A distinguishing characteristic and signal strength of the Philosophy Department at MSU is its active involvement in and support of interdisciplinary studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. This is the essence of philosophy, engaged.

Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs

Cognitive Science

"The goals of the MSU Cognitive Science Program are to foster scholarship and research that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries in its pursuit of the nature of mind, and to provide a structure for graduate training that will produce new scholars and scientists who have the tools needed to take on this challenging puzzle."

Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior

"By their very nature, ecology, evolutionary biology and behavior are subjects that cut across the lines of traditional university departments. The Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program (EEBB) at MSU is designed to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of these fields and other biological sciences such as genetics, developmental and molecular biology."

Program in Bioethics, Humanities and Society

"Bioethical problems, cross-cultural medical care delivery, and changing demands on health care providers are issues that transcend traditional boundaries between academic disciplines. To understand the complexity of these problems and to respond to them wisely, students require a range of training, both within and across disciplines. Michigan State University's Master of Arts program in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society is designed to meet this need."

Ethics and Development

"The Specialization in Ethics and Development provides graduate students and faculty with the opportunity to address collaboratively and in a philosophically sophisticated manner the difficult ethical issues that arise in the course of social, economic