Master of Arts in Philosophy

Introduction

The Master of Arts in Philosophy program provides an opportunity for graduate study to individuals with a serious interest in philosophy. Inquiries are welcome from students whose primary background is in another field or academic discipline. The program regularly offers courses in all the major areas of philosophy, meeting the needs of those who are preparing to enter a Ph.D. program, as well as those studying for personal or professional enrichment.

Faculty Research and Publications

Faculty members of the Department of Philosophy currently are writing and conducting research in the fields of applied ethics, including bioethics and engineering ethics; social and political philosophy; theories of justice; philosophy of law; theories of human rights; philosophy of language; philosophy of science; history of philosophy; and metaphysics. Faculty members regularly publish their research in national and international philosophy journals and in books and monographs..

Financial Assistance

The department awards several teaching assistantships each year. A student interested in applying for an assistantship should write a letter to the Graduate Advisor requesting consideration when he or she submits an application for graduate admission.

Career Information

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Philosophy degree program have gone on to successfully complete Ph.D. programs; others teach at the community college level.

Admission Information

To be admitted to the program, the student must satisfy College of Graduate Studies requirements for admission. Although an undergraduate major in philosophy is not required, some study in philosophy beyond the introductory level is strongly recommended. A background in the history of philosophy and in logic is especially important, and deficiencies in these areas must be made up early in the student’s graduate career.

To facilitate the admission process, it is strongly recommended that applicants use the online application system at www.csuohio.edu/admissions/gradForm. html. The processing time for paper application forms is longer.

Degree Requirements

All students must meet University degree requirements stated in the front section of this Catalog.
Core Requirements

1. Thirty-two (32) credits are required for graduation. These must include at least one course in two of the following areas:

a. Philosophy of science, metaphysics, or epistemology.
b. Ethics, aesthetics, or social and political philosophy.
c. Logical theory.

The remaining courses must be selected in accordance with either the thesis option or the non-thesis option.

2. Every student must pass a written comprehensive examination.

a. Students in the general MA program must demonstrate proficiency in the history of philosophy. The examination is divided into two parts: 1) Ancient and Medieval Philosophy and 2) Modern and 19th-Century Philosophy. The two parts may be taken in different semesters. Students may not take either part of the examination more than three times. A reading list for preparation for the examination is available in the departmental office. Works on the reading list are also regularly covered in seminars on prominent philosophers (PHL 505). Students are not expected to take the examination prior to completing sixteen hours of graduate work, but may take it anytime thereafter.

b. Students in the bioethics concentration are examined on the history of ethics, ethical theory, and bioethics.

Degree Options

Thesis OptionBefore registering for PHL 699 (Thesis), students must receive formal approval of their proposed thesis topic from the Department and the Graduate College. Students should consult with the graduate advisor in the quarter prior to their first registration for PHL 695. The program for students who elect to write a thesis must meet the following conditions:

1.  A minimum of 24 semester credits in courses other than PHL 689, PHL 691, PHL 696, and PHL 699, three of which must be courses requiring substantial papers.
2. No more than 8 semester credits at the 400-level.
3. No more than 8 semester credits for resesarch and thesis courses (PHL 696 and PHL 699).
4. Completion of an acceptable thesis under the direction of a departmental member. Three copies of the thesis must be submitted to the graduate advisor at least six weeks prior to the expected date of graduation. Three readers, including the thesis advisor, will examine the student in an oral defense. One reader will be chosen from an outside discipline related to the thesis topic. The endorsement of the thesis by all three readers will constitute formal acceptance by the department. Two bound copies of the thesis are required by the department in addition to those required by the Graduate College.

Non-thesis Option

The program for students who elect the non-thesis option must meet the following conditions:

1. A minimum of 28 semester credits in courses other than PHL 689, PHL 691, PHL 696, and PHL 699, three of which must be seminars requiring substantial papers.
2. No more than 8 semester credits at the 400-level.
3. No more than 4 credits of PHL 699.

Concentration in Bioethics

Students who complete the core requirements in Philosophy and the requirements for Bioethics Certification (see Graduate Certificate in Advanced Study in Bioethics section of this Catalog) can receive a Master of Arts in Philosophy with a Concentration in Bioethics. Students in this concentration must take the Bioethics comprehensive examination.

Enrollment

Enrollment is open to persons who have earned a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and to upper-level undergraduates. The courses may be taken by either degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking students. According to individual interests, registered students are free to enroll in any one or more of the courses offered.

