Graduate programs

The Master of Arts (M.A.) program may be pursued to enhance one's knowledge and appreciation of philosophy, complement one's work in another field or prepare for or make up one's mind about pursuing the Ph.D. The Ph.D. program is designed especially, though not exclusively, for those wishing to prepare for a career as professional philosophers.

Degree programs

Certificate programs

Handbook

All graduate students in philosophy, whether in the M.A. or Ph.D. program, are responsible for knowing the rules and policies of the department, the College of Liberal Arts and the Graduate School as outlined in these pages and in the current edition of the Graduate Bulletin.

  • Grade point average

    Each graduate student, whether in the M.A. or Ph.D. program, must maintain at least a B average (i.e., at least 3.0) to be kept in the graduate program. Students who fall below that average are placed on probation and if their grade point average (GPA) is not raised within a semester, such students will not be allowed to register for any classes.

    Failing to maintain a 3.0 is also grounds for losing fellowships and teaching assistantships.

    Note: While a B equals 3.0, a B-minus equals 2.67. Thus, B-minuses can put a student on probation. While the department’s requirements for satisfying an area (e.g., logic) allow a B-minus to count, the student should keep in mind that this grade is below the minimum GPA.

  • Logic requirement

    Every student, whether admitted to the M.A. or Ph.D. program in philosophy, must fulfill the logic requirement within the first two years of graduate study. There are two ways to fulfill the requirement.

    Course

    A student may fulfill the elementary logic requirement by passing PHI 5050: Advanced Symbolic Logic, with a grade of B-minus or better. PHI 5050 is offered at most once a year, typically in the fall term. However, there is no guarantee it will be offered every single year, so students are encouraged to take it at the first opportunity.

    Exam

    A student may fulfill the elementary logic requirement by passing the logic exam, which is offered by arrangement. Students wishing to pursue this option should consult with the graduate director.

  • Credits towards the M.A. and Ph.D.

    Graduate course credits earned while in the M.A. program may be applied towards the Ph.D. degree, should the student later be admitted to the doctoral program. Similarly, course credits earned for the Ph.D. degree may be applied toward the M.A. degree. For example, when a graduate student applies for a Plan C master's.

    Note: Credits that have counted toward an already completed M.A. (at Wayne State or any other university) may not be applied toward another M.A. at Wayne State. Likewise, credits that have counted toward an already completed Ph.D. (at Wayne State or any other university) cannot be applied toward another Ph.D. at Wayne State.

  • Transfer credits

    Students may petition the department to transfer graduate credits earned at another institution. This petition may be granted by the department in full or in part or not at all. The petition ought to describe for each course requested for transfer:

    • College/university where course was taken
    • Course name and number
    • Credits earned for each course and whether semester credits or something else
    • Grade in the course
    • Instructor’s name
    • What program (e.g., M.A. program) the student was enrolled in when the course was taken
    • A brief description of the course content and books used
    • An explanation of any peculiarities, e.g., if non-letter grades were assigned, what do these mean?

    Wayne State University has established a minimum number of credits that must be earned “in residence,” i.e., must be Wayne State credits.

    • For the M.A. degree, 24 course credits must be earned in residence.
    • For the Ph.D. degree, 30 course credits must be earned in residence.

    Course credits are credits other than graduate research credits (PHI 7999, 8999 or 999X). Thus no more than eight credits may be transferred for a master’s and no more than 30 credits may be transferred for the Ph.D. The philosophy department approves all transfer credits and may at its discretion permit fewer transfer credits than a student requests.

    If the department has approved transfer credits, these are submitted along with the student’s plan of work.

  • Annual review

    All graduate students will receive an annual review communicated to them by the director of graduate studies. For details about the annual review for doctoral students, see the Ph.D. program annual review. The review will serve as a check-in point regarding academic performance, degree progress and performance as a GTA (if applicable; see graduate teaching assistantships section). Any concerns will be communicated by the director of graduate studies. In cases of serious concerns, students may be subject to a probationary year or termination from the program. In such cases, the director of graduate studies will communicate the department’s concerns and expectations in writing.

