Masters Qualifying in Philosophy with a research component
The MQual Coördinator is Jakob Hohwy .
The MQual is equivalent to Honours in Philosophy. The Honours degree in Philosophy is a fourth year of study beyond the normal BA. In the MQual you will complete two 12-point subjects, PHM4010 Philosophy MQual A and PHM4020 Philosophy MQual B. You will also do a 24-point Research Project across two semesters. This subject is called PHM4000. It is possible to do the MQual part-time. It is also possible to enter the program at mid-year.
The Research Project - What is it?
When you complete your research paper you will have produced a substantial piece of philosophy on a topic of your own choosing. Because philosophy is a discipline in which journal articles are the most common way of transmitting research findings, we will teach you how to write one. We think this is more valuable than getting you to produce a longer thesis. A student excelling at this paper will have produced an original contribution on a philosophical issue, suitable for submission to a scholarly journal.
Students will work up to the writing of the main research paper by a series of shorter assessment tasks, elements of which will be incorporated into later stages. Intending Honours students are asked to declare an area of research and on this basis will be allocated to a particular supervisor. Students attend a weekly work-in-progress seminar. Initial meetings of the seminar will include presentations by members of staff on the use of research tools in philosophy. You will be guided in the preparation of a bibliography and literature review for your chosen topic. With your supervisor, you will plan and execute a first draft of your research paper. You will then receive feedback from examiners and will revise your work - just as you would if your paper were provisionally accepted for publication in a journal. You will also present your paper to the Honours/MQual workshop and field questions about it - just as you would if you were giving a paper at a philosophy conference.
Throughout the year you will have the opportunity to interact with staff, post-graduate students and other Honours students in the life of the department, seeing first-hand what it means to be a member of a community of shared inquiry.
Assessment:
i) a bibliography (sem 1, week 3);
ii) synopses of key papers in the area (3000 words, 5%, sem
1, week 7);
iii) a literature review (4000 words, 10%,
end of sem 1);
iv) completed first draft of research
project (8-10,000 words, 15%, sem 2, week 7);
v) final
revised draft of the research project (60%, sem 2, week 13).
vi) oral presentation on your project at an annual Honours/MQual
workshop (10%).
The two 12 point subjects: Hons A and B
PHM4010 MQual A and PHM4020 MQual B are modularised subjects. You complete each one by doing two units of your choice from a menu of around four offerings in each semester. The units available include: i) Metaphysics and Epistemology; ii) Value Theory; iii) Foundations of Analytic Philosophy; iv) Contemporary European Philosophy; v) Supervised Reading; vi) Philosophy of Mind and Cognition; vii) Philosophical Pedagogy.
Each unit, except for Supervised Reading and Philosophical Pedagogy, consists of six 2-hour seminars. If you elect to do Value Theory as part of MQual A, you can elect to do another unit of the same name in MQual B. The subject of the unit will be different in each semester and will reflect the particular research interests of the staff member teaching it. The Supervised Reading unit is an individualised course of study. Philosophical Pedagogy is a unit on teaching philosophy and has a practical component. It will only be offered once per year. Each unit is assessed by a 4500-word essay, except for Philosophical Pedagogy which has a variety of exercises and a practical. The practical may involve teaching a tutorial under supervision.
What Else Happens in the Mqual?
Since Philosophy has a relatively small MQual/Honours year, you will get to know your teachers, post-grads, and other Honours students very well. Every Monday prior to the Work-in-Progress seminar, there is the Honours lunch at Wholefoods. Academics, post-grads and Honours students go along to talk philosophy or just hang out. In addition, we organise a weekend camp at a rural property in South Gippsland so you can get better acquainted with one another and with others in the department.
Where Will Philosophy Mqual Take Me?
In general, any Honours equivalent degree adds to the prestige of your BA. If you decide not to pursue further studies, your degree tells potential employers that you are intelligent, articulate and capable of self-directed research. If you want to pursue post-graduate studies, such as an MA or PhD, an Honours or MQual degree is an essential first step.
Monash is a particularly good choice if you intend to undertake further research in Philosophy. An influential American guide to post-graduate study ranks Monash Philosophy equal second with Melbourne to the Australian National University Research School. (The ANU Research School, however, does no undergraduate teaching and has no Honours/MQual program.) The same survey ranks Monash in the top 30 programs worldwide. Thus, if you can achieve first class result in the MQual at Monash, you can probably get into most MA or PhD programs here or abroad - perhaps with a scholarship as well.
What are the entry requirements?
A Pass BA with results of at least at credit level in the third part of a major sequence in Philosophy or equivalent. Special admission will be considered for applicants with a credit-level Bachelors degree in another discipline or with a different major in the following cases:
- Candidates with substantial experience in teaching Philosophy in schools.
- Candidates with substantial experience in fields which demand a level of philosophical expertise: e.g. suitable areas of writing, commentary and journalism.
Applicants who propose entry on the basis of these special conditions should be prepared to submit a sample of their written work and to discuss with the MQual coordinator the kind of thesis research they propose to undertake and how their experience has prepared them for this.
Enrolled students should also visit the MUSO site for Honours.