Certification

Persons who successfully complete three courses in bioethics at the graduate level (by receiving at least a grade of B in PHL 540 and two other courses) will be eligible to receive the Certificate of Advanced Study in Bioethics granted by the University. The certificate will testify that its holder has completed an intensive course of graduate study in moral theory, decision making procedures in ethics, the current literature of bioethics, and the practical application of moral principles and rules to cases in clinical practice, decision making, and law.

Graduate Courses

PHL 505 Prominent Philosophers (4-0-4). Concentrated study of the writings of outstanding philosophers (normally no more than one to two philosophers in any one offering). Normally offered every quarter.

PHL 510 Studies in the History of Philosophy (4-0-4). Study of a particular philosophical movement, its assumptions, methods, and implications, or the study of one historical figure

.PHL 540 Moral Reasoning and Bioethics (4-0-4). An examination of ethical systems and forms of argumentation as they bear upon case studies in bioethics. Dominant ethical theories will be studied and critiqued, especially from the standpoint of application. Reasoning at the levels of principles, rules, and particular judgments will be distinguished, and the relevance of institutional practices, roles, and particular circumstances will be analyzed. This course is required for certification.

PHL 541 Clinical Issues in Bioethics
(4-0-4). The course will focus on moral problems which arise in the day-to-day practices of health care professionals, administrators, and researchers, within the framework of existing institutions, social policies, and laws. It will include readings on controversial moral issues in clinical ethics and apply forms and strategies of moral reasoning to selected cases.

PHL 542 Policy Issues in Bioethics (4-0-4). This course reviews the role of governments in developing and implementing health care policies. Readings and discussion will cover such topics as surrogacy, transplantation, problems of financing, the allocation of resources, and experimentation.

PHL 543 Bioethics and the Law (4-0-4). Students will learn rudimentary legal research skills, the structure of the American legal system, and constitutional foundations of health care law as applied to some classical and contemporary legal issues which may include death and dying, transplantation, genetic and reproductive law, human subjects research, and employee testing for drug use.

PHL 615 Logical Theory (4-0-4). An introduction to symbolic logic for graduate students, and/or an examination of the issues involved in the application of symbolic logic to the description and solution of philosophical issues. Normally offered every year.

PHL 620 Analytic and Linguistic Philosophy (4-0-4). The central problems in linguistic analysis as they underlie philosophical issues.

PHL 625 Philosophy of Science (4-0-4). A detailed study of a few central problems in either the natural sciences or the social sciences (normally the problems of only one kind of science in any one offering).

PHL 630 Epistemology (4-0-4). Either a systematic investigation of one central problem in the theory of knowledge or a thorough investigation of one important philosophic work. Normally offered every year.

PHL 635 Metaphysics (4-0-4). Systematic investigation of central problems in metaphysics or a detailed examination of one important metaphysical work. Normally offered every year.

PHL 640 Seminar in Ethics (4-0-4). A systematic investigation of ethical theories, or a detailed examination of one problem or theory of ethics or meta-ethics.

PHL 645 Aesthetics (4-0-4). Analysis of the process of artistic judgment and artistic criticism; problems concerning the evaluation of art in a context of established standards and the evaluation of such contexts.

PHL 650 Social and Political Philosophy (4-0-4). The logic of social and political institutions; examination of problems concerning the determination of values, application of rules, and justification of decisions. Normally offered every year

.PHL 689 Research Methods in Philosophy (4-0-4). An introduction to research materials and methods in philosophy. Open only to students taking another graduate course in philosophy or working on an approved research project.

PHL 691 Directed Research (1 to 4
credits). Prerequisite: 12 hours of graduate study or permission of instructor. For students who desire to do research in special areas; regular reports to advisor required. No student may earn more than 4 credits toward the degree in PHL 692. Graded on a S/F basis.

PHL 693 Selected Problems (4-0-4)
Consideration of one specific issue in contemporary philosophy.

PHL 696 Advanced Research (1 to 4 credits). Prerequisite: 8 hours of graduate study or permission of instructor. For students who desire to do research in special areas; regular reports to advisor required. No student may earn more than 4 credits toward the degree in PHL 696. Graded on a regular, letter grade basis.

PHL 699 Thesis (1 to 9 credits). Prerequisite: Approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee of the Philosophy Department. A public defense of the thesis is required and will be scheduled by the Graduate Affairs Committee.All Graduate Seminars may be repeated for credit.

From the Cleveland State University Graduate Bulletin, 1998-00 edition, pp. 52-54