The Department offers a program of study that allows Tulane undergraduates who graduate with a major in philosophy to receive an M.A. in Philosophy after one additional year. The program is intended primarily for students who are eager to continue their study of philosophy, yet either do not feel ready to apply for admission into a PhD program, or have no interest in doing so. The 4+1 program M.A. program helps students develop a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of both contemporary issues in philosophy as well as the history of philosophy, and to prepare to seek admission into a competitive Ph.D. program. It is also useful for students who have a strong interest in philosophy, but are unsure about whether they would like to commit to pursuing a Ph.D.
The philosophy department at Tulane offers a wide variety of courses, and is especially attractive for students wishing to pursue research in ethics, political philosophy, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of mind. For information about our faculty members, please see our faculty page.
The 4 + 1 MA program is independent of the Ph.D. program. Subsequent admission to the Ph.D. program requires application through the normal channels.
Requirements for Application
- The B.A. from Tulane with a Major in Philosophy.
- A Philosophy G.P.A. of 3.0 or more.
Requirements for Completion
The 4+1 M.A. degree will be awarded to students who obtain either of the following:
- Passing grades in 30 credit hours of graduate level courses (i.e., 6000-level and 7000-level).
- Passing grades in 24 credit hours of graduate level courses and a Master's thesis.
The first option will be encouraged in most cases.
In order to satisfy either of these options, students should complete three 6000-level courses as an undergraduate, two of which can be credited towards the 4+1 M.A. degree. This is explained as follows:
The requirements for the Philosophy Major in the B.A. degree include two courses at the 6000-level. ONE AND ONLY ONE of those courses can count toward the 4+1 M.A. requirements. However, one additional 6000-level or 7000-level course taken for the undergraduate degree may be transferred, for a total of 6 credit hours towards the 4+1 M.A. degree. Given this, as above, students should complete three 6000-level courses as an undergraduate, two of which can be credited towards the 4+1 M.A. degree. In this case, students enrolled in the 4+1 M.A. program will have to complete either 24 course credit hours during the M.A. year (8 courses total, e.g., 4 per semester, without an MA thesis) or 18 course credit hours during the MA year (6 courses total, e.g., 3 per semester, with an MA thesis).
Further details and information about the application process may be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies, Caroline Arruda.