Philosophy - Master of Arts (MA) at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Learn to think logically and abstractly about complex problems while honing your research and communication skills with the Master of Arts in Philosophy program. You’ll take seminar courses and then write a thesis or three supervised independent research papers depending on if you choose the thesis or coursework study option. Study with faculty members who are doing cutting edge research and actively engage with research from other fields such as the natural and social sciences, history, mathematics, and engineering for an interdisciplinary and practical-oriented approach.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Department: Philosophy | Duration: 12 months (full-time) | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall (September - December); application deadlines: February 1(for admission in September) | Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

Research fields: Anti-Racist Philosophy and Decolonial Philosophy, Ethics and Political Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Mathematics, Research project opportunities for this program, Research in social and political philosophy of language, Work on topics of your choosing in social and political philosophy of language, under the supervision of Jennifer Saul., Research in the Philosophy of Economics, Work on topics of your choosing related to philosophy of economics under the supervision of Patricia Marino. The broader department includes experts in philosophy of science and methodology (Doreen Fraser, Carla Fehr, Katie Plaisance), political philosophy (Jennifer Saul, Laura Mae Lindo, Katy Fulfer, Chris Lowry) and public policy (Mathieu Doucet)., The Language of Misinformation and Disinformation, Come work with Jennifer Saul, who is studying the linguistic devices that are used to spread misinformation, disinformation, and bullshit. These include dogwhistles like "the storm is coming", used by QAnon adherents to communicate with each other; figleaves like "I'm just asking questions" which make people more likely to claims they would otherwise dismiss; and strategies to evade content moderation (like use of a carrot emoji by anti-vaxxers). Your own research needn't be limited to these though. You'll be in a department with philosophers like Carla Fehr, who works on both epistemology of ignorance and algorithmic bias; Patricia Marino, who works on algorithmic bias and formal philosophical methods; Laura Mae Lindo, who works on anti-racist communication and philosophy of education; and Katie Plaisance, who works on scientific communication.. Study option(s): Thesis, Coursework.

Career pathways

You’ll be prepared to pursue further research at the PhD level or to pursue non-academic careers in healthcare, government, law, corporate sectors, and others with roles like bioethicist, policy advisor, and ethics officer.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

The average required for admission to the Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy program is 78%. The typical background for MA students is a four-year Honours Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Applicants with a three-year general BA in Philosophy may also apply and may be accepted as “qualifying” students who will take a qualifying program that normally includes a minimum of eight specified undergraduate courses over a minimum of two terms. Completion of a qualifying program does not automatically entitle students to proceed towards the MA. Students who wish to enter the MA program after completing a qualifying program must apply again in the normal way. Applicants with a 4-year honours bachelor’s in another field who have a philosophy minor or significant philosophy background are encouraged to apply. Applicants should keep in mind that reference letters from philosophy professors are strongly preferred. Depending on the amount of philosophy background, these applicants may be admitted either as regular students or as “transitional” students. A transitional student will normally be required to complete selected graduate or undergraduate courses, to be specified in writing at the time the student is recommended for admission, in addition to the usual requirements of the MA program. A transitional student is admitted directly into the MA program and is eligible for funding. Applicants with a 4-year honours bachelor’s in another field who have only some philosophy background may also apply and may be accepted as “qualifying” students who will take a qualifying program that normally includes a minimum of eight specified undergraduate courses over a minimum of two terms. Completion of a qualifying program does not automatically entitle students to proceed towards the MA. Students who wish to enter the MA program after completing a qualifying program must apply again in the normal way.

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

Terms run fall (September to December), winter (January to April) and spring (May to August). Programmes are currently accepting applications for fall 2027; intake terms vary by programme.

Graduate applications are made online through the Graduate Studies Application and the non-refundable application fee is $150 CAD per program, paid in the applicant portal. Deadlines are set by each programme (for example MDSAI part-time: fall January 15, winter July 1). Apply two to four weeks ahead of the programme deadline.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.apply.uwaterloo.ca/apply/

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