Master's Program

General Information Housing Applying Financial Matters Orientation
Listserv Course Scheduling Degree Requirements The Brains and Behaviors Track The J.D./M.A. Track
Prepping Grad Students to Teach Phi Sigma Tau Philosophy Job Prospects Placement Record More Information

General Information


The department's M.A. program serves two different communities of students. First, it serves those who desire the preparation an M.A. provides before seeking admission to a Ph.D. program. Second, it serves those who seek the M.A. as a terminal degree to advance their chosen careers.

There are three distinct tracks leading to the M.A. in philosophy: the traditional track, the brains & behavior track, and the J.D./M.A. track. The traditional program is designed for those who plan to seek the Ph.D. in philosophy or have a general interest in philosophy. Students who are interested in the philosophical implications of current empirical work in neuroscience should pursue the brains & behavior track. The J.D./M.A. track, offered in conjunction with the College of Law at Georgia State University, allows students to receive the M.A. in philosophy and the J.D. in four years instead of the five which would normally be required.

The department offers over 40 graduate courses that cover a broad variety of topics. For full information on the faculty's areas of particular strength see the Faculty Page.

Student Life

Georgia State University is a public institution with more than 27,000 students. Its graduate student population of over 8,000 is one of the largest in the Southeast. Students come from throughout the United States and a number of other countries. The department's 50 graduate students come from across the U.S. and from many different countries. They are encouraged to take an active role in the department. Some develop joint research projects with faculty members. Many work closely with faculty members as research assistants. Each spring the department sponsors a philosophy conference, in which students can play an active role.

The Georgia State philosophy department (along with the Center for Ethics and the Brains & Behavior Program) regularly attracts top-notch philosophers to give talks. Since 2002, our visitors have included people such as Ned Block, David Chalmers, Paul Churchland, John Cooper, Steven Darwall, Jerry Fodor, Frances Kamm, Brian Leiter, Jeff McMahan, Martha Nussbaum, Onora O'Neill, Geoff Sayre-McCord, Ernest Sosa, and Nicholas Sturgeon.

Location

The University is located two blocks from the central business district of Atlanta. The city is a rapidly growing metropolitan area characterized by modern buildings and a diverse population. Atlanta is the distribution and airline center of the South and has recently become a gateway to Europe. It is located in the foothills of the southern Appalachian range and is close to the Great Smoky Mountains and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

The High Museum of Art, the Woodruff Memorial Arts Center, the Atlanta Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, and numerous other groups continue to make Atlanta the cultural center of the South. Atlanta also has several professional sports teams.

Housing

Georgia State University has a nonresidential campus located in downtown Atlanta at the center of a network of highways and rapid-transit services extending throughout the greater metropolitan area. This transportation network makes it possible to live anywhere in the metropolitan area and get to Georgia State easily. The cost of living in Atlanta is moderate compared with that in other urban centers in the United States.

The department has put together some tips on finding housing for incoming graduate students.

Applying

A student need not have an undergraduate major in philosophy to be admitted. As long as an applicant's background is adequate preparation for graduate-level work in philosophy, not having a philosophy major is no bar to admission. In cases where an applicant looks promising but has a limited philosophical background, the department can admit the student as a 'special status' student. These students take a series of undergraduate courses to fill in gaps in their philosophy background, usually for one semester. If the student performs well enough in these classes, she is then admitted into the regular M.A. program.

We sometimes have applicants who have never taken philosophy classes before, having majored in some other field, but who have read philosophy on their own and have an interest in pursuing graduate studies in philosophy. We do not admit students in this sort of case, even as special-status students: some prior academic background in philosophy is necessary for admission. However, these students are urged to enroll as post-baccalaureate students at Georgia State. In this program, students who already have a bachelor's degree can take undergraduate classes. Then the student will be able to a have a philosophy writing sample, letters of recommendation from philosophy faculty, and a track record in philosophy, in order to be able to make a stronger application for our M.A. program. Students who are interested in pursuing this route should contact the Director of Graduate Studies in order to arrange a suitable course of study to prepare for graduate-level work.

Our program has also had many international students. International students are eligible for the same types of stipends through the department as are other students (see below for details on these). International students have to file some additional material in their applications (again, see below). Amber Amari, aamari AT gsu DOT edu, is the specialist in handling international student applications for the graduate office. Students whose first language is not English may find some of the classes offered by Georgia State's Intensive English Program helpful. The program has two main courses geared especially for graduate students: "Academic speaking and listening" and "Academic Writing."

Except under unusual circumstances, we admit new students only each Fall semester. The deadline for applying for Fall Term is April 15.

NOTE: While this is the final application deadline, most admission decisions and all financial aid decisions are made earlier, usually in March. Given the limited number of admission slots and financial aid dollars, the earlier a student applies, the more likely s/he is to be admitted and/or receive aid.

Procedures for Applying

Application materials are submitted to Georgia State in two main ways: many of the basic forms and other information are handled through an on-line interface, and additional materials are all mailed by the applicant to Georgia State in a single packet. This page has links to everything you need, but if you have any questions, or if you are unable to print this material from the web, please contact Ellen Logan, Department of Philosophy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 413-6127, elogan (at) gsu (dot) edu.

Once applications are submitted, they are processed by the College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Office and are forwarded (when complete) to the department for review. Applicants who have questions about whether materials have arrived or if their applications are complete should direct them to the admissions specialist who handles philosophy applications, Mariam Qureshi: 404-413-5042, mqureshi (at) gsu (dot) edu.

