Masters Program

 Stanford Bulletin

Admissions

All prospective master's students, including those currently enrolled in other Stanford programs, must apply for admission to the program. No fellowships are available. Entering students must meet with the director of the master's program and have their advisor's approval, in writing, of program proposals. The master's program should not be considered a stepping stone to the doctoral program; these two programs are separate and distinct. Coterminal applications are only accepted in Winter Quarter, for a Spring Quarter start. The coterm deadline is the end of the second week of Winter Quarter.

Unit Requirements

Each program requires a minimum of 45 units in philosophy. Students in a special program may be allowed or required to replace up to 9 units of philosophy by 9 units in the field of specialization. Although the requirements for the M.A. are designed so that a student with the equivalent of a strong undergraduate philosophy major at Stanford might complete them in one year, most students need longer. Students should also keep in mind that although 45 units is the minimum required by the University, quite often more units are necessary to complete department requirements. Up to 6 units of directed reading in philosophy may be allowed. There is no thesis requirement, but an optional master's thesis or project, upon faculty approval, may count as the equivalent of up to 8 units. A special program may require knowledge of a foreign language. At least 45 units in courses numbered 100 or above must be completed with a grade of 'B-' or better at Stanford. Students are reminded of the University requirements for advanced degrees, and particularly of the fact that for the M.A., students must complete three full quarters as measured by tuition payment.

General Program

The General Program requires a minimum of 45 units in Philosophy courses numbered above 99. These courses must be taken for a letter grade, and the student must receive at least a 'B-' in the course. Courses taken to satisfy the undergraduate core or affiliated courses may not be counted in the 45 units. The requirement has three parts:

Part 1: Undergraduate Core

Students must have when they enter, or complete early in their program, the following undergraduate courses (students entering from other institutions should establish equivalent requirements with a master's advisor upon arrival or earlier):

1. Logic. Select one of the Following:
   • PHIL 49: Survey of Formal Methods (4 units)
   • PHIL 150: Mathematical Logic (4 units)
   • PHIL 151: Metalogic (4 units)
   • PHIL 154: Modal Logic (4 units)
2. Philosophy of science: This requirement may be satisfied by PHIL 60, PHIL 61, or any intermediate philosophy of science course numbered between PHIL 160 - 169.
3. Moral and political philosophy: This requirement may be satisfied by any intermediate course devoted to central topics in moral and political philosophy numbered between PHIL 170 - 172, or PHIL 174-176. 
4. Contemporary theoretical philosophy: This requirement may be satisfied by any intermediate course numbered between PHIL 180 - 189.
5. History of philosophy: two history of philosophy courses numbered 100 or above

Part 2: Graduate Core

Students must take at least one course numbered over 105 from three of the following five areas (courses used to satisfy the undergraduate core cannot also be counted toward satisfaction of the graduate core). Crosslisted and other courses taught outside the Department of Philosophy do not count towards satisfaction of the core.

• Logic and semantics
• Philosophy of science and history of science
• Ethics, value theory, and moral and political philosophy
• Metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language
• History of philosophy

Part 3: 200-Level Course Requirement

Each master's candidate must take at least two courses numbered above 200; these cannot be graduate sections of undergraduate courses.

Part 4: Specialization

Students must take at least three courses numbered over 105 in one of the five areas.

Stanford Bulletin

Admissions

All prospective master's students, including those currently enrolled in other Stanford programs, must apply for admission to the program. No fellowships are available. Entering students must meet with the director of the master's program and have their advisor's approval, in writing, of program proposals. The master's program should not be considered a stepping stone to the doctoral program; these two programs are separate and distinct. Coterminal applications are only accepted in Winter Quarter, for a Spring Quarter start. The coterm deadline is the end of the second week of Winter Quarter.

Unit Requirements

Each program requires a minimum of 45 units in philosophy. Students in a special program may be allowed or required to replace up to 9 units of philosophy by 9 units in the field of specialization. Although the requirements for the M.A. are designed so that a student with the equivalent of a strong undergraduate philosophy major at Stanford might complete them in one year, most students need longer. Students should also keep in mind that although 45 units is the minimum required by the University, quite often more units are necessary to complete department requirements. Up to 6 units of directed reading in philosophy may be allowed. There is no thesis requirement, but an optional master's thesis or project, upon faculty approval, may count as the equivalent of up to 8 units. A special program may require knowledge of a foreign language. At least 45 units in courses numbered 100 or above must be completed with a grade of 'B-' or better at Stanford. Students are reminded of the University requirements for advanced degrees, and particularly of the fact that for the M.A., students must complete three full quarters as measured by tuition payment.

