Master of Arts in Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy, in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Arts in Philosophy.MA degree in PhilosophyCompletion of the master’s degree entails 30 course credits, the equivalent of 10 courses. You will find specific course descriptions for each semester on our website under the “current courses” tab. Of the 30 credits, 6 may be taken as Independent Study. Additionally, with the permission of the M.A. program director, 6 credits (2 courses) may be taken in the Philosophy Department’s PhD program or in other departments at Stony Brook. One M.A. course per year is delivered at the Stony Brook Campus. An M.A. thesis option is available but not required for graduation.

For admission to the doctoral and master's programs in philosophy, the following are normally required:

A. A bachelor’s degree with a major in philosophy.

B. Some knowledge of the history of philosophy and of contemporary modes of thought is highly desirable. Deficiencies in these areas may require the student to undertake special work.

C. Official transcripts from the institution(s) where undergraduate and any graduate degrees were conferred; unofficial transcripts from other institutions where classes were taken but no degree was conferred;

D. Letters of recommendation from three previous or current instructors.

E. Submission of a philosophical essay (which may be a paper written for a previous course).

F. Statement of Purpose (no more than 2 pages single-spaced).

G. Acceptance by both the Department of Philosophy and the Graduate School.