Philosophy BA/MA Dual Degree Program

Requirements

The Combined B.A./M.A. Program in Philosophy provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of undergraduate and master’s degree programs in three years from the beginning of their junior year. When all the requirements of the B.A./M.A. program have been completed, students will be awarded both the B.A. and M.A. degrees. With a carefully designed program, a student can earn both degrees within as few as ten semesters.

The Combined Program requires a minimum of 138 university credit hours, of which at least 30 must be at the upper division level course numbers in the 4000-5999 range (excluding PHIL 5495). In qualifying for the B.A., students must meet all university and college requirements, including all the requirements of the regular undergraduate major in philosophy described above. Students will normally take PHIL 3360: Formal Logic and two courses in the 3301-3307: History of Philosophy sequence in their junior years, along with electives. Any courses still needed to satisfy college foreign language and expository writing requirements would also be taken during this year. The Senior Capstone Requirement and more specialized courses are taken in the senior year. In the fifth year, students take advanced electives and such required courses as are needed to fulfill remaining university, Graduate School, and departmental requirements for the M.A. This includes satisfactory completion of 30 graduate credit hours, at least 18 of which must be in courses numbered above 5000 and among which must be at least three in each of the four subject areas listed for the regular M.A. program, and one of which must be PHIL 5400: Proseminar in Philosophy. Up to 12 graduate credit hours may be applied simultaneously to both the B.A. and M.A. requirements. In addition to the above coursework, students must also write a thesis, in which case at least three hours must be taken in PHIL 5495. Students should apply to the Graduate Committee for admission to the Combined B.A./M.A. Program in Philosophy the semester they will complete sixty undergraduate credit hours or as soon thereafter as possible. It is also recommended that students complete the foreign language requirement and the junior-level writing requirement before applying. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and three letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration.

Students should apply to the Graduate Committee for admission to the Combined B.A./M.A. Program in Philosophy the semester they will complete sixty undergraduate credit hours or as soon thereafter as possible. It is also recommended that students complete the foreign language requirement and the junior-level writing requirement before applying. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and three letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration.

Students will be admitted to the Combined Program under provisional status until they have completed fifteen credit hours in it with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. After the completion of the provisional period, and with the recommendation of the Graduate Committee, students can be granted full admission into the program. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher throughout the Combined Program. Students who officially withdraw from the Combined Program who have successfully completed all the requirements for the B.A. degrees will be awarded the B.A. degree.

Philosophy Requirements for Students in the 2+3 Program

  1. To be taken in the junior year (after 60 credits completed):
      Select four courses (12 credit hours) from the following:
    1. PHIL 3360: Formal Logic
    2. Two courses in the History of Philosophy, each at the 2000 level or above.
    3. One additional Philosophy course, at the 2000 level or above.
  2. To be taken in the senior year (after 90 credits completed):
    PHIL 4445Metaphysics3
    or PHIL 4440 Theories of Knowledge
    or PHIL 3340 Knowledge and Reality
    Two History courses, each at the upper division6
    One course from the PHIL 4470-PHIL 4487 sequence3
    Select one of the following:3
    Social and Political Philosophy
    Classical Ethical Theory
    Recent Ethical Theory
    Total Hours15
  3. Graduate level courses to be taken in the final year of the program (after 90+ credits completed):
    Six courses (18 credit hours)
    1. At least five of these courses must be at or above the 5000 level.
    2. Courses must be selected so that the student has taken at least one and preferably two courses from each of the four subject areas in the course of completing the 2 + 3 program:
      • Value Theory
      • History of Philosophy
      • Logic/Philosophy of Science
      • Epistemology/Metaphysics
    3. PHIL 5400: Proseminar in Philosophy