Philosophy, M.A.
Master of Arts
About this program
The Master of Arts in Philosophy deepens your understanding of key philosophical issues and prepares you for advanced study or teaching. You’ll study major thinkers and sharpen your skills in analysis, writing, and argument. The program offers focused work in areas like ethics, metaphysics, and logic. It’s designed for students planning to pursue a Ph.D. or careers that demand clear thinking and strong reasoning.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
From Our Community
My time studying philosophy at SFSU remains deeply special to me. I felt both challenged and supported to think clearly, write well, and do my best. The faculty and philosophical community ultimately inspired me to pursue my academic career in ways I hadn’t thought possible. I am now a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, focusing on biomedical ethics.
Program Scope
The Master of Arts in Philosophy is designed for students wishing to extend their knowledge of, and competence in, philosophy; for students seeking a teaching career where the master’s degree is required; and for students who are planning to do further study elsewhere. The program is wide-ranging and flexible, enabling students to concentrate on a number of different areas within philosophy.
We offer a two-year program leading to a Master of Arts in Philosophy. We admit students who have a B.A. in Philosophy, but we also admit students with undergraduate degrees in other fields.
Because our world-class graduate faculty are active members of the philosophical profession, we are able to offer our students unique learning opportunities that reflect the most state-of-the-discipline research interests of the faculty. Our program offers a wide variety of graduate seminars ranging from Philosophical Issues in Artificial Intelligence to Decolonizing the Philosophical Canon and beyond. Our program includes an innovative pedagogy program, integrating the art of teaching philosophy into the graduate student curriculum while offering hands-on teaching and mentorship opportunities in faculty-led public philosophy programs such as Corrupt the Youth. Many of our graduate students go on to prestigious Ph.D. programs, law schools, accept teaching positions in community colleges and universities, or find careers in various non-profit organizations.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the history and current state of the discipline of philosophy.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated grasp of representative philosophical issues and ways of dealing with them.
- Demonstrate a mature capacity to apply philosophical methods to intellectual problems and to engage in philosophical discussions meeting the standards of the discipline.
- Apply advanced analytic skills.
- Apply advanced interpretive skills.
- Demonstrate mastery of the imaginative development of abstract formulations and their concrete applications.
- Develop the philosophical skills and knowledge necessary to do graduate work at the Ph.D. level.
- Develop the philosophical skills and knowledge necessary to teach philosophy at the community college (lower-division) level.
- Demonstrate the capacity to study philosophy beyond the undergraduate level for the purposes of self-enrichment or to acquire additional expertise related to their professions.
We’re Here to Help
Questions about the program or how to apply? Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Dr. Mohammad Azadpur, Graduate Coordinator
The Graduate Coordinator for your program is a tenured or tenure-track faculty member selected by their department to oversee key aspects of a graduate program, and coordinate with the Division of Graduate Studies on admissions and academic guidance.
Connect with the Philosophy Department
Philosophy
Philosophy at SFSU teaches the history of thought, encourages developing powerful reasoning skills and applying insights and skills to your interests and profession.