MA Degree Options



Two options exist for completing the Master of Arts with a major in philosophy and a concentration in environmental ethics: thesis and non-thesis.

  • For the thesis option, the student takes 24 semester credit hours of approved course work and a thesis carrying 6 hours of credit (PHIL 5950). The student will normally take a minimum of six courses in philosophy. Six semester credit hours may be elected by the student in supporting fields with the consent of the department. An oral examination is scheduled after the completion of the thesis.
  • The nonthesis option consists of 36 semester credit hours. The student will normally take a minimum of six courses in philosophy. A 9-semester-credit-hour minor in a supporting field is required. Nine additional semester hours may be elected by the student in philosophy or in one or more supporting fields. The student will form an examination committee for his or her oral examination consisting of a major professor plus two others, one of which will be from their minor field, the other from the department. The examiners at the oral examination will include a faculty member representing the minor field and, at the option of the department, one or more representatives of other supporting fields.

Students pursuing either option are required to complete:

  1. One of the following courses
    • PHIL 5450 - Seminar in the Philosophy of Ecology
    • PHIL 5451 - Environmental Ethics
    • PHIL 5700 - Seminar in Environmental Ethics
    • PHIL 5750 - Environmental Ethics and Public Policy
  2. A graduate course in Environmental Science