Materials handled on-line

Applicants should carefully read the application procedures (scroll down slightly) and then apply on-line here. Applicants will first set up a secure account, then they will fill out a number of forms on-line (this can be done in multiple sessions). You will be asked to submit the following on-line:

  1. College of Arts and Sciences Application for Graduate Study Form.
  2. An indication of the track(s) to which you are applying. (Traditional, Brains & Behaviors, or J.D./M.A)
  3. Two statements, of 100-500 words each, on the following:
    --Why do you want an M.A. in philosophy?
    --Why do you want an M.A. in philosophy from Georgia State University?
  4. A $50 application fee. (You can pay with a credit card or an electronic check)
  5. A writing sample of no more than 5000 words, which is approximately 17 double-spaced, typewritten pages. (This is not handled by the on-line interface; it should be e-mailed to the director of graduate studies: philgrad (at) gsu (dot) edu. Please put your name and the words "writing sample" in the subject line.)
  6. Letters of recommendation (your recommenders may submit their letters on-line or can give you a hard copy to include in the materials mailed in your packet)

Materials mailed in the packet

Please remember that you should mail all of the materials listed below in a single package. So you should have your transcripts and letters of recommendation, if you decide not to have them submitted on-line, sent to you. Please do not have them sent directly to us. Then you should send everything to

Via U.S. Mail
Office of Graduate Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
P.O. Box 3993
Georgia State University
University Plaza
Atlanta, GA 30302-3993

Via commercial carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.)
Office of Graduate Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
Georgia State University
Haas-Howell Bldg, Suite 800
75 Poplar St.
Atlanta, GA 30303

(Forms marked with an "*" are in PDF format. To print them, you must download and install Adobe Acrobat, a free software plug-in for your web browser.)

  1. Two copies of the transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. (NB: 'All' includes institutions you attended over the summer or abroad for a semester and whose credits you transferred to your 'main' college or university.)
  2. Scores on the general test of theGraduate Record Examinations (GRE). Please also have the testing service send the scores to Georgia State University.
  3. Three letters of recommendation (can also be submitted on-line).
    The department does not have a special recommendation form. Those who write letters of recommendation need only send a letter on their official stationery. Please have the recommender give you the letter in an envelope with the recommender's signature across the seal.
  4. List of Recommenders*
  5. Recommendation Waiver*

In addition, international applicants whose native language is not English and who have not received a bachelor's degree from an American institution must submit:

  1. Georgia State University Financial Affadavit for Graduate Applicants*
  2. Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please also have the testing service send the scores to Georgia State University.
An additional form that is not required at the time of application, but which you may wish to fill out now is the
  1. Immunization Form* This form is required before registering for any classes. And so we recommend that you send it in at the same time as your application materials, to Health Services (address is on the form).

FAQ: How are admission decisions made?

Recently, the department has seen an increase in the number of applicants and has raised its admission standards. Admission decisions are not based on a formula but rather on a careful review of all the admission materials. An applicant's statement of career goals, writing sample, and letters of reference are carefully reviewed. Applicants are often overly focused on their GRE scores. The department gives more weight to a student's undergraduate GPA, particularly in philosophy classes. Most students accepted have better than a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, and the sum of their verbal plus 100 times their analytic GRE scores is over 1000. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, a recent enrollee had an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 because s/he had a GPA of 2.1 in her/his freshman and sophomore years, took three years off, and then had a GPA of 3.7 in his/her junior and senior years.

FAQ: When are admission decisions made?

Applications are reviewed shortly after all required materials are received. In many cases, an applicant is accepted or rejected at that time. In other cases, an applicant's file will be held until the application deadline has passed so that it can be compared to the files of other applicants.

Financial Matters and Assistantships

In 2007-2008, full-time graduate tuition for Georgia residents is $2,649/semester and for out-of-state residents it is $10,591/semester. In addition, all students must pay a flat fee of $494/semester.

FAQ: What sorts of assistantships are there and what do they involve?

The Philosophy Department offers, on a competitive basis, several types of assistantships. All types of assistantships include a full waiver of tuition. Each students granted an assistantship, whether a resident or nonresident, pays only the flat fee mentioned in the previous paragraph.

In addition, assistants typically receive a stipend of $6000 to $10000 per year. Assuming that they remain in good academic standing and make satisfactory academic progress, students admitted with assistantships can usually expect to receive four semesters of stipend support. Support past this time is possible but should not be expected.

The department pays for all assistants to join the American Philosophical Association (APA). In addition, the department reserves and pays for two hotel rooms for assistants at the Eastern Division Meeting of the APA. Students who attend the meeting are responsible for their registration fees, travel and all other expenses associated with attending.

Graduate students with an assistantship may take as many courses in other departments (at any level) as they wish. For example, some students take language courses to prepare themselves for Ph.D. programs or improve their ability to do research in the original language of a particular philosopher. However, only graduate courses in the philosophy department count towards the degree requirements.

While the specific tasks asked of assistants vary, what follows should provide some sense of what an assistant might expect to do:

  1. Some assistants work with professors doing such things as seeking research materials, proofreading, indexing books, and writing summaries of literature on a specific topic.
  2. Others proctor exams, help with grading, and sometimes attend undergraduate classes.
  3. Some assistants (Graduate Teaching Assistants, aka GTAs) are the primary instructors of classes of Phil 1010, Critical Thinking.

Ideally, graduate students will become Graduate Teaching Assistants only after completing most of their coursework. Before becoming a GTA, a student must have successfully completed Phil 8970 (Teaching Philosophy). In addition, every GTA will take Phil 8980 (Teaching Philosophy Practicum) during their first semester of teaching. Both Phil 8970 and 8980 are taught by the Coordinator of Graduate Teaching, and the philosophy department takes pride in the training and support it gives to its graduate student teachers.

