Graduate Advising
Where to Find Help
Meet with your graduate advisor to build the philosophy MA that supports your needs and interests.
Graduate Advisors
Étienne Brown
etienne.brown@sjsu.edu
Carlos Sanchez
carlos.sanchez@sjsu.edu
What's Your Plan?
We offer three plans for the M.A. in Philosophy. All three plans require 30 units of coursework* and the Comprehensive Examination:
Coursework (30 units)
Core Courses (12 units)
PHIL 290
PHIL 291
PHIL 292
PHIL 293 or PHIL 157
Elective Courses (12 units)
Selected from 100- and 200-level courses within the Department**
Plan Options
Plan A - Thesis
Appropriate for students who wish to pursue a formal written project under close faculty supervision; may be useful preparation for writing a dissertation at a Ph.D.-granting institution.
- PHIL 298 (directed reading in support of the thesis; 3 units)
- PHIL 299 (thesis and oral defense; 3 units)***
Plan B, Option 1 - Applied Philosophy Project
The applied philosophy project connects philosophy in a systematic manner to professional life in Silicon Valley, or to the wider world, allowing students to reflect, in a sustained and rigorous way, on ethical, social, epistemological, or metaphysical aspects of a human endeavor.
- PHIL 200-level course (on advisement; 3 units)
- PHIL 298 (directed reading in support of applied philosophy project; 3 units)***
Plan B, Option 2 - Reading Intensive
Appropriate for students who wish to focus on writing one or more publishable scholarly papers in philosophy, whether in preparation for application to a Ph.D. program or for personal enrichment.
- PHIL 200-level course (on advisement; 3 units)
- PHIL 298 (directed reading; 3 units)***
Who should you work with?
Consult our list of areas of interest and expertise [pdf] to find the faculty member(s) best suited to guide your reading, research, or applied project.
Comprehensive Examination
You will take a comprehensive examination after you have completed most of your coursework. The exam is administered the third Friday of each semester.
- Reading list for Comprehensive Exam [pdf]
- Sample questions for Comprehensive Exam
* On approval, when relevance to the candidate’s degree can be demonstrated, up to 6 of the 30 units may be from prior post-baccalaureate coursework, or from coursework taken outside the Department during the MA program to provide a basis for work in an area of applied philosophy.
** One or more of 290, 291, 292, and 293 may be repeated as electives when the course content is different.
*** Fulfills University graduate requirement for “culminating experience.”