M.A. Programs in Philosophy

[deadpencul]

I am trying find information on M.A. Programs in Philosophy. I doubled in English and History during undergrad, but developed a passion for political, social, and continental philosophy. Since I lack the undergrad. work and would not feel confident or secure going into a Ph.D. program, an M.A. seems best for me. Many top philosophy programs offer M.A.'s--N.Y.U, Columbia, Umich, etc. However, I am looking for a department with a strong focus on social and political philosophy. From there, I most likely will pursue a ph.D.

Are top programs such as Columbia's really a good idea for M.A.'s? Or are programs like at Tufts or LSE ( I studied there one summer, lovely school) better, since their graduate programs are more geared towards M.A.'s?

I graduated with a 3.73 and am taking my GRE soon...

[misterpat]

Don't take this as the final word, since I haven't been to any of these grad schools, but I am pretty sure that big programs like Columbia don't fund their MA students. Tufts has the best placement record of all the stand-alone MA programs. If you go to a school that doesn't have a PhD program, you are far more likely to get funding.

Check out Tufts, Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, and UW-Milwaukee. There's a few other good ones, I think Texas Tech and possibly Texas A&M, but I am not sure. Philosophicalgourmet.com has an excellent section on this topic.

[amazingtomatoes]

WashU (Washington University in St. Louis) seems like your best, possibly funded bet for social and political philosophy. It is where they excel, as opposed to, say, NIU, which works more in M&E.

[Jufarius87]

Your best bet for a program that will help you gain admission to top Ph.D program and prepare you for such programs are in the United Kingdom.

B.Phil Oxford

M.Phil Cambridge or St. Andrews

M.Sc Edinburgh.

If you want to stay in the states though, I heard Tufts and Georgia State both have good M.A programs

[Jufarius87]

UK schools dont require GREs which is always a plus.

[UKbound]

Oxford does ask for GRE scores. I don't know if this is just for students applying from the U.S. or for everyone, but there is a section on the application that asks for them.

[Jufarius87]

oxford only requires it for philosophical theology and economics......

[salpi]

Your best bet for a program that will help you gain admission to top Ph.D program and prepare you for such programs are in the United Kingdom.

B.Phil Oxford

M.Phil Cambridge or St. Andrews

M.Sc Edinburgh.

If you want to stay in the states though, I heard Tufts and Georgia State both have good M.A programs

Hi! I am interested in these programs, but my main reservation is the lack of funding for international students. (I am a US citizen). The situation is bad enough for UK students. Where should I start looking for external funding? Do they offer fellowships or scholarships for students in my position? Thanks for your help. I would be really really grateful for your (or anyone's) response.

-Salpi

[jfb2001]

Don't take this as the final word, since I haven't been to any of these grad schools, but I am pretty sure that big programs like Columbia don't fund their MA students. Tufts has the best placement record of all the stand-alone MA programs. If you go to a school that doesn't have a PhD program, you are far more likely to get funding.

Check out Tufts, Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, and UW-Milwaukee. There's a few other good ones, I think Texas Tech and possibly Texas A&M, but I am not sure. Philosophicalgourmet.com has an excellent section on this topic.

How do you know that Tufts has the best placement? They don't publish their placement records on-line, last I checked. My understanding is that their placement records vary year to year.

[misterpat]

How do you know that Tufts has the best placement? They don't publish their placement records on-line, last I checked. My understanding is that their placement records vary year to year.

You're right, I don't know it. I think was repeating what I had read on Philosophical Gourmet without looking at it. The site says they have the best program in terms of faculty. So, my mistake.

[gotTOgetIN]

I'm more than likely going to accept Brandeis and be part of their first generation! Who else is going there? Are you excited?

[rwsc]

Do not go to an M.A. program in philosophy unless you get some kind of funding.

The M.A. programs without funding are essentially institutions taking advantage of your idealism. Ask the program if they can provide you detailed statistics about the rate of acceptance of their M.A.s into Ph.D. programs. You'll find many of them don't keep this data because (1) they don't want to know themselves and (2) they don't want you to know.

M.A.s in philosophy without funding are cash-schemes all to the department's benefit.

[readeatsleep]

I'm more than likely going to accept Brandeis and be part of their first generation! Who else is going there? Are you excited?

i know a student who may be attending - one of the brightest ive ever met. sounds like itll be a blast.

[maaddebater1]

Hello:

There a lots of MA programs out there that provide funding!!! Most of the times this is a better option, because you get into a better PhD program.