FAQ: How do I apply for an assistantship?

There is no special application form. Unless a student asks not to be considered for an assistantship, all those newly accepted into the program are considered. Students who have already been admitted should send an e-mail to the director of graduate studies, philgrad (at) gsu (dot) edu, in which they indicate their desire to apply.

FAQ: Does the Department offer any fellowships?

The Department offers Neurophilosophy Graduate Fellowships. These fellowships come with a stipend of $15,000 and all the other financial benefits that graduate assistants receive. Fellows have no teaching assistantship or research assistantship duties, and they are expected to enroll in the B&B track of the graduate program.

Applicants interested in applying for the B&B fellowship should do the following: (i) send along a writing sample that's in the philosophy of mind (or that in some other way relates to the B&B track's focus on the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience), and (ii) indicate in the body of their writing sample e-mail that they wish to be considered for the fellowship.

The department also designates two incoming students each year as Graduate Scholars in two of our areas of strength: one as a scholar in Legal and Political Philosophy, the other as a scholar in Kant and post-Kantian German Philosophy. These students receive $15,000 a year for two years. This support is a combination of fellowship (for the first two semesters) and assistantship (teaching Criticial Thinking in the following semesters). Applicants who wish to be considered should do the following: (i) send along a writing sample that's in the appropriate area (Legal and Political Philosophy or Kant and post-Kantian German philosophy), and (ii) indicate in the body of their writing sample e-mail that they wish to be considered as a Graduate Scholar.

FAQ: How does the department decide who gets an assistantship?

The department is forced to make difficult decisions and cannot provide assistance to all those who deserve it. For those applying to the program, assistantship decisions are based on the materials in the admission file and the procedure is similar to the one described above. For students in the program, factors such as GPA, progress towards the degree, and the professors' views of the philosophical ability of the applicant are considered.

FAQ: When do assistants get paid?

On the last business day of the month. Note that the first paycheck of an academic year is paid on the last business day of September.

FAQ: Is there any support for graduate students who earn their Masters but have missed the deadline to apply to Ph.D. programs?

Once a student has earned the M.A. she is eligible to apply for a visiting instructor position in the department. Visiting instructors teach courses such as Critical Thinking and Great Questions of Philosophy. They teach 11-12 semester hours per term (typically 4 sections and 2 preparations). The salary for the two-semester academic year is approximately $28,000 and the position carries full benefits.

Orientation

The department has two orientations--one for new graduate students and another for new graduate assistants. Both orientations are on the Friday before the start of Fall classes. All new graduate students and new graduate assistants need to attend these orientations. .

Graduate Student Listserv

The department's primary means of communication with graduate students is the philosophy graduate student listserv.
All philosophy graduate students must subscribe to this listserv. Other interested individuals are very welcome to subscribe.

A listserv is a similar to a copier. When one sends a message to a listserv, it is copied and sent to everyone who is a subscriber to the listserv.

To subscribe to the philosophy graduate student listserv, go here.

Course Scheduling

In an effort to assist graduate students in planning their schedules, the department offers certain high-demand courses on a regular schedule. While the department cannot guarantee that the schedule below will always be followed, the department will do everything humanly possible to follow it.

Fall Semesters

  • One course which meets the history requirement.
  • Phil 6100, Epistemology (Formerly Phil 6420)
  • Phil 6520, Symbolic Logic
  • Phil 8300, Seminar in Metaphysics (Formerly Phil 8150) or
    Phil 8330, Seminar in Philosophy of Mind
  • Phil 8700, Seminar in Ethics (Formerly Phil 8400) or
    Phil 8810, Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy or
    Phil 8820, Seminar in Philosophy of Law

Spring Semesters

  • One course which meets the history requirement.
  • Phil 6300, Metaphysics (Formerly Phil 6600)
  • Phil 6700, Ethics
  • Phil 6820, Philosophy of Law
  • Phil 8100, Seminar in Epistemology (Formerly Phil 8200) or
    Phil 8130, Seminar in Philosophy of Science or
    Phil 8530, Seminar in Philosophy of Language
  • One additional Seminar.

Degree Requirements

(Requirements for students who entered the program before Fall of 2006, and before Fall of 2000.)

Download degree requirement worksheet for the Traditional and Brains & Behavior tracks.
Documents are in Microsoft Word format.

With the exception of the J.D./M.A. track, our program is designed to be finished in two years.

Requirements which Apply to All Tracks

  1. No 'double-counting.' Classes can count towards only one distribution requirement. Example: a person who takes Phil 8030, Seminar in Ancient Philosophy, can count it towards either the History or the Seminar requirement, but not both.
  2. Only one Phil 8950, Directed Readings, course may be counted towards the degree. Additional Phil 8950 courses may be taken but they will not count towards the degree. (To register for this course you need to take this form to the faculty member with whom you wish to work.)
  3. Thesis Submission Deadlines. The department has submission deadlines so that theses can receive the full consideration that they deserve. Students who do not meet these deadlines must postpone their graduation.
  4. Other than the exceptions specifically indicated below, only six hours of credit earned outside the Department of Philosophy at Georgia State University may be applied towards the Georgia State M.A. in philosophy.
  5. No student who has taken the 4000-level version of a course at Georgia State may take the 6000-level version of that course without advance permission of the Director of Graduate Studies. The Director will verify that the course content and requirements of the 6000-level course are different enough to warrent graduate credit for the course.
  6. Students must be enrolled in the semester in which they graduate. Any students who are enrolled for no classes for a full academic year (3 semesters running, including summer semester) and are not on official leave or covered by other exceptions will automatically be made inactive in the program, and if they wish to continue, are required to follow reentry procedures. The graduate office has further details on this continuous enrollment policy, which goes into effect Fall 2006.
  7. M.A. students whose course work is unsatisfactory may be subject to scholastic warning or scholastic termination.

