Philosophy (BA/MA)
The BA/MA in Philosophy program allows students to earn both bachelor's and master’s degrees in philosophy in five years. This accelerated degree program is a cost-effective option for undergraduate majors wishing to pursue graduate education in philosophy. It prepares students to apply for doctoral programs and gives them a chance to work with faculty they already know at the graduate level. A student enrolled in this program is an undergraduate for four years and a graduate student for one year. Philosophy majors must apply to the BA/MA program in their junior year. They will then have a modified program of study in their senior year, taking courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level that count toward their BA and MA, before completing a fifth year of graduate study.
Program Highlights
- Cost-effective option for undergraduate majors interested in pursuing graduate education in philosophy.
- Takes half the time to complete than a traditional MA at a new institution
- Provides excellent preparation for applying to PhD programs and pursuing specialized research at the doctoral level
- Offers continuity of education, allowing students to continue working with faculty they already know
CURRICULUM
Years 1-4, as an Undergraduate Student
For students entering Fall 2023 or after.
Complete the BA in Philosophy, taking four graduate seminars that “double dip” towards both the BA and MA.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BA in Philosophy 1 | ||
| Ethics 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Ethics | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| Business Ethics | ||
| Health Care Ethics | ||
| Contemporary Ethical Issues | ||
| Ethics and Education | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Culture and Civilization | ||
| Philosophy and Gender | ||
300-level equivalent course | ||
| Epistemology 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Philosophy & Persons | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Theory of Knowledge | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Judgment and Decision-Making | ||
300-level equivalent course | ||
| Logic | ||
| PHIL 274 | Logic | 3 |
| or PHIL 301 | Symbolic Logic | |
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 304 | History of Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| Modern Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 309 | Classical Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| Electives 3 | ||
| Elective (any number) | 3 | |
| 300-level elective | 3 | |
| 400-level elective (double counts for the MA) | 3 | |
| 400-level elective (double counts for the MA) | 3 | |
| 400-level elective (double counts for the MA) | 3 | |
| 400-level elective (double counts for the MA) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
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Three (3) of the eleven (11) courses required for the major must be at the 300-level (four if 301 is taken) and four (4) must be taken at the 400-level.
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BA/MA students can use relevant 400-level courses to satisfy the ethics and epistemology requirements toward the BA. Whether the course counts as relevant is determined in consultation with the Graduate Program Director, Undergraduate Program Director, and course instructor.
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BA/MA students are not required to take the capstone seminar (PHIL 395, PHIL 396, PHIL 397, PHIL 398, or PHIL 399). If students replace their BA capstone seminar with a graduate seminar, they take an additional 3 400-level electives, “double dipping” these (for a total of four double-dipped courses) towards their BA and MA. If students take the BA capstone seminar, then they take four “double-dipped” 400-level courses as electives.
Years 1-4 for students who began the BA/MA before Fall 2023
Complete the BA in Philosophy and take two (2) additional courses towards the MA in Philosophy
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BA in Philosophy 1 | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Ethics | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| Business Ethics | ||
| Health Care Ethics | ||
| Contemporary Ethical Issues | ||
| Ethics and Education | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Culture and Civilization | ||
| Philosophy and Gender | ||
300-level equivalent course | ||
| Epistemology | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Philosophy & Persons | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Theory of Knowledge | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Judgment and Decision-Making | ||
300-level equivalent course | ||
| Logic | ||
| PHIL 274 | Logic | 3 |
| or PHIL 301 | Symbolic Logic | |
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 304 | History of Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| Modern Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 309 | Classical Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| Capstone Seminar (double counts for the MA) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Seminar in Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Seminar in Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Capstone Seminar in Classical Modern Philosophy | ||
| Capstone Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy | ||
| Capstone Seminar on a Topic in Philosophy | ||
| Electives | ||
| Elective (any number) | 3 | |
| 300-level elective (double counts for the MA) | 3 | |
| 300-level elective | 3 | |
| 300-level elective | 3 | |
| 300-level elective | 3 | |
| Take two additional courses towards the MA in Philosophy | ||
| 300 or 400-level course | 3 | |
| 400-level course | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 39 | |
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Seven (7) of eleven (11) courses must be at the 300-level (eight if 301 is taken).
Year 5, as a Graduate Student
Take 6 graduate courses to complete the MA in Philosophy and defend the MA thesis or paper. Specific courses may not be offered every semester and course offerings are subject to change.
MA in Philosophy
The 6 graduate courses – plus the 4 graduate "double dipped" courses taken towards the MA as an undergraduate – complete the 10 courses required for the MA. The courses must also include at least one 3-hour course from each of the following distribution areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one course in Ancient Philosophy | 3 | |
| Plato | ||
| Aristotle | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Select one course in Medieval Philosophy | 3 | |
| Augustine | ||
| Aquinas | ||
| Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Late Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Select one course in Modern Philosophy | 3 | |
| Descartes | ||
| Classical Rationalism | ||
| Classical Empiricism | ||
| Kant | ||
| 17th-18th Century Philosophy | ||
| Select one course in Continental Philosophy | 3 | |
| Nietzsche | ||
| Husserl | ||
| Heidegger | ||
| Phenomenology/Existentialism | ||
| Hermeneutics & Critical Theory | ||
| Contemporary French Philosophy | ||
| Contemporary German Philosophy | ||
| Topics in Continental Philosophy | ||
| Select one course in Analytic Philosophy | 3 | |
| Anglo-American Philosophy | ||
| Anglo-American Epistemology | ||
| Studies in Logic | ||
| Issues in Cognitive Science | ||
| Select five 400-level Electives | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Other Philosophy graduate level courses may be used in the above requirements. Students should consult with the Graduate Program Director if a course of interest is not shown in the above curriculum grid. For a full list of Philosophy graduate level courses, click here.
