Master of Arts in Philosophy

The free-standing M.A. program is designed for students wishing to develop an advanced competence in Philosophy. Whether or not free-standing M.A. students plan to go on to Ph.D. programs in Philosophy, the program allows these students to enroll in graduate classes alongside students enrolled in our Ph.D. program. Students who do well in the free-standing M.A. program will be in a good position to apply to Ph.D. programs. The free-standing M.A. program in Philosophy at Columbia is not however intended as the first step toward earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Columbia. Those wishing to pursue a Ph.D. at Columbia must apply separately to the Ph.D. program and will be evaluated competitively alongside the other applications. There should be no expectation that their chances of being admitted are improved by the fact of having obtained an M.A. degree in the Department. M.A. students wishing to pursue a Ph.D. should plan to apply to Ph.D. programs at other universities. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), the MA director, and/or faculty advisor are there to support students who prepare applications for the next step in their educational path, in Philosophy, or otherwise. It is wise to plan two years for the M.A. to  allow more time for students to become known by faculty members from whom they will likely request letters of recommendation. If there are financial or personal reasons for trying to complete the degree within one year, students are advised to wait until after they have completed the M.A. before applying to Ph.D. programs.

Part-time Study

Students in the free-standing M.A. program may elect to distribute tuition costs over a period of several years by attending the program on a part-time basis. The Residence Unit (RU) constitutes the basis of the University’s tuition charges. Rather than charge students for individual courses, tuition is set for full-time registration for one term (semester). One RU equals one term of full-time registration. Students in the free-standing M.A. program may register for 1 RU, ½ RU, or ¼ RU each semester.  1 RU entitles students to take up to 18 points.  ½ RU entitles students to enroll in a maximum of three courses, regardless of point value. ¼ RU entitles students to enroll in a maximum of two courses, regardless of point value.   Tuition charges for 1 RU, ½ RU, and ¼ RU may be found on the GSAS website under Cost of Attendance – Tuition for MA Programs: 
https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/financing-information-ma-students.

Financial Aid

Subject to the availability of funds, the Department offers limited financial aid to students enrolled in the free-standing M.A. program. Some students may qualify for fellowships from external sources, and it is wise to investigate as many such sources as possible. Occasionally, M.A. students may also serve as graders in certain courses offered by the Department and receive compensation. 

For additional information, please see the Financing for MA Students page on the GSAS website: https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/financing-information-ma-students.

Degree Requirements for the M.A. in Philosophy

The requirements below should be read in conjunction with the general requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Notes: 

**3000-level courses and below (undergraduate) do not count toward graduate degrees in Philosophy.**

Courses offered by other departments do not count toward Philosophy degrees unless they are cross-listed. In some cases, the DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) may grant an exception to this restriction if it is justified by a student’s philosophical project. Courses taken Pass/Fail do not count toward the program requirements. 

In order to earn an M.A. degree in Philosophy, students must satisfy the following requirements:

Residence Requirement:

To earn an M.A. degree in Philosophy, students must accumulate two Residence Units (2 terms registered for 1 RU or 4 terms registered for ½ RU). Read more about GSAS Residence Units here. 
 

Course Requirements:

At least 30 points of coursework must be earned at the G4000-level or above. Of these, at least 18 points must qualify for E-credit (a passing letter grade), including at least two G9000-level seminars; the remaining points may be taken for R-credit (Registration credit).

Note: In order to earn E-credit, a student must complete all the requirements for the course. In order to earn R-credit, a student must attend the course and satisfy any additional requirements the instructor may impose, such as an oral presentation. However, no letter grade is awarded with R-credit. Courses taken Pass/Fail do not count toward the degree.

Distribution requirements:

At least 3 points of E-credit must be earned in each of the following three distribution groups:

  • Group I: Ethics; Aesthetics; Political Philosophy; Philosophy of Law.

    Group II: Metaphysics; Epistemology; Philosophy of Science; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Mind; Logic.

  • Group III: History of Philosophy (a major philosopher or philosophical period).

Qualification in Logic is not required for students pursuing a terminal M.A. degree; however, M.A. students who hope to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy are strongly advised to take a logic class (PHILG5415, Symbolic Logic, is the natural choice).

Thesis Requirement: 

There is no thesis requirement for the MA in Philosophy degree; there is correspondingly no required thesis course for students in the MA in Philosophy program.

Good academic standing:

Students should be familiar with the GSAS Policy on Good Academic Standing and Good Administrative Standing.

MA Placement

Our MA in Philosophy alumni have successfully placed in doctoral programs in philosophy, including Rutgers University, UNC Chapel Hill, UCLA, University of Virginia, University of Georgia, SUNY Albany, CUNY Graduate Center, and Johns Hopkins University. Several have been accepted to JD law programs at New York University, Cornell University, and the University of Chicago. Other alumni now work in business, data analysis, and teaching.

If you are a prospective student and would like to learn more about our program's placement record, please contact the Director of the MA Program or the Academic Programs Coordinator.