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philos

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  1. I'm afraid I can't help you there. I can tell you, in terms of placement, that one recent graduate ended up at Washington University in St. Louis, one (I think) at Tulane, and another is waiting to hear from the rest this year but has been accepted to a mid-ranking department. The majority do not get placed. A number (probably a majority) of graduates, however, don't pursue PhD's, so it'd be a bit misleading to take that too seriously.
  2. I can't really speak to this, except that we had a couple people working toward MA's in philosophy that were studying in the English and History departments. That said, they weren't exactly interdisciplinary...they were just earning an MA while also earning PhD's in other departments. I'd speak with the department to get a sense of what they'd be open to.
  3. I graduated from LSU's MA program in the quite recent past, so I can speak with some authority on it, if it's any help. Money, if it's the same as it was (I believe it is), is $10,500/yr. Not a lot. And you'd think Baton Rouge would be cheap, and it's cheaper than many big cities, but not as cheap as you'd expect. You can pay your way...attrition seemed a bit higher for those who did so. There are normally 5 or so grad assistants, with grading and office hour responsibilities only. You might teach a review session or a single class, but nothing crazy. The quality of the education depends greatly on how much you put into it. For example, only two professors showed any proactive interest in my applying to graduate programs, and one of those occurred after admissions season was over (this excludes letter writers, who I asked, but I'm talking about professors asking about where I was applying, what my goals were, etc). The professors are, by and large, very knowledgeable. There are two or three who aren't as good as they could be for a few reasons (not being around much, having very low expectations, teaching the same sort of classes without pushing themselves to do something new), but those are the exception. There are strengths in continental, to be sure, but I would say that's less so now. New hires have strengths in analytic ethics, analytic legal philosophy, analytic metaphysics, etc. One could easily make it through the program never taking more than one or two continental or analytic classes, depending on their preference (though that sounds like a myopic way to get an education to me). Jeff Roland is an excellent lecturer in both logic and philosophy of science. Jon Cogburn is a model of open-minded love of wisdom who I'd strongly recommend speaking with (and who seems to have interests in just about everything). Outside of the department, I only took classes with John Protevi in the French department, who specializes in contemporary French philosophy, and has high standards and is very good. A flaw in the department is that, if it were more strongly integrated and there was more interaction between professors, it would be a great department; as it is, I'd say it's good. There is some interaction, and maybe it's gotten better in the past couple years, but I didn't get the sense of vibrant philosophical conversation between faculty that I think would lift the department up to a new level. If you have other questions I didn't address, just ask. I'm happy to give a fair assessment.
  4. philos

    Baton Rouge, LA

    I've been at LSU for a couple years now. Baton Rouge is a pretty lame town, but you can figure out the cool stuff...and if you really take advantage of the benefits of Louisiana, you can have a really good time. Important to know is that you generally live either south or north of campus...south is the ritzy area, north is the crummy area. Don't go north if you want to live someplace with no cockroaches/sealed moulding/etc (to be fair, the cockroaches will find you wherever you go)...I picked north because I a) didn't know better, and it's cheaper. Avoid Tigerland...it's a sort of student housing apartment area that gets very raucous. As far as safety goes, it's generally safe, although there's a bad side of the tracks that you hit rapidly if you go north of Aster and east of Iowa Street. But I've never really felt unsafe. Much more dangerous is the absolutely awful driving ability you'll find here...drive DEFENSIVELY. Stop signs seem to be optional for some drivers here, bikers go whichever direction they please when they please, etc. Because of the post-Katrina population overflow from New Orleans folk who stayed in Baton Rouge, traffic is terrible in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Get used to hitting traffic basically all the time, and just try not to go out from 4-7. Also, safety-wise, be aware that hurricanes are a reality, and take them seriously...get water ahead of time, and be sure to stock up on alcohol...if you lose power in the Louisiana summer for a week and a half, you'll want some red wine. As for culture, Baton Rouge is a bit lacking in my mind, but it's there. There are some good bars and pizza places. Get to know po'boys...I thought they were just subs when I moved here, but I was wrong...they are miracles of cuisine. Crawfish, when in season, is spectacularly good. Get season tickets to Tigers football the summer beforehand...it's like $90 for students, and well worth it for the experience. I'd never encountered anything like the Saturday of an LSU game here, and I'll miss going to see the Tigers play. There are some nice parks to visit. And New Orleans is fairly close, and is an absolutely great city. And LSU is the jewel of the city...the campus (the quad, anyway) is beautiful. If you've never seen live oaks, you will, and they're incredible. So you'll have a good time (just get ready for the humidity...it makes the summers hotter and the winters colder).
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