An earned baccalaureate degree from a Mason-recognized accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from copies of unofficial transcripts uploaded to the online application portal.
Copies of unofficial university transcripts from any earned degree uploaded to the online application portal from all universities attended.
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed.
A minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in baccalaureate study

EFFECTIVE SPRING 2024 ENROLLMENT TERM
Applicants to the PHIL MA with Traditional and Contemporary Philosophy (TCP) focus must have completed certain undergraduate preparation coursework with grades of B or higher in each course. These courses are:

1 one-semester course in ancient Western (Greek, Roman) philosophy (GMU equivalent: PHIL 301), plus one 1-semester course in modern Western philosophy (GMU equivalent: PHIL 303).
1 one-semester course in logic/critical thinking (GMU equivalent: PHIL 173 or PHIL 376) is preferred.
For the TCP focus, a BA or minor in philosophy is preferred, but not required, as long as the prerequisites have been met. An applicant to the TCP focus with a baccalaureate degree in Philosophy, and/or some graduate coursework in Philosophy, but who has not met all admission requirements may, at the discretion of the department, be offered admission if sufficient evidence is presented to suggest the applicant has the ability to pursue graduate work in the program.

Applicants to the PHIL MA with concentration in Ethics and Public Affairs (ETPA) must have an academic background that provides evidence of philosophical promise in order to be admitted. Such evidence may include strong GRE scores, a significantly high GPA over the last two years of study, advanced or honors coursework, short additional writing samples, or demonstrations of research ability or scholarly commitment. Professional achievements may also contribute to the body of evidence. Applicants need not have majored in Philosophy, while some background in the history of philosophy will be an advantage, high quality students from various backgrounds are encouraged to apply. However, admission is competitive, and each applicant is evaluated on the merits of their own application. For applicants to the ETPA concentration, at least one reference letter must speak specifically to the applicant's critical reasoning and writing skills.

For all applicants to the PHIL MA program, the submitted writing sample should be 1500-5000 words in length. It must show evidence of the applicant's ability at analysis, reasoning, and argument. If possible, it should engage with philosophical texts. A paper that shows ability to conduct research and to engage critically and constructively with primary and secondary sources is preferred.
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason's free evaluation service.

2 Recommendation Letters
Goals Statement
Resume
Writing Sample
IELTS - 7.0 total band score, with a minimum of 6.5 in each subsection
TOEFL iBT - 88 points, minimum 20 in each section