The Master of Arts degree in Philosophy consists of 30 units of graduate coursework (500-799) selected with the approval of the graduate adviser. Students must complete a minimum of 24 units from courses in philosophy. The 24 units shall include Philosophy 521, 799A, and a minimum of 12 units in 600-level courses.

At the beginning of every fall semester, every new graduate student is expected to attend an orientation designed to familiarize students with the program and to help them to get to know the faculty and other students in the program.

DLO 1: Students are prepared for entry into a PhD program, teaching at the community college level, or entry into other professional programs (e.g., law school).

DLO 2: Students outline, stake, present counterarguments to and overcome them, and defend an original position (thesis) concerning some specialized area (e.g., history, metaphysics, science, aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, etc.)

DLO 3: Students present their research in a public forum.

DLO 4: Students write at the professional level;

DLO 5: Students correctly apply and use deductive logic symbolization and argumentation.

Step 1: Complete the online Cal State Apply Application. 

Deadline to apply is February 1, 2026.

Each applicant must submit the California State University common application electronically to at Cal State Apply  along with the $70 nonrefundable application fee. The Cal State Apply site will begin to accept applications on October 1, 2025. Once you have submitted the Cal State Apply application, you will be assigned a SDSUid number, which will be e-mailed to you within 1-15 business days. We recommend submitting your Cal State Apply application as soon as possible to ensure you receive your SDSUid on time. Your SDSUid number will allow you to track the status of your application through the my.SDSU. 

Step 2: Submit Official Transcripts & Test Scores to the Graduate Admissions Office

Deadline to submit is February 15, 2026.

After you have submitted the Cal State Apply application and received your SDSUid number, you will need to send official transcripts and test scores to the Graduate Admissions Office.  Sending transcripts before submitting the Cal State Apply application will result in processing delays.

You must provide the following:

1. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
   
   Transcripts should be sent to:

   Graduate Admissions
   San Diego State University
   5500 Campanile Drive
   San Diego, CA 92182-8225

   Electronic transcripts are acceptable. Please ensure that you indicate this preference when making your request. If you are required to provide an email address to send the secure online document to SDSU, please use [email protected].

2. If applicable, TOEFL test scores sent directly from ETS. (Institution Code: 4682)
   
   

If you have questions regarding Steps 1 and 2, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office.

Step 3: Complete Philosophy Program Application

Within 72 hours of submitting your initial application to Cal State Apply, you will receive an email with a personalized link to Slate to submit your program application. See the Slate Quick Start Guide for assistance.

Deadline to submit is Feruary 15, 2025 for full admission consideration. Late program applications will be considered on a space-available basis until April 15.

The Philosophy program application requires the following items:

1. A writing sample (a course paper is acceptable).
   
   
2. A statement of your research interests and professional goals (include a description of any relevant teaching experience and/or other information about you that you want us to know).
   
   
3. Two letters of recommendation – Applicant must provide names and email addresses for recommenders. Recommenders will be invited to complete the recommendation electronically.

If you have questions regarding Step 3, please contact Araceli Neuner at [email protected].

 See the courses page for more information.

 

A variety of funding opportunities are available to philosophy graduate students.

Teaching Associate and Instructional Student Assistants

Each semester the department hires a small amount of graduate students for a variety of teaching assistant positions and readers (ISAs). These positions will be advertised at the beginning of each semester and selections will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about these positions.

Graduate Philosophy Travel Grants

We offer research and travel grants of up to $400 to graduate students enrolled in the philosophy department. The graduate student must be enrolled at the university during the time of travel and grants are to be used in support of research and travel related to research. The intent is to increase the overall support provided by the University for excellent work in the field of philosophy. Grants can be used to augment resources already available at San Diego State University from other sources.

Students may apply at any time during the year. Students seeking support for summer research travel should submit an application by April 1. There will be another round of funding available in fall.

Download the travel grant application.

If you have questions, please contact Kimberly Kennelly at [email protected]

Out-of-state tuition waivers

Graduate Affairs has a limited number of tuition waivers available for high caliber international and domestic non-resident students. These waivers exempt students from paying the non-resident fee. Those receiving the waiver must pay the same fees (registration and student fees) as California residents. Incoming and current students will be selected for tuition waivers on a case-by-case basis.