Special Program in the Philosophy of Language

Admission to the special program in the Philosophy of Language is limited to students with substantial preparation in philosophy or linguistics. Those whose primary preparation has been in linguistics may be required to satisfy all or part of the undergraduate core requirements as described in the "General Program" subsection above. Those whose preparation is primarily in philosophy may be required to take additional courses in linguistics.

Course Requirements

1. Philosophy of language: two approved courses in the philosophy of language numbered 180 or higher.
2. Syntactic theory and generative grammar. Choose 1: 
   1. PHIL 384: Seminar in Metaphysics and Epistemology (4 units)
   2. LINGUIST 230A: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (4 units)
3. Logic: at least two approved courses numbered PHIL 151 Metalogic or higher.
4. An approved graduate-level course in mathematical linguistics or automata theory.

For the Philosophy Masters of Arts special program in Symbolic Systems, students should have the equivalent of the Stanford undergraduate major in Symbolic Systems. Students who have a strong major in one of the basic SSP disciplines (philosophy, psychology, linguistics, computer science) may be admitted, but are required to do a substantial part of the undergraduate SSP core in each of the other basic SSP fields. 

Philosophy MA Special Program in Symbolic Systems Requirements in Stanford Bulletin 

The Program in Symbolic Systems also offers their own Masters of Science in Symbolic Systems; we recommend prospective students compare the two programs to find which is the best fit.

Symbolic Systems MS Program Requirements 

Admissions

All prospective master's students, including those currently enrolled in other Stanford programs, must apply for admission to the program. No fellowships are available. Entering students must meet with the director of the master's program and have their advisor's approval, in writing, of program proposals. The master's program should not be considered a stepping stone to the doctoral program; these two programs are separate and distinct. Coterminal applications are only accepted in Winter Quarter, for a Spring Quarter start. The coterm deadline is the end of the second week of Winter Quarter.

Unit Requirements

Each program requires a minimum of 45 units in philosophy. Students in a special program may be allowed or required to replace up to 9 units of philosophy by 9 units in the field of specialization. Although the requirements for the M.A. are designed so that a student with the equivalent of a strong undergraduate philosophy major at Stanford might complete them in one year, most students need longer. Students should also keep in mind that although 45 units is the minimum required by the University, quite often more units are necessary to complete department requirements. Up to 6 units of directed reading in philosophy may be allowed. There is no thesis requirement, but an optional master's thesis or project, upon faculty approval, may count as the equivalent of up to 8 units. A special program may require knowledge of a foreign language. At least 45 units in courses numbered 100 or above must be completed with a grade of 'B-' or better at Stanford. Students are reminded of the University requirements for advanced degrees, and particularly of the fact that for the M.A., students must complete three full quarters as measured by tuition payment.

Special Program in Symbolic Systems

Students should have the equivalent of the Stanford undergraduate major in Symbolic Systems. Students who have a strong major in one of the basic SSP disciplines (philosophy, psychology, linguistics, computer science) may be admitted, but are required to do a substantial part of the undergraduate SSP core in each of the other basic SSP fields. 

This must include the following philosophy courses:

1. PHIL 80: Mind, Matter, and Meaning (5 units) AND
2. PHIL 151: Metalogic (4 units)

And one of the following:

• PHIL 181: Philosophy of Language (4 units)
• PHIL 184: Topics in Epistemology (4 units)
• PHIL 186: Philosophy of Mind (4 units)
• PHIL 187: Philosophy of Action (4 units)

This work does not count towards the 45-unit requirement.

Course Requirements

1. Four courses in philosophy at the graduate level (numbered 200 or above), including courses from three of the following five areas: 
   Note: At most two of the four courses may be graduate sections of undergraduate courses numbered 100 or higher.
   1. Philosophy of language
   2. Logic
   3. Philosophy of mind
   4. Metaphysics and epistemology
   5. Philosophy of science
2. Three courses numbered 100 or higher from outside Philosophy, chosen in consultation with an advisor. These courses should be from two of the following four areas:
   1. Psychology
   2. Linguistics
   3. Computer Science
   4. Education
3. The remaining courses are chosen in consultation with and approved by an advisor.