Offered by Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada, Philosophy: Master of Arts (MA) is a master's degree in Philosophy & Ethics programme. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,150 per semester (CAD 2,150 per semester for local students).
SFU's two-year, course-based Philosophy MA is built as a springboard toward doctoral study, and the department welcomes applicants with limited prior coursework in the subject. Students choose among three routes: a professional-paper track combining seven courses with revision of a publishable paper, a classic thesis track pairing six courses covering every major area of philosophy with a thesis of up to 100 pages, or a specialized thesis track tailored to an individual research proposal. All incoming students take a shared professional seminar alongside small term-by-term seminars, and funding typically includes teaching-assistant positions, research assistantships, and conference travel support; recent graduates have gone on to doctoral programs at institutions including Cambridge and Harvard.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: The department does not publish a numeric GPA floor of its own; admission is assessed from a full application package: a statement of intent, official transcripts, a writing sample (normally 10 to 15 pages plus references), and contact details for three referees. Applicants whose primary language is not English submit TOEFL or IELTS scores where required, under SFU's general graduate English-language policy (IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, 6.0 per section, or TOEFL 90 overall, 20 per section); the department does not publish its own minimum score. Students applying to the Specialized MA stream must arrange a faculty supervisor in advance, secure that supervisor's agreement, and submit a detailed outline of the proposed project and course of study; Thesis and Professional Paper applicants are told it is neither necessary nor advisable to arrange a supervisor before arriving. The department accepts students with limited prior philosophy coursework or varied academic backgrounds aiming toward doctoral study. The Fall 2026 deadline was 15 January 2026, with a Canadian-transcript application fee of $110 and an international fee of $150.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, with one set of dates per applicant type rather than by citizenship. Fall 2027 entry: high-school-route applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027, while transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027 (Education and Contemporary Arts transfer applicants may apply from 1 October 2026). Spring 2027 entry runs 1 July to 15 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry runs 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Admission documents are generally due 28 February 2027 (Fall) and offers must be accepted by 1 May. International applicants use the same EducationPlannerBC dates and portal; SFU publishes no separate international deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