Requirements of the traditional track

  1. Twenty-seven hours of graduate coursework in philosophy.
    Courses numbered 8960 and higher do not count towards the 27-hour requirement.
  2. Distribution requirements
    1. Logic requirement
      Phil 6520, Symbolic logic, is required of every full-time student in their first semester in the program. The text (as of Fall Semester 2008) is Mates, Elementary Logic, Second Edition. If you are a part-time or special-status student, please consult with the Director of Graduate Studies about when to enroll in logic.
    2. History Requirement
      At least one history course.
      See below for the list of courses in this area.
    3. Ethics and Social/Political Requirement
      At least one course in ethics or social/political philosophy.
      See below for the list of courses in this area.
    4. Metaphysics and Epistemology Requirement
      At least one course in metaphysics or epistemology.
      See below for the list of courses in this area.
    5. Seminar requirement
      At least three courses with the word "Seminar" in the title.
      (Note that seminars used to satisfy other distribution requirements cannot also be used to satisfy this requirement.)
  3. Six hours of thesis research, Phil 8999 (To register for this course you need to write and have approved by your thesis committee a thesis prospectus and to fill out this form).
  4. A thesis which meets the departmental standards.
  5. An oral thesis defense.
Students entering prior to Fall 2007 may take a a general examination, which (if passed) counts for one seminar and three credit hours in the requirements above.

History Courses
Phil 6010 Plato
Phil 6020 Aristotle
Phil 6030 Topics in Ancient Philosophy
Phil 6040 Augustine and Aquinas (Formerly Phil 6120)
Phil 6050 Special Topics in Modern Philosophy (Formerly Phil 6150)
Phil 6055 Hume
Phil 6060 Kant (Formerly Phil 6160)
Phil 6070 Marxism (Formerly Phil 6790)
Phil 6075 Topics in 19th Century Philosophy
Phil 6080 Wittgenstein (Formerly Phil 6170)
Phil 6090 Topics in Continental Philosophy (Formerly Phil 6190)
Phil 6095 Topics in Analytic Philosophy
Phil 8030 Seminar in Ancient Philosophy
Phil 8050 Seminar in Analytic Philosophy
Phil 8060 Seminar in Modern Philosophy
Phil 8090 Seminar in Continental Philosophy

Ethics and Social/Political Courses
Phil 6650 Religion and Ethics
Phil 6680 War, Peace, and Religion
Phil 6700 Ethics
Phil 6720 Environmental Ethics
Phil 6740 Advanced Biomedical Ethics
Phil 6750 Topics in Ethics
Phil 6800 Social and Political Philosophy (Formerly 6760)
Phil 6820 Philosophy of Law (Formerly Phil 6720)
Phil 6822 Topics in Philosophy of Law
Phil 6830 Philosophy of Art
Phil 6850 African American Ethical and Legal Issues (Formerly Phil 6750)
Phil 6860 Topics in Political Theory
Phil 6870 Philosophical Perspectives on Women
Phil 6890 Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
Phil 8700 Seminar in Ethics
Phil 8710 Seminar in Bioethics
Phil 8810 Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy
Phil 8820 Seminar in Philosophy of Law
Phil 8860 Seminar in Political Theory
Phil 8870 Seminar in Feminist Philosophy

Metaphysics and Epistemology Courses
Phil 6100 Epistemology (Formerly Phil 6420)
Phil 6150 Topics in Epistemology
Phil 6130 Philosophy of Science (Formerly Phil 6430)
Phil 6300 Metaphysics (Formerly Phil 6600)
Phil 6350 Topics in Metaphysics
Phil 6330 Philosophy of Mind (Formerly Phil 6440)
Phil 6530 Philosophy of Language (Formerly Phil 6400)
Phil 8100 Seminar in Epistemology
Phil 8130 Seminar in Philosophy of Science
Phil 8300 Seminar in Metaphysics
Phil 8330 Seminar in Philosophy of Mind
Phil 8520 Seminar in Logic
Phil 8530 Seminar in Philosophy of Language

The Brains & Behaviors Track

Neurophilosophy is one of the fastest growing subfields in contemporary philosophy. The Brains and Behavior Track offers students a unique opportunity to study philosophical issues at the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience, psychology, biology, and artificial intelligence. The B&B Track is designed to take full advantage of the Brains & Behavior Program at Georgia State University. The B&B Program aims to take the neurosciences at Georgia State to a position of international prominence by promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty and students from partnering departments. Successful completion of the B&B Track, the first Masters program of its kind in the US, will provide students with a broad interdisciplinary background and prepare them to apply for graduate work in either philosophy or the relevant sciences.

The philosophy department has four Brains & Behavior fellowships that are awarded to the most qualified students applying to the MA program with an interest in the B&B Track. The B&B fellows receive a stipend of $15,000 plus tuition and do not have to serve as graduate assistants or instructors. Applicants who wish to receive this fellowship should indicate their interest in their personal statement, and they should include a brief description of why they feel well-qualified to receive the fellowship.

Visit the Department's Neurophilosophy web site.

