Master of Philosophy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) is a postgraduate research degree requiring the completion of a thesis. It is a lesser degree than the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), greater than (or sometimes equal to) the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.), and is usually of greater scope than the Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees.[citation needed] In most cases it is thesis-only degree, and is generally regarded as a senior or second masters degree. An M.Phil. is generally considered equivalent to the French diplôme d'études approfondies (or DEA) or the Spanish Diploma de Estudios Avanzados (also DEA). In some instances the degree may be awarded to graduate students after completing several years of original research, but before the defense of a dissertation, or as a substitute for a Ph.D. thesis that is a marginal fail. In some cases it can serve as a provisional enrollment for the Ph.D.
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[edit] In the United States
American universities award the M.Phil under certain circumstances. At those universities, the degree is awarded to Ph.D. candidates when they complete their required coursework and qualifying exams, but before they defend their doctoral dissertation. This status is also called A.B.D., or All But Dissertation (colloquially, "All But Done") and sometimes may include the defense of a thesis proposal. Many Ph.D. candidates at these universities view the M.Phil. as a formality and elect not to receive it in order to avoid the paperwork and costs involved. However, some programs do not offer an en route M.A. or M.S., so the M.Phil. is the first opportunity to receive a degree between the Bachelor's and Ph.D. Some colleges and universities, such as the College of the Atlantic, Columbia University and the University of Utah, offer a standalone M.Phil. degree in various fields.
[edit] In the United Kingdom
In most UK universities, the M.Phil. typically requires two years of full-time study and the submission of a thesis comprising a body of original research undertaken by the candidate. It is common for students admitted into a Ph.D. (or D.Phil.) program to be initially registered for the degree of M.Phil., and then to transfer onto the Ph.D. upon successful completion of the first (or sometimes the second) year of study: this will often involve the submission of a short report or dissertation by the student, and possibly an oral examination or presentation. In addition, most universities allow examiners to recommend award of an M.Phil. if a candidate's thesis is deemed not to be of the requisite standard for a Ph.D. Nevertheless, many students do register for an M.Phil. with no intention of upgrading to a Ph.D., either due to personal circumstances or due to their chosen research project having insufficient scope for a Ph.D.
At the University of Oxford, the M.Phil. is a two-year master's degree.[1] The M.Phil. is considered very difficult and prestigious, as it requires both a lengthy thesis and more examinations. Traditionally, the M.Phil. qualified a person to teach at Oxford; some professors, most notably the world-renowned philosopher Richard Swinburne, have held major professorships without ever finishing a doctorate.
The University of Cambridge offers the M.Phil. as a one- or two-year taught degree.[2] This is to distinguish it from the Oxford/Cambridge/Trinity Dublin M.A. degree to which B.A. graduates usually proceed after a certain period of time and no further study (since the seventeenth century). The Cambridge equivalents of the two-year research M.Phil. are the M.Sc. (in scientific subjects) and the M.Litt. (in arts and humanities subjects).[2]
The ancient Scottish Universities, who for historical reasons award the degree of M.A. upon completion of four-year first degrees in arts and humanities subjects, differ in their use of M.Phil. or M.Litt. for postgraduate research degrees, but are slowly standardizing to the M.Phil. as a research degree and the M.Litt. as a taught degree.
[edit] In the Netherlands
In the Netherlands the M.Phil. is a special research degree and only awarded by selected departments of a university (mostly in the fields of Arts, Social Sciences, Archaeology, Philosophy and Theology). Admission to these programmes is highly selective and primarily aimed at those students opting for an academic career. After finishing these programs, students normally enroll for a Ph.D. program.
[edit] In Finland
In Finland, the regular (first) Master's degree filosofian maisteri translates to "Master of Philosophy". However, the term "philosophy" is to be understood to the maximum extent, because this is the name of the basic Master's degree in all natural sciences and humanities. It does not imply a specialization in theoretical philosophy or even other than introductory studies. In fact, most of the students majoring in philosophy get a degree with a different name (Master of Sociology or Politics). These degrees are regular Master's degrees, not special "higher" degrees (cf. Licentiate and Doctor of Philosophy).
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