Philosophy and Society (M.A.)
The Master of Arts in Philosophy and Society (MAPS) trains students in Jesuit formation to analyze the human condition amidst and through the complex social, political, economic, and cultural contexts that characterize the contemporary global landscape. Its innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum leverages the best of the Catholic intellectual tradition and Fordham’s disciplinary strengths in philosophy, theology, the social and natural sciences, the arts, and the humanities to advance knowledge and learning that promote faith and social justice. Through the program’s integration of the Catholic tradition, contextually oriented ministry in solidarity with local communities, and interdisciplinary intellectual formation, this program challenges students to respond effectively to a world that needs well-formed minds and open hearts.
CIP Code
38.0101 - Philosophy.
You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.
Guidelines and Information
GSAS will waive all application fees from members of the Society of Jesus to the M.A. in Philosophy and Society (MAPS) program.
Completed online application for the MAPS program will include each of the following items:
Resume/CV
Submitted directly via the online application.
Official transcripts
Please be sure to order official final transcripts from all previously attended institutions confirming degree conferral (if applicable) at least one month before the posted application deadline. Transcripts should be sent directly from your prior institution(s) via secure electronic delivery to the Office of Admissions at fuga@fordham.edu.
If electronic delivery is not available, please request that your transcripts be submitted by postal service in a sealed envelope from the institution to:
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Office of Admissions
Keating Hall Room 216
Fordham University
441 E. Fordham Rd.
Bronx, NY 10458
Please note: We strongly recommend that you upload unofficial copies of your academic transcripts to your application while the Office of Admissions awaits receipt of your official transcripts.
Please ensure that all official transcripts from previously attended post-secondary institutions are submitted in English, or are accompanied by a certified English translation. For academic transcripts from institutions outside the United States, applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain a course-by-course credential evaluation. Transcripts and credentials conversion information is available on the GSAS International Students page.
Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores
GRE scores for the M.A. program are optional for the 2024 – 2025 admissions cycle. Applicants who wish to submit GRE scores may do so, but scores are not required (scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences – Code #2259).
Statement of intent
Up to 500 words, submit via the online application.
Supplemental Essay (Optional)
You may choose to answer this optional essay question. Your answer will help the admission committee get a better understanding of your unique perspective and potential contributions to our community.
Please discuss how your life experiences, perspective, or worldview have motivated or inspired you, posed challenges, helped you build skills, or taught you valuable lessons. We are eager to learn how these experiences have helped shape who you are and prepared you for graduate study, in keeping with our mission of "graduate education for the global good."
Writing Sample
5 - 20 pages in length, submit via the online application.
Three letters of recommendation
Submitted directly via the online application. Enter the following information for each of your recommendation providers: name, address, email address, phone number, and institution. Make sure you enter your recommenders' email addresses correctly so that they each receive an automated email instructing them on how to submit their recommendations online. Mark the waiver statement for each recommender you enter.
English Proficiency Requirements
International applicants whose native language is not English are required to complete and submit to GSAS prior to matriculation their official scores from one of the following accepted English language competency exams:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - GSAS accepts the following TOEFL tests:
- TOEFL iBT (including the Home Edition and Paper Edition
- TOEFL Essentials
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)—Cambridge English Proficiency Level
- Duolingo English Test
- PTE Academic
- Cambridge English Qualifications - We accept the B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exams
Official TOEFL, IELTS, DET, PTE Academic, or Cambridge English Qualifications scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (our ETS TOEFL score code #2259).
Preferred minimum score requirements:
| Exam | Score |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 100 |
| IELTS | 7.0 band score |
| DET | 120 |
| PTE Academic | 68 |
| Cambridge English Qualifications | 185 Overall Score on the B2, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exam |
Exemptions to the English Language Requirement
Exemptions from this requirement can be requested by the applicant in her/his application, or can be made in writing by the applicant to fuga@fordham.edu. Exemptions are generally permitted for international applicants who:
- are native English speakers from countries where English is an official language; and/or
- have completed, within the past five years, at least two years of study at an undergraduate or graduate institution in the United States or in a country where English is the official language of instruction.
GSAS retains the right to request language evaluation from any applicant. The Fordham English Language Test (FELT), administered by Fordham’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC), may be required for those students whose English proficiency scores do not meet GSAS program requirements. Additional coursework may also be recommended by the IALC.
Students are permitted to register for two GSAS courses during the academic term in which they are completing any IALC-recommended coursework, which generally occurs during their first semester of study.
