Philosophy

The University of Idaho, in cooperation with Washington State University (WSU), offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Philosophy. The strong, fully collaborative M.A. program gives you access to faculty expertise and the excellent resources of both leading universities, and allows you to also receive graduate credit for philosophy courses offered at the nearby WSU campus, located a short eight miles away in Pullman, Wash. The program will help you develop the analytical thinking and writing skills that are essential to success in many professions. It will also prepare you with the research experience, sophisticated reasoning skills and advanced knowledge necessary for admission to a quality doctorate program in philosophy.

The joint program offers two special areas of emphasis: environmental philosophy and ethics. Other program strengths include philosophy of biology, philosophy of law, philosophy of mind and biblical interpretation. You may pursue a course of study on any of three tracks:

• General: Allows you to develop a graduate emphasis and course of study that specifically meets your philosophical interests.
• Environmental philosophy: Gives you the opportunity to pursue advanced philosophical study and to complete a thesis in the broad field covering philosophy and the environment, including environmental ethics, natural resource policy, ecofeminism, religion and the environment, philosophy of biology, ecology and jurisprudence, and environmental epistemology.
• Ethics: This track offers you the chance to work with the several faculty members at the University of Idaho and WSU that specialize in ethics and the related fields of political philosophy and philosophy of law.

Graduate study in philosophy at the University of Idaho will allow you to enhance your understanding of the discipline through thought-provoking seminars, one-on-one faculty mentorship and self-directed research. You will closely examine the core areas of philosophy – ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and the history of philosophy – and you'll explore more specialized areas within the discipline, such as philosophy of science, environmental philosophy, feminist philosophy, philosophy of biology, philosophy of law, applied ethics and philosophy of language.

The philosophy departments at University of Idaho and Washington State University have a rich history of collaboration. A hallmark of this partnership is the annual Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference, which brings to the University of Idaho and WSU campuses leading philosophers and scholars from across the nation. As an Idaho graduate student in the joint program, you will be formally admitted through the graduate school at the University of Idaho. Your degree will be granted by the University of Idaho as well, though your transcript will indicate the joint nature of the program. Free bus service and a paved bike trail connect the University of Idaho to Washington State University.

The University of Idaho philosophy program also cooperates in the field of environmental philosophy with the University of Montana. Each spring, the philosophy departments at the two universities co-sponsor the Idaho/Montana Graduate Student Conference in Environmental Philosophy. If you are interested in this area, you will have the opportunity to present a paper before your peers and select faculty from the two universities.

Prepare for Success

Graduate students in the University of Idaho philosophy program are inquisitive, intellectually-demanding students, many of whom are pursuing a career in academia. Some of our students are mid-career working professionals, seeking to renew their intellectual curiosity or enhance their career path by developing their skills in analytic reasoning and critical thinking.

Our program is also ideal if you are interested in the philosophical study and research of important environmental, scientific or social issues. Graduate study in our program provides a perfect complement to advanced or professional study in natural resources, law and related fields.

You should have either a bachelor’s degree in philosophy or substantial university level course work in the discipline. Most important is exposure to ethics, logic, the history of philosophy (ancient and modern) and some aspects of metaphysics and epistemology.

Your First Year

As a student working toward a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Philosophy from the University of Idaho, you must complete 30 credit hours of study and write a thesis. If you choose to pursue one of our areas of emphasis, environmental philosophy or ethics, your thesis must be in that area.

Early in the program, you will assemble a graduate committee and select a major professor, who will help you develop a study plan tailored to your philosophical and long-term interests. In your first year, you will take the following courses:

• Phil 510 – History of Philosophy
• Phil 520 – Ethical Theory

And you will take two of the following:

• Phil 501 – Advanced Logic
• Phil 522 – Metaphysics
• Phil 524 – Epistemology

The remainder of your graduate course work will be elective. Students pursuing the environmental philosophy emphasis will take electives in that field. Among the courses that you can choose from are:

• Phil 517 – Philosophy of Biology
• Phil 552 – Environmental Philosophy
• Phil 556 – Religion and the Environment
• Phil 571 – Ecological Jurisprudence

Students interested in the ethics emphasis area must take electives in that general area, such as:

• Phil 525 – Philosophy and Feminism
• Phil 532 – Business Ethics
• Phil 535 – Advanced Biomedical Ethics
• Phil 570 – Philosophy of Law

Applicants who lack the appropriate undergraduate background in philosophy may be required to complete course work in those content areas where deficiencies exist. 

