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MA in Philosophy


Degree Requirements

Students can complete their degree by course work and comprehensive examination or by course work and thesis:

 
COURSE WORK AND COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
COURSE WORK AND THESIS
COURSES
  1. PHIL5800 3.0 & PHIL5801 3.0 (Core Theoretical Philosophy I & II) and PHIL 5802 3.0 & PHIL5803 3.0 (Core Practical Philosophy I & II); and,

  2. The equivalent of two additional full courses, with no more than one half course a reading course, and with at least one half course that focuses in depth on a single historically-significant problem or philosopher.
In exceptional cases, students who enter the M.A. programme with a clearly formulated plan of study and supervision may choose, with the agreement of the Director and the proposed supervisor, to do their M.A. by thesis. Such students must fulfill the following requirements.
  1. PHIL 5800 3. (Core Theoretical Philosophy I) and PHIL 5802 3.0 (Core Practical Philosophy I); and,

  2. The equivalent of one additional full course, with no more than half course a reading course, and with at least one half course that focuses in depth on a single historically significant problem or philosopher.

  3. PHIL 6000 0.0 (thesis) which is to be bases on original research and to be successfully defended at an oral examination. The lengh of the thesis would normally not exceed 25,000 words.

Thesis proposal should be submitted early in the fall term.  (i.e. October 15).
MINIMUM TIME TO COMPLETION Maximum of 12 terms for Full time and part time students. Full-time Candidates are expected to complete within 3 terms.  Students will be reverted to part-time status beginning their 4th term and onwards.

 

 

 

Faculty of Graduate Studies Policies and Procedures:  http://www.yorku.ca/grads/policies_procedures/faculty_regulations


CHECKLIST OF MASTERS THESIS PROCESSES AND TIMELINES    
         

 

TIMING

 

EVENT

 

By 2nd term of FT study (or equivalent for PT students)

 

Establish Thesis Supervisory Committee; recommend the committee for approval to the GPD and Dean.

 

Supervisory Committee must have the following minimum composition:

  • Supervisor who must be from the programme
  • At least one other member who is appointed to FGS
  • If needed, an additional, non-FGS member may be appointed with permission of Dean

 

No later than 3 months prior to the oral exam

 

Supervisory Committee must submit proposal to GPD and Dean for approval

 

Received at FGS no later than 3 weeks (15 working days) prior to oral exam

 

Recommend Thesis Examination Committee for approval to GPD and Dean.

 

Committee Composition Checklist (for all programmes except Law and Interdisciplinary Studies)

  • Is there a minimum of four members on the committee?
  • Are all four members of the committee appointed to FGS?
  • Are at least two of the committee members from the programme?
  • Is one member of the committee from outside the programme?
  • Is  one member of the committee at arm’s length from the thesis( i.e., not on the Supervisory Committee)?
  • Is the Deans Rep at arm’s length (i.e., not on the Supervisory Committee)?
  • Is one of the committee members who is at arm’s length from the work is from the programme, is the Deans Rep from outside the programme?
  • Is someone other than the supervisor listed as chair of the examining committee?

 

 

NOTE:  There are no External Examiners (persons external to the university) for the Masters thesis with the exceptions of the Law and Interdisciplinary Studies programmes.  For Law, the role of Outside Examiner is assigned to scholars external to York for historic reasons.  For Interdisciplinary Studies, since faculty members working in this programme are not normally appointed to the programme but hold an appointment in at least one other graduate programme, the category of Outside Examiner cannot be filled from within the York graduate faculty community.

 

No later than 3 weeks (15 working days) prior to oral exam

 

The Programme Office ensures that ALL members of the Examination Committee have received a copy of the thesis and forwards the copy of the thesis for the Dean’s Representative to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.