<p>I'm currently a junior at University of Central Florida majoring in philosophy with an intent to get my masters. I know my school is not that well known, and the philosophy program here is nothing spectacular. How will this affect at getting a masters in philosophy?</p>
<p>Also, are all philosophy programs as difficult to get into as more well known school or are some less so? For example, I was checking out some colleges at random and Univ. of Washington (Graduate</a> - F.A.Q.s - Department of Philosophy - University of Washington) only accepts a single digit amount of students each year. This left a big impression on me. I don't wish to go to "top 10" programs, but rather small colleges (probably LAC's). I was looking, for example, at The New School in NY. </p>
<p>I will graduate when I'm 22-23, and will then try to join the work force to earn up money for school. Maybe 2-3 years of working then apply to school. I think this is a pretty common plan among young people.</p>
<p>If I want to focus on aestethics, should I continue in philosophy with an emphasize on aesthetics or a program more geared towards art. I'm looking into texas tech, calstate-l.a., and U. of Missouri-St.louis because of their aesthetic courses.</p>
<p>Masters programs in philosophy tend to be easier to get into than PhD programs, in large part because they are generally unfunded. LACs do not offer graduate degrees in philosophy. Most philosophy graduate programs are small because the market is saturated with philosophy PhDs who can't find work in philosophy. A masters degree in philosophy won't help you in most job markets; there are hordes of philosophy PhDs who wait tables, perform clerical work, etc. That said, if you want a masters in philosophy simply because you enjoy school and philosophy, then go for it. And if aesthetics is your interest, you'll probably find programs with that focus a bit less competitive because that isn't a popular focus.</p>
<p>I've read in a lot of places that community colleges require at least a masters to teach, but what I'm having trouble finding is whether even community colleges are looking for more PhDs rather than masters.</p>
<p>Yes, the vast majority of community colleges prefer to hire PhDs over MAs. In Philosophy, there is an oversaturated market, so there is no shortage of qualified PhDs.</p>
<p>Each professor has an area of interest in which s/he lectures. For example, professor "A" teaches Marxism and Logic while Professor "B" teaches metaphysics and a course on Heidegger. Is this something the individual professor chooses when s/he is going to teach or is it chosen by the respective professor's AOS in graduate school?</p>
<p>If I want to teach logic and arts, do I have to specialize in that? I would assume yes, but I also think that a general studies without specialization on a specific topic would also provide enough knowledge to teach anything. For example, all degrees that I have seen require generalized courses specified by era. So, if I get a BA MA and PhD, I would have gotten 3 semesters of Ancient philosophy, Medieval philosophy, etc. </p>
<p>I ask because I may want to get my PhD from the New School, but they do not have an AOS for aesthetic. For my masters, however, I think i will have an AOS in aesthetics. Of course, all this are goals which can change or something similar.</p>
<p>You've got it backwards. Every professor has an area of research expertise. This area of research expertise determines which courses s/he is suited to teach. </p>
<p>When a department hires a new professor, they advertise for someone with the particular specialization the department wishes to add. If the department wants someone with a specialization in aesthetics, they will not even interview someone who specialized in ethics, for example. And the courses that new hire will teach will necessarily be reflective of his/her areas of specialization and subspecialization.</p>
<p>In smaller departments, however, it is sometimes necessary to be more of a generalist, and teach in several areas in which one did not necessarily specialize as a graduate student. This kind of flexibility and range is desirable in certain departments (small LACs), and not necessary or even desirable in others (large research universities). </p>
<p>It would be fruitless to apply to a PhD program that does not have active faculty in one's intended subfield. One selects PhD programs by seeking out potential advisors in one's intended area of specialization; likewise, PhD programs admit only graduate students that will be best served given the specializations of current faculty.</p>
<p>Logic is oftentimes (but not always) a special case. Almost anyone in any given Philosophy department is able to teach Logic, and probably has, at one time or another.</p>
<p>I was wondering what other subjects are relevant when trying to get a masters with a BA in philosophy.</p>
<p>I know other humanity subjects (such as social work) accept general humanity degrees. But I was wondering what other areas generally allow this.</p>
<p>dntw8up: "there are hordes of philosophy PhDs who wait tables, perform clerical work, etc."</p>
<p>Cincinnatistudent: "This is quite an exaggeration. I've not even met one person who fits this description. How many have you met?"</p>
<p>dntw8up: I know (not just met but actually know) dozens of philosophy PhDs, many from top philosophy programs, who are working in the service industry. You wouldn't know if you've met them because these people don't advertise their predicament by saying, "Hi, I'm George, I have a PhD in philosophy and I will be your waiter tonight."</p>