Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
Program information
| Department/School | Philosophy |
|---|---|
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
| Admit term(s) |
Fall (September - December) |
| Application and document submission deadline(s) |
February 1 (for admission in September) |
| Delivery mode | On-campus |
| Program type | Master's, Research |
| Length of program | 12 - 24 months (full-time) |
| Registration option(s) | Full-time, Part-time |
| Study option(s) | Thesis, Coursework |
| Research field(s) - Graduate research fields are used to better define a student’s research concentration |
Ethics and Political Philosophy Language, Logic and Metaphysics Mind and Cognitive Science Philosophy of Science and Mathematics |
Watch the How to apply to Waterloo graduate studies video
Due to funding restrictions, the Faculty of Arts is currently limiting the number of international students we can admit. Please contact the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program.
What does it take to get in?
Minimum admission requirements
- The average required for admission is 78%.
- From normal undergraduate programs in Philosophy: the normal background for MA students is that provided by the four-year Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) at the University of Waterloo.
- International students with qualifications judged to be equivalent to a Canadian Honours BA in philosophy are normally admitted to full graduate student status, but may be required to take certain specific courses in order to rectify deficiencies in background, either as part of or in addition to their regular graduate program.
- From a Canadian general BA or equivalent program: students admitted with the three-year Canadian general BA degree or its equivalent will be as qualifying students. A qualifying student is admitted to graduate status but not to a degree program. The qualifying year is a year of work approximately equivalent to the fourth year of an honours program. Students who do well during that year are eligible for admission to full degree status.
- From undergraduate programs in fields other than Philosophy: students with some philosophy background but whose degree is in another field are encouraged to apply to the program; typically these students will be considered as "transitional students." Transitional students 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 financial assistance.
- From graduate programs: students who have completed a MA in Philosophy should apply to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program. Students who have completed other advanced degrees in Philosophy or who have already completed work at another PhD program may be given advanced status in the PhD program.
Supervisors
- Review the finding a supervisor resources
Application material
- Supplementary information form (SIF)
- Statements answering the questions below (at most 250 words for each answer):
- Question 1: Please provide a brief statement of interest that outlines the areas of philosophy you hope to pursue in the program.
- Question 2: Please explain why the University of Waterloo's Department of Philosophy is a good place to pursue such a project, and why your background makes you well suited to pursue it successfully.
- Review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completing this form
- Statements answering the questions below (at most 250 words for each answer):
- Transcript(s)
- From previous institutions.
- At the time of applying, an unofficial transcript is fine; if and when a student is enrolled they will be asked to submit official copies.
- Writing sample
- A philosophy paper of around 2500 words is desirable; longer and shorter papers are acceptable too, but please don't send anything longer than 5,000 words.
- References
- Three academic references are required
- Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable.
-
TOEFL 100 (writing 26, speaking 26), IELTS 7.5 (writing 7.0, speaking 7.0)
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How much will it cost?
- Use the student budget calculator to estimate your cost and resources
- Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
- Review the study and living costs
- Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students
What can you expect at Waterloo?
- Review the degree requirements on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree
- Check out profiles of current graduate students to learn about their experience at Waterloo
- Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the Department of Philosophy graduate students
- Check out the Waterloo campus and city tours
- Review the Department of Philosophy website to see information about supervisors, research areas, news, and events
Updated February 2023. This program page is effective September 2022; it will be updated annually. Any changes to the program page following this date will be indicated with a notation.
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