Please note: Tuition costs associated with the learning of English as a second language are the responsibility of the student and will not be covered by a GSAS tuition scholarship. GSAS merit-based tuition scholarships are not applicable to the costs of additional coursework recommended by the IALC.
The M.A. in Philosophy and Society is a three-year, 69-credit program. See lists following the below grid for courses fulfilling the specified requirements.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophical Core | ||
| MAPS 5500 | Introduction to Philosophical Inquiry | 3 |
| PHIL 5010 | Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas | 3 |
| PHIL 5012 | Introduction to St. Augustine | 3 |
| Three credits in Ancient Philosophy | 3 | |
| Three credits in Early Modern Philosophy | 3 | |
| Three credits in Contemporary Philosophy | 3 | |
| Three credits in Ethics, Normative Ethics, and Natural Law | 3 | |
| Contextual Analysis and Preparation for Ministry | ||
| HIST 5924 | Latin American History and Culture | 3 |
| MAPS 5100 | Introduction to Contextual Learning and the Bronx | 3 |
| MAPS 5201 | Ignatian Reflection on Contextual Ministry I | 1 |
| MAPS 5202 | Ignatian Reflection on Contextual Ministry II | 1 |
| MAPS 5203 | Ignatian Reflection on Contextual Ministry III | 1 |
| PCGR 6440 | Pastoral Counseling Skills | 3 |
| PMGR 6650 | Ethics in Pastoral Ministry | 3 |
| Jesuit Studies | ||
| MAPS 5301 | History and Culture of the Jesuits I | 1 |
| MAPS 5302 | History and Culture of the Jesuits II | 1 |
| MAPS 5303 | History and Culture of the Jesuits III | 1 |
| Three credits in Navigating the Contexts of Mission | 3 | |
| Theological Core | ||
| THEO 5690 | Graduate Seminar: Church in Controversy | 3 |
| Three credits in Theologies of Gender and Sexuality | 3 | |
| Cultural Context Modules | ||
| MAPS 5401 | Contours of the Ancient and Late Antique World 1 | 1 |
| MAPS 5402 | Contours of the Late Medieval and Early Modern World 2 | 1 |
| MAPS 5403 | Contours of Modernity and Postmodernity 3 | 1 |
| Interdisciplinary Core | ||
| Choose three credits from each of the following areas: | ||
| Justice and Human Rights | 3 | |
| Race and Racism | 3 | |
| Environmental Studies and Sciences 4 | 3 | |
| Electives 5 | 6 | |
| Choose at least six credits across Philosophical, Theological, and Interdisciplinary electives, following the discipline-specific credit requirements. | ||
Philosophical Electives | ||
Theological Electives | ||
Interdisciplinary Electives | ||
| Capstone | ||
| MAPS 6000 | Concluding Integration Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| Language Requirement 6 | ||
| Reading knowledge of a language other than English | ||
| Spanish language proficiency | ||
| Total Credits | 69 | |
- 1
This coursework should be completed when the student is studying Ancient Philosophy.
- 2
This coursework should be completed when the student is studying Early Modern Philosophy.
- 3
This coursework should be completed when the student is studying Contemporary Philosophy.
- 4
Students without the requisite scientific background may be required to complete an additional basic science course.
- 5
Please see below requirements for discipline-specific credits that should guide students' choice of electives.
- 6
See below information regarding language requirement completion.
Discipline-Specific Credit Requirements
By the conclusion of the program, students must complete the three below credit requirements.
Philosophy Requirement
- A minimum of 30 credits in Philosophy (graduate courses with the subject code PHIL); MAPS 5500 Introduction to Philosophical Inquiry and MAPS 6000 Concluding Integration Capstone Seminar also counts towards this requirement
Theology Requirement
- A minimum of 24 credits across the following:
- Theology (graduate courses with the subject code THEO)
- Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education courses with the subject codes SPGR, RLGR, PCGR, REGR, and PMGR
- Contextual Analysis and Preparation for Ministry courses (MAPS 5201 Ignatian Reflection on Contextual Ministry I, MAPS 5202 Ignatian Reflection on Contextual Ministry II, and MAPS 5203 Ignatian Reflection on Contextual Ministry III do not count towards this requirement)
Interdisciplinary Requirement
- A minimum of 9 interdisciplinary credits across the following:
- Cultural Context Modules (MAPS 5401 Contours of the Ancient and Late Antique World, MAPS 5402 Contours of the Late Medieval and Early Modern World, and MAPS 5403 Contours of Modernity and Postmodernity)
- Any course on the list of Interdisciplinary courses (PSIC attribute)
- Courses outside of Philosophy and Theology that fulfill Interdisciplinary Core requirements (Justice and Human Rights, Race and Racism, and Environmental Studies Sciences); these courses, except for those in ENGL, HIST, and MVST (see below) all have the PSIC (Interdisciplinary Course) attribute
- Any graduate-level course with the subject codes ENGL, HIST (except for HIST 5924 Latin American History and Culture), or MVST
Language Requirement Completion
Students may fulfill the program's language requirement through one of the following:
(1) Successfully completing the program's Spanish language training, which is recorded by a passing grade in MAPS 0900 Spanish Language Proficiency, for which students register the summer prior to their study abroad experience.
