Master of Arts - Philosophy

Carleton’s Department of Philosophy has two broad strengths: philosophy of mind, language and knowledge, on the one hand, and moral, social and political philosophy, on the other. Courses and research are also available in history of philosophy.

Our unique MA program combines both coursework and original research over two years. Students begin tackling graduate level work in a supportive and collegial proseminar, followed by a research seminar in which they develop plans for a thesis or research essay. An exciting variety of graduate seminars is offered, with new topics added every year. They have included: Kant, women and early modern philosophy, the Stoics on emotions, consciousness and agency, justice and equality, health and distributive justice, artificial intelligence, nature and critical theory, development ethics and philosophical naturalism. Students can also explore their research interests in small groups or one-to-one graduate tutorials with a faculty member.

The two-year program provides a solid grounding in the contemporary state of the literature and equips students with the abilities needed to do original research. The breadth and depth provided through the MA program has allowed our students to secure admission into prestigious PhD programs, to have their papers accepted for conference presentations, to succeed in being awarded external scholarships, and to publish their research in scholarly articles.

A collaborative Specialization in Digital Humanities is also available.