Scholarships

You may be eligible for scholarships available through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at SDSU, including the Philosophy Scholarship, the Charles Wei-hsun Fu Endowed Scholarship in Chinese and Asian Philosophy, the Christopher Mortenson Memorial Scholarship, the Laurel Amtower Memorial Scholarship, the College of Arts & Letters Scholarship, the SDSU College of Arts and Letters Alumni Chapter Scholarship, and many others. Check the SDSU scholarships website  for opportunities.

Financial aid

Applicants seeking financial aid in the form of loans or need-based grants should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. 

Albert Dumaran

I'm interested in Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Disability, and Ethics. However, my interests continue to expand every semester!

 

 

Austin Hanna

I received my B.A. from SDSU and enjoyed it so much that I continued into the Master’s program. My philosophical interests are philosophy of religion, Platonism, and metaphysics. I really value the experience of teaching my own class as a Teaching Associate here at SDSU.

 

Basir Hassanzadeh

I started philosophy at a later age to find possible answers to my life-long questions, only to realize there is no answer, and ironically, I find joy in that uncertainty. My area of study at SDSU has included Eastern philosophies, Spinoza (my thesis), identity, and the history of philosophy. I enjoy both analytical and continental philosophies. I intend to explore political philosophy and further my studies in the history of philosophy.

 

Matthew Miuccio

I recently completed my B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Before returning to academia to reinvent myself, I worked for nearly a decade in diagnostic and surgical radiology, a humbling experience that shaped my interest in questions concerning ethics and embodiment. I come to SDSU as a second-generation Italian-American, with my academic work driven by a strong sense of justice and a desire to promote intellectual access. My graduate studies in Philosophy will focus on social metaphysics, with a particular enthusiasm for how power, affect, and knowledge intersect to form human subjectivity and possibility.

 

Jeffrey Novotny

Doing Philosophy has been my favorite identity pastime since undergraduate days long ago at Heidelberg College in Ohio. Following a career in electronic funds processing, I am now fortunate to expand my philosophical horizons through graduate studies at SDSU. My primary goal is to achieve an MA in Philosophy, and then pursue second-career opportunities as a college instructor. Questions of key interest are: 1) consciousness; 2) sense perception, intuition, and mysticism; 3) space-time; 4) limitations of language; and 5) synergies between East, West, and Indigenous philosophies.

 

Hector Quintero

I double majored at Arizona State University, earning BAs in philosophy and anthropology. My interests include the history of philosophy, pragmatism, and contemporary philosophy. Some of my favorite philosophers are Richard Rorty, John Dewey, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Outside of philosophy, I like to make music, play with my cats, and spend time with friends.

 

Claudia Romero

Hello everyone! My name is Claudia Romero and I was born and raised here in North County San Diego. I did my undergrad at UC Irvine where I double majored in Psychology and Philosophy with a specialization in Law and Society. My philosophical interests include Philosophy of Religion, Ethics, and the Philosophy of Psychology. In my free time I enjoy reading, relaxing at home, spending time with my family, and trying new restaurants.

 

Quinn Rymer

Hello, Y'all! My name is Quinn and I am working on my dissertation on animal ethics and ontology for my Masters in Philosophy. I intend to pursue law post-grad with a concentration in non-human rights. I teach sections three and five for Phil-200. When I'm not at SDSU, I'm probably at the beach! My hometown is Portland, Oregon but I'm happy to soak up the sun while I'm in San Diego. Feel free to reach out if you have any interests in animal ethics, non-human philosophy, or vegan recipes!

 

Alexandros Sklavenitis

I am interested in virtually all kinds of Philosophy, from pre-Socratic speculations to the madness and sexuality of Michel Foucault. However, Hegelian dialectics and Marxism are my preferred areas. Besides Philosophy I am also into History, particularly Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages. I also enjoy reading authors such as Dostoyevsky, Kurt Vonnegut and Haruki Murakami.

 

Anthony Stucky

My research interests include questions about reality and appearance, the constitution of the subject, the relation between justice and ethics, and the ways truth is produced, shaped, and distorted under the pressures of power and history. Within the Department of Philosophy at SDSU, I serve as a TA for Critical Thinking and Composition and have also worked as an ISA for Environmental Ethics. The great philosophical questions are never settled once and for all; they return, shift, and reorient us, teaching something new each time. I often find that others have expressed this more eloquently than I can:

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” — T. S. Eliot

 

Nicholas Torres

I am originally from Bakersfield, California, and moved to San Diego for school. I enjoy traveling, singing in choir, and playing volleyball with friends. I also love to cook and try to make as many new dishes as possible. The areas of philosophy that interest me are ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. I would love the opportunity to dive deeper into each field.