Philosophy, B.A. to Philosophy, M.A. Accelerated Program
Saint Louis University’s accelerated Philosophy B.A. to M.A. program offers qualified philosophy majors the opportunity of beginning work toward the M.A. degree in philosophy while completing requirements for the B.A., thereby reducing the time needed to earn the M.A. degree.
SLU's philosophy graduate program is ranked by the Philosophical Gourmet Report near the top 50 (of the 200 such programs in the USA) and is ranked among the best in the world for medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion.
For additional information, see the catalog entries for the following programs:
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the accelerated program, students should have a minimum of 75 earned undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of 3.80 in their philosophy. They must also have completed the following courses:
- PHIL 1700 The Examined Life: Ultimate Questions (3 cr) or a course that meets the Ultimate Questions: Philosophy core attribute
- PHIL 2050 Ethics (3 cr)
- PHIL 4040 Symbolic Logic (3 cr)
- Two other PHIL courses at the 4000-level
Program Requirements
During the accelerated program, students will be required to take PHIL 5980 Graduate Independent Study in Philosophy (1-3 cr) in lieu of the undergraduate senior inquiry course, PHIL 4880 Senior Inquiry: Project (0,3 cr). Students can then take up to an additional 12 credits PHIL courses at the 5000 level and above that will count towards the master's degree and as Philosophy Electives in the bachelor's in philosophy.
| Undergraduate Program Requirement | Met by Graduate Course |
|---|---|
| PHIL 4880 | PHIL 5980 |
| Philosophy Electives | 12 credits of PHIL courses 5000-level and above |
Once students progress into the M.A. program, they will be required to finish whatever remaining M.A. requirements.
This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.
Roadmap notes:
- This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
- Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
- Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HIST 1000 | History Matters | 3 |
| CORE 1000 | Ignite First Year Seminar | 2-3 |
| CORE 1500 | Cura Personalis 1: Self in Community | 1 |
| PHIL 1700 | The Examined Life: Ultimate Questions | 3 |
| HIST 1200 | Communicating About History | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIST 2800 | Historian's Craft: Methods Proseminar | 3 |
| CORE 1600 | Ultimate Questions: Theology | 3 |
| ENGL 1900 | Advanced Strategies of Rhetoric and Research | 3 |
| PHIL 2050 | Ethics | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CORE 3800 | Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences | 3 |
| PHIL 4040 | Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| Undergraduate University Core and/or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 4XXX course | 3 | |
| PHIL 3XXX course | 3 | |
| CORE 2800 | Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression | 2-3 |
| University Undergraduate Core and/or Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 14-15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| CORE 3500 | Cura Personalis 3: Self in the World | 1 |
| PHIL 4XXX course | 3 | |
| University Undergraduate Core and/or Electives | 12 | |
| Apply to accelerated program | ||
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 5450 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| CORE 3600 | Ways of Thinking: Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| University Undergraduate Core and/or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHIL 5500 | Medieval Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 5980 | Graduate Independent Study in Philosophy | 3 |
| University Undergraduate Core and/or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 5600 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 5/6XXX Elective | 3 | |
| University Undergraduate Core and/or Electives | 9 | |
| B.A. degree conferred | ||
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| PHIL 5980 | Graduate Independent Study in Philosophy | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Five | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHIL 5/6XXX Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 5/6XXX Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 141-143 | |
For additional information about this program, please contact sluphilosophy@slu.edu or call 314-977-3149.