About Master’s Program,
The department offers a two-year program leading to a Masters of Arts in Philosophy. We grant admission not only to students who have an undergraduate major in philosophy, but also to those who have concentrated in other fields. While the program is suitable for a variety of career paths, we have designed it especially to prepare students who want to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy. We closely monitor students’ progress and develop individualized courses of study to fill in background gaps. We also provide significant exposure to graduate seminars. Most of our graduating students win admission with financial support to high-quality Ph.D. programs, including some of the top programs in the field. For more detailed information look at our student placement record.
To find more information on how to apply, follow the link on the side bar menu, “Graduate Application Process.” See where to apply. More links to the Graduate School webpage below.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The MA in philosophy’s minimum degree requirement is 30 credits, including the writing of a thesis and its defense or a proficiency exam in a philosophical area chosen by both the student and the student’s committee. 21 of these credits must be in philosophy. All 30 credits must be earned with a grade of B or better, and at least 12 of the 21 philosophy credits must be in philosophy graduate seminars (Philos 700-900).
If the incoming student has little or no background in ancient philosophy, or in modern philosophy, the student will be required to take Great Thinkers of the Ancient Period (Philos 430) or Great Thinkers of the Modern Period (Philos 432) in order to satisfy the history requirements.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
A number of graduate teaching assistantships are available, offering full tuition remission and salaries of approximately $9,075. Normally, provided they make adequate progress toward the degree, students who enter with graduate teaching assistantships will have them for the full two years. All applicants are automatically considered for teaching assistantships. No special application form is needed.
There are also various fellowships and scholarships available. Below are descriptions of the awards:
Non-Resident Tuition Remission Scholarships remit the entire portion of the out-of-state tuition. These are normally for one year only but may be renewed subject to the approval of the dean. Eligible applicants are automatically considered for these awards.
Chancellor’s Awards provide for a limited number of lump sum scholarships; the department can recommend a student for an award subject to final approval of the dean. No special application forms are needed, as all eligible applicants are automatically considered for these awards.
Application Requirement,
- Online application
- $75 processing fee
- Unofficial transcriptsof all undergraduate and graduate work may be uploaded to Panthera during the application process. If the applicant is accepted into the MA program, the applicant will then need to send one official transcript to the UWM Graduate School. That specific transcript should recognize the student as receiving a BA/BS degree in some specific field of study. The BA/BS does not necessarily need to be in Philosophy.
- Reasons Statement (For a description of this requirement, please see under “Additional Items” at https://uwm.edu/graduateschool/admission/).
- Note for 2024-25 academic year: The Philosophy department does not require GRE scores as part of their application this cycle. However, we ask applicants to submit GRE scores as part of their application if it is not a hardship to do so. If we receive an application without GRE scores, we will assume that it was due to hardship, and we will give that application full and fair consideration in the review process, despite the absence of scores.
- Three letters of recommendation,preferably from academic instructors/advisors who know your academic work well. Applicants will provide the names and email addresses of the letter writers in the online application. We do not have forms for letter writers. Letters should be on official letterhead. Letter writers will receive an email with directions for uploading their letter.
- Writing Sample (2500 – 7000 words).
- Optional Document.Applicants may upload a CV or cover letter if they wish, but this is not required for the application.
- International Studentsshould contact UWM’s Center for International Education for additional admissions requirements / costs and should apply as early as possible because it takes more time to process international applications.
Application Deadline,
Feb 02, 2025
Application Fee,
- $75 Applicationfee
