How to Apply
A rising centre of excellence in the North American philosophical community, TMU’s Department of Philosophy offers a distinctive program leading to a Master of Arts (MA) degree in philosophy. Located in the heart of Toronto’s vibrant downtown, the program contributes to the thriving research culture in Canada’s largest and most cosmopolitan city.
Focused on core areas of philosophy, the program is designed for students who wish to broaden or deepen their undergraduate experience in philosophy and for students planning to pursue a PhD in philosophy. Our innovative 5-term program includes both a Major Research Paper stream and a Thesis stream.
Many of our students choose to continue their philosophical studies at the PhD level, and we have had great success placing our students in outstanding doctoral programs. Our students have been accepted into programs at Oxford, UCLA, McGill, the University of Toronto, Emory, DePaul, Vanderbilt, and many more.
The admissions process for Fall 2023 is now complete. We will start considering applications for Fall 2024 in February 2024.
International Applicants
International applicants should note that, due to the structure of our funding, our program is able to take only a very small number of international applicants each year. Also, international students pay roughly double the tuition of Canadian students.
Specific Documents Required
Statement of Interest
- Your research interests and reasons for pursuing Graduate study in philosophy;
- Your current plans regarding the topic of your major research paper or thesis;
- How your previous studies and experience have prepared you for the MA program; and
- Your career objectives and how the MA program relates to them.
Sample of Work
- Please submit a sample of writing (10-15 pages) that represents your very best philosophical work.
Letters of Recommendation
- Two letters of recommendation are required. The two recommendations should be from academic references—former professors or research supervisors—familiar with your experience and abilities.
If you are thinking about applying to our program, you should also consider applying for a SSHRC scholarship.
Minimum Academic Requirements
The normal admission requirements are:
- a four-year honours undergraduate degree in Philosophy (or a degree from an equivalent program, such as TMU’s Arts and Contemporary Studies program with an option in Philosophy), and
- a minimum GPA of 3.33/4.33 (B+), or its equivalent, in the final half of the program.
We also encourage applications from students with an honours undergraduate degree in another program who have demonstrated in their coursework a strong aptitude for philosophy. If you are not sure whether your undergraduate experience qualifies, please contact the graduate program director.