M.A. Philosophy Requirements
Courses

What You Can Do

An advanced degree in philosophy provides the broad education and advanced critical thinking skills that are highly valued in many professions. Philosophy graduates often pursue careers in:

• Education – teaching, research, administration
• Government – political office and campaigns, research, intelligence, public information
• Law
• Business – human resources, marketing, sales, consulting
• Journalism – writing, editing, management, public relations
• Nonprofit/public service – Peace Corps, nongovernmental organizations, clergy
• Arts and entertainment – writing, managing, announcing, directing

The Master of Arts in Philosophy is excellent preparation for a career in academia and for admission into a strong doctorate program in philosophy.

Opportunities

With a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Idaho, you will have established yourself as a person with exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills. The study of philosophy is well known for developing reasoning and communication skills, such as the ability to express and defend coherent views on complex issues, that are central to success in all professions and all areas of study.

A graduate degree in philosophy may open doors to a variety of interesting career options. If you choose to pursue either of our environmental philosophy or ethics emphasis tracks, you will be highly trained, from both a humanistic and a theoretical perspective, to conduct research and develop policy applicable to some of our world’s most significant ethical and social justice issues, as well as complex environmental and natural resource problems.

Many of our master’s students continue their philosophy education to the doctoral level with the aim of ultimately becoming a professor at a university or college. Recent graduates are currently in Ph.D. programs in both the United States and Scotland.

Current Research

University of Idaho faculty members in the Department of Philosophy are recognized nationally for their expertise. As a graduate student at the University of Idaho, you will have the opportunity to engage in leading research alongside faculty from both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. Current University of Idaho faculty research interests include:

• Environmental philosophy
• Ethics and bioethics
• Philosophy of science and biology
• Philosophy of mind
• Philosophy of law
• Biblical interpretation
• Philosophy of language

The Department of Philosophy works closely with the College of Natural Resources and Department of Biology to create opportunities for you to collaborate with interdisciplinary faculty and graduate students who are on the forefront of the research and scholarly study of environmental and natural resource issues.

Hands-On Experience

Each candidate for the Master of Arts in Philosophy is required to complete a thesis. You will work under the guidance of your faculty mentor to write a thesis and present your research. Current graduate student research projects focus on a diverse range of topics:

• Patent law and the theft of indigenous knowledge
• Free will and determinism
• Moral responsibility
• Philosophy of pragmatism

As an Idaho graduate student, you will also have the opportunity to participate in exciting learning opportunities, including:

• Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference: This annual conference, co-sponsored by the University of Idaho and Washington State University, gives students the chance to network with, and hear presentations from, well-known philosophers and scholars from around the country.
• Professional Ethics Certificates: As part of the Idaho Professional Ethics Initiative, University of Idaho graduate students may augment their graduate study by earning a Certificate in Professional Ethics or a Certificate in Diversity and Intercultural Relations.
• Study Abroad: Philosophy students also have the opportunity to include a study-abroad experience during their graduate education. You will have the chance to participate in a challenging justice-focused semester or summer abroad in a combined academic study and service learning context. Cooperative global justice programs currently exist in Ecuador, Kenya, Japan and Mexico.
• Collaboration with University of Montana: University of Idaho graduate students with a concentration in environmental philosophy benefit from the proximity of a similar program at the University of Montana in Missoula. The two programs collaborate on the Idaho/Montana Graduate Student Conference in Environmental Philosophy, an annual graduate student mini-conference, alternating between Missoula and Moscow.