Graduate
Program Information
for
Master's Degree Candidates
Master's degrees
in philosophy have been used successfully by many students
as a basis for entering Ph.D. programs at other universities
or at the University of Utah. They have been used in a variety
of other ways as well --by students pursuing careers in the
legal, medical, or business professions, the sciences, or
the humanities. Recognizing this wide variety of student needs,
the Philosophy Department endeavors to be as flexible and
helpful as possible in arranging individual programs for individual
purposes, within the guidelines of the requirements listed
below. Completion of these requirements will normally take
two years; with planning, however, it is possible to complete
them in one year (including one summer) of full-time study.
University
Requirements University requirements for
Master's degrees are listed officially in the University
General Catalog and in the Graduate
Handbook published by the University
of Utah Graduate School.
University
of Utah Philosophy
Master's Degree Departmental Requirements
In
addition to University requirements, Departmental requirements
include:
Demonstration
of Satisfactory Progress Toward Degree
Students
receiving University or Departmental financial awards or tuition
waivers must:
-
Take
and complete at least nine hours of graduate level work
(6000-7000 level courses or thesis hours) during each semester
of the award.
-
Maintain
a high level of quality in all graduate work. While an occasional
grade of "Incomplete" in a course will not, by
itself, be regarded as a failure to comply with this condition,
an inordinate number of unremoved "Incompletes"---
normally two or more -- will. Students must also maintain
a minimum graduate GPA of 3.00.
-
Pass
the Graduate Study Qualifying Examination (GSQE) taken during
the first semester of study as a matriculated graduate student.
If a student fails the exam or part of the exam it must
be taken over again in the second semester. (The intent
of this examination is to assess the student's background
and ability to undertake graduate study in philosophy).
-
Comply
with the Department and Graduate School requirement for
the formation of a Supervisory Committee during the second
semester of graduate study, and meet with the Supervisory
Committee Chair (or in the first two semesters, the Graduate
Committee Chair) for program approval.
-
Receive
Supervisory Committee approval of a written (3-5 page) thesis
proposal no later than the start of the third semester of
graduate study.
-
Complete
all degree requirements within two years of admission.
Students
who are not receiving University or Departmental financial
assistance or tuition waivers
must demonstrate satisfactory progress towards degree as
determined by the student's Supervisory Committee and/or
the Graduate Committee Chair.
Course of Study The Supervisory Committee must
approve the graduate student's proposed course of study at the
start of each semester. Prior to the appointment of a Committee,
the student's course of study should be approved by the Graduate
Committee Chair.
Graduate Study Qualifying Examination (GSQE) In
the Philosophy Department the qualifying examination required
by the University for Master's degrees is a four hour written
examination which must be taken during the first semester of
graduate study.
The GSQE has three parts:
a.
History of Philosophy - 1.5 hours, 3 questions
b. Problems - 1.5 Hours, 3 questions
c. Text - 1 hour
Any part or parts of the exam not passed on the first attempt
must be attempted again no later than the second semester of
study. Failure to pass a part of the exam on the second attempt
will usually result in dismissal from the program. A sample
examination may be obtained from the Department.
Seminar
Requirement Each Master's degree student must complete
at least three 7000 level philosophy seminars as part of their
course of study, including 7010 Philosophy Proseminar. (Note
that individual or thesis research hours are not seminars.)
All students entering the program are required to take the
introductory Proseminar during their first Fall semester.
Modifications of these requirements to suit the specific program
needs of individual students may be made only upon the recommendation
of the student's Supervisory Committee and the approval of
the Graduate Committee.
Logic Requirement Each student must meet the logic
course requirement by passing Phil 6200 with a grade of C+ or
better. Logic courses from other universities may be substituted
for this course with the approval of the area comprehensive exam
committee.
Language Requirement The MA requires standard
proficiency in one approved foreign language, whereas the MS
has no language requirement. French and German are approved
languages for Philosophy; the supervisory committee may approve
another for a particular student if the language is relevant
to his/her research. Standard proficiency may be established
by showing that one is a native speaker of the language, by
passing a second semester language class with a grade of B,
or by registering for and passing a standardized ETS examination
(administered through the University Testing Center) with a
score of 450 or better. Where the requirement is satisfied by
course work, the student must obtain certification within four
years of the course taken to satisfy the requirement. In every
case, however, the student must obtain a certification form
in person from the Graduate Language Advisor in the Department
of Languages and Literature. Certification is the responsibility
of the student, and cannot be obtained by the Department of
Philosophy.
Transfer
Credit and Non-Matriculated Hours
Students may transfer up to 9 hours of graduate level credit
as long as it did not contribute to another degree. Students
may count 9 hours of graduate level classes taken as a non-matriculated
student toward the master's degree. Transferred credit must
be at a grade of B+ or better.
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Graduate Program - Master's Program