In addition to meeting the requirements noted above for the Traditional Track, students on the Brains and Behavior track

  1. must pass Phil 6330, Philosophy of Mind, or Phil 8330, Seminar in Philosophy of Mind. NB: this requirement is exempt from the usual 'no double-counting' rule for distribution requirements; e.g. Phil 8330 can count both toward this requirement and the seminar requirement.
  2. must pass 6 hours at the graduate level in another Brains and Behavior department, such as biology, psychology, etc. These hours will count towards the 27 hours required for the M.A. in philosophy. These courses must be approved, in advance, by the philosophy Brains and Behavior Faculty and the Philosophy Director of Graduate Studies.
  3. must write a thesis on a topic related to Brains & Behavior (topic will be approved by the philosophy Brains and Behavior Faculty and the Philosophy Director of Graduate Studies).

The J.D./M.A. Track

The J.D./M.A. track, offered in conjunction with the College of Law at Georgia State University, allows students to receive the M.A. in philosophy and the J.D. in four years instead of the usual five.

The J.D./M.A. track is a demanding course of study. Each student in the track is assigned an advisor from the College of Law faculty and an advisor from the faculty of the Department of Philosophy. Students must work closely with their advisors to make sure that they correctly progress towards the degrees. Below are the requirements for the M.A. degree on the J.D./M.A. track. For the J.D. requirements, see the College of Law web site.

  1. Nine hours of qualifying courses in law. In consultation with the student and law J.D./M.A. advisor, the philosophy J.D./M.A. advisor will select those law courses most appropriate to the M.A. program and to the student's interests.
  2. Eighteen hours of graduate course work in philosophy with the following distribution requirements:
    1. Two courses which meets the seminar requirement.
    2. Either Phil 6700, Ethics or Phil 6800, Social and Political Philosophy (Formerly Phil 6760.).
    3. In addition to the courses taken to fulfill requirements 2.B., at least one of the following courses:
      1. Phil 6700, Ethics
      2. Phil 6710, Biomedical Ethics
      3. Phil 6820, Philosophy of Law (Formerly Phil 6720.)(If the student has already taken Law 7295, Jurisprudence, credit for Phil 6820, Philosophy of Law, will be given only if the J.D. advisor and the M.A. advisor determine that Phil 6820, Philosophy of Law, would not substantially duplicate Law 7295, Jurisprudence.)
      4. Phil 6800, Social and Political Philosophy (Formerly Phil 6760.)
      5. Phil 6822, Topics in Philosophy of Law
      6. Phil 6850, African-American Ethical and Legal Issues (Formerly Phil 6750.)
      7. Phil 6870, Philosophical Perspectives on Women (Formerly Phil 6770.)
      8. Phil 8700, Seminar in Ethics (Formerly Phil 8400.)
      9. Phil 8710, Seminar in Bioethcis
      10. Phil 8802, Seminar in Classical & Early Modern Political Thought
      11. Phil 8804, Seminar in Modern Political Thought
      12. Phil 8810, Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy
      13. Phil 8820, Seminar in Philosophy of Law
      14. Phil 8870, Seminar in Feminist Philosophy (Formerly Phil 8500.)
    5. Epistemology Requirement--at least one of the following courses:
      1. Phil 6100, Theory of Knowledge (Formerly Phil 6420.)
      2. Phil 6130, Philosophy of Science (Formerly Phil 6430.)
      3. Phil 8100, Seminar in Epistemology (Formerly Phil 8200.)
      4. Phil 8520, Seminar in Logic
    6. Metaphysics Requirement--at least one of the following courses:
      1. Phil 6300, Metaphysics (Formerly Phil 6600.)
      2. Phil 6330, Philosophy of Mind (Formerly Phil 6440.)
      3. Phil 6530, Philosophy of Language (Formerly Phil 6400.)
      4. Phil 8300, Seminar in Metaphysics (Formerly Phil 8150.)
      5. Phil 8330, Seminar in Philosophy of Mind
      6. Phil 8530, Seminar in Philosophy of Language
    7. The following courses do not count towards the 15-hour requirement:
      1. Phil 8900, Internship
      2. Phil 8960, Research in Philosophy
      3. Phil 8970, Teaching Philosophy
      4. Phil 8980, Teaching Philosophy Practicum
      5. Six hours of thesis research, Phil 8999 (To register for this course you need to write and have approved a thesis prospectus and to fill out this form).
  4. Either Phil 6820, Philosophy of Law or Law 7295, Jurisprudence. Phil 6820, Philosophy of Law, counts towards requirement 2.C. and Law 7295, Jurisprudence, counts towards requirement 1. (If one of these two courses has been taken, credit for the second will be given only if the J.D. advisor and the M.A. advisor determine that the second would not substantially duplicate the first.)
  5. A thesis which meets the departmental standards.
  6. An oral thesis defense.

Other Notes Concerning the J.D./M.A. Track

Students must independently meet the admission requirements of the Department of Philosophy and the College of Law. Admission to the College of Law creates no presumption favoring admission to the Department of Philosophy. Admission to the Department of Philosophy creates no presumption favoring admission to the College of Law.

Students on the J.D./M.A. track may, if they wish, count one seminar course towards both the seminar requirement and one other requirement. For example, Phil 8150 might fulfill both the seminar requirement and the Metaphysics Requirment.

The Department of Philosophy will only grant credit for those law courses in which the student earns a grade of 80 or better.

Law students may not take any philosophy courses while completing the first-year law curriculum.

The J.D. degree must be completed within six years of the initial semester of enrollment in the J.D. program.

Students enrolled in the J.D./M.A. program may subsequently elect not to pursue both degrees and may remain in either the J.D. or M.A. program; but any hours earned in a degree program from which a student withdraws will not be credited toward a degree granted by the program in which the student remains.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Joint J.D./M.A. Program.

