| Location | Email Address | Program Website |
|---|---|---|
| Ross Building, S429 | gpaphil@yorku.ca | yorku.ca/gradstudies/philosophy/ |
One of the outstanding features of the Graduate Program in Philosophy is its inclusion of philosophers who draw on a wide range of philosophical resources, both historical and contemporary, both empirical and a priori, and who are engaged in ongoing discourse with one another. The atmosphere is intellectually exciting and collegial. In keeping with York University’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, the program follows a pattern of encouraging multiple intellectual cultures to cooperate in the project of comparing and integrating different theoretical approaches. Though a large program, research is focused in the following four fields:
- ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of law;
- philosophy of cognitive science, mind and language;
- history of nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy; and,
- philosophy of science and epistemology.
Admission Requirements
Master of Arts Program
Graduates with an honours degree in philosophy, or its equivalent with at least a B+ average in the last two years of study may be admitted as candidates for the MA degree.
It is recommended that students applying to the program have studied some logic and have some background in the history of philosophy.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
Graduates with a master’s degree in philosophy with at least B+ average may be admitted as candidates for the PhD degree.
Combined Juris Doctor (JD) / Master of Arts in Philosophy
The joint Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Philosophy program, offered by Osgoode Hall Law School and the Graduate Program in Philosophy, provides students with the opportunity to develop skills and acquire knowledge at the many intersections of law and philosophy. It is the only program of its kind in Canada, and draws on Osgoode’s existing strength in legal theory and Philosophy’s recognized strength in moral, political, and legal philosophy. The program is ideal for students who wish to pursue either further postgraduate study and ultimately an academic career, or opportunities in a variety of careers in legal practice.
Admission Requirements
Students must apply, meet the admission requirements, and be admitted separately to both the JD and MA programs, indicating their interest in the dual program.
Students normally apply to both programs in the same year, before starting either program. Alternatively, students registered and enrolled in the JD program may apply to the combined program in the first year of JD studies, by applying and being admitted to the Graduate Program in Philosophy. This second option is possible only during the first year of JD studies and in accordance with the admission deadlines for the master’s in Philosophy.
Graduate Diploma in Value Theory & Applied Ethics
This program of study allows students to deepen their knowledge and skill of value theory and its application to real ethical problems.
To enter this program, students must first be admitted to a regular graduate program. The diploma is awarded concurrently with the master’s or doctoral degree for which the student is registered. For more information, including all diploma requirements, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant.
Degree and Diploma Requirements
Master of Arts Program
Master’s candidates must choose one of the following options:
MA by Coursework and Comprehensive Examinations
Students must fulfil the following requirements:
a) Philosophy 5800 3.0: Core Theoretical Philosophy I,
Philosophy 5801 3.0: Core Theoretical Philosophy II,
Philosophy 5802 3.0: Core Practical Philosophy I and
Philosophy 5803 3.0: Core Practical Philosophy II; and,
b) The equivalent of two additional full courses, at least one of which is not integrated with an undergraduate course, with no more than one half-course a reading course, and with at least one half-course that focuses in depth on a single historically significant problem or philosopher.
MA by Coursework and Thesis
In exceptional cases, students who enter the MA program with a clearly formulated plan of study and supervision may choose, with the agreement of the Graduate Program Director and the proposed supervisor, to do their MA by thesis. Such students must fulfil the following requirements:
a) Philosophy 5800 3.0: Core Theoretical Philosophy I,
Philosophy 5802 3.0: Core Practical Philosophy I; and,
b) The equivalent of one full course, with no more than one half-course a reading course, and with at least one half-course that focuses in depth on a single historically significant problem or philosopher; and,
c) Philosophy Thesis which is to be based on original research and to be successfully defended at an oral examination. The length of the thesis would normally not exceed 25,000 words. Acceptable thesis formats in the graduate program are monograph or manuscript-based. Students wishing to undertake a thesis/dissertation that does not align with one of the above-mentioned formats are expected to initiate discussions with their supervisory committee and director of the graduate program concerned as early as possible.
Program Entry
The MA program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
Program Length
Full-time master’s candidates are expected to complete degree requirements within twelve months (3 terms). Part-time master’s candidates are expected to complete degree requirements within twenty-four months (6 terms). For those students who complete degree requirements earlier than 3 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 3 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
PhD candidates must successfully complete the following:
Course Requirements
Complete Philosophy 6800 6.0: First-Year Seminar and Philosophy 6850 6.0: PhD Research Seminar, plus another six half courses (or the equivalent), with no more than one full course equivalent a reading course and no more than one full course equivalent integrated with an undergraduate course. Philosophy 6800 6.0 must be taken in Year 1. The six half courses must normally be completed by the end of Year 2, and Philosophy 6850 6.0 by the end of Year 3, in order to remain in good standing in the program.
With the permission of the Graduate Program Director, students may take one half graduate course outside the program, either at York University or elsewhere, and count it towards these course requirements.
Breadth Requirements
History Requirement
Include, among their courses, at least two half courses each of which focuses in depth on a single significant problem or philosopher, and covers different periods in the history of philosophy. Students who have taken such courses during their MA may place out of all or part of this requirement.
Area Requirement
Include, among their courses, at least two half courses in metaphysics and/or epistemology (understood as including philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science), and at least two half courses in ethics, political, social and/or legal philosophy.
Logic Requirement
Normally, by the end of the second year students must demonstrate to the logic examination committee a mastery of the semantic and syntactic elements of sentential and first-order predicate logic. This includes understanding validity, logical truth, and natural deduction derivations for both sentential and predicate logic. Mastery may be demonstrated by passing an exam in logic that is set by the logic examination committee, or by passing a graduate level course in logic, normally Philosophy 5460 3.0: Philosophical Logic, that assumes an introductory logic course as background. Students who fail to fulfill the logic requirement by the end of the second year will be withdrawn from the program.
Paper Examination
Submit one paper by the end of the first term of Year 3, to be examined by two anonymous examiners in the program. To pass the examination, at least one of the two examiners must pass the paper. A one-time-only option of revising and resubmitting the paper is available. Students must resubmit within 6 weeks of the original decision. The paper, which may be based upon previous term papers, will demonstrate the skills that are needed to successfully pursue advanced doctoral research. As it is to be written with a view to the norms and expectations of professional philosophical venues, such as peer-reviewed philosophy journals, the paper should include a carefully reasoned defence of a philosophical position, as well as demonstrate originality. Students who do not pass this exam after a second submission attempt will be withdrawn from the program.
Dissertation Proposal
Submit a suitable dissertation proposal acceptable to the supervisory committee.
Proposal Defence and Literature Examination
Successfully defend the dissertation proposal and pass an oral examination on literature relevant to the dissertation topic. The list of literature will be compiled jointly by the supervisor and the student after the supervisory relationship is formed and before the proposal is written. The examiners will consist of the student’s supervisory committee plus one outside examiner from the program.
This requirement must be met by the end of PhD 3 in order to remain in good standing in the program.
Dissertation
Write an acceptable dissertation embodying original research and defend it at an oral examination. It is recommended that candidates whose field of study necessitates a reading knowledge of a language other than English acquire sufficient knowledge of that language. Candidates may be asked to demonstrate their proficiency to the examining committee. Acceptable/dissertation formats in the graduate program are monograph or manuscript based. Students wishing to undertake a thesis/dissertation that does not align with one of the above-mentioned formats are expected to initiate discussions with their supervisory committee and director of the graduate program concerned as early as possible.
Program Entry
The PhD program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
Program Length
The length of time required to complete the PhD is normally four years (12 terms). Doctor of Philosophy students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.
Combined Juris Doctor (JD) / Master of Arts in Philosophy
Students admitted to the combined program are expected to complete all requirements within four years of full-time study, including at least three terms registered as a full-time graduate student.
Coursework
In the first year, students are registered in law and must successfully complete the following mandatory courses, in the first term:
Ethical Lawyering in a Global Community; Legal Process I; State and Citizen: Canadian Public and Constitutional Law; Torts; Contracts; and Criminal Law;
and in the second term:
Ethical Lawyering in a Global Community; Legal Process II; State and Citizen: Canadian Public and Constitutional Law; and Property Law and, the following elective course, in the second term: Perspective Option (from among options offered by Osgoode).
In the third and fourth years, in addition to completing a major research paper co-supervised by faculty members from the Graduate Program in Philosophy and Osgoode Hall Law School, students are required to successfully complete at least 13 credits of upper year JD courses in each of the fall and winter terms.
Major Research Paper
In the second year, students must successfully complete 18 credits in coursework in philosophy at the graduate level including Philosophy 5800 3.0: Core Theoretical Philosophy I and Philosophy 5802 3.0: Core Practical Philosophy I. During this year students also begin work on their major research paper, by settling on a general topic and choosing their co-supervisors with the assistance of the program’s co-directors.
Possible major research paper topics include but are not restricted to: evidence and epistemology, responsibility and tort, moral theory and criminal law/procedure, punishment, political theory and constitutional law, international law, legal reasoning, general jurisprudence, human rights, justice and procedure.
All course work for the MA must be completed during the MA year. The grading standards of the Faculty of Graduate Studies apply.
In Years 3 and 4, following the MA year, students return to Osgoode to complete the final two years of the JD but maintain status in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. In the event that a student decides not to return to Osgoode to complete the JD, the MA in philosophy may still be awarded upon successful completion of the requirements for that degree.
In addition to completing the major research paper, students are required during the final two years of the JD program to take one additional half course (3 credits) in philosophy at the graduate level. The major research paper counts for 6 credits towards the JD and the additional philosophy course counts for 3 credits toward the JD. That is, students in the combined program are allowed to count 9 credits towards the standard upper year JD requirement, in recognition of the major research paper and extra philosophy course they are required to complete during the final two years.
Graduate Diploma in Value Theory & Applied Ethics
This program of study allows students to deepen their knowledge and skill of value theory and its application to real ethical problems.
To enter this program, students must first be admitted to a regular graduate program. The diploma is awarded concurrently with the master’s or doctoral degree for which the student is registered. For more information, including all diploma requirements, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant.