波士顿大学

The MA in Philosophy is a terminal degree for full- or part-time students. The program helps to prepare students to make contributions to philosophical discussion and debate and offers considerable flexibility within the program of study. This flexibility can serve as a vehicle to combine an intensive philosophical training with various interests (for example, aesthetics with training in a fine art, or political philosophy with training in law). Additionally, the department’s philosophical life is significantly enriched by its close association with Boston University’s Center for Philosophy & History of Science, the Institute for Philosophy & Religion, and the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (Vienna).

Within its master’s degree program, the philosophy department offers a concentration in the philosophy of science. This curriculum is designed for those who are seeking to understand the conceptual foundations of the natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences), cognitive sciences, mathematics, medicine, psychology, economics, and other social sciences. While philosophy of science usually focuses on contemporary science, in this program students are also afforded the opportunity to study the history of science as well as issues at the interface of science and religion.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing the program are expected to:

Acquire the conceptual ability, and the speaking and writing skills, needed for intensive examination of questions concerning what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful.
Demonstrate familiarity with core questions in ethics and political philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology, and logic, as well as the ability to sustain critical reflection on, and discussion of, these questions.
Gain significant knowledge of the canonical works of both Antiquity and Modernity, as well as the basic issues and texts of contemporary philosophy.
Learn to defend their views with strong arguments, but also remain open to disagreement and critique.
Develop a solid understanding of what it means to study philosophy at the graduate level.