Philosophy and Law (MA)

A total of 36 units are required for the degree, including at least 24 units in philosophy. Twelve of these must come from completing the specialization and breadth requirements. The former requires students to take a 4unit, 500-level course in philosophy on a topic spanning philosophy and law. The latter requires students to take PHIL 500  or PHIL 503 , plus another 4-unit, 500-level course in philosophy on a topic that does not span philosophy and law, including but not limited to topics in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, ethics, aesthetics and history of philosophy. Students must also demonstrate a basic proficiency in symbolic logic, typically by passing, at a sufficiently high level, one of a specified range of 4-unit courses in logic offered by the School of Philosophy. The law requirement for this degree consists of two courses in the USC Gould School of Law. The first must be either LAW 503  Contracts or LAW 509 Torts I . The second must be either LAW 504 Criminal Law  or LAW 508 Constitutional Law . Students who elect to take LAW 504  would normally also take 1 unit of PHIL 590  as an accompaniment. Degree candidates must also write a master’s thesis on some subject in legal philosophy. At least one of the thesis advisers must have an appointment in the School of Philosophy.