Program Overview
| Stream | Term 1 (Fall) |
Term 2 (Winter) |
Term 3 (Spring/Summer) |
Term 4 (Fall) |
Term 5 (Winter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis | Professional Seminar; 2 electives |
3 electives | MA Research; Area Reading Requirement | MA Research | Thesis |
| Major Research Paper |
Professional Seminar; 2 electives |
3 electives | MA Research; Area Reading Requirement | MA Research; 1 elective |
MRP; 1 elective |
Professional seminar
In Term 1, students complete the Professional Seminar, a course designed to introduce students to the professional skills needed to succeed in the program and in the general workplace.
Area reading requirement
In Term 3, students complete the Area Reading Requirement, which consists of independent but guided research in a core area of philosophy.
Masters research
In Terms 3 and 4, students conduct independent philosophical research towards the completion, in Term 5, of a Thesis or Major Research Paper.
Courses and breadth requirement
Students pursuing the Major Research Paper stream take seven courses overall, while those in the Thesis stream take five courses.
All students are required to take at least one course in three of the following four core areas of philosophy: Continental Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Metaphysics & Epistemology, and Value Theory.
Approximately the same number of courses in each of the four areas will be offered every year or over a two-year period.
Experiential Learning
Semester Away
It may be possible to spend one semester at a different university during your second year in the MA program. Students have spent a semester at Oxford University, MIT, Istanbul Bilgi University (Turkey), and the University of Texas at Austin.
Conference Participation
Our students have had papers accepted at peer-reviewed philosophy conferences across Canada, the US, Europe, and Asia. Conference participation is an important part of a graduate education, and Ryerson is committed to providing significant financial support from a variety of sources to cover travel costs when our students participate in conferences. Ryerson’s Philosophy Graduate Student Association (external link) also organizes an annual graduate student conference on campus.
Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards
Many of our students have received prestigious scholarships, fellowships, and awards, such as Ryerson Graduate Scholarships, Ontario Graduate Scholarships, and various awards funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (external link, opens in new window) (SSHRC), including Canada Graduate Scholarships (external link, opens in new window) and Foreign Study Supplements (external link, opens in new window) .