Graduate
Degree Programs
Philosophy
Master of Arts in Philosophy (M.A.)
The philosophy M.A. program includes courses in core areas of philosophy plus concentrations in either bioethics or international research ethics. For information concerning the curriculum and how to apply, visit www.iupui.edu/~philosop/ma.htm. Questions may be addressed to the graduate director: Prof. Chad Carmichael, crcarmic@iupui.edu, (317) 278-5825.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are expected to have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or its equivalent, with a grade point average of at least 3.0 overall (on a 4.0 scale) and at least 3.0 in the student's major. There is no specific major requirement, but applicants must show a record of course work (or equivalent experience) demonstrating that they are sufficiently prepared to do graduate work in philosophy. For applicants interested in the bioethics or international research ethics tracks, professional training or experience involving health care ethics may be accepted in lieu of course work. Applicants must also show an appropriate level of achievement on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.
Course Requirements
Students are required to take a minimum of 30 credit hours, at least 18 of which must be in philosophy. Students take core philosophy courses, concentration-specific courses (if enrolled in the bioethics or international research ethics tracks), and electives. Students in the general program or bioethics concentration may apply to complete a 6 credit hour thesis or research project. Students in the international research ethics concentration must complete a capstone research project. The program is designed to accommodate the needs of both full-time and part-time students.
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The general M.A. curriculum can be found at http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/philosophy/index.php/programs/ma_curriculum.
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Students must complete a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours, of which at least eighteen (18) must be in philosophy.
Grade Requirements
No course with a grade lower than a B (3.0) will count toward this degree.
Residency Requirement
Students must attend and complete the courses at IUPUI, excepting those courses accepted for transfer. At least fifteen (15) credit hours must be taken at IUPUI.
Transfer Credits
Candidates may transfer up to eight (8) hours of graduate credit for courses taken at other accredited institutions, provided the grades received were B (3.0) or higher and the courses were completed within the time limit prescribed by the Graduate School. The transfer is not automatic and must be approved in writing by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School. For time restrictions on transfer credits, see the section on time limits below. In addition to these eight (8) hours, graduate courses taken at other Indiana University campuses may be counted toward the M.A. if pre-approved in writing by the director.
Time Limits for Completion of Degree
The normal course load each semester for full-time students is a minimum of eight (8) credit hours. Part-time students take only one or two courses per semester. The minimum full-time equivalency for students holding an assistantship or internship is six (6) credit hours per semester. International students must take at least eight (8) credit hours each fall and spring semester to meet visa requirements. Students who carry a full academic load can complete the program in two calendar years.
The requirements for the degree must be completed within five consecutive years. Transfer credits also fall within this five-year limit.
Any courses that have been completed more than five (5) years before the degree is completed must be revalidated if they are to count toward the M.A. Revalidation requires the administration of an oral exam.
Students in the combined/dual degrees programs (J.D./M.A., M.D./M.A., M.P.H./M.A.) must complete both degrees within six (6) consecutive years and both degrees must be awarded simultaneously.
Curriculum
Module 1 – Philosophy Core (15 cr.)
History (at least 6 cr.)
P5xx Ancient Philosophy (3 cr.) [new course] P515 Medieval Philosophy (3 cr.) P522 Topics in the History of Modern Philosophy (3 cr.) P536 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy (3 cr.) P558 Classical American Philosophy (3 cr.)Topics (at least 6 cr.)
P514 Pragmatism (3 cr.) P540 Contemproary Ethical Theories (3 cr.) P543 Social and Political Philosophy (3 cr.) P553 Philosophy of Science (3 cr.) P560 Metaphysics (3 cr.) P562 Theory of Knowledge (3 cr.)Module 2 – Electives (15 cr.)
P503 Semiotics of C.S. Peirce (3 cr.) P520 Philosophy of Language (3 cr.) P525 Topics in the History of Philosophy (3 cr.) E.g., Niccolò Machiavelli, Francis Bacon, Thomas Aquinas P542 Ethics and Values of Philanthropy (3 cr.) P545 Legal Philosophy (3 cr.) P552 Philosophy of Logic (3 cr.) P561 Philosophy of Mind (3 cr.) P572 Philosophy of Religion (3 cr.) P600 Topics in Philosophy (3 cr.) E.g., Philosophy of Text, Philosophy of Literature, Philosophy of Medicine, Philosophy of Biology, Scientific Inference and Scientific Realism P701 Peirce Seminar (3 cr.) P730 Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (3 cr.) P748 Seminar in American Philosophy (3 cr.) E.g., Josiah Royce, John Dewey, George Santayana, William James Plus any PHIL course offered in the Bioethics concentration.Thesis option: Students may petition to write a thesis (P803, 6 cr.) under certain circumstances. They must secure permission from their graduate director and three faculty members who are willing to constitute a thesis committee. Students who receive permission to write a thesis need only take 9 cr. of coursework in Module 2.
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The curriculum for the bioethics concentration can be found at http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/philosophy/index.php/programs/bioethics_curriculum.
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Bioethics Curriculum
Module 1: Philosophy Core (6 cr. required)
1. Required foundational course:
PHIL P540 Contemporary Ethical Theories (3 cr.)