The MA Thesis or Paper
Toward the end of year five, students pursuing the BA/MA in Philosophy must pass an oral examination before a committee of at least three faculty members on a research paper he or she has written. The focus of the examination is on the argument and analysis of the paper, as well as on the background thought that the argument and analysis presuppose.
Guidelines for Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs
Terms
- Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs: In this type of program, students share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees.
- Shared credits: Graduate level credit hours taken during the undergraduate program and then applied towards graduate program requirements will be referred to as Shared credits.
Admission Requirements
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s undergraduates. Admission to these programs must be competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the program’s admissions committee. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a bachelor’s degree. That is, programs may choose to have more stringent admissions requirements in addition to those minimal requirements below.
Requirements:
- Declared appropriate undergraduate major,
- By the time students begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate, the student has completed approximately 90 credit hours, or the credit hours required in a program that is accredited by a specialty organization,1
- A minimum cumulative GPA for coursework at Loyola that is at or above the program-specific requirements, a minimum major GPA that is at or above the program-specific requirements, and/or appropriate designated coursework for evaluation of student readiness in their discipline.2
Students not eligible for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program (e.g., students who have not declared the appropriate undergraduate major) may apply to the master’s program through the regular admissions process. Students enrolled in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program who choose not to continue to the master’s degree program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.3
Ideally, a student will apply for admission (or confirm interest in proceeding towards the graduate degree in opt-out programs) as they approach 90 credit hours. Programs are encouraged to begin advising students early in their major so that they are aware of the program and, if interested, can complete their bachelor’s degree requirements in a way that facilitates completion of the program. Once admitted as an undergraduate, Program Directors should ensure that students are enrolled using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program will ensure that students may be easily identified as they move through the program. Students will not officially matriculate into the master’s degree program and be labeled as a graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
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Programs that have specialized accreditation will adhere to the admissions criteria provided by, or approved by, their specialized accreditors.
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The program will identify appropriate indicators of student readiness for graduate coursework (e.g., high-level performance in 300 level courses). Recognizing differences between how majors are designed, we do not specify a blanket requirement.
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If students choose not to enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, they still must complete all of the standard requirements associated with the undergraduate degree (e.g., a capstone).
Curriculum
Level and progression of courses. The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to be competitive and attractive to our most capable students. Students admitted to Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs should be capable of meeting graduate level learning outcomes. Following guidance from the Higher Learning Commission, only courses taken at the 400 level or higher (including 300/400 level courses taken at the 400 level) will count toward the graduate program.1,2 Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may come from 300/400 level courses where the student is enrolled in the 400 level of the course. Further, at least 50% of the credit hours for the graduate program must come from courses that are designed for and restricted to graduate students who have been admitted to a graduate program at Loyola (e.g., enrolled in plan code that indicates the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, typically ending with the letter “D”).3
In general, graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Director, students may take one of their graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Bachelors/Master’s program if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.4 Undergraduate degree requirements outside of the major are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program.5
Shared credits. Undergraduate courses (i.e., courses offered at the 300 level or below) cannot be counted as shared credits nor count towards the master’s degree. Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may be counted in meeting both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Of those shared credits, students in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program should begin their graduate program with the standard introductory course(s) for the program whenever possible. So that students may progress through the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program in a timely manner, undergraduate programs are encouraged to design their curriculum such that a student can complete some required graduate credit hours while completing the undergraduate degree. For instance, some of the graduate curriculum should also satisfy electives for the undergraduate major.
The program’s Graduate Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and master’s degree conferral review process. Shared credit hours will not be marked on the undergraduate record as having a special status in the undergraduate program. They will be included in the student’s undergraduate earned hours and GPA. Graduate credit hours taken during the undergraduate program will not be included in the graduate GPA calculation.
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If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate director will review the relevant syllabus(es) to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400 level course or higher.
- 2
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer graduate curriculum to undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
- 3
In rare cases, the Graduate Director may authorize enrollment in a 400-level course for a highly qualified and highly motivated undergraduate, ensuring that the undergraduate's exceptional participation in the graduate class will not diminish in any way the experience of the graduate students regularly enrolled.
- 4
For example, if a particular course is only offered once every 2-3 years, and a student has demonstrated the necessary ability to be successful, the Graduate Director may allow a student to take a graduate level course to be shared prior to the student being formally admitted to the graduate program. See, also, footnote 4.
- 5
Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a graduate program.
Graduation
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once in the graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from undergraduate to graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence.