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    Mar 28, 2024  
American University Catalog 2017-2018 
    
American University Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Philosophy (MA)


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Admission to the Program


Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for graduate study. Admission is based on academic record, two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and an academic writing sample. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General is required.

Degree Requirements


  • 33 credit hours of approved graduate work
  • History of Philosophy track
    • Qualifying research paper focusing on a major text by a single figure in the history of Western or non-Western philosophy
    • Comprehensive examination requirement: submission of two qualifying papers, including one from a historical period of philosophy and one from feminist, Latin American, Asian philosophy, or critical race theory
  • Philosophy and Social Policy track
    • Substantial research paper analyzing the ethical and social issues arising from the student’s internship experience
    • Comprehensive examination requirement: submission of two qualifying papers, including one in theoretical or applied ethics and one in nineteenth or twentieth century philosophy

Course Requirements


Complete one of the following tracks: History of Philosophy or Philosophy and Social Policy

History of Philosophy Track


Approved Coursework (33 credit hours)


  • 33 credit hours of approved graduate coursework

Philosophy and Social Policy Track


Ethics (6 credit hours)


Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

History of Philosophy (6 credit hours)


Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Internship (3 credit hours)


Applied Philosophy (6 credit hours)


  • 6 credit hours in applied philosophy, with departmental approval

Philosophy or Religion (6 credit hours)


  • 6 credit hours in philosophy or religion, with departmental approval

Social Science/Policy (6 credit hours)


  • 6 credit hours in social science or social policy from fields such as economics, sociology, anthropology, government, public administration, and justice, with departmental approval

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