FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES

Master of Arts in Philosophy SELF, AGENCY AND COMMUNITY

MASTER’S PROGRAM

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SELF, AGENCY AND COMMUNITY A UNIQUE GRADUATE PROGRAM

The only program of its kind in Canada, Laurier’s Master’s Program in Philosophy has a thematic focus that explores questions about the nature of the self, its relation to others, and the nature and significance of human agency.

MASTER’S PROGRAM

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K E Y F E AT U R E S O F T H E P R O G R A M A thematic focus that allows for both breadth and depth. Philosophical questions about the self and human agency cut across traditional core areas of philosophy. So while our program is distinctive in its special thematic focus, graduate seminars and student research projects span a broad range of the traditional philosophical fields. Our program draws students who want to work within political philosophy and ethics (for example, on multiculturalism or moral psychology) as well as students who want to work within metaphysics, epistemology or philosophy of mind (for example, on narrative theories of self, epistemic agency, or mental causation). The thematic focus means that students working in diverse fields, and from different philosophical perspectives, can productively engage in discussion and learn from one another’s work. Students emerge from the program well prepared for doctoral work in philosophy, and our graduates have had considerable success in PhD admissions. The MA is also excellent preparation for work in any number of fields outside of philosophy. An innovative research seminar. The synergy of our themed program is evident in the MA Research Seminar, where students share their work in progress while developing their major research papers. Discussion of student projects and research questions in the early stages enables more rapid development of research skills, as students learn from the critique of their own and their peers’ work. Peer interaction and philosophical exchange fosters a vibrant graduate community. A collegial department. Our mid-size department is noted for its friendliness and the approachability of faculty. Our students know our faculty and work closely with them, both in seminars and beyond. MAs work particularly closely with their faculty mentor on their major research paper. Our program is welcoming to persons who have often experienced marginalization in the traditions of philosophy, such as women, LGBTQ, and visible minorities. Moreover, our faculty is supportive of philosophical projects investigating identity and difference in society and in the practices of philosophy itself. Come for a visit and see for yourself.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND CURRICULUM Our MA is an intensive one-year program. Students take 5 seminar courses, the research seminar, and complete a major research paper.

FA L L T E R M

WINTER TERM

SPRING TERM

• 3 COURSES

• 2 COURSES plus • MA RESEARCH SEMINAR

• MAJOR RESEARCH PAPER

MASTER’S PROGRAM

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The requirement for original research in our program is a major research paper (MRP), not the historically traditional MA thesis. The MRP is modeled on a professional journal article in its scope, length, and polish. The central rationale for our research component taking this form is that the journal article has become the major vehicle of scholarship in philosophy. We believe it is most valuable for MA students to learn to sharpen their philosophical writing and arguments in the intensive exercise of writing, and rewriting, a relatively shorter and tighter piece of philosophical work. The amount of background research and writing necessary to produce a polished piece of shorter work is not dissimilar to that required for a thesis. Students are well prepared through this exercise for doctoral work and have the additional benefit of a shorter piece of writing that may be more suitable for conference presentation, submission to a journal, or as a writing sample. The research seminar affords students the opportunity to get started in earnest on their MRP in the winter term so that substantial progress is made before spring. This helps ensure that students are able to complete the program in three terms; we have a 100% success rate in time to completion within the one-year timeline of the program. The distinctive theme of our program means there are common threads, concepts and problems amongst student projects even in disparate subfields. Students gain valuable insight and ideas from hearing other student work, and acquire valuable skills in learning to constructively interrogate and critique each others’ work. Getting started on what might otherwise be an intimidating project is collaborative.

C O R E F A C U LT Y in the PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT

MASTER’S PROGRAM

KATHY BEHRENDT personal identity theory DPhil University of Oxford [email protected] NEIL CAMPBELL philosophy of mind PhD McMaster University [email protected] RENATO CRISTI political philosophy, legal philosophy PhD University of Toronto [email protected] GARY FOSTER moral psychology, philosophy of love, existentialism PhD University of Waterloo [email protected] ROCKNEY JACOBSEN philosophy of mind and language, Wittgenstein PhD University of Alberta [email protected] REBEKAH JOHNSTON ancient philosophy, gay, lesbian, and queer philosophy PhD University of Toronto [email protected] ASHWANI PEETUSH political philosophy, human rights, multiculturalism PhD University of Toronto [email protected] JILL RUSIN epistemology PhD Johns Hopkins University [email protected] BYRON WILLISTON moral psychology, environmental ethics, early modern philosophy PhD University of Toronto [email protected] JAMES WONG epistemology, Foucault PhD University of Toronto [email protected]

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F A C U LT Y R E S E A R C H Our faculty of active scholars have research expertise and ongoing projects in: • Ancient Greek ethics and rhetoric • Historical and contemporary constructions of sex, gender, and sexuality • Gay, lesbian, and queer politics • Theories of individual and collective identity • Feminist theory • Narrative views of the self • Personal identity • Metaphysics of death and dying • Mental causation • Explanatory exclusion • Qualia • Epistemic agency and responsibility • Epistemic value and justice • Skepticism and contemporary responses to skepticism • Legal philosophy • Political philosophy • Human rights • Multiculturalism • Indian philosophy • The role of democratic practices in epistemology • The role of truth in the relationship to self and to others • Wittgenstein • Philosophy of language • Climate ethics • Moral psychology

MASTER’S PROGRAM

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ADMISSIONS

FUNDING

Admissions requirements include:

Students accepted into the program receive a funding package that ranges from $9,000 to $15,000. The package consists of teaching assistantships and scholarship monies awarded on the basis of academic excellence. Students are encouraged to apply for all external awards for which they are eligible. Students who enter the program with a SSHRC or OGS are eligible for additional top-up funding of $7,500.

• An honours BA in philosophy (or an equivalent program), with a minimum final year average of B+ usually required, along with a cumulative average of minimum B+ in all philosophy courses. • Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work. • Two letters of reference from professors familiar with applicant’s work. • A statement of applicant’s main philosophical interests.

ADDITIONAL I N F O R M AT I O N

• A writing sample of 10 to 15 pages.

For detailed information on our program, visit: www.wlu.ca/arts/philosophy/ma

For more detailed information on application requirements and instructions: www.wlu.ca/gradstudies/admission Deadline for first consideration is February 1st.

C O N TA C T: Dr. Neil Campbell, Graduate Officer [email protected]

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY WATERLOO | Brantford | Kitchener | Toronto

WATERLOO

BRANTFORD

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73 George Street Brantford, Ontario Canada N3T 2Y3

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