For more information about the J.D./M.A. track, please contact Dr. Andrew I. Cohen (aicohen(at)gsu.edu), Philosophy J.D./M.A. advisor or Dr. William Edmundson (wedmundson(at)gsu.edu), Law J.D./M.A. advisor.

The M.A. with Distinction

Students who meet all of the following requirements shall be awarded the M.A. with distinction:
  1. A graduate Georgia State philosophy GPA of 3.85 or better.
  2. A thesis that, upon vote of the committee grading the thesis, is judged to merit distinction.
  3. The Director of Graduate Studies judges that the student's record at Georgia State is one of distinction.

Preparing Graduate Students to Teach

The Department feels that it has an obligation to both its graduate students and the undergraduates who are taught by graduate students to train graduate students not only in how to do philosophical research but also in how to teach philosophy. The Department offers students an opportunity to gain invaluable teaching experience by becoming Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). It has an extensive program to prepare graduate students to teach and help them become excellent teachers. To be considered to be a GTA, students must complete 18 hours of graduate coursework in philosophy, earn a passing grade in Philosophy 8970 (Teaching Philosophy), and be recommended by the Director of Graduate Students.

In Philosophy 8970 students learn how to:

  • prepare and deliver lectures,
  • design and implement syllabi that meet university, college, and departmental requirements,
  • develop and grade objective tests, quizzes, and essays.
They also observe others teach and then review and discuss their observations with peers.

You may want to read this excellent article from The Chronicle of Higher Education about how departments who are hiring faculty view applicants who had no teaching experience as graduate students.

During their first semester as GTAs, students register for Philosophy 8980, Teaching Philosophy Practicum, within which they teach sections of Phil 1010, Critical Thinking. Students selected for these assistantships typically teach three sections of Philosophy 1010 per semester.

During their second semester of teaching, GTAs register for Phil 8985, Advanced Teaching Philosophy Practicum, in which they develop a Teaching Portfolio (an essential element of a professional dossier). Philosophy 8985 provides an opportunity for students to meet requirements for a Certificate of Teaching Excellence from the College of Arts & Sciences. Award of this Certificate is noted on official transcripts.

This program is supervised by the a full-time faculty member, Dr. Sandra Dwyer (Coordinator of Gradaute Teaching). Dr. Dwyer teaches Phil 8970, Phil 8980, and Phil 8985. Feel free to e-mail her, sdwyer(at)gsu.edu, for more information.

A Note Concerning Job Prospects in Philosophy

Individuals applying to do graduate work in philosophy who hope to become professors of philosophy need to be aware that there are currently many more candidates for tenure-track philosophy positions than there are positions available. The American Philosophical Association reports that there are over twice as many candidates as jobs and that over half the jobs are not tenure-track. Those considering Ph.D. programs should ask the departments to which they apply detailed questions about their job-placement records. In particular, they should ask how many graduates received offers for tenure-track positions.

Placement Record

Thomas Nadelhoffer, Georgia State M.A. 1999, is a professor at Dickinson College.

The department actively assists its graduates in their search for either employment or further education. Many of our students seek to go on to the Ph.D. and many seek the M.A. to forward their careers. Because those going on to the Ph.D. have requested very detailed information, the department has collected data on everyone who has received the M.A. since 1995.