(2) Demonstrating appropriate spoken, reading, and writing competence in a language relevant to the student's ministry (via successful completion of MAPS 0941 Language Proficiency), at the discretion of the Program Director.
Philosophical Core
Ancient Philosophy Courses
Courses in this group have the PSAP attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 5001 | Introduction to Plato | 3 |
| PHIL 5009 | Introduction to Aristotle | 3 |
| PHIL 5209 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 6025 | Philosophy's Origins | 3 |
Early Modern Philosophy Courses
Courses in this group have the PSEP attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 5005 | Classical Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 7106 | Kant I | 3 |
| PHIL 7110 | Descartes and Spinoza | 3 |
Contemporary Philosophy Courses
Courses in this group have the PSCP attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 6105 | Laws of Nature | 3 |
| PHIL 6108 | Communitarianism | 3 |
| PHIL 6251 | American Pragmatism | 3 |
| PHIL 6850 | Hermeneutics | 3 |
| PHIL 7140 | Kant and German Idealism | 3 |
| PHIL 7149 | Hegel's Phenomenology | 3 |
| PHIL 7159 | Kierkegaard | 3 |
| PHIL 7161 | Nietzsche | 3 |
Ethics, Normative Ethics, and Natural Law Courses
Courses in this group have the PSEN attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 5003 | Natural Law Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 5114 | Normative Ethical Theory | 3 |
| PHIL 6630 | Discourse Ethics | 3 |
Contextual Analysis and Preparation for Ministry
Navigating the Contexts of Mission Courses
Courses in this group have the PSNM attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 5600 | Special Topics in Rhetorical Theory & Criticism: Rhetoric, Race, and Identity | 3 |
| HIST 5460 | Jesuits and Globalization | 4 |
| HUST 5013 | Fundamentals of Humanitarian Action | 0-3 |
| HUST 5015 | Information Management | 0-3 |
| PCGR 6410 | Psychology and Religion/Spirituality | 3 |
| PHIL 5030 | Topics in the Philosophy of Education: Education and Democracy | 3 |
| PHIL 6850 | Hermeneutics | 3 |
| PMGR 6510 | Theology of Ministry | 3 |
| PMGR 8530 | Evangelization: Faith & Culture | 3 |
| REGR 6150 | Foundations for Intercultural Ministry and Religious Education | 3 |
| SPGR 6830 | Discernment in the Christian Tradition | 3 |
| SPGR 7870 | Spiritual Direction: Theology and Practice | 3 |
| THEO 5500 | Religion and American Public Life | 3 |
| THEO 6026 | Second Temple Judaism | 3 |
| THEO 6467 | Mysticism and Modernity | 3 |
| THEO 6653 | Church as Sacrament: A Study in Christian Sacraments and Ecclesiology | 3 |
| URST 5000 | Issues in Urban Studies | 3 |
Theological Core
Theologies of Gender and Sexuality Courses
Courses in this group have the PSTG attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPGR 7741 | Spiritual Direction Practicum II | 3 |
| THEO 5640 | Introduction to Theological Ethics | 3 |
| THEO 6400 | Theological Anthropology and Human Diversity | 3 |
| THEO 6612 | New Methods in Constructive Theology | 3 |
| THEO 6676 | Sexual Ethics | 3 |
Interdisciplinary Core
Justice and Human Rights Courses
Courses in this group have the PSJH attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CEED 5050 | Ethics and Society: Cross Disciplinary Perspectives | 3 |
| ENGL 5600 | Special Topics in Rhetorical Theory & Criticism: Rhetoric, Race, and Identity | 3 |
| HIST 5400 | Gender and History | 4 |
| HIST 5411 | Gender and Sexuality in Early America | 4 |
| HIST 5420 | Sin, Crime and Sex in History | 4 |
| HIST 5506 | European Nationalisms and Early Modern (Jewish) History | 4 |
| HIST 5517 | Fascism | 4 |
| HIST 5731 | History of Wealth & Poverty: U.S. and Comparative | 4 |
