Engaged in the Contemporary World
MSU Philosophy aspires to be a pluralist department that supports a wide range of approaches to doing philosophy. As a department, we pursue this work through attention to our core values: accountability, responsibility, and respect.
By pursuing these values, we commit to taking necessary actions to develop a departmental culture that sustains safety, inclusivity, and equity. These actions include self-reflection, open conversation, and focused workshops.
Accountability
Responsibility
Respect
Academics
Our graduate program offers traditional and practical areas in
We offer
Small Class Sizes & Flexible Scheduling
Individual attention from award-winning faculty, staff, and advisors in classes offered on campus and online – create your own path through a major or minor.
Philosophy That Matters
Philosophical methods, resources, and elements of traditional areas of philosophy to help address practical issues of concern to society at large and to disciplines outside of philosophy.
Philosophy Beyond the Classroom
Senior Thesis, Philosophy Club, Fellowships, Distinguished Philosophy speaker series, experiential learning, career preparation.
Degree areas
Philosophy BA
Philosophy BA critically examines the most basic beliefs about the world and the place of people in it.
Philosophy Law Major
Philosophy BA-MA
Admission to the Linked Bachelor’s-Master’s program allows the application of up to 9 credits toward the master’s program
Philosophy MA
The Philosophy MA program may choose from the following areas: Philosophy and Ethics of Health Care, Social and Political Thought, Ethics and Development, Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
Philosophy PHD
Philosophy and Ethics of Health Care, Social and Political Thought, Ethics and Development, Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
Philosophy Minor
Philosophy Law Minor
Philosophy BA
A Philosophy BA critically examines the fundamental beliefs about the world and the place of people in it.
Philosophy BA-MA
Admission to the Linked Bachelor’s-Master’s program allows the application of up to 9 credits toward the master’s program
Philosophy MA
We no longer admit students to the MA program.
Philosophy PHD
The PhD program emphasizes a broad range of philosophical issues. Opportunities exist for interdisciplinary work, specializations, and concentrations.
Philosophy Minor
Philosophy Law Minor
How Can Philosophy Impact Communities?
Chayse Hurley ‘19
Student
What Unique Skills can Philosophy Provide?
Victor Draine ‘12
Alumni
Chase Hurley ’19
Victor Draine ’12
undergraduate experience
Our Philosophy major offers a you a personalized experience. We empower our students to think critically and examine the most basic beliefs about the world we live in.
CHANGING THE WORLD WITH ENGAGED PHILOSOPHY
Through the creation of the Engaged Philosophy Internship Program (EPIP), MSU’s Department of Philosophy is hoping to change how the world views philosophy.
“What we do in the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative is use philosophy to structure a dialogue among collaborators in complex projects that focus on real-world issues like climate change or invasive species.”
Michael O’Rourke
Professor of Philosophy
Director of the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative, an NSF-sponsored research initiative
Philosophy Professor Interviewed for the APA
Megan Dean discusses her work on the ethics of eating in a recent interview for the American Philosophical Association Blog.
Philosophy Department Recognized for the Engaged Philosophy Internship Program
The Daily Nous, a philosophy news site, recently recognized the department for excellence in preparing graduate students for non-academic career paths through the Engaged Philosophy Internship Program.
Fusing Ideas Through Philosophy: Center Elevates Collaborative Research Between the Arts and Sciences
“When we practice philosophy in C4I, we practice engaged philosophy. We apply principles and offer services that leverage the power of philosophy and help others understand why philosophy is important to the world.”
Philosophy Professor Recognized for Anti-Violence Research
Elena Ruíz’s anti-violence research has attracted the interest and support of advocacy organizations and philanthropic groups world-wide, including the Me Too Movement Organization for which she was named principal researcher for gender-based violence in January 2020.
featured News
MSU Student Ashley Romo to Present Zoot Suit Research at UURAF
MSU Philosophy and Theatre double-major, Ashley Romo, will be presenting her independent study work, “A Philosophical Study of the Zoot Suit in Chicano Culture”, at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). Ashley’s work draws on philosophical approaches to social ontology to examine how clothing creates and attaches meaning to identity. She explores the Zoot Suit and its significance within Chicano communities in the United States during the 1940s in Los Angeles, and specifically how the Zoot Suit functioned not merely as a style of dress but as a socially charged symbol associated with youth culture, resistance, and
Philosophy Graduate Student Awarded Prestigious CIRCLE Fellowship
Cristobal Arellano Borges, a doctorial candidate in the Department of Philosophy and American Indian & Indigenous Studies at Michigan State University, has been awarded the 2026–2027 graduate fellowship from the Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Collaboration, Learning, and Engagement. The highly competitive fellowship program—awarding just three fellowships from a pool of 40 applicants—supports emerging scholars committed to interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Fellows receive a $5,000 stipend and participate in training that emphasizes qualitative and arts-based methods, team-building, facilitation, and critical engagement across disciplines. CIRCLE’s fellowship aims to build collaborative capacity among the next generation of researchers and educators while fostering
Faculty and Students Engage in Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning Through COIL Program
Four College of Arts & Letters faculty members are part of the third cohort of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Faculty Fellows Program-Africa, pairing them with faculty from an African country with the goal of engaging students in meaningful global learning experiences. An online cross-cultural teaching and learning method, the COIL program links university courses, faculty, and students in different countries, providing both students and faculty with a collaborative intercultural experience. As part of the program, faculty from different countries partner to design and implement a class module. Students then work together across cultures to complete the activities created, thus
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