Ph.D. Placement of All Students Awarded the M.A., 1995-Present

Note: 2008 data is incomplete.
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments (all Ph.D. program admissions are with aid unless otherwise noted)
2008 Sextus was no Eudaimonist Yes (philosophy) Attending University of Texas at Austin. Also accepted into University of Colorado at Boulder, Washington University at St. Louis, Northwestern, and Emory.
2008 Retribution Requires Rehabilitation Yes (philosophy) Attending Rice. Also accepted into University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
2008 The Concept "Woman": Feminism after the Essentialism Critique Yes (philosophy) Attending University of Western Ontario. Also accepted into Utah.
2008 The Non-Moral Basis of Cognitive Biases of Moral Intuitions Yes (neuroscience) Attending University of Iowa.
2008 Committed to Freedom – A Rejection of Galen Strawson’s Reasons-Actions Determinism Yes (philosophy) Attending Florida State University.
2008 Kim's Pairing Problem and the Viability of Substance Dualism Yes (philosophy) Attending St. Louis University
2008 Aristotelian Liberal Virtues No Residence Hall Director at Georgia Tech
2008 Facing the Problems of Feminism: Working Toward Resolution No Teaching high school.
2008 A Description of the Natural Place of Magic in Philosophy and Religious Studies No  
2008 Freedom and the Ideal Republican State No  
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments (all Ph.D. program admissions are with aid unless otherwise noted)
2007 Hard Compatibilism and the Varieties of Manipulation Yes (philosophy) Attending University of California - Riverside; also accepted into Florida State and Rochester.
2007 Under Pressure from the Empirical Data: Does Externalism Rest on a Mistaken Psychological Theory? Yes (philosophy) Attending Johns Hopkins; also accepted into University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Washington University PNP program, University of South Florida, and University of Western Ontario.
2007 Naturalism and Moral Realism Yes (philosophy) Attending University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Also accepted into Florida State, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Bowling Green State University, and Georgetown University (aid wait-list).
2007 Eudaimonistic Agent-Relativity and Moore's Criticisms of Naturalism Yes (philosophy) Attending Bowling Green State University.
2007 Neuroeconomics and the Rationality Debate Yes (psychology with philosophy minor) Attending the University of Arizona.
2007 Resting in the Court of Reason: Kant's Resolution to the Antinomy of Pure Reason Yes (religion) Attending Emory; also accepted into Boston University.
2007 Father Knows Best: A Critique of Joel Feinberg's Soft Paternalism No Teaching high school
2007 In Defense of Rawlsian Constructivism Yes Attending University of Memphis
2007 Perspectives on Perspectivism: Nietzsche and His Commentators No Teaching as a Visiting Instructor at Georgia State.
2007 Irony, Finitude and the Good Life: A Reading of Plato’s Symposium No  
2007 Defending Lucretius’Symmetry Argument against the Fear of Death No Working in Human Resources for the IBM China Beijing Office.
2007 Contextualist Responses to Skepticism No Project manager in Washington D.C.
2007 Nietzsche on Naturalism, Egoism, and Altruism No Working on an MA in Counseling Psychology and teaching philosophy part time
2007 Between Being and Nothingness: the Metaphysical Foundations Underlying Augustine’s Solution to the Problem of Evil No Working at Georgia State's library as the subject specialist and liaison for Philosophy, Religious Studies and Middle East Insititute
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2006 Rawls' Cosmopolitan Law of Peoples? The Place of Persons in a Peoples' World Yes (philosophy) Attending Brown University; also accepted to University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
2006 Wittgenstein and Religion Yes (philosophy) Attending Claremont Graduate University
2006 A Defense of Moral Realism Yes (health care ethics) Attending Saint Louis University
2006 Nietzsche on the Future and Value Yes (philosophy) Accepted to the University of South Florida and Marquette University , but declined offers
2006 The Impossibility of Evil Qua Evil: Kantian Limitations on Human Immorality Yes (philosophy) Attending the University of Illinois - Chicago; also accepted into Emory and the University of Washington.
2006 Liberalism and the Worst-Result Principle: Preventing Tyranny, Protecting Civil Liberty Yes (philosophy) Attending Boston University, also accepted to Washington University
2006 A Defense of Soft Positivism: Justice and Principle Processes No Attending George Washington University Law School to obtain a Master's of Law (LLM) in International and Comparative Law
2006 Bonjour's Positions on Justification: From Coherentism to Foundationalism No  
2006 Rossian Moral Pluralism: A (Partial) Defense No Attending Law School, Catholic University of America
2006 Marriage as Unconstitutional: How Not Allowing Homosexual Marriage Violates the First Amendment Yes (philosophy) Attending Vanderbilt
2006 The Female Voices of Islam No Working for a non-profit agency for human rights advocacy
2006 On the Stepehen Macedo and John Finnis Exchange: Natural Law, Liberalism, and Homosexuality No Teaching high school
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2005 Ways to skin the zombie-cat: a look at the problems associated with Chalmers's zombie-argument Yes (philosophy) Attending University of Washington
2005 A defense of the principle of alternative possibilities and a critique of Humean compatibilism Yes (philosophy) Attending University of California, Riverside
2005 Defining the human being: personhood as a first principle of human teleology in Wojtyla's Aristotelian-Thomistic anthropology Yes (theology) Attending Ave Maria University
2005 Scepticism and contextualism No  
2005 Teaching Creation Science in public schools: an examination of the creation/evolution controversy No Currently a critical thinking instructor at Clayton State University
2005 The role of self-interest in Aristotle's moral theory Yes (philosophy) Attending Rice University
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2004 The "Unfolding" of Everlasting Torment in Hell? Assessing the Role of Outside Influence and Interpretive Assumptions in the Formation of the Traditional and Annihilationist Christian Views of Hell No Pursuing a graduate degree in Library Sciences in the Alabama state university system.
2004 The Ideology of Freedom: An Immanent Critique of the Latent Theory of Human Nature in the Frankfurt School No Attending Emory Law School
2004 Violent Benevolence: An Ethical Assessment of Humanitarian Military Intervention No Attending the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston for MA
2004 Willing the Overman: An Analysis of Friedrich Nietzsche's Will to Power, Eternal Recurrence, and Overman No  
2004 Shadows of Things to Come: The Theological Implications of Intelligent Life on Other Worlds Yes Currently an instructor in Philosophy at Georgia Perimeter College and working to complete an MA in English at Georgia State
2004 Reassessing Feinberg's View of Abortion Yes Accepted into the PhD program in Philosophy at Purdue University and the PhD in Religious and Theological Studies Joint Ph.D. Program at the University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology, but has declined these offers and elected to pursue a degree in law
