Why Brandeis
The following features distinguish the Master's Program:
Reputation
Brandeis's M.A. program has been recognized by The Philosophical Gourmet Report as one of the nation's best terminal Master's programs in philosophy. The distinguished faculty are dedicated scholars and teachers, publishing books and articles in diverse sub-fields of philosophy and working closely with students. Graduates of the program are often admitted to top Ph.D. programs in the field.
Placement of Graduates
For a young program, Brandeis has acheived considerable success in placing graduates into top Ph.D. programs. Distinguished faculty, rigorous classes, and close supervision on the Master's paper all serve to enhance one's Ph.D. application credientials. Please see our placement record for details.
Close Supervision
Brandeis is a small research university. Seminars and classes—especially those a master's degree student is likely to take—are usually small. Given that Brandeis does not have a competing doctoral program, Master's degree students have the opportunity to work closely with members of the philosophy faculty.
Breadth
Brandeis has a number of strong departments and programs that are complementary to the study of philosophy. Faculty members from American Studies, the English Department, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and Women's and Gender Studies regularly teach courses that are cross-listed with Philosophy and that offer students the opportunity to pursue a broad education.
Philosophical Life of the Department
The department runs its own colloquium series and annual conference with speakers from major philosophy departments around the country, providing M.A. students with the opportunity to keep up with the most recent debates within the field and participate in conversation with philosophers from other universities. Please see our events page for details.
The Boston Community
The Boston area is a lively academic community of colleges and universities and has a large and exhilarating network of philosophy students and scholars. Announcements of colloquia, public lectures, conferences, informal discussion groups, and other events and activities in philosophy throughout the Boston area are regularly exchanged among departments and event organizers via a listserv created and maintained by our department. The listserv connects other departments in the area including Harvard, M.I.T, Boston University, Boston College, Tufts, Wellesley and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Tuition Remission and Scholarships
Financial aid from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is available. Most students qualify for some financial aid. In addition, the department offers several teaching assistantships to incoming candidates, thus helping defray the cost of graduate study in philosophy.
Mentoring and Career Counseling
Each incoming master's degree student is assigned a mentor drawn from the philosophy faculty, who not only supervises their work, but helps plan their best route through the program and gives career advice.