Why Brandeis?
The following features distinguish Brandeis's M.A. Program in Philosophy:
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.
Reputation
The reputation of Brandeis as a research university places the M.A. Program in Philosophy among the top-ranked programs in the country. Our department is recognized as among the top ranked undergraduate programs for students to consider who wish to go on to study philosophy at the graduate level and the M.A. program will build upon and enhance that reputation.
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.
Placement
The high quality of the Philosophy faculty who hold Ph.Ds from top programs in the country (including UC Berkeley, Chicago, CUNY, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, Rockefeller, UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania) is an advantage for students who enter the Brandeis program, giving them the opportunity to work with faculty members who are highly regarded within the field, thereby enhancing students' chances of getting into a top graduate program in philosophy.
Participation in the Philosophical Life of the Department
The department runs its own colloquium series 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.
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.
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