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Department of Philosophy
4604 Diamond Building, 778.782.3343 Tel, 778.782.4443 Fax,
Chair
L. Shapiro BA (Wesleyan), PhD (Pitts)
Graduate Program Chair
M. Hahn BA (S Fraser), MA (Br Col), PhD (Calif)
Faculty and Areas of Research
See “Department of Philosophy” on page 127 for a complete list of faculty.
K. Akins – philosophy of mind, philosophy of perception, philosophy of the cognitive sciences
S. Black – social and political philosophy, ethics, history of 17th century philosophy
M. Hahn – philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, history of early analytic and continental philosophy
P.P. Hanson – epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of mind
P.T. Horban – philosophy of religion
R.E. Jennings – logic, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind
J.S. McIntosh – philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, metaphysics
M. McPherran – ancient greek philosophy, history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, ethics/history of ethics
L. Shapiro – history of modern philosophy, feminism, philosophy of mind, epistemology, philosophy of personal identity
E. Tiffany – ethical theory, philosophical psychology, philosophy of mind and language
D. Zimmerman – ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of mind
Application Procedures
Graduate Course Disciplines
The department’s graduate courses are divided into the following areas.
Metaphysics and Epistemology
PHIL 802, 803, 804, 805, 806
Logic and Formal Studies
PHIL 812, 813, 814, 815
Value Theory
PHIL 822, 823, 824, 825, 826
History
PHIL 852, 853, 854, 855
Directed Studies
PHIL 861, 862, 863, 864, 865
Degree Completion
PHIL 898-6 MA Thesis
PHIL 899-6 Non-Thesis Project Completion
PHIL 998-6 PhD Thesis
PHIL 880 is the pro-seminar completed once only by every student in the first year of graduate work.
In addition to 91ÅÝܽ courses, students may also satisfy requirements by completing courses at the University of British Columbia, after consultation with their supervisor.
Admission Requirements
See “1.3.3 Admission to a Master’s Program” on page 219 for university admission requirements. In addition, the applicant must have either a 3.33 cumulative GPA or a 3.5 GPA in third and fourth year philosophy courses. Honors degrees, where available, are preferred. The department pays close attention to letters of reference and writing samples. A student whose undergraduate work does not satisfy these conditions may be required to complete additional undergraduate courses, or to enrol as a qualifying student before consideration for admission.
Degree Requirements
These requirements apply to all MA candidates.
• completion of six courses (excluding PHIL 898 and 899), one of which may be a 300 or 400 division undergraduate course with an A- grade or better, and graduate studies committee permission. One course must be PHIL 880 Pro-seminar, which must be completed in the first graduate study year.
• demonstrated competence in such foreign languages as the graduate studies committee requires for the proposed research.
• demonstrated competence in formal logic at the level of PHIL 210, or higher when relevant the student’s research.
There are three ways to complete a philosophy master’s degree. The following outlines these options.
Non-Thesis Option
This is the recommended degree program option for most students who plan to apply for admission to a philosophy PhD program after completing an MA.
The program broadens and deepens philosophical education and allows the student to develop the necessary materials for a successful PhD program application. This non-thesis option has the following additional requirements.
• completion of at least one course in each philosophy area: value theory; metaphysics and epistemology; history of philosophy. Taken together with upper division undergraduate courses completed previously or in addition to the MA requirement, three courses in each area are required.
• completion of seven rather than six courses (excluding PHIL 899)
• a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 is required at graduation.
• PHIL 899, completed under the senior supervisor’s direction. A paper, normally from a previously completed graduate course, is revised to a standard suitable in form and content for submission to a professional journal. The resulting professional paper normally shall not exceed 30 pages.
• in the final exam, the student presents the professional paper in a public forum directed by the supervisory committee and at least one other faculty member in the field. After the public presentation and discussion, the expanded committee evaluates the paper and the student’s performance.
Specialized Thesis Option
This option is intended for those who have a particular project and supervisor in mind when they enter the program, and especially those with interdisciplinary interests. It has the following specific requirements.
• the student normally enters the program with a well-defined project and a permanent (as opposed to interim) senior supervisor.
• the project and course of study is approved by the graduate studies committee.
• up to three of the required courses may be from outside the Department of Philosophy.
• a thesis, normally no more than 100 pages in length, giving evidence of independent critical ability is submitted and successfully defended.
• the specialization is noted on the student’s final transcript under the heading ‘Committee Decisions.’
Classic Thesis Option
This option has the following specific requirements.
• completion at least one course in each area of philosophy: value theory, metaphysics and epistemology; history of philosophy.
• a thesis, normally not more than 100 pages in length, giving evidence of independent critical ability is submitted and successfully defended.
Admission Requirements
See “1.3.4 Admission to a Doctoral Program” on page 220 for admission requirements. In addition, the applicant is expected to have either a 3.67 cumulative GPA in third year and subsequent philosophy courses. Honors degrees, where available, are preferred. The department pays close attention to both letters of reference and writing samples. If previous work does not satisfy the above conditions, additional undergraduate courses may be required to enter the MA program, or to enrol as a qualifying student before admission to the MA or PhD program.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
• completion of 11 philosophy courses: one must be the Pro-seminar, PHIL 880, completed in the first graduate year; two courses may be a 300 or 400 level undergraduate course with graduate studies committee permission, completed with a grade of A- or higher. The remainder must be graduate courses.
• demonstrated competence in such foreign languages as the departmental graduate committee requires for the proposed research.
• demonstrated competence in formal logic up to standard metatheory for first order logic, or higher when relevant to the proposed research.
Distribution Requirements
The candidate must complete at least two courses in each of the following philosophy areas: value theory; metaphysics and epistemology; history of philosophy.
Credit for Prior Courses
Up to four graduate courses completed here or at another institution prior to enrolling in the PhD program may, with the approval of the graduate studies committee, count toward course and distribution requirements.
Area Examinations
Competency exams are required in three of the following four fields: metaphysics and epistemology, value theory, logic/formal studies, and history of philosophy. Each examination is based on a reading list whose mastery shall not take more than one term.
Dissertation Prospectus
The final step before advancement to candidacy (or ABD status) is the dissertation prospectus, consisting of a critical literature survey, an extended abstract, and an outline of the proposed dissertation. After the supervisory committee approves the prospectus, the candidate presents and defends the proposed plan of study at an open departmental colloquium.
Dissertation
PhD students write and defend a dissertation embodying original philosophical research.
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