| HIST 5921 | Social Movements in Global Perspective | 4 |
| HIST 5923 | Atlantic World: Empires, Diasporas, and Migrations | 4 |
| HIST 6256 | Torture and Western Culture | 4 |
| HIST 6726 | The United States and Human Rights: An International History | 4 |
| HIST 6731 | U.S. Immigration and Ethnicity | 4 |
| HUST 5012 | Contemporary Issues in Humanitarian Action | 0-3 |
| HUST 5013 | Fundamentals of Humanitarian Action | 0-3 |
| HUST 5015 | Information Management | 0-3 |
| HUST 5035 | Forced Migration: The Humanitarian Challenge of the Decade | 0-3 |
| HUST 5075 | Leadership and Management in Humanitarian Assistance | 0-3 |
| HUST 5082 | Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Humanitarian Operations | 0-3 |
| HUST 5205 | Children in Armed Conflict | 3 |
| HUST 5300 | International Responses to Migration | 3 |
| HUST 5350 | Climate Change in the West African Sahel: Impact on Water and Migration | 0-3 |
| HUST 5410 | Gender Integration in Humanitarian Action | 3 |
| PHIL 5040 | Topics in Latin American Philosophy: Philosophies of Liberation | 3 |
| PHIL 6102 | Human Rights | 3 |
| PHIL 7758 | Human Dignity | 3 |
| PHIL 7760 | Dimensions of Political Justice | 3 |
| PMMA 5208 | Digital Media and Migrant Justice | 3 |
| POSC 5560 | Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| REGR 6120 | Education for Peace and Justice | 3 |
| THEO 6485 | Doing Theology with Gustavo Gutiérrez: 50 years (1971–2021) | 3 |
| THEO 6505 | Histories of Colonialism, Empire, Theology | 3 |
| THEO 6642 | Political Theology | 3 |
| THEO 6740 | Catholic Social Thought and Praxis | 3 |
Race and Racism Courses
Courses in this group have the PSRR attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 5025 | Black Protest from Slavery to #BlackLivesMatter | 3 |
| ENGL 5600 | Special Topics in Rhetorical Theory & Criticism: Rhetoric, Race, and Identity | 3 |
| HIST 5105 | The Black Radical Tradition in Comparative Perspective: U.S. and the Caribbean | 4 |
| HIST 5410 | Race and Gender in Modern America | 4 |
| HIST 5516 | Nationalisms and Racisms in Modern Europe | 4 |
| PHIL 5250 | Philosophies of Race | 3 |
| THEO 6634 | Black Theologies and the Decolonial Option | 3 |
| THEO 6659 | Latinx Theology | 3 |
| THEO 6721 | African American Theological Ethics | 3 |
Environmental Studies and Sciences Courses
Courses in this group have the PSEV attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 6460 | Agriculture and Development | 3 |
| HIST 5204 | Medieval Environmental History | 4 |
| HIST 5563 | Environmental History of the Atlantic World | 4 |
| HUST 5350 | Climate Change in the West African Sahel: Impact on Water and Migration | 0-3 |
| THEO 6674 | Ecological Theology | 3 |
| THEO 6731 | Christian Ecological Ethics | 3 |
| THEO 6735 | Ecological Ethics | 3 |
| THEO 7736 | Bioethics | 3 |
| URST 5035 | City and Climate Change | 4 |
| URST 5066 | Urban Health and Environment | 3 |
| URST 5070 | Environmental History of the American City | 3 |
Electives
MAPS 8999 Independent Study may count as a Philosophical, Theological, or Interdisciplinary elective, with permission of the Program Director (depending on the content of the independent study).
Philosophical Electives
- Any graduate course with the subject code PHIL, not otherwise counted towards the program's requirements, may count as a Philosophical Elective.
Theological Electives
- Any graduate course with the subject code THEO, not otherwise counted towards the program's requirements, may count as a Theological Elective.
- Moreover, Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education courses with the subject codes SPGR, RLGR, PCGR, REGR, and PMGR may count as a Theological Elective.
