MA Philosophy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

well as various Distribution Requirements detailed in the Handbook of the Graduate Program in Philosophy. Successfully completing an M.A. thesis is also a condition for receiving the degree of master of arts. Candidates for the doctoral degree must satisfactorily complete 60 semester hours of graduate work, including six hours of Ph.D. dissertation credit. There are further Distribution Requirements, again, detailed in the Handbook of the Graduate Program in Philosophy.

Faculty: The Graduate School | Department: Philosophy | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

Candidates for the master's degree must satisfactorily complete 30 semester hours of graduate work. Candidates for the doctoral degree must satisfactorily complete 60 semester hours of graduate work, including six hours of Ph.D. dissertation credit.

Career pathways

The program is intended to prepare students for college and university positions in philosophy.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme. Programme-specific: First, there is the Admission to Candidacy examination, which itself has two parts: a written general portion and a special oral portion. Prerequisite for admission to graduate work in the department is a B.A. degree or equivalent, typically with a major in philosophy, with a broad range of courses.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration. The GRE is not required for the Master of Applied Professional Studies.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

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