Environmental Philosophy M.A.
Our environmental philosophy M.A. is the most applied philosophy graduate degree in the nation. It takes advantage of the department’s scholarly expertise in wilderness issues, animal studies, philosophy of ecology/conservation, synthetic biology, gender and environment, aesthetics, climate ethics, moral theory, and the Anthropocene. It also involves field trips to Yellowstone National Park and the tribally operated Bison Range, an internship with an environmental organization, and a capstone project in an engaged philosophy topic of your choice. We want students to leave here with skills, both philosophical and practical.
General Graduate Program Requirements
Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page.
The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing.
The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any requirement is C. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.
MASTER OF ARTS - ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
The Philosophy Department offers an option to pursue an accelerated M.A. in Environmental Philosophy for select students. Such students can be admitted into graduate-level coursework during their senior undergraduate year or when they have completed a minimum of 105 credits and demonstrated their ability to pursue graduate work. Students enrolled in the accelerated M.A. may count up to 9 credits earned in 400-level or 500-level courses toward the M.A plus 2 credits of PHL 510 – Philosophy Colloquium, for a total of 11 credits.. All credits transferred are subject to the policy on transfer credits (C5.000), with particular attention to the importance of students completing the “graduate increment” in 400-level courses designated UG, taken to fulfill a requirement for a Master’s degree.
Course Requirements
Note: The sequence of seminars may occasionally get disrupted by sabbaticals or other changes in faculty schedules. As the core of our degree, students will always need whichever 5 philosophy seminars are offered in their two years in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy Core Seminars | ||
| Complete 6 of the following core seminars: | 18 | |
| Topics in Value Theory | ||
| Issues in the Anthropocene | ||
| Environmental Philosophy | ||
| Science and the Environment | ||
| Environmental Aesthetics | ||
| Philosophy and Animals | ||
| Thoreau | ||
| Elective Credits | 9 | |
Complete 3 graduate-level elective courses. These courses may be philosophy courses or any of the wide range of environmental courses offered outside the Philosophy Department. Courses outside of the department must be approved by the graduate advisor. | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Complete the following courses: | ||
| PHL 590 | Research (Civic Engagement Project ) | 3 |
| PHL 598 | Internship | 3 |
| Career Development | ||
| PHL 510 | Philosophy Colloquium (taken for 4 semesters) | 4 |
| Total Hours | 37 | |