Master of Arts in Philosophy

Wayne State's Master of Arts in Philosophy prepares students to begin advanced training in philosophy for teaching, research or professional discourse. Our program is designed for students interested in personal enrichment, pre-college teaching foundations or the ability to analyze larger problems in mixed settings.

M.A. handbook

For general information and requirements for all graduate students, see the philosophy graduate handbook.

• Degree plans

  The M.A. in Philosophy is administered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Forms and other information can be found under academic info and forms.

  Plan A

  Fewer courses and a longer thesis than Plan B. Students pursue Plan A with a master’s thesis which is like a small Ph.D. dissertation: about 60 to 120 pages defending an original thesis. The thesis must be approved by a committee of three (the student’s principal advisor and two additional faculty members). Additionally, the student must pass an oral exam defending the thesis administered by that committee of three.

  Plan B

  More courses and a shorter essay than Plan A. Plan B requires a master’s essay which is shorter (about 30 to 60 pages) and can be considered to be rather like a long-term paper done for a graduate seminar. The essay must be approved by at least two faculty members: the student’s principal advisor and a second reader. A third reader may be invited by the advisor.

  Whether students pursue the M.A. via Plan A or Plan B is in part up to themselves, but students must get approval from a regular full-time member of the philosophy faculty who agrees to serve as their principal advisor. It should be recognized that:

  • Faculty serve as advisors (or not) at their discretion.
  • A faculty member may refuse to be advisor to a thesis (while possibly agreeing to advise an essay)
  • A faculty member may refuse to advise a thesis or essay on a certain topic.

  After the student has established a principal advisor, they should consult with their advisor to determine which other faculty member(s) to ask to serve on their committee.

  Plan C

  The Plan C master’s degree is an option only for students in the Ph.D. program. It is intended to acknowledge a student’s accomplishments in completing the requirements for Ph.D. candidacy and to enhance the student’s job and salary prospects before completion of the dissertation.

• Distribution requirements

  Plan A and Plan B

  Students in Plan A or Plan B must satisfy the following distribution requirements:

  • PHI 5050: Advanced Symbolic Logic
  • At least one course from each of the following course groups (full lists of courses in each group are available on the Philosophy Graduate Bulletin):
    • History of philosophy
    • Theory of value
    • Philosophical problems
  • At least two 7000-level seminar courses. (Note: 7000-level seminar courses can also count toward course group requirements.)

  Plan C

  Plan C students must satisfy the preliminary essay examinations for the Ph.D. degree (see preliminary essay).

• Plan requirements

  Plan A: Thesis

  • Distribution requirements
  • 24 course credits
  • Eight credits of PHI 8999: Master's Thesis Direction
  • A thesis approved by a three-person committee and defended in an oral exam
  • Total credits: 32

  Plan B: Essay

  • Distribution requirements
  • 28 course credits
  • Four credits of PHI 7999: Master's Essay Direction
  • An essay approved by its principal advisor and at least one other faculty member
  • Total credits: 32

  Plan C: Ph.D. students only

  • Distribution requirements
  • 32 course credits
  • Satisfy Ph.D. prelim essay requirement
  • No essay or thesis required for Plan C master's
  • Total credits: 32
• Thesis and essay format

  Final copies of theses and essays must be formatted in accordance with the requirements of the college and university.

  It is the responsibility of students to make sure their committee receives copies of theses and essays. Students should make sure that there is a copy of their final approved version for the department library.

• Plan of work

  A plan of work (available through the CLAS Graduate Office) is a document on which students list the courses they have taken or will take towards the M.A. degree (including PHI 7999 or 8999). Transfer credits, if any, are listed on the plan of work, which is submitted along with the Petition for Transfer of Graduate Credit form. The plan of work also indicates which plan (A, B or C) the student will pursue.

  The CLAS Graduate Office recommends that a student in the master’s program file a plan of work after 12 graduate credits have been earned. In any event, a plan of work must be filed before the student can have a thesis or essay approved.

  Students in the doctoral program who fulfill the requirements for a Plan C master’s file a plan of work with the CLAS graduate office, indicating that they wish to pursue a Plan C master’s.

• Graduation

  In order to receive the M.A. degree in a given term the student must apply for graduation near the beginning of that term. Applying for graduation asserts that the student expects to complete all requirements for the M.A. by the deadline established by the graduate office (usually about six weeks into the term). If a student fails to complete all requirements during that term, they must reapply for graduation in the following term (or whenever the student actually expects to finish).

• Time limits

  Students in any master’s program at WSU have a six-year time limit beginning with the end of the first semester of the student’s first graduate course in the program. Each student has six and one-half years to finish all requirements for the master’s degree. No “part-time” status is recognized. Thus, a student’s clock keeps running even if that student is not taking courses toward the degree.