I would suggest LSU first and foremost. They provide 10.5k TA-ships. Dr. Schufreider: Medieval Philosophy, Heidegger, Aesthetics; Dr. Raffoul: Heidegger, Levinas, Derrida, Nancy; Dr. Protevi: Foucault, Deleuze, Badiou, continental cognitive science. Plus, tons of other great professors. Protevi and Cogburn both have great blogs.

Also there is George Mason which I suggest. But there are tons more, they are just badly advertised, so you have to find them yourself. Find big schools that do not have PhD programs... many of them have MAs.

Cheers

[Kantian28]

I've applied to some MA programs in philosophy, including Brandeis.

However, I am a bit concerned about my GPA. My overall GPA was a 3.26, while my GPA in Philosophy was 3.67.

My GREs are Verbal: 670 Quant: 660 AW: 4.5 (grr)

Is it realistic to think that I might have a shot at admission?

[rwsc]

To be perfectly frank, MAs give you more opportunities to fail at getting into a Ph.D. program; in fact, sometimes a school will further narrow your options (e.g., if you attend a militantly continental program, you'll have a tough time finding admission to even moderately analytic schools). If you didn't get in or didn't get funding, save your money and spend a year hammering out GRE practice tests until you hit that 1500+. In the current state of grade & recommendation inflation, GRE scores may be the only thing you've got to differentiate yourself (unless the committee is willing to read your writing sample [doubtful -- you're lucky if they skim it]). Whatever you do, don't accept admission to an unfunded MA; they're just exploiting your idealism and taking advantage of your naivete.

This discipline has little self-respect. It's a complete mess, and yet here we are, trying.

[jferreir]

To be perfectly frank, MAs give you more opportunities to fail at getting into a Ph.D. program; in fact, sometimes a school will further narrow your options (e.g., if you attend a militantly continental program, you'll have a tough time finding admission to even moderately analytic schools). If you didn't get in or didn't get funding, save your money and spend a year hammering out GRE practice tests until you hit that 1500+. In the current state of grade & recommendation inflation, GRE scores may be the only thing you've got to differentiate yourself (unless the committee is willing to read your writing sample [doubtful -- you're lucky if they skim it]). Whatever you do, don't accept admission to an unfunded MA; they're just exploiting your idealism and taking advantage of your naivete.

This discipline has little self-respect. It's a complete mess, and yet here we are, trying.

I agree with very little in the above post. First, GRE scores are often used to determine funding allocation -- not much more. It is highly unlikely that an admissions committee in philosophy would value GRE scores above the writing sample, SOP, and LORs. From a practical perspective, understanding an applicant's motivation, writing style, and research interests will provide a much greater insight into their potential for advanced philosophical research, than will their score on some standardized test. Besides, philosophy is one of the most competitive disciplines at the graduate level... excellent GRE scores are not desirable, they're expected. So, taking an additional year to improve your GRE scores in the context of a poor overall application will do very little to improve your chances of acceptance. Personally, I would suggest that one focus the majority of their effort on composing a really strong writing sample with a focused SOP.

I would also caution against dismissing the value of an MA degree in philosophy so hastily. In Canada, the MA route is viewed differently than in the US. Here, I think it's viewed more as an opportunity to deepen one's understanding in the history of philosophy, while also allowing one to secure a few publications and to mature as an individual. It definitely does not narrow your opportunities. On the contrary, it improves them (provided you demonstrate competence at the graduate level, of course). That said, I do agree that one should be weary of taking on considerable debt in the process.

Ultimately, the value of pursuing an MA is determined by the individual circumstances of the student. As a result, I don't think anyone should outright dismiss its value.

[rwsc]

Canadian and U.S. programs are different. I have no experience in Canadian graduate programs so I cannot address their perceived value to admissions committees and I do not know whether they typically are funded or not.

I agree that personal statements and writing samples ought to deserve higher consideration than GRE scores. Let me be clear: jferreir is right; you couldn't take an overall poor application and improve it by raising GRE scores alone. But a top GRE score will get your application read. It is the first step to getting anyone on the admissions committee to pay attention. Writing samples and personal statements are important - sure - but if the GRE isn't high enough, a committee member, who may have liked what you wrote, will have difficulty convincing his/her colleagues to admit you.

