Master of Arts in Philosophy

This program has been submitted for closure and is pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Program Description

The mission of the Master of Arts in Philosophy (MAPhil) is to develop students who are capable of serving their community and the Church successfully in a variety of vocations, including academic, parachurch and ecclesiastical professions. The MAPhil degree is intended to offer students training in the critical and philosophical skills that are useful for their further academic study and also for their growth as followers of God. MAPhil graduates may continue their education at the doctoral level.

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Program Overview & Requirements

In addition, the Master of Arts in Philosophy program contains a Certificate in Philosophy of Religion. The coursework for the certificate is 18 hours and overlaps with the MAPhil curriculum, while also containing electives for those wishing to focus on apologetics. A student can complete the certificate while in the MAPhil program or pursue the certificate separately.

Finally, there is an option to complete a research track as part of the program. This track is ideal for students who desire to write a thesis and use that as the basis for further graduate work in philosophy.

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Opportunities for Master of Arts in Philosophy program

The faculty of in the Master of Arts in Philosophy program are excellent teachers and nationally known scholars. Faculty members have achieved terminal degrees from the University of Notre Dame, St. Louis University, University of California-Riverside, Baylor University and Northwestern University. A particular strength of the program is in apologetics, intelligent design, and philosophy of religion. In the MAPhil program, you will be in small classes with some of the leading public intellectuals in Christian philosophy and apologetics.

The Philosophy Department at HCU also hosts a national philosophy conference every year. The past two years, the themes have been Virtue Ethics and Epistemology, and Divine and Human Agency and Action.

After Graduation

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Philosophy program will be well-positioned for a variety of opportunities.  The MAPhil can provide the educational framework needed for parachurch ministry or teaching opportunities. In addition, graduates may choose to pursue further graduation education in philosophy at the PhD level, or use their philosophy background to pursue an education in theology or law.