who wish to be considered for financial support through fellowships and GTA appointments should anticipate beginning graduate studies in the Fall semester and must submit application materials by the following deadlines. 

Priority deadline for fellowship and GTA appointment consideration is January 5.

The final deadline for Fall matriculation is May 1.

 The final deadline for Spring matriculation is December 1.

Application Materials:

In addition to the application form, application fee, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc., the Philosophy Department Committee on Recruitment, Admission and Awards requires the following supplemental materials: 

Graduate Record Examination Scores (verbal, quantitative, analytical) or Law School Admission Test Scores (for applicants to the joint J.D./M.A. program)  KU GRE Code: 6871

Resume/CV

A Brief Personal Statement of Academic Goals

A Writing Sample  preferably a sample of philosophical prose approximately 10-15 pages in length

Applicants who indicate English is not their native language: Proof of English proficiency, as required by the Office of Graduate Studies. To be eligible for GTA support, TOEFL or IELTS scores must meet the benchmark of Regular Admission and the Speaking portion of the exam must meet the Employment benchmark in the English Proficiency policy.  KU TOEFL Code: 6871

More information regarding transcript and letter of recommendation requirements is available on the Graduate Studies Application Process page.

The Department of Philosophy Committee on Recruitment, Admission, and Awards requires applications include all supplemental materials prior to review.

Apply Now

Please contact the Graduate Academic Advisor, Aley Pennington, with questions about the application process.

Admission to the Fast-Track M.A. in Philosophy

Apply to the graduate program via the Office of Graduate Studies online  application system.

1. Completion or progress toward completion of a Bachelor's in Philosophy degree from the University of Kansas
2. GPA of 3.5 in Philosophy
3. GRE is not required, though the department will consider GRE scores if submitted with application materials

For additional information, contact the department Graduate Academic Advisor, Aley Pennington.

Terminal M.A. Degree Requirements

The department offers thesis and non-thesis M.A. options. Both require:

1. 30 credit hours of graduate course work in Philosophy with a grade of B- or higher, with a GPA of at least 3.0 over all courses in philosophy. At least 15 of these hours must be in courses numbered 800 or above and, for the thesis option, may include up to 6 hours of PHIL 899 Master’s Thesis. Students must complete two courses at the 500 level or above (or the equivalent) in each of these areas: history of philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology (broadly construed), and value theory. Courses taken during the undergraduate career may be counted toward these area requirements, but such work does not count toward the overall 30-hour graduate credit requirement unless the student took this course work for graduate credit and has successfully petitioned for department and College approval.
2. PHIL 800: Graduate Tutorial must be taken in the first year of study 
3. Successfully complete one final examination option:
   1. For the thesis option, the student must submit an acceptable thesis and pass a 2-part oral or written examination including 1 part covering the material of the M.A. program generally and a second part devoted to a defense of the thesis.
   2. For the non-thesis option, the student must pass an oral examination covering the material of the M.A. program.

Time Limits and Other Restrictions

Information on time limits may be found under Master's Degree Requirements and Program Time Constraints in the Graduate Regulations section of the online catalog. The rule for transferring credit toward the M.A. appears under General Regulations in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

The Graduate Handbook describes the most essential aspects of graduate study in philosophy at the University of Kansas, as determined by departmental policy and university regulations. In addition to this handbook, every graduate student should read the pertinent sections of the latest edition of the Academic Catalog.

The version below is current.

Department of Philosophy Graduate Handbook (pdf)

Awards and Fellowships

Annual Graduate Fellowship Competition  Student members of Phi Kappa Phi are urged to enter the annual Fellowship competition. Both Chapter and National Awards are available. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi offers 57 Fellowships of $5,000 each and three at $15,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study.  Every chapter has the opportunity to submit one nominee and the awards can be used in addition to any other financial support received by the student.

The Olin Templin Fellowship in Philosophy is awarded on the basis of both academic excellence and financial need, and is awarded on the recommendation of the departmental Committee on Recruitment, Admission, and Awards. The department typically awards two or three Templin Fellowships for the summer semester; the Director of Graduate Studies will issue a call for applications in the spring. The stipend is variable, but is generally in the amount of $1000 for summer Templins. Applications for Templin Fellowships at other times should be made by writing to the Director of Graduate Studies.

Graduate Student Travel Awards  Graduate Students are eligible for travel support to professional conferences at which they have had a paper accepted for presentation. There are currently two sources of support:

1. Graduate Studies OfficeThe Graduate Scholarly Presentation Travel Fund is for Lawrence or Edwards Campus graduate students presenting their research or the disciplinary equivalent at a meeting of a learned or professional society being held outside of the state of Kansas. This fund provides reimbursements of $500 for domestic or international travel expenses.
2. Edward S. Robinson Philosophy Travel Awards The department occasionally has limited funds for transportation costs for students who are presenting papers at significant philosophical meetings. Eligible students should apply to the Chair of the Committee on Recruitment, Admissions and Awards.

Direct Exchange Scholarships  Direct Exchange Scholars receive tuition and modest monthly stipends from the partner institutions for room, board and incidental expenses. Students will generally need to supplement their stipends with their own funds or student loans to ensure enough money to travel and to participate in extracurricular activities.  For more information, please contact the Department of International Programs.

Additional funding opportunities are available on the Graduate Studies Funding page.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

The Department of Philosophy employs qualified graduate students to teach logic, introduction to philosophy, introduction to ethics and intro to social and political philosophy. Half-time (.50 FTE) Teaching Assistants receive a nine-month student salary based on the current rate as determined by the University, in addition to a 100% remission of tuition.

Recommendations concerning Assistantships in Philosophy are made to the Chair of the Department by the Committee on Recruitment, Admissions and Awards. In making its recommendations, the Committee is especially concerned to maintain or enhance the quality of undergraduate instruction and to provide funding for, as well as recognition of, qualified graduate students.