Interdisciplinary Electives
- Any graduate-level course with the subject codes ENGL, HIST, or MVST, not otherwise counted towards the program's requirements, may count as an Interdisciplinary Elective.
- Moreover, the courses listed below may count as an Interdisciplinary Elective.
Courses in this group have the PSIC attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CEED 5050 | Ethics and Society: Cross Disciplinary Perspectives | 3 |
| CEED 5100 | Healthcare Ethics | 3 |
| CEED 5600 | Special Topics in Ethics and Society | 3 |
| CEED 5800 | Moral Foundations of Capitalism | 3 |
| CEED 6290 | Health Disparities and Social Justice in Research and Practice | 3 |
| ECON 5105 | Topics in Economic History | 3 |
| ECON 5260 | Epidemics and Development Policy | 3 |
| ECON 5280 | Urban Economics | 3 |
| ECON 5415 | Gender & Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 5600 | Health and Development | 3 |
| ECON 5750 | Game Theory | 3 |
| ECON 6440 | Development Economics | 3 |
| ECON 6460 | Agriculture and Development | 3 |
| ECON 6480 | Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECON 6490 | Foreign Aid and Development | 3 |
| HIST 5456 | 20th Century Catholic Cultural Revival | 4 |
| HIST 5457 | 20th-Century Jesuit Moderns: An Intellectual History | 4 |
| HUST 5012 | Contemporary Issues in Humanitarian Action | 0-3 |
| HUST 5013 | Fundamentals of Humanitarian Action | 0-3 |
| HUST 5015 | Information Management | 0-3 |
| HUST 5035 | Forced Migration: The Humanitarian Challenge of the Decade | 0-3 |
| HUST 5075 | Leadership and Management in Humanitarian Assistance | 0-3 |
| HUST 5082 | Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Humanitarian Operations | 0-3 |
| HUST 5205 | Children in Armed Conflict | 3 |
| HUST 5300 | International Responses to Migration | 3 |
| HUST 5410 | Gender Integration in Humanitarian Action | 3 |
| IPED 6000 | Latin America: Current Trends | 3 |
| PMMA 5101 | Freedom of Expression | 3 |
| PMMA 5102 | Press, Politics, and Public Policy | 3 |
| PMMA 5103 | Environment and the Media | 3 |
| PMMA 5104 | Theories of Media, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| PMMA 5105 | Digital Technology and Ethics | 3 |
| PMMA 5106 | Race, Gender, and Digital Media | 3 |
| PMMA 5140 | Themes in Urban Public Policy and Power | 3 |
| PMMA 5201 | Social Media and Civic Engagement | 3 |
| PMMA 5202 | Digital Media and Social Responsibility | 3 |
| PMMA 5204 | Civic Media | 3 |
| PMMA 5205 | Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| PMMA 5207 | Mapping Injustice | 3 |
| PMMA 6207 | Global Media and Communication | 3 |
| PMMA 6209 | Storytelling for Public Good | 3 |
| POSC 5140 | Themes in Urban Public Policy and Power | 3 |
| POSC 5301 | Modern Political Thought | 3-4 |
| POSC 5500 | Comparative Pol Analysis | 3 |
| POSC 5560 | Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| POSC 5600 | Analysis of Int'l Pol | 3 |
| POSC 6530 | Political Economy of Development | 3 |
| POSC 6552 | Political Economy of the Middle East | 3 |
| POSC 6640 | Pol of Global Econ Rel | 3 |
| PSYC 5200 | Fixing Psychology's Replication Crisis | 3 |
| PSYC 6030 | Trauma and Family Violence | 3 |
| PSYC 6066 | History and Systems | 3 |
| PSYC 6290 | Health Disparities and Social Justice in Research and Practice | 3 |
| PSYC 6310 | Culture, Ethnicity, and Race | 3 |
| PSYC 6390 | Global Mental Health | 3 |
| URST 5000 | Issues in Urban Studies | 3 |
| URST 5020 | Urban Political Processes | 3 |
| URST 5035 | City and Climate Change | 4 |
| URST 5045 | Informal Cities | 3 |
| URST 5066 | Urban Health and Environment | 3 |
| URST 5070 | Environmental History of the American City | 3 |
| URST 5090 | Lincoln Center Arts | 3 |
| URST 5095 | Space, Place, Immigrant Cities | 3 |
| URST 5140 | Themes in Urban Public Policy and Power | 3 |
| URST 5252 | Urban Theory and the Modern City | 3 |