  • Graduate teaching assistantships (GTAships)

    These awards provide a stipend, assistance for six to 10 credits of graduate tuition per term and subsidized health insurance coverage. As a GTA, the student spends about 20 hours per week in teaching or related duties. Information concerning all of these awards may be obtained by writing directly to the admissions officer of the philosophy department.

    There is a union for GTAs: the Graduate Employees Organizing Committee, associated with the Michigan Federation of Teachers (GEOC/MFT).

    GTAs generally begin by assisting with 1000-level philosophy courses such as PHI 1010: Introduction to Philosophy, PHI 1110: Ethical Issues in Health Care and PHI 1050: Critical Thinking. GTAs should consult with the faculty member they are assisting to discuss specific expectations and responsibilities, which typically include holding office hours, grading and responding to student emails and may also include other activities like managing online discussion boards or attending lectures (if the course is in person). Sometimes advanced GTAs will be offered their own course to teach.

    Performance

    In April 2024, the department adopted the following policy on graduate teaching assistantships:

    Generally, a GTA can expect to hold a GTAship for five years, given satisfactory performance. However, a graduate student should not presume that an appointment to a GTAship is a guarantee of five years of GTA support. At the end of each year of service, each GTA will be reviewed for the purpose of deciding whether their GTAship will be renewed. Renewal is conditional upon satisfactory performance as a teacher, satisfactory performance as a graduate student and satisfactory progress towards their degree, as determined in their annual review.

    The following factors will be used for assessing performance as a GTA:

    Performance as a teacher

    • Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) will be examined when available. Scores above 10.0 are indications of satisfactory progress.
    • Students will be evaluated by their faculty mentor in accordance with the GTA mentorship below.

    Performance as a graduate student and progress toward the degree

    • Unofficial transcripts will be examined. A GPA below 3.0 is a serious indication of unsatisfactory performance.
    • Progress in the doctoral program will be examined. Students who have not met departmental time criteria (e.g. for completing area requirements or for submitting a passing prospectus) will be considered as making unsatisfactory progress toward the doctorate.
  • GTA mentorship

    When a student is serving as a teaching assistant for a faculty member’s course, the faculty member teaching the course will serve as the student’s mentor. The mentor will:

    • Discuss the rationale for course policies and pedagogical decisions with the TA throughout the term to prepare the student for eventually teaching their own course.
    • Provide guidance on appropriate grading standards before the TA grades assignments as well as feedback on grading for any major assignments.
    • If there are discussion sections attached to the course, the mentor will attend one discussion section and provide feedback on the TAs management of the discussion section.
    • At the end of the semester, the mentor will write an evaluation of the TAs performance, which will be shared with the TA, the director of graduate studies and the department chair.

    When a student is teaching their own course for the first time, the student will ask a faculty member to serve as their mentor:

    • Four weeks before the start of the term, the student will submit a draft of their syllabus to their mentor for feedback. The mentor will then meet with the student to discuss the syllabus as well as the student’s overall plan for the course. If needed, the student will submit a revised syllabus that accommodates the mentor’s feedback.
    • The mentor and the student will meet regularly throughout the semester to discuss how the course is going and any problems that arise as the course progresses.
    • The mentor will attend one lecture (if the course is in person) and/or observe the course Canvas site and provide feedback.
    • At the end of the semester, the mentor will write an evaluation of the student’s performance, which will be shared with the student, the director of graduate studies and the department chair.
  • Other financial aid possibilities

    Part-time teaching

    Competent graduate students may be hired to teach courses either on campus or at an extension center. No tuition or fee waivers are included. Consult the departmental chairperson for more information.

    Loans

    Inquiries about loans or other financial support should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

  • Colloquia

    Papers are often given by members of Wayne State's philosophy department or by guest speakers (usually on Thursdays around 4 p.m.). Watch email and bulletin boards for announcements. Contemporary philosophy is largely disseminated through papers. Thus the philosophy department considers attendance at colloquia to be as vital a part of graduate study as course work and research. Every effort should be made by each graduate student to attend.