2. Core electives:
PHIL P5xx Ancient Philosophy (3 cr.) [new course]
PHIL P514 Pragmatism (3 cr.)
PHIL P515 Medieval Philosophy (3 cr.)
PHIL P522 Topics in the History of Modern Philosophy (3 cr.)
PHIL P536 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy (3 cr.)
PHIL P543 Social and Political Philosophy (3 cr.)
PHIL P553 Philosophy of Science (3 cr.)
PHIL P558 American Philosophy (3 cr.)
PHIL P560 Metaphysics (3 cr.)
PHIL P562 Theory of Knowledge (3 cr.)Module 2: Concentration specific courses (18 cr. required)
1. Required foundational course:
PHIL P547 Foundations of Bioethics (3 cr.)
2. Concentration specific electives:
2a. Areas of central importance (5 cr. required):
PHIL P548 Clinical Ethics Practicum (3 cr.)
LAW DN838 Bioethics and Law (2 cr.)
MHHS M504 Introduction to Research Ethics (3 cr.)2b. Specialized electives:
ANTH E445 Medical Anthropology (3 cr.)
COMM C510 Health Provider-Consumer Communication (3 cr.)
HIST H546 History of Medicine (3 cr.)
*LAW DN761 Law and Public Health (2 cr.)
*LAW DN845 Financing and Regulating Health Care (3 cr.)
NURS N534 Ethical/Legal Perspectives in Advanced Nursing Practice (2cr.)
PHIL P549 Bioethics and Pragmatism (3 cr.)
PHIL P555 Ethical and Policy Issues in International Research (3 cr.)
PHIL P590 Intensive Reading (1-3 cr.) [Only with track specific content]
PHIL P600 Topics in Philosophy (3 cr.) [When content is track specific]
PHIL P696 Topics in Biomedical Ethics (3 cr.)
PHIL P730 Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (3 cr.) [When content is track specific]
SOC R515 Sociology of Health and Illness (3 cr.)
SOC S560 Topics: Death and Dying (3 cr.)Module 3: Thesis/Research Project or Non-Thesis Option (6 cr. required)
For students writing a thesis or research project:
PHIL P803 Master’s Thesis in Philosophy
Non-thesis option: In lieu of a 6 cr. thesis or research project, students may take 6 credits of additional courses selected from any of the graduate courses offered in the IUPUI Department of Philosophy.
* Students not in the JD/MA combined-degrees program must take LAW DN838 Bioethics and Law prior to enrolling in any other LAW electives.
Sample Curriculum
First Semester
PHIL P547 Foundations of Bioethics (3 cr.)
MHHS M504 Introduction to Research Ethics (3 cr.)
PHIL P540 Contemporary Ethical Theories (3 cr.) Second Semester
SOC R515 Sociology of Health and Illness (3 cr.)
PHIL P553 Philosophy of Science (3 cr.) PHIL P555 Ethical and Policy Issues in International Research (3 cr.) Third Semester
HIST H546 History of Medicine (3 cr.)
PHIL P548 Clinical Ethics Practicum (3 cr.) Fourth Semester
PHIL P803 Master’s Thesis in Philosophy (6 cr.)
... OR ...
PHIL P560 Metaphysics (3 cr.) & PHIL P600 Topics in Philosophy (3 cr.) -
The curriculum for the international research ethics concentration can be found at http://bioethics.iu.edu/education/irema/curriculum-structure/.
- 10 cr. Core courses
- 12 cr. Concentration-specific electives
- 8 cr. Capstone research project
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Students must complete a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours, of which at least eighteen (18) must be in philosophy.
Grade Requirements
No course with a grade lower than a B (3.0) will count toward this degree.
Residency Requirement
At least fifteen (15) credit hours must be taken at IUPUI.
Transfer Credits
Candidates may transfer up to eight (8) hours of graduate credit for courses taken at other accredited institutions, providing the grades received were B (3.0) or higher and the courses were completed within the time limit prescribed by the Graduate School. The transfer is not automatic and must be approved in writing by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School. For time restrictions on transfer credits, see the section on time limits below. In addition to these eight (8) hours, graduate courses taken at other Indiana University campuses may be counted toward the M.A. if pre-approved in writing by the director.
Time Limits for Completion of Degree
The normal course load each semester for full-time students is a minimum of eight (8) credit hours. Part-time students take only one or two courses per semester. The minimum full-time equivalency for students holding an assistantship or internship is six (6) credit hours per semester. International students must take at least eight (8) credit hours each fall and spring semester to meet visa requirements. Students who carry a full academic load can complete the program in two calendar years.
The requirements for the degree must be completed within five consecutive years. Transfer credits also fall within this five-year limit. Any courses that have been completed more than five (5) years before the degree is completed must be revalidated if they are to count toward the M.A.
Combined Degrees
There are combined-degree programs in law and philosophy (J.D./M.A.), medicine and philosophy (M.D./M.A.), and public health and philosophy (M.P.H./M.A.). In each case, the M.A. in philosophy would be with a concentration in either bioethics or international research ethics. For information on these programs visit http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/philosophy/index.php/programs/ma_combined.