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Philosophy

About the Program

The Brandeis Master of Arts in Philosophy offers students a solid grounding across the major areas currently in play in contemporary philosophy, including our departmental strengths: Metaphysics and Epistemology, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Language, Logic, Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science, Early Modern Philosophy, Aesthetics, and the Philosophy of Law. In addition to using the Master’s degree as a career-enhancing credential, students utilize this training in advanced philosophical study to apply to top-ranked Ph.D. programs in philosophy.

Explore the Brandeis Advantage from a philosophy student’s perspective:

• The Boston Community: The Boston area’s large and exhilarating network of philosophy students and scholars is linked by a listserv created and run by the Brandeis Philosophy department and includes Harvard, M.I.T., BU, BC, Tufts, Wellesley, and the University of Massachusetts. Announcements of colloquia, lectures, conferences, and other events and activities in philosophy are regularly exchanged among departments.
• High-Quality Training: Brandeis is recognized by the Leiter Report as among the top-ranked philosophy programs in the country.
• Mentoring and Career Counseling: Given our philosophy program’s small classes, and without a competing Ph.D. program in the department, M.A. students have the opportunity to work closely with the philosophy faculty. A faculty mentor supervises each student’s work, helps the student plan his or her own best route through the program, and can give career and/or educational advice.
• Placement: Students benefit greatly from working with our highly regarded faculty, who hold Ph.D.s from the top graduate programs in the country, such as Berkeley, Chicago, Cornell, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, Rockefeller, Stanford, UCLA, and the University of Pennsylvania. These contacts enhance students’ chances of getting into top Ph.D. programs in philosophy.
• Participation in the Philosophical Life of the Department: Students keep up with the most recent debates in the field through the department’s colloquium series, with speakers from major philosophy departments around the country, and through conversation with philosophers from other universities via the lively Boston area philosophy listserv, run by Brandeis. The Boston Library Consortium enhances the excellent resources of our own Goldfarb Library, giving graduate students borrowing privileges at major libraries throughout the area as well as access to many nearby manuscript repositories.
• Tuition Remission and Scholarships: Please visit the Financial Aid for more information on our scholarships and assistantship opportunities.

Degree Options

M.A. in Philosophy

Courses and Completion Requirements

For the most updated course listing, course descriptions, and degree requirements, please click here.

Faculty

We encourage you to explore one of the department’s greatest assets through our faculty pages. Learn more about the people who will help guide you along your graduate school path here.

Additional Resources

Consortium: Our membership in the Boston consortium allows you to take courses at Tufts University, Boston University, and Boston College, thus enhancing your Brandeis experience and the spirit of collaboration which Brandeis embodies.
Student Services: At Brandeis, you will become part of a community that is strengthened by life both within and outside of the classroom and laboratory walls. Please visit Student Services to see the array of University resources, events, and programming for graduate students, including our Graduate Student Services Center, Off-Campus Housing, Health Insurance, English as a Second Language (ESL) program, Disability Resourses, Counseling Center, Career Services, and the Graduate Student Association.

Admission Information

Admission Semester:

Fall only

Application Deadlines

Rolling until the class is filled; application review begins Jan. 15. Priority is given to applications received before April 1.

Admission Requirements

Although the Brandeis Philosophy Department expects that applicants to the M.A. Program will have had some philosophy coursework as undergraduates, the Department does not require an undergraduate degree in philosophy. We encourage applications from students with little to no experience in philosophy, but who are eager to become better acquainted with the discipline and enhance their credentials to apply for a more advanced degree in philosophy or in another area.

To apply for the M.A. program, you need to submit

• An application to the graduate school, which can be electronically submitted here;
• An application fee (please click here for instructions);
• Official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended; applicants must provide a final transcript indicating successful completion of an undergraduate degree program before registration;
• Three letters of recommendation, which the admissions committee prefers to be submitted online (please click here for more information);
• A curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé;
• A statement of purpose indicating your reasons for undertaking graduate study. In addition, please describe your qualifications for the academic program, your career objectives, and your relevant experience.
• A critical writing sample not to exceed 35 pages; the 35 page maximum may consist of a single paper or two shorter essays of approximately equal length;
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) required. Our ETS institution code is 3092.

International students:  For additional requirements for international applicants (non-U.S. citizens or non-permanent residents), minimum TOEFL and IELTS scores, and important information regarding visas, please click here.

For a more comprehensive description of application requirements, please click here.

Financial Aid

Generous financial aid is available; for more information please click here.