Philosophy

Department of Philosophy
Paterson Hall 3A46
Tel.: 613-520-2110
carleton.ca/philosophy

M.A. Philosophy

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

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Admission Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission to the master's program is an Honours B.A. degree (or the equivalent) in Philosophy, with at least B+ standing (or the equivalent).

Qualifying-year and M.A. applicants from an institution other than Carleton University must submit two papers.

Qualifying Year

Applicants who do not hold an Honours degree (or the equivalent) will be required to register in a qualifying-year program before proceeding to the master's program. Regulations governing the qualifying year are outlined in the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

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Program Requirements

The specific program requirements for master's candidates are:

Thesis Option
  • 2.0 credits in PHIL 5909 Thesis, which must be defended at an oral examination;
  • 2.0 credits in courses, subject to the following limitations:
    • They may include PHIL 5700 or PHIL 5750 but not both;
    • They may include up to 1.0 credit from PHIL 5000, PHIL 5200, PHIL 5250, PHIL 5300, PHIL 5350, PHIL  5500, PHIL 5600, or, with permission of the department other approved courses at the graduate or 4000-level at Carleton or other universities;
    • They may include up to 1.0 credit in tutorials or, with permission of the department, approved graduate-only courses at the graduate level in other departments or at other universities;
    • They must include at least 0.5 credit in two of the following areas of study:
    • history of philosophy
    • philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, logic, epistemology, or metaphysics
    • moral, social, or political philosophy
Research Essay Option:
  • 1.0 credit in PHIL 5908 Research Essay;
  • 1.0 credit from: PHIL 5700, PHIL 5750, or, with the permission of the department, approved graduate-level courses in other departments or at other universities;
  • Up to 1.0 credit from PHIL 5000, PHIL 5200, PHIL 5250, PHIL 5300, PHIL 5350, PHIL 5500, and PHIL 5600, or, with permission of the department, approved courses at graduate or 4000-level at Carleton or other universities;
  • Up to 1.0 credit in tutorials, or, with permission of the department, approved graduate-level courses in other departments or at other universities;
  • Courses chosen must include at least 0.5 credit in two of the following areas of study:
    • history of philosophy
    • philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, logic, epistemology, or metaphysics
    • moral, social, or political philosophy
Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree

Full-time students enrolled in the 5.0-credit M.A. program are expected to complete PHIL 5850, PHIL 5900, 2.0 further credits, and to submit the completed thesis or research essay approval form by the end of the second term of study. All full-time students are expected to submit the thesis or research essay by the end of the fourth term of study.

Part-time students enrolled in the 5.0 credit M.A. program are expected to complete PHIL 5850, PHIL 5900, 2.0 further credits, and to submit the completed thesis or research essay approval form by the end of the third year of study. All part-time students are expected to submit the thesis or research essay by the end of the fifth year of study.

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Course Selection

Not all courses are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings and to determine the term of offering, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca . Full course descriptions can be found in the courses section of this Calendar.

Special Topics

PHIL 5000 Special Topic in Philosophy

Tutorials

PHIL 5004 Tutorial in the History of Philosophy I

PHIL 5005 Tutorial in the History of Philosophy II
PHIL 5104 Tutorial in the Work of an Individual Philosopher I
PHIL 5105 Tutorial in the Work of an Individual Philosopher II
PHIL 5204 Tutorial in Logic, Epistemology, or Metaphysics I
PHIL 5205 Tutorial in Logic, Epistemology, or Metaphysics II
PHIL 5304 Tutorial in Selected Problems of Philosophy I
PHIL 5305 Tutorial in Selected Problems of Philosophy II
Colloquia

PHIL 5700 Fall Colloquium

PHIL 5750 Winter Colloquium

Seminars

PHIL 5200 Topics in Philosophy of Mind or Philosophy of Language

PHIL 5250 Topics in Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics or Philosophy of Science
PHIL 5300 Topics in Value Theory
PHIL 5350 Topics in Ethics or Political Philosophy
PHIL 5500 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy
PHIL 5600 Topics in the History of Philosophy
PHIL 5850 Proseminar
PHIL 5900 Research Seminar
PHIL 5908 [1.0] Research Essay
PHIL 5909 [2.0] M.A. Thesis
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