Philosophy, M.A.

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Eddy Nahmias, Chair
Timothy O’Keefe, Director of Graduate Studies

The department’s M.A. program serves two different communities of students. First, it serves those who seek the M.A. as preparation before seeking admission to a philosophy Ph.D. program. Second, it serves those who seek the M.A. as a terminal degree to advance their chosen careers or as preparation for other degrees. In addition to a traditional M.A. in Philosophy, the Department offers two special programs: an M.A. in Philosophy with a specialization in empirically based philosophy of mind (the Neurophilosophy concentration); and an M.A. with a concentration in History of Philosophy, which is designed to prepare students to complete an M.A. in Teaching degree and become certified to teach history.

Applicants may obtain additional information about the Department of Philosophy by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies at the address above.

Degree Requirements

Thesis Option

Twenty-seven hours of graduate coursework in philosophy.
Distribution requirements
1. Logic requirement: PHIL 6500 - Symbolic Logic
2. History Requirement: at least one history course. See below for the list of courses in this area.
3. Value Theory Requirement: at least one course in value theory. See below for the list of courses in this area.
4. Metaphysics and Epistemology Requirement: at least one course in metaphysics or epistemology. See below for the list of courses in this area.
5. Seminar requirement: at least four letter-graded courses with the word “Seminar” in the title. This requirement is exempt from the usual “no double-counting” rule for distribution requirements; e.g. PHIL 8030 can count both toward this requirement and the history requirement.
At least six hours of PHIL 8999 - Thesis Research , a thesis, and an oral thesis defense.

Non-Thesis Option

The non-thesis option requires a minimum of thirty-three hours of graduate coursework in philosophy (six more than the thesis option), and it has the same distribution requirements as the thesis option. It does not require six hours of thesis research, a thesis, or an oral thesis defense. Students taking the non-thesis option should not expect to receive letters of recommendation to philosophy Ph.D. programs.

Concentration Requirements

Additional Restrictions Which Apply to All Tracks

Only three credit hours of PHIL 8950 - Directed Reading may be counted towards the degree. Additional hours of PHIL 8950 may be taken, but they will not count towards the degree.
Other than the exceptions specifically indicated above, only six hours of credit earned outside the Department of Philosophy at Georgia State University may be applied towards the Georgia State M.A. in philosophy.

Graduate Assistants

Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 18 credit hours each semester. These credit hours will consist of courses required for the prescribed program of study, as well as additional hours of PHIL 8960 , PHIL 8970 , PHIL 8980 , and PHIL 8985 .

The M.A. with Distinction

Students who meet all of the following three requirements shall be awarded the M.A. with distinction:

A graduate Georgia State philosophy GPA of 3.85 or higher.
A thesis and oral thesis defense that, upon vote of the committee grading the thesis, are judged to merit distinction.
The Director of Graduate Studies judges that the student’s record at Georgia State University is one of distinction.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the additional information about the Department of Philosophy which has been placed on its website, philosophy.gsu.edu/.