Master's in Philosophy
Starting with September 2008, the Philosophy Department offers a new MA program, which is separate from its PhD program.
Program Objectives
A holder of our philosophy MA will have the kind of training in thinking analytically and systematically which is of great value in all responsible administrative and managerial positions. The program aims to enable students to proceed to doctoral training, either at CEU, in the region, or in the West. Our graduates will also be very well qualified, as far as the subject is concerned, to teach philosophy in the final years of secondary school.
The MA can be earned in one year or in two years, usually depending on the previous education of applicants. Holders of three-year BAs or degrees in subjects other than philosophy are advised to apply for the two-year program; holders of degrees of four or more years may consider the one-year option.
The one-year program is accredited in the US; the two-year program is accredited both in Hungary and in the US.
Program Structure
Two Year Option
The 2-year program covers most of the major areas of philosophy, mainly from an analytic perspective. Courses related to the major periods in the history of philosophy are available over the two-year period.
All students are required to attend the Departmental Colloquium and an Academic Writing course and attend all the Core MA courses. At the end of the first year, students have to pass a Theoretical Philosophy exam on the required subjects of logic, philosophy of language, ethics, metaphysics and epistemology, and a History of Philosophy exam on the required subjects of ancient philosophy, modern philosophy (rationalists and empiricists) and continental philosophy since Kant. These are worth 16 credits. There is a required thesis seminar in the second year. The rest of the course credits (28) is earned by attending elective courses offered by the department and crosslisted from other departments at CEU - for example the departments of Medieval Studies or Political Science. Regularly offered elective courses include Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Religion, Empiricism, Rationalism, Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Social Sciences, Political Philosophy. More specialised courses will follow the faculty's research interests. MA students can attend PhD courses offered by the program, subject to the course instructor's agreement; instructors may require certain preconditions for attending a PhD course. Minimum 4 and maximum 8 credit courses are to be chosen from the course offerings of other programs.
2 year Philosophy MA program
Overview of the planned curriculum
| 1st year, 1st term - Academic Writing 2 cred | 1st year, 2nd term - Departmental Colloquium 1 cred |
| 2nd year, 1st term Departmental Colloquium 1 cred | 2nd year, 1st term Departmental Colloquium 1 cred |
Credits earned in the two years 62
One Year Option
It will also be possible for candidates who have taken four or more years to the BA to take the Master’s degree in one year. In the one year course the required total is 38 credits. Two courses – Logic in the first semester and the MA thesis seminar in the second – are required, as well as attending the departmental colloquium.
24 further credits can be selected from those courses available to those pursuing the MA in two years (including the PhD courses, subject to the course instructor's agreement), and a maximum of 4 credit from courses offered by other programs at CEU. The choice of courses has to conform to the following rules:
- a maximum of 10 credits can be earned from the Core MA courses
- electives are classified into three areas: Axiology and Practical Philosophy, Metaphysics and Epistemology, History of Philosophy. Each student has to take at least 4 credits from each area. In cases where a course is in several areas, it counts as a fulfillment of 4 credit in only one area.
| 1st term Academic Writing 2 cred | 2nd term Departmental Colloquium 1 cred |
Credits earned: 40 cred