Overview
American University was founded as a Methodist institution chartered by Congress in 1893. The Department of Philosophy and Religion consists of a small but energetic faculty dedicated to mentoring students in a variety of philosophical fields. Ethics is a particular strength. Annual and semiannual philosophy conferences are held on campus. Informal seminars and discussion groups bring faculty members and students together. As a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Area, AU can offer its degree candidates the option of taking courses at other consortium universities for residence credit.

More than 40 percent of students go on to doctoral programs. Others have gone on to work in the Washington, D.C., area in organizations such as the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Institute for Policy Studies, and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

The Community
The University is located on an a beautiful 84-acre, traditional campus in a residential area of northwest Washington, D.C. Local bus, subway, and rail transportation provides easy access to sites in the downtown and greater metropolitan areas. AU students have access to numerous cultural events and educational facilities.

Students in the Department of Philosophy and Religion are of various ethnic origins and come from many countries; there are as many women as men. The department is small, with approximately 20 students at any one time. Many students receive some form of financial aid.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Department of Philosophy and Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences offers programs of study in three different tracks: the M.A. in history of philosophy, the M.A. in philosophy and social policy, and the M.A. in ethics and peace. For the M.A. in history of philosophy, students are required to take advanced courses in philosophy, write three qualifying papers on various aspects of philosophy, pass a foreign language proficiency examination, and write and defend a thesis. For the M.A. in social policy, students are required to take advanced courses in philosophy and ethics in addition to classes in the social science of their choice, provide three qualifying papers on ethics and philosophy, and complete an internship and substantial internship paper. The M.A. in ethics and peace is an interdisciplinary major that applies philosophy to the dynamics of conflict, international policy, and political and social institutions. A 6-credit research capstone seminar and a comprehensive exam are required. Completion of any of the M.A. tracks generally takes two years. Typically, the first three semesters concentrate on core and foundation courses, while the final semester focuses on internship and/or thesis research.

The M.A. in history of philosophy prepares students for further study of philosophy in Ph.D. programs. The M.A. in philosophy and social policy prepares students for work in the social policy field, both domestically and internationally, in government and nonprofit organizations. The M.A. in ethics and peace prepares students for work in the emerging field of peace and conflict resolution. All three tracks prepare students for law school and other disciplines that require informed, critical thinking.

Facilities & Resources
Bender Library houses more than 745,000 volumes, 3,500 periodical titles, extensive microform collections, and a nonprint media center. More than fourteen indexes in compact disc format are searchable using library microcomputers. Graduate students have unlimited borrowing privileges at six other university libraries in the Washington Research Library Consortium. All are accessed through the University online catalog. American University is the optimal location for philosophical pursuits, attracting noteworthy visitors in the field for conferences and lectures. Access to the Library of Congress provides an excellent research opportunity, and the many nonprofit organizations, think-tanks, policy institutes, and government offices offer sites for relevant internships.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition is $1,548 per credit hour.

Financial Aid: Scholarships, graduate assistantships, and study grants are available to full-time students. Government loans are also available. Assistantships provide a taxable stipend of $8750 and up to 18 credit hours of tuition, whereas study grants provide up to 18 credit hours of tuition per year. The application deadline for students wishing to be considered for these merit awards is February 1.

Housing/Living Expenses: The University offers a limited number of off-campus University-managed apartments to full-time graduate students. Other housing can be located through the Off-Campus Housing Office. Housing costs in Washington, D.C., are comparable to those in other major metropolitan areas.

How to Apply
The College of Arts and Sciences uses a rolling application process. However, for international applicants, it is highly recommended that completed applications for the fall semester be submitted by June 1 for accurate processing. Applications by students interested in being considered for merit awards must be received by February 1. Online or downloadable application forms may be obtained on the Web at http://www.american.edu/cas/admissions. The cost to apply is $50 for the online application submitted electronically or $80 for the paper-based application submitted by mail, including those that are downloaded. Admission consideration is open to all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or handicap.

Ellen K. Feder, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook. Contemporary continental philosophy, social and political philosophy, feminist theory.

Gershon Greenberg, Professor; Ph.D., Columbia. Philosophy of religion.

Rom Harré, Distinguished Adjunct Professor; M.A., Oxford. Wittgenstein, philosophy of psychology.

Amy A. Oliver, Associate Professor and Chair; Ph.D., Massachusetts Amherst. Spanish and Latin American philosophy.

Jin Y. Park, Visiting Assistant Professor; Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook. Asian philosophies and religions.

Lucinda Joy Peach, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Indiana; J.D., NYU. Philosophy of law, bioethics, feminist ethics.

Jeffrey Reiman, William Fraser McDowell Professor of Philosophy; Ph.D., Penn State. Theoretical and applied ethics, political philosophy.

David F. T. Rodier, Professor; Ph.D., Vanderbilt. Late classical and early medieval Western philosophy, Buddhist studies.

Andrea Tschemplik, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., CUNY Graduate Center. History of philosophy, ancient philosophy.

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