If you have a high GRE and still have difficulties. It may have something to do with pedigree - where you went to school and who wrote you letters of recommendation. Getting an M.A. is one way to possibly improve that pedigree. But in the states, if you want to improve your pedigree that means attending a bigger name program where the M.A. is less likely to receive funding. If you can just write a check and go without debt, by all means go. Few people I expect can do that. If attending an unfunded M.A. program means large quantities of debt, then you have to seriously consider how much you're willing to pay for those letters of recommendation.

jferreir is right that a polished writing sample and a well-researched personal statement showing "fit" in a program will go a very long way to improving your chances of admittance. However, my advice about avoiding unfunded, American M.A. programs centers on just why you believe you need to complete an M.A. If it's to improve pedigree, fine - but it's going to cost you, and you may have difficulty getting professors to pay attention.

I think it a bit optimistic to imagine securing any publications as an M.A student let alone a few, but it's certainly been done. I, however, would be careful about what and where you want to publish while you're in this maturation process. But that's something else entirely.

[jferreir]

Canadian and U.S. programs are different. I have no experience in Canadian graduate programs so I cannot address their perceived value to admissions committees and I do not know whether they typically are funded or not.

I agree that personal statements and writing samples ought to deserve higher consideration than GRE scores. Let me be clear: jferreir is right; you couldn't take an overall poor application and improve it by raising GRE scores alone. But a top GRE score will get your application read. It is the first step to getting anyone on the admissions committee to pay attention. Writing samples and personal statements are important - sure - but if the GRE isn't high enough, a committee member, who may have liked what you wrote, will have difficulty convincing his/her colleagues to admit you.

If you have a high GRE and still have difficulties. It may have something to do with pedigree - where you went to school and who wrote you letters of recommendation. Getting an M.A. is one way to possibly improve that pedigree. But in the states, if you want to improve your pedigree that means attending a bigger name program where the M.A. is less likely to receive funding. If you can just write a check and go without debt, by all means go. Few people I expect can do that. If attending an unfunded M.A. program means large quantities of debt, then you have to seriously consider how much you're willing to pay for those letters of recommendation.

jferreir is right that a polished writing sample and a well-researched personal statement showing "fit" in a program will go a very long way to improving your chances of admittance. However, my advice about avoiding unfunded, American M.A. programs centers on just why you believe you need to complete an M.A. If it's to improve pedigree, fine - but it's going to cost you, and you may have difficulty getting professors to pay attention.

I think it a bit optimistic to imagine securing any publications as an M.A student let alone a few, but it's certainly been done. I, however, would be careful about what and where you want to publish while you're in this maturation process. But that's something else entirely.

Rather than bicker over details, everyone can use the following reference and judge accordingly...

http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/applyingto.asp

[rwsc]

In addition to Leiter, read Schwitzgebel.

[emm okk]

Your best bet for a program that will help you gain admission to top Ph.D program and prepare you for such programs are in the United Kingdom.

B.Phil Oxford

M.Phil Cambridge or St. Andrews

M.Sc Edinburgh.

If you want to stay in the states though, I heard Tufts and Georgia State both have good M.A programs

Are these programs in the UK not incredibly difficult to gain admittance? Even at the undergrad or master's level?

[tarski]

Are these programs in the UK not incredibly difficult to gain admittance? Even at the undergrad or master's level?

I think the trickiest thing about a lot of those programs is the funding (for internationals). Last year's who_got_in thread on livejournal seemed to indicate a bunch of Americans/Canadians getting in to the BPhil, but without funding, or very slow decisions on funding.

That said, admission is probably still fairly competitive (as well).

Edited October 19, 2009 by tarski

[parapraxis]

If your interested in Continental phil., chek out the spep website : http://www.spep.org/content.php?_p_=52

Many of the schools listed have MA programs. I am finishing my MA at Boston College this year and applying to PhDs right now. BC has a strong continental program, and if your into euro social theory, you can do that here, although Rasmussen is the head Habermas guy here and he's getting on in years, probably to retire in next 5 years or so...

I saw someone replied and said Tufts is a good choice-- it is, but if your into M&L, not continental social thought. Check out the spep link though.

[Ziz]

The MSc Edinburgh isn't as hard to get into, but the MPhil Cambridge was hard. I applied twice and was rejected both times, but got into Oxford so who knows?!

[tarski]

I was looking at Edinburgh (mind & language yay) but was a bit confused by all the options. MSc by Research vs. MPhil, and then a recommendation that if you were coming right out of your undergrad you could transfer from the MSc to the MPhil..?