MA in Philosophy

Course Requirements, Credits, and Grades
The master's candidate must successfully complete thirty credits. Of these, twenty-four credits must be earned in Philosophy-credit courses, and at least eighteen of those twenty-four credits must be taken from the core program. Up to six credits, which are not otherwise designated as Philosophy-credit courses, may be earned from other departments. A minimum of six credits must be earned in Philosophy-credit seminars. A grade average of no less than 3.0 is required.

Transfer Credit
A maximum of three credits taken at another university may be granted toward the credit requirement for the master's degree. Twenty-seven credits must be completed at The New School for Social Research. Forms for requesting transfer of credit are available in the University Records Office.

Language Requirement
Each student must demonstrate competence in one of the following four languages: Greek, Latin, French, or German. Competence will be evaluated in one foreign language examination in which the student will be given three hours to translate a philosophical text. The student is permitted to bring a dictionary and a grammar book to the language examination.

Core Program
A total of six courses (eighteen credits) must satisfy the distribution requirements listed below.

These six courses must be chosen as follows:

• One course in quantificational logic. Students may be exempted from taking the logic requirement provided they pass an examination in logic.
• One course in ancient philosophy
• Courses in four of the following five areas:
  • Medieval and Renaissance philosophy
  • Early modern philosophy
  • Kant and German idealism
  • Twentieth-century Continental philosophy
  • Thematic, historically oriented courses in ethics, political philosophy, history of logic or science, and aesthetics.

Students must consult with the Philosophy department's student advisor for approval of distribution requirements.

MA Thesis and Examinations
In addition to meeting the requirements described above (including the foreign language examination), the candidate for the continuing MA must satisfy either of the following options:

• The candidate may write a thesis of fifty to seventy-five pages that covers at least two of the eight topic areas designated for the MA examination. There will be an oral defense of the thesis. The candidate must also take an oral examination in two more of the required eight topic areas designated.
• The candidate may choose to take a written examination on two of the eight topic areas designated for the MA examination, and an oral examination on a further two of the eight topic areas.

In order to be admitted to the PhD program, a student must receive a high pass on at least three of the MA examination areas, with no failing score in any area. For a terminal master's degree, either of the following options is sufficient in lieu of the options stated above:

• writing and defending a master's thesis or
• receiving a score of low pass on each of the four areas covered on the MA written and oral examinations.

For further details, see the Philosophy Student Handbook.
  

MA in Philosophy with a Concentration in Psychoanalysis
This concentration provides philosophy students with an opportunity to focus on the field of psychoanalytic studies. The core of the program will be four courses in psychoanalytic theory, and a thesis in the area. The courses will range from intensive study of Freud to current trends in psychoanalytic theory. In recent years the department has offered the following courses: Freud's Early Writings; Freud on Culture and Civilization; Klein and Lacan; Fetishism and Unconscious Processes; Psychoanalysis and Deconstruction; Feminine Sexuality from Freud to Lacan; and Mourning and Metaphysics.

As with the MA in philosophy, students in this MA concentration are required to successfully complete thirty graduate credits for graduation. Of these, twenty-four credits must be earned in philosophy and a minimum of six credits must be earned in philosophy seminars. Also, of the total thirty credits, seven courses (i.e., twenty-one credits) must satisfy the distribution requirements listed below:

• Four courses in psychoanalytic theory
• Courses in three of the following six areas:
  • Ancient philosophy
  • Medieval and Renaissance philosophy
  • Early modern philosophy
  • Kant and German idealism
  • Twentieth-century Continental philosophy
  • Thematic, historically oriented courses in ethics, political philosophy, history of logic or science, and aesthetics.

Students must also fulfill the language requirement and successfully submit an approved MA thesis on psychoanalytic theory. To advance to the PhD program in philosophy, students must in addition receive a high pass on the MA oral exam.
  

PhD in Philosophy

Admission
Students matriculated in the master's program at The New School for Social Research will be accepted into the PhD program upon completing the MA oral examination with a high pass and with the agreement of the department. Students who already have an MA in philosophy (or its equivalent) from another institution may be admitted to PhD study. Others are directed to begin their studies in the MA program.

Transfer Credit
Transfer credit, not exceeding thirty credits, may be applied toward the PhD degree. Note that transfer credits are granted on a case-by-case basis.

Course Requirements

• The doctoral student must successfully complete graduate courses and seminars equaling at least sixty credits. The thirty credits received for the MA are considered part of the sixty-credit total.
• Of the total sixty credits, at least forty-eight must be in philosophy courses, and up to twelve credits may be in fields other than philosophy.
• Of the forty-eight philosophy credits, the student must earn at least fifteen credits in philosophy seminars.
• At least a 3.0 average must be maintained in the philosophy courses as well as overall.
• The Philosophy department does not require a specific program of courses. However, students who do not satisfy the core course requirements prior to receiving the MA must satisfy these requirements, including the required course in logic, subsequently.

Language Requirement
The candidate for the PhD must demonstrate a reading knowledge of an additional language to that required for the MA. The second language will be chosen from French, German, Greek, Latin, or (by petition) another language relevant to the student's dissertation.

PhD Qualifying Examinations
Upon completion of all course requirements, PhD students proceed to PhD candidate status by passing the PhD qualifying examinations, both written and oral. The structure of the PhD exams replicates that of the MA written and oral examinations, covering the remaining four topic areas. Students must receive a score of high pass in at least three out of four areas, with no failing score in any area, on the PhD qualifying examinations before submitting a dissertation proposal for approval. During their final year of course work, PhD students are required to complete the yearlong Prospectus Seminar. For further details, see the Philosophy Department Procedures Guide.

Additional Departmental Activities
Other activities, events, and resources available to Philosophy students include the following:

The Hannah Arendt/Reiner Schürmann Memorial Symposium in Political Philosophy, held each fall semester on two consecutive days, with the participation of American and foreign scholars.

The Husserl Archives, the most extensive collection of Husserl's unpublished writings in active use outside Europe.

The Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal, a publication devoted to the communication of ideas among advanced students and eminent philosophers, published twice a year by students in the department.

The Philosophy Forum, a forum for exchange of ideas among students and for the expression of student opinion to the faculty.

Women in Philosophy, comprised of women within the graduate program of the Philosophy department. The group meets roughly once a month to read and discuss papers written by women within the department, and to discuss issues relevant to women in academia. The goal of the presentations is their ultimate inclusion in the Women in Philosophy journal, published at the start of each academic year. The group is committed to the maintenance of a forum within which women's voices can be heard and rigorous discussion of women's philosophical work can take place. Although Women in Philosophy has its origins in the study of explicitly feminist philosophy, the contemporary focus has shifted to include a breadth of topics as women philosophers address them. Women in Philosophy is an important alternative to the consistent minority that women occupy within philosophy departments, philosophy classrooms, and other philosophical forums. It is by no means a replacement for such forums, but rather a space reserved for expression of philosophical thought free from the binds inherent in being traditionally and currently underrepresented.

Guest lectures by distinguished American or European scholars, held on Thursday evenings.
  

Philosophy Student Handbook
A more complete explanation of MA and PhD requirements as well as other information of particular interest to Philosophy students is contained in the Philosophy Student Handbook downloaded here as an Acrobat PDF file.