MA in Philosophy and Public Affairs
The Masters of Arts in Philosophy and Public Affairs is is a one-year interdisciplinary programme (or two years part-time), designed to offer graduates of either philosophy or the social sciences (politics, economics, history) the opportunity to study some of the many areas of overlap between the disciplines, and especially to explore foundational questions in public policy formulation. The innovative programme mixes the abstract and the applied, with half the modules from the School of Philosophy, and half from existing MA modules in the School of Politics and International Relations, the School of Applied Social Science, the School of Social Justice and the School of Sociology.
The student must take SIX modules. Please see the indicative module list below offered in 2012-13 academic year and is subject to change. These comprise:
(A) one compulsory module, PHIL 40420 The Good Society (Maeve Cooke), Semester II
(B) two philosophy modules, chosen from the following three:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
|
PHIL40350 Law, Liberty & the State |
PHIL40940 Topics in Social & Political Philosophy |
(C) one theoretical social science module, chosen from the following list:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
|
EQUL40310 Masculinities, Gender & Equality |
EQUL40050 Political Theory of Equality |
(D) two social science modules from the following list (which includes the modules of section C):
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
|
SOC40050 Contemporary Sociological Theory |
EQUL40050 Political Theory of Equality |
Please note: the School of Philosophy is not responsible for modules in other schools. Some of these modules may not be accessible to students on this MA programme because of (i) cancellation, (ii) oversubscription, or (iii) a timetable clash. Some timetable changes might be made as late as August. If you have any questions about the content of these modules, please contact the School in question: POL modules are offered by the School of Politics and International Relations; SOC modules are offered by the School of Sociology; EQUL modules are offered by the School of Social Justice; LAW module is offered by the School of Law; and the SLL module is offered by the School of Languages and Literatures.
In addition to the six modules, students must write a dissertation of 12-15,000 words, due on 23 August 2013. The dissertation must be supervised by a staff member of the School of Philosophy, although students may consult staff in other schools for informal advice.
Any further questions should be directed to the programme co-ordinator, Prof. Brian O'Connor: mailto:brian.oconnor@ucd.ie.
All administrative enquiries should be sent to the School Manager:
Please note that all applications should be made on-line.