2004 The Deontological Conception of Justification Yes Attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
2004 Anti-Reductionism and Reversibility in Merleau-Ponty's Rejection of Dualism Yes Applying to PhD program in Shanghai, acceptance and matriculation status unknown
2004 "Who Does Karma For This Body?" Death and Dying in Hindu Communities in Metropolitan Atlanta No Working at departments of philosophy and religious studies
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2003 Passionate Entanglements, Desire, Fear, and Perception of Coercive Power Yes (Philosophy) Attending Emory University support
2003 A Wittgensteinian Resolution of the Debtor's Paradox No Has since taught as an instructor in Philosophy at Georgia State
2003 The Problem of Induction: A Critical Review of Recent Proposals No  
2003 Evil and the Human Experience No Now teaches religion and philosophy courses at a community college in Florida
2003 Goldman’s Reliabilist Theory of Epistemic Justification: Is It Viable? No  
2003 Nothingness and the Possibility of Responsible Choice in Jean-Paul Sartre's Phenomenological Ontology Yes (Philosophy) Attending Duquesne University
2003 Do I Know What I Know?: Knowledge in Moral and Scientific Epistemology No Has since taught as an instructor in Philosophy at Georgia State
2003 Bell’s Theorem and the Metaphysical Implications of Quantum Physics No  
2003 Data Monitoring in Clinical Trials and the Ethics of Human Experimentation No  
2003 On the Law of Peoples and Its Aims: Machiavelli Writ Large? No Attending Georgia State Law School
2003 Authenticity as Idiosyncratic Interpretive Comportment No Currently enrolled in a program in advertising in Milan, Italy
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2002 A Pragmatic Meta-Ethics for Environmental Ethics Yes (Philosophy) Attending the University of Washington
2002 What is Good-Sense Pragmatism? No  
2002 Environmental Aesthetics and the Protection of the Perceptual Resource No  
2002 Tolstoy on Art Yes (Philosophy) Attending Emory
2002 A Moral Defense of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Yes (Philosophy) Accepted at University of Utah
2002 Genealogy and Rhetoric No  
2002 Against Coincident Entities Yes (Philosophy) Attending CUNY Graduate Center
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2001 Emotion as Action and Transformation: A View of Emotion Through the Thought of Sartre and Gordon No  
2001 The Question of Human Cloning: Are We Thinking It Through No  
2001 Voluntariness with a Vengeance: Miranda and a Modern Alternative No  
2001 The Ethics of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Yes (History) Attending Georgia State University
2001 The Philosophy of Henry Suso: A Modern Appraisal No  
2001 Pluralism, Religious Freedom, and Fringe Religions in a Liberal Society Yes (Philosophy) Attending Washington University; also accepted at University of Virginia
2001 Reliability Theories of Justification and the Notion of Warrant Yes (Philosophy) Attending UC-Santa Barbara.
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
2000 A Common Misunderstanding Regarding Criteria and Knowledge of the Sensations of Others in Wittgenstein's Philosophy Yes (Architecture) Studying architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology (support status unknown)
2000 A Prolegomena to Information Ethics No  
2000 The Ethical Analysis of Advanced Care Planning in Georgia No  
2000 Degrees of Terrorism: An Applied Examination of Terrorism as a Mean to Political Ends No  
2000 What Is Wrong With Indeterminate Identity? Yes (Philosophy) Attending U Mass-Amherst
2000 Wittgenstein on Grammar and Essence Yes (Philosophy) Attending University of Reading (in the UK)
2000 Nelson Goodman's Theory of Representation No  
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
1999 The Intended Audience of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Yes (Philosophy) Attending University of Georgia
1999 A Critique of Chalmers' Theory of Naturalistic Dualism and the Objections Stemming From Epiphenomenalism No  
1999 David Chalmers and the Hard Problem of Consciousness: Criticism from Type-B Materialism No  
1999 Mental Physical Logical Supervenience: Ontological Definitions and Analysis of Concepts No  
1999 Aristotle's Method: Fact or Belief Yes (Philosophy) Attending University of Calfornia, Davis
1999 Non-Relativist Perspectives and Abortion Disagreements: Considering the Ideas of Bambrough and Stout Yes (Philosophy) Attending University of Tennessee
1999 Without Prejudice: A Wittgensteinian Approach to Socrates' "What is F?" Question Yes (Philosophy) Attended Florida State University; currently a tenure-track faculty member at Dickinson College.
1999 Toward A Conception of Moral Agency Based on Unconditional Love, Compassion and Altruism No  
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
1998 Toward A Transformational Ethics of Unconditional Love No  
1998 Mystical Theology and the Transcendence of God: The Problem of Deification and Divine Simplicity in Palamsim and Thomism No  
1998 An Analysis of the US Army Stability and Full support Operations No  
1998 Analysis of the Existing Army Ethics No  
1998 Uncovering the Prejudice in Modern Science and Theology Yes (Philosophy) Attending University of Kentucky.
1998 Authenticity: A Comparison Of Jean-Paul Sartre and Maurice Merleau-Ponty No  
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
1997 In God's Name: A Jewish Perspective of Peace Yes (Education) Attending Georgia State University
1997 Honoring Their Service: Why Blacks in the United States Should Be Paid Reparations Yes (Philosophy) Attending Florida A&M, support status unknown.
1997 Why the Religious Right Cannot Embrace the Poor: Cultural and Feminist Perspective on a Broken Dialectic That Presents a Problem for Christian Ethics No  
1997 Against Malcom's Metaphysics: A Study of Objects in Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus Yes (Philosophy) Attending U of Virgina, support status unknown.
1997 A Case for the Enlightened Terrorist No  
Year Title Applied to Ph.D. Programs? Yes/No
(Field if Yes) 		Comments
1996 No M.A.s awarded    
1995 Queertech: Technology and Proliferating Queer Bodies Yes (Philosophy) Attending Berkeley
1995 Wittgenstein on Private Language and Rules No J.D. from Mercer Law School.
1995 Ethical Considerations in the Mutiplication of Human Embryos No  
1995 Arguments Against Euthanasia No J.D. from Georgia State University. Now staff attorney for 11th Federal Circuit Court.
1995 Anti-Intellectual Fideism: A Case study of Evangical Southern Baptist Attitudes Toward Homosexuality No  
1995 Demythologizing Satanism No Received M.T.S. from Emory University.
1995 Foucault's Fulcrum: The Problem of Agency Yes (Philosophy) Attending U of Georgia
1995 The Crisis and Transformation in Public Education: The Promise of a Holistic Alternative No  


Other Careers

Many students who have received the M.A. in philosophy at Georgia State have elected not to pursue a Ph.D. These students have gone on to use their philosophical skills as community college instructo, high school teacher, ethics consultant, army officer, and artist. Many have gone to careers in different sorts of business settings.

More Information

Contact Dr. Tim O'Keefe, Director of Graduate Studies.
philgrad (at) gsu (dot) edu
Department of Philosophy
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4089
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4089
Phone: (404) 413-6108.