Standalone MA at Duke and forming a strong application

[Guest]

I'm a student at Duke in a Master of Theological Studies program. I am interested in pursuing another masters degree since I am able to make a joint program with any other program at Duke, and perhaps even UNC-CH. While I am by no means trying to become a philosopher, my studies in theology heavily delve into the philosophical realm and I believe that taking courses in the area of philosophy would give me a far greater understanding of my own field. Theologically, I am studying in the area of the church and its relation to the state. I would consider my studies to deal with the areas of ethics and systematic theology.

I have read works that deal with the following fields, all of which are well represented at Duke and UNC-CH to varying degrees: applied ethics, philosophy of law, political philosophy, metaethics, ethics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of action, philosophical logic, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and even philosophy of language.

I have taken courses that deal with philosophy, particularly a philosophy of history (Hegel), ethics (Kant, Rauls, utilitarianism, etc.), theology (Aquinas), among others. Truly, philosophers are always a part of our conversation in class, regardless of what subject I am studying. The problem is I haven't taken any course that was designated as "PHIL," not even PHIL101. However, I feel that my interest in philosophy is strong enough that I would thoroughly enjoy spending a year studying the subject.

My first question is whether anyone knows if Duke actually offers a standalone MA? Their website seems to indicate that this IS the case (http://gradschool.duke.edu/depts_progs/masters_only_list.php) until you go to the philosophy department website, where it isn't even mentioned once.

My other questions deal with the strength of my application. Considering that I don't even have a formal introduction to philosophy on my transcripts, do you suppose my chances are very grim or that I should somehow manage to take courses in philosophy and then apply? Will being a student at Duke help my chances? Being a student of theology, will a philosophy department really want to accept me as opposed to other students who are aiming at PhD studies in philosophy? What kind of GRE scores are necessary (My scores were: 156 V, 146 Q, 4 W)? Is there anything I'm missing?

Your thoughts would be helpful!

[theblues]

Since your case is peculiar (being that you are already at Duke and looking to do an MA there) you should probably shoot an email to the director of their grad studies and ask him specifically about your case. Many PhD programs don't have a standalone MA but grant the degree en route to their PhD students, and Duke may be of this ilk. If that is the case, they may still be able to work something out for you though, I can't be sure but it doesn't hurt to ask and try.

Regarding other programs and theology/philosophy of religion in general, it is important to consider whether your desired approach is analytic or continental. Again I'm not sure, but I imagine schools with standalone MA programs will not discriminate against you because they mostly claim to support students who apply with the purpose of going on to seek a PhD in philosophy or "in other fields", although you would want to specifically show how your educational goals are philosophical in particular in your application, as these programs can be quite competitive.

The Catholic universities are good in philosophy of religion and theology and generally approach philosophy from a Continental standpoint (Heidegger, Phenomenology, Existentialism, etc.). Franciscan University has a stand-alone MA that is theologically geared and Continental, and you can find a list of Continental-friendly programs at spep.org. As to whether GRE scores matter, this is a point of dispute even on blogs where philosophers comment (leiter's blog), so it depends on the faculty and can vary. The most important thing will be letters and your writing sample, so if you have a good writing sample that shows you can deal well with complex ideas and present them clearly, you should be fine. If you prefer more analytic approaches to philosophy of religion or metaphysics (like those of the Christian philosophers at Notre Dame such as Alvin Plantinga or Peter van Inwagen), then I'm not quite so sure which stand-alone MA programs are good. I'm also somewhat interested in philosophy of religion, and as far as I can tell so far I have found that the Catholic Universities are great for taking philosophy of religion seriously, and that they do this along with taking Continental approaches seriously. If you're not sure which kind of approach you may like, consider looking through an article or two by Plantinga as representative of Analytic philosophy, and something by Paul Tillich for a Continental approach to philosophy of religion.

Hope this helps and best of luck.