Philosophy

The Philosophy Department includes a wide range of expertise which allows students accepted into the MA program to both extend their philosophical background at the graduate level and to concentrate their research project in any of a number of different areas such as the history of philosophy, ethics, social and political philosophy, feminist philosophy, epistemology, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of science. It is primarily a research degree and the program will involve either an MA thesis or the smaller Major Research Project.

The MA in Philosophy also offers an Ethics of Artificial Intelligence field, through which students consider a variety of interpretations and assessments of the social, political, and ethical implications of advances in Data Science / Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (DS/AI/ML), as well as some of the real epistemological and metaphysical quandaries these new technologies present. Students in this field complete a Major Research Project.

A four-year bachelor's degree from a recognized university. Normally this will include at least a major in philosophy, although the program is also open to students who may not have had a substantial number of philosophy undergraduate courses but who provide evidence of philosophical ability or, for applicants to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence field, a background in psychology, computer science, statistics, and/or business. Applicants to the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence field should also have some familiarity with programming (e.g., CIS*1500 Introduction to Programming, or equivalent), or will be required to complete some additional coursework upon admission. In all cases, in order to be considered for admission to the MA program, the department requires that the average grade over the last 10.00 credits of studies (i.e., a normal two years of full-time studies on the University of Guelph system) be at least 75%. All applicants are required to submit a sample of writing. Further details can be found on the Philosophy Department website.

Students enrol in one of two study options:

1. course work and major research project (1 year), or
2. thesis (2 years).

Regardless of the stream chosen, the MA in Philosophy at Guelph is a research degree, in which the responsibility for study rests primarily with the student. Students in all streams are expected to develop their own topic for research.

Total of 1.75 credits in graduate course work required, consisting of:

Total of 3.75 credits in graduate course work required, consisting of:

Total of 3.75 credits in graduate course work required, consisting of:

Admission to the program is restricted to those who have an MA in philosophy, or an outstanding record in undergraduate studies in philosophy.

The aim of the program is to develop philosophers who are well rounded in the traditional areas of study and who have achieved a high level of expertise in their special areas of research.

Students are required to complete:

Through their coursework and/or other means, students must demonstrate knowledge in three areas: The History of Philosophy, Value Theory, and the MELSL grouping (one of Metaphysics or Epistemology or Logic or Philosophy of Science or Philosophy of Language). This will normally involve completion of one course in each of the three areas, including coursework completed during the student’s MA program. An area requirement may also be satisfied by examination or by a suitable MA thesis. If students meet an area requirement through MA coursework, MA thesis or examination, they will still be required to complete the above-outlined 3.50 credits of graduate coursework.

Students must pass an Oral Qualifying Examination by the end of their fifth semester in the program. Students in the program may be required to demonstrate competence in one or more skills which their advisory committee decides, in consultation with the program officer, is needed for their dissertation (e.g. a language other than English). Submission and defence of an acceptable thesis on an approved topic completes the requirements of the PhD. More details are available at https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/philosophy/.

The Department of Philosophy participates in the MA/PhD collaborative specialization in International Development Studies (IDS). Students in this option register in an MA/PhD program in the department and IDS. Those faculty members whose research and teaching expertise includes aspects of international development studies may serve as advisors for MA/PhD students. Please consult the International Development Studies listing for a detailed description of the MA/PhD collaborative specialization and the special additional requirements for each of the participating departments.

The Department of Philosophy participates in the collaborative specialization in neuroscience. Please consult the Neuroscience listing for a detailed description of the collaborative specialization.

The Department of Philosophy participates in the collaborative specialization in One Health. Master’s and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research project with an emphasis on one health are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Philosophy and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the One Health listing for more information.

The Philosophy program participates in the collaborative specialization in Sexualities, Genders and Bodies. MA and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research paper/project with an emphasis on sexualities, genders and bodies are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Philosophy and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the Sexualities, Genders and Bodies listing for more information.