Graduate Student

The University of Saskatchewan offers a friendly and supportive environment in which to pursue an MA degree in Philosophy. Students enjoy small seminar classes and one-on-one contact with faculty members. The department offers courses in core areas of faculty expertise and thesis supervision in most areas of philosophy. Faculty members have research interests which give the department special strengths in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, moral psychology, 18th- and 19th-century philosophy, ethics and meta-ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, and aesthetics. Applications are particularly welcome from students interested in pursuing topics in these areas of study. Locally, the department collaborates with the Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Graduate College’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program. We have regular departmental seminars, visiting speakers, social gatherings, and other events in which our students are encouraged to participate as part of their graduate education.

All students do coursework in their first year (normally, five courses each year). Students who meet the requirements for a thesis option in their first year complete their coursework in the first year and complete their thesis in the second year; students continuing in the course based option normally do half their coursework in the first year and half their coursework in the second year. The University Library subscribes to all the major journals in the field and fully sustains graduate research in the department's areas of interest.

Scholarships and teaching assistantships of up to $17,000 per calendar year for the MA are available to qualified applicants on a competitive basis.  Applications must be received by 1 February in order to begin the program in the following September and be considered for funding. It is particularly important for students who require a visa to study in Canada to apply by this deadline as obtaining a visa can be a time-consuming process and commonly takes longer than CIC estimates. Late applications will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Eligibility for admission to the Master's program normally requires an honours undergraduate degree in Philosophy, or equivalent in a cognate field.  Applicants must also have a cumulative weighted average of at least 70% (U of S grade system equivalent) in the last two years of full-time study (i.e. 60 credit units U of S equivalent). Transfer to the thesis option requires an average of at least 80% in U of S graduate courses as well as successful completion and approval of a thesis proposal.

Graduates of the program have gone on to PhD work at some of the top programs in North America and Europe. The department also participates in the Interdisciplinary Studies PhD Program, in which philosophical studies of an interdisciplinary nature may be pursued. Those seeking admission to the PhD program should visit the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' Interdisciplinary Studies website for further information.

Application requirements and deadlines can be found in the How to Apply section.

Contacts:

Anna McKenzie- Graduate Application Support
 asg.gradapplications@usask.ca
 Arts 518

Nadine Penner - Graduate Program Support
 asg.graduateprograms@usask.ca 
Arts 518
(306) 966-5797 

Dr. Leslie Howe - Graduate Director
l.a.howe@usask.ca