Master of Arts
Philosophy Politics & Economics
Our M.A. in Philosophy Politics & Economics is a one- to two-year program available to a limited number of students who will have completed the Bachelor's degree (in any area of study) prior to beginning their graduate studies. We also offer a separate accelerated M.A. program to current Philosophy, Politics, Economics & Law (PPEL) undergraduates.
About the Program
What is welfare, and how can we measure it? Is democratic decision-making fair and efficient? What is the nature of political justification in a diverse, complex and constantly evolving society? The UArizona MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics encourages students to both interrogate the philosophical underpinnings of modern economics and explore the ways tools from the social sciences can fruitfully address foundational questions in political philosophy and politics. The program provides cutting-edge instruction by some of the world’s leading scholars in philosophy, politics, and economics to equip future leaders who can bridge these fields, and future scholars who explore the complexities of this nexus.
This program has close ties to the Department of Philosophy (Ranked in the top 5 in the world in Political Philosophy) and the following professors routinely teach courses and advise students: Thomas Christiano (Philosophy), Suzanne Dovi (Political Science), Saura Masconale (Law), Guido Pincione (Philosophy), Maria Porter (Economics), Mary Rigdon (Economics), Vlad Tarko (Economics), Peter Vanderschraaf (Philosophy), Steven Wall (Philosophy).
Application and Admission Process
There are two deadlines for admission to the MA in PPE program. The 'early admission' deadline is January 2 previous to the fall semester of entry. Those who apply on or before the early admission deadline will be notified of their admissions outcome within two weeks of the January 2 deadline. The regular admissions deadline is March 21.
To apply for the MA in PPE, you must:
- Meet the Admissions Requirements established by the Graduate College. Note: International applicants may be required to submit evidence of English language proficiency (see here and here for more details).
- Submit to the Department of Political Economy and Moral Science via the UA Graduate College online application.
Be sure to include the following in your application:
- Two letters of recommendation from professors with whom you have studied
- A writing sample (any length)
- A statement of purpose (one page single-spaced)
- Transcripts (Unofficial transcript may be uploaded with application; official transcripts will be required with admission.)
How To Apply
To apply, you must complete the University of Arizona Graduate College online application. Follow these steps:
- Create a GradApp account.
- Complete your GradApp profile under "My Account."
- Select "Apply to a Program" from the sidebar.
- Choose "Degree Seeking" under application type and "Philosophy, Politics & Economics (MA)" under program of study.
- Choose the semester during which you wish to enter the program.
- Your application should now be initiated under "My Active Applications."
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Current PPEL undergraduates may also be interested in exploring our Accelerated MA Program.
Tuition and Funding
For general information regarding graduate degrees and tuition, please see Graduate College’s degree and tuition policies.
The MA program does not offer graduate assistantships or tuition waivers.
US citizens: Please be sure to respond to application question regarding funding through the Graduate College Grad Access Fellowship, Graduate Access Fellowship or Tuition Scholarship Awards | UArizona Graduate College , and let us know if you qualify.
Questions?
For questions, please contact Director of Graduate Studies, Vlad Tarko vladtarko@arizona.edu.