Graduate Study
Introduction
Both the MA and the PhD programs at the University of Missouri provide a thorough grounding in the core areas of philosophy and the key figures in the history of philosophy. They also provide the opportunity to do advanced work in a wide variety of more specialized areas.
Although the department awards an MA, it only admits students to the PhD program, with students obtaining the MA in the process. The MA requires 30 credit hours of graduate work plus a research project, which can be either a thesis or two substantial papers. The PhD requires passing a qualifying examination, 45 credit hours of regular graduate courses, passing a comprehensive examination, and a dissertation.
All doctoral students are required to take courses in metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethical theory, as well as the central figures in the history of philosophy. The remainder of the required credit hours are elective, thus permitting students to pursue areas of special interest to them in depth.
All entering students are required to take our three-credit Protoseminar, which develops the skills in argument analysis and argument construction that are necessary to do good philosophy. All doctoral students are further required to take our one-credit Dissertation Seminar, which gives advice on how to succeed in research and how to enhance prospects for job placement. As a result of these seminars, and the significant feedback given on students' MA research and course work, our students typically have an impressive array of publications and conference presentations. In addition, our students have been quite effective in finding jobs. [Placement History]
The department considers it very important to train graduate students to become excellent teachers of philosophy. All graduate students are required to take our one-credit Teaching of Philosophy seminar, and during the course of their studies most students teach all three of the introductory-level courses most often offered to undergraduates (introduction to philosophy, introduction to ethics, and introduction to logic). Area colleges provide the opportunity for advanced graduate students to gain additional teaching experience at other kinds of institution. Since an unusually high proportion of the faculty have themselves earned campus-wide awards for their teaching, they are in a strong position to train and mentor graduate students in effective pedagogy.
For more details on the MA and PhD requirements, see the Graduate Student Handbook (pdf).
Faculty
Members of the faculty are unusually diverse in their interests and areas of expertise.
Asian Metaphysics and Epistemology (Bina Gupta)
Continental Philosophy (Joe Bien, Alexander von Schönborn)
Decision Theory, Game Theory, and Rational Choice (Zac Ernst, Brian Kierland, Peter Vallentyne, Paul Weirich)
Epistemology (Peter Markie, Matt McGrath, Brian Kierland, Paul Weirich)
Ethical Theory (Robert Johnson, Brian Kierland, Peter Markie, Peter Vallentyne)
History of Philosophy (Robert Johnson, Peter Markie, Don Sievert, Alexander von Schönborn)
Philosophy of Language (Claire Horisk, Philip Robbins)
Logic (Zac Ernst, Paul Weirich)
Metaphysics (Sara Chant, Matt McGrath, Andrew Melnyk)
Philosophy of Mind, Action, and Psychology (Sara Chant, Andrew Melnyk, Philip Robbins)
Political Philosophy (Joe Bien, Robert Johnson, Brian Kierland, Peter Vallentyne, Paul Weirich)
Philosophy of Science, esp. Biology (André Ariew, Zac Ernst, Andrew Melnyk, Paul Weirich)
Speakers and Visiting Faculty
There is a regular program of philosophical colloquia in which papers are presented both by members of the faculty and by philosophers invited from other departments. In addition, the department sponsors the Missouri Philosophy of Science Workshop. There are, as well, the Kline Chair Workshops which occur twice per year on various topics. For details, see the Schedule.
Graduate Courses
7000-level courses serve advanced undergraduates as well as graduate students.
8000/9000-level courses are restricted to graduate students.
Professional
(8100) Protoseminar in Philosophy
(8210) The Teaching of Philosophy
(8300) Dissertation Seminar
Topics and Areas
(7100) Philosophy of Language
(7110) Formal Logic
(7120) Advanced Symbolic Logic
(7200) Metaphysics
(7210) Philosophy of Mind
(7300) Epistemology
(7400) Philosophy of Science
(7410) Philosophy of History
(7420) Philosophy of Biology
(7500) Theories of Ethics
(7510) Medical Ethics
(7610) Philosophy of Law
(9310) Applied Ethics
(9320) Social and Political Philosophy
(9510) Decision Theory
(9520) Ethical Theory
(9610) Metaphysics
(9710) Philosophy of Mind and Psychology
(9720) Foundations of Cognitive Science
(9820) Epistemology
(9830) Philosophy of Science
(9840) Philosophy of Language
(9850) Philosophy of Biology
(9887) Seminar in Logic
(9901) Seminar: Topics Vary
History and Schools
Descriptions of regularly taught courses >>(7620) Marxism
(7800) Asian Philosophy
(7810) Philosophy of India
(7820) Contemporary Indian Philosophy
(9040) Indian Philosophy
(9050) Plato
(9060) Aristotle
(9070) Medieval Thinkers
(9110) The Rationalists
(9120) The Empiricists
(9130) Kant
(9210) Hegel
(9220) Marxism
(9230) Whitehead
(9240) Russell and Wittgenstein
(9250) Heidegger
(9260) Existentialism
(9270) Phenomenology
(9280) Recent Anglo American Philosophy
(9290) Recent Continental Philosophy
(9340) Topics in the History of Ethics
(9350) History of Eastern Ethics
Financial Support
The most common form of financial support offered by the University of Missouri is a teaching assistantship. Teaching assistantships normally carry a tuition waiver, together with a stipend. The stipend for 2007-2008 is expected to be about $12,000. In addition, each year, the Department also awards three one-year $2000 Kline fellowships for entering students and four one-year $1000 Kline fellowships for doctoral students in their third or fourth year in the graduate program. Approximately 20 teaching assistantships are awarded each year, with at least a quarter reserved for new graduate students. Beginning teaching assistants serve as discussion leaders and graders, while experienced teaching assistants have full responsibility for independent classes. Formal training for teaching assistants is provided by PHIL 8210 and 8220 (Teaching of Philosophy), and by the University's Program for Excellence in Teaching; much informal mentoring of teaching assistants also occurs. The department guarantees five years of teaching assistantships to students who begin graduate studies in the program and remain in good standing. Research assistantships are also sometimes available. All students who apply to the graduate program are automatically considered for Teaching Assistantships and fellowships. No special application is needed. Decisions are normally made by April 1.
Applicants to the philosophy program have been very successful in competing for university-wide fellowships offered by the University's Graduate School. The Huggins fellowship, for instance, offers a stipend of $16,500 for five years. The department automatically nominates promising candidates from among the applicant pool each year. Decisions are made usually in advance of April 15.
The University's Financial Aid Office, Room 11 Jesse Hall, has information on other forms of financial assistance, including student loans.