How to Apply to the M.A. Program

Applicants must apply BOTH to the University and to the Department of Philosophy for admission to the Master's Program.  Applicants who have already been admitted to the University but are changing their objective to the M.A. in Philosophy should file a change of objective form available in the Philosophy Department.  Applications for admission must be complete by:

1.) Completion of a four-year college course of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.

2.) Good standing at the last college or university you attended.

3.) A GPA of at least 2.5 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units attempted, excluding lower-division and extension coursework taken after the degree.

4.) Satisfaction in meeting the professional, personal, scholastic and other standards for graduate study, including qualifying examinations, as prescribed by the program.

University Admissions Page

University Graduate Admissions Page

CSU Mentor Page for Online Applications (Encouraged by the University)

1. A Bachelor's degree with a major in Philosophy; or

2. A Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 24 units of upper division philosophy courses.  These courses must be comparable to those required for the B.A. in philosophy at this University. (Deficiences will be determined by the Graduate Advisor after consultation with the student and after study of transcript records.)

3.) The Philosophy Department requires a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.

PROVISIONAL/CONDITIONAL ADMISSION

Students who do not have an undergraduate major in Philosophy or 24 units of upper division courses, but whose record evince a high level of academic performance   may enter as provisional graduate students.

Provisional students are admitted contingent upon satisfactory completion of a deficiency program within the first year of classes.  The Graduate Advisor will specify the deficiency program based upon their assessment of the student's academic record.  It is recommended that students admitted conditionally, or who anticipate conditional admission contact the Graduate Advisor early in the admissions process and upon beginning the the Master's Program in order to facilitate assessment and to plan a program.

Applicants must apply in two places: the university and the philosophy department. First, apply to the university, THEN submit to the following materials to the Philosophy Department:

1. A copy of your university application.

2. A copy of transcript(s).

3. Two letters of recommendation.

4. A statement of purpose.

5. A writing sample.

The statement of purpose should be no more than 2 double-spaced pages.  Your statement of purpose should discuss the following 3 points:  (1) Your educational and career goals, and how a Philosophy MA facilitates those goals.  (2) The areas of Philosophy that interest you.  (3) How, in your view, the CSULB Philosophy Department and its Masters Program seem well-suited to your interests and career goals.

The writing sample should be between 5 and 15 pages.  We prefer a Philosophy writing sample, though we also encourage you to submit an example of your best academic writing.   We use writing samples to determine your writing ability, your reasoning ability, your general skills as a researcher, and your knowledge of the conventional standards regulating academic writing.

The Department does not require the GRE for admission, but applicants may submit their scores at their discretion.

Send these materials to Charles Wallis at the following address:

Attention: Charles Wallis, Graduate Advisor
Department of Philosophy
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-2408

The department deems a student’s preparation in Philosophy deficient if the student's coursework to date does not meet the current requirements for an undergraduate major in the subject. These requirements are stated in the current CSULB Catalog.

Formal deficiencies are of two sorts: (1) (upper-division) unit deficiencies, and (2) area deficiencies.

A graduate student has unit deficiencies if the student's transcript does not show a B.A. in philosophy or 24 units of upper-division philosophy courses.  A graduate student has area deficiencies if the student has not yet demonstrated proficiency in epistemology, metaphysics, ethical theory, and symbolic logic. (A “B” earned in a semester course in each of these areas is sufficient for such demonstration.) as well as course work covering the history of Philosophy from ancient Greece through the Late Modern period.  Unit deficiencies are removed by earning the appropriate number of upper-division units.

Area deficiencies are deficiencies in undergraduate preparation in specific areas of philosophy, and their removal might not require the earning of units. The student has two options for the removal of deficiencies. The first is to take the appropriate undergraduate course. The second option, usually available only for a logic deficiency, is to test out of the requirement.  None of the courses taken to remedy a deficiency counts toward the 30 units required for the M.A. degree.