Graduate Program

 

The M.A. Program in Philosophy
UMGF Application and instructions

Entering the Program

 To enter the M.A. program directly, applicants must have the equivalent of an honours degree in philosophy, with a satisfactory distribution across the fields of philosophy as judged by the Department. We require a minimum grade point average of B over the last two full years of study. In specific cases where the academic background of the student is judged to be insufficient, the department may recommend that the student be admitted to a pre-Master’s program of study. The pre-Master’s program is designed to bring the student’s standing to approximately the level of an honours graduate in the major department, and to provide any necessary prerequisites for courses. Admission to a pre-Master’s program does not guarantee future admission to a Master’s program. Pre-Master's students must also re-apply in order to enter the M.A. program in Philosophy.

We require all academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a short (8-20 page) writing sample. The writing sample should be sent directly either to the Department of Philosophy or electronically to Prof. Martens at martensr@cc.umanitoba.ca. The remaining documents should be submitted with the application form, which can be found here .

Nature of Master's Work

Depending on prior background, the M.A. degree in Philosophy can be obtained in either one year or two years of full-time academic work. Students accepted into a two-year program (pre-Master's students) will be required to take approximately 24 hours of course credits (usually all in Philosophy) during their first year (the pre-Master's year). Upon sucessful completion of the pre-Master's year, students will enter the Master's year on an equal footing with students accepted directly into the one-year Master's program.

There are 3 available options for completing the requirements for a Master's degree in Philosophy:
 
a) 24 hours of credit in Philosophy, at least 18 hours of which are at the 7000 level and none of which is below the 3000 level.
b) 18 hours of credit in Philosophy, at least 12 hours of which are at the 7000 level and none of which is below the 3000 level, and two research papers.
c) 15 hours of credit in Philosophy, at least 6 hours of which are at the 7000 level and none of which is below the 3000 level, a major thesis and an oral defense.
 
All three options include a logic requirement, which can be fulfilled either by completing PHIL 2430 with a B+ or better or by passing a logic competency exam.
 
A student who has selected option (c) shall obtain written consent from a faculty member in the Department to act as a thesis advisor. A student who has selected option (b) shall obtain written consent from the faculty member(s) in the Department to act as a research paper advisor(s). All students must have his or her program approved by the MA committee.
 
Any student who was admitted under the previous MA requirements can choose to obtain their MA under the previous requirements (the grandparenting clause).
 
The aim of the Master's program is twofold: to provide a terminal degree for those who wish to pursue Philosophy up to, but not beyond, Master's work; and to provide a sound background for those who wish to seek entry into a Ph.D. program in Philosophy elsewhere. At present, the University of Manitoba does not offer a Ph.D. in Philosophy.


To contact the MA committee, email Prof. Rhonda Martens at  martensr@cc.umanitoba.ca.