Graduate Programs in Philosophy

General Information

The Department offers programs leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

The fields in which advanced study may be pursued include ethics; social and political philosophy; aesthetics; feminist philosophy; logic; decision theory; philosophy of science, including biology, and cognitive science; epistemology; philosophy of language; philosophy of mind; metaphysics; ancient philosophy; modern philosophy from the 17th to the 20th century; and contemporary European and Anglo-American philosophy. Inquiries concerning possible subjects for research should be directed to the Graduate Coordinator.

Entrance Requirements

The Department’s minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

Where applicable, applicants must meet the minimum English Language Requirement .

Applicants must also provide the following:

• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• 3 letters of reference
• Statement of interest which describes the research questions and issues that interest the applicant (and why), and explains why the applicant would like to pursue a philosophy degree at the University of Alberta.
• Writing sample - should be a piece of academic work, preferably in philosophy, and should not be more than 30 pages.

Students with very little background in philosophy may be required to enroll as a qualifying student  or as a special graduate student , before being considered eligible for admission to a graduate degree program.

The application deadline is January 15 for Fall admission.

Financial Assistance

Graduate students in the Department are eligible to compete for the general graduate awards listed at www.gradstudies.ualberta.ca and are encouraged to do so. Graduate assistantships are available within the Department; inquiries should be addressed to the Graduate Coordinator.

Graduate Program Requirements

Master’s Programs

• Master of Arts (Philosophy)
    

Doctoral Programs

• Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy)
    

Graduate Courses

Graduate courses can be found in Course Listings , under the subject heading Philosophy (PHIL).