Members of the Society of Jesus progress through four stages of initial formation: Novitiate; First Studies; Regency; and Theology Studies. The First Studies period of formation, to which Fordham's M.A. in Philosophy and Society (MAPS) directly responds, comprises a three-year period of full-time graduate-level studies.
Through this program, you'll analyze the human condition amidst and through the complex social, political, economic, and cultural contexts that characterize the contemporary global landscape. Our innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum leverages the best of the Catholic intellectual tradition and Fordham's disciplinary strengths in philosophy, theology, the social and natural sciences, the arts, and the humanities to advance knowledge and learning that promote faith and social justice.
A central characteristic of the program is the integration of academic studies with contextually oriented ministry undertaken in solidarity with local communities (praxis-based learning). You will establish ongoing relationships with community partners which include a well-established network of Bronx based non-profit/nongovernmental organizations; community advocacy groups; tenants' rights groups; and youth climate justice movements. It will also include an institutional partnership between Fordham, the Society of Jesus, and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara, Mexico, where you will spend six months working on language and taking courses with brother Jesuits at the ITESO.