Students who complete the MA are well-placed to pursue a PhD in Philosophy. The program has a good record of placement into such programs. Of the students who completed the MA since 2013 and applied to PhD programs in philosophy, 90% were admitted, with funding, to such doctoral programs. More specifically, they were placed at:
For a flyer providing some basic information on the program including links on how to apply and get more detailed information, see http://www.phil.ufl.edu/data/grad/docs/MA-flyer-201617.pdf. Feel free to download and share or just share the link with potential students.
Students in the MA program work with a faculty boasting expertise in core areas of all major fields of philosophy. We have special strength in the history of philosophy, significant strength in the areas of philosophy of metaphysics and epistemology, and growing coverage of ethics and social and political philosophy, including an anticipated hire in the ethics of data or technology. Faculty also cover areas sometimes neglected, such as Continental Philosophy, feminism, and philosophy of race.
High quality teaching is especially valued at the Department at UF, and new Teaching Assistantships are provided with additional in-house training when they arrive. A standard TA assignment will include responsibility for three weekly discussion sections of about 20 students each under the supervision of the main instructor, who determines specific responsibilities regarding office hours and grading. First-year TAs assist in more elementary classes while second-year TAs usually have an opportunity to assist in more advanced classes. Especially good Teaching Assistants may have an opportunity to teach their own course in the summer following their completion of two years of coursework.
All Teaching Assistants are provided with (shared) office space in the Department in order both to facilitate the teaching of undergraduates and provide a sense of community. Graduate students are also responsible for organizing the annual spring conference, the Southeast Graduate Philosophy Conference (http://www.phil.ufl.edu/events/2017/03/seg/index.html), and the Department provides funding support for graduate students to travel to other conferences to present their own work.
Finally, it should be noted that the graduate curriculum for the MA is suited both for students who begin with an undergraduate degree in philosophy and those who have some significant philosophy experience but did not acquire a previous degree. The admissions committee especially looks for prospective students with a strong work ethic and an eagerness to contribute to our small but supportive community.
For questions, please direct potential applicants to contact the graduate coordinator at grad.coord@phil.ufl.edu or the department chair at chair@phil.ufl.edu.
Thanks for your help in spreading the word.
Gene Witmer
Department Chair
Robert D’Amico
Graduate Coordinator