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Undergraduate programs

Philosophy undergraduate programs

The Department of Philosophy offers two main undergraduate degree programs: in Philosophy and in Justice, Political Philosophy and Law (JPPL). In addition to Philosophy honours and JPPL honours, we offer honours programs in Philosophy and Biology and in Philosophy and Mathematics; a three-year BA; a minor in philosophy; and a Concurrent Certificate in Applied Ethics and Policy. Many of our students complete combined honours with Philosophy and another subject – this is easy to do.

What do you learn in a Philosophy program?

Philosophy is devoted to the study of fundamental questions such as: What is truth? How can we create a just society? What makes an action right or wrong, or an artwork aesthetically valuable? Is there a God? What makes us who we are?

When you study philosophy, you’ll learn how to address such questions carefully, reflectively, and rigorously. You’ll also learn how thinkers from very different historical, social, and cultural contexts approach them today or have approached them in the past. And you’ll learn how to engage a plurality of perspectives in a respectful dialogue.

Studying these questions and theories will help students to think creatively and critically, to organize their thoughts methodically, to improve their communication skills, and to use argument and self-reflection to arrive at and defend their own well-reasoned conclusions.

Philosophy program Learn more

McMaster offers an Honours Philosophy BA and a combined Honours program.

Justice, Political Philosophy and Law Learn more

Fostering a sophisticated understanding of the law and legal institutions in our social world.

Certificate for Applied Ethics and Policy Learn more

Prepare for a wide range of professional occupations.

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I found the passion amongst individual professors for their discipline and area of study the most beneficial to me.

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Bertrand Russell visiting professorship Learn more

As the host of the Bertrand Russell Archives, the Department of Philosophy continually invites applications for a Visiting Professorship in Russell and the History of Early Analytic Philosophy.

Institute of Ethics & Policy for Innovation Learn more

This McMaster institute is a consultation and research-based program focused on identifying and addressing ethical challenges, ethics-related risk and policy gaps in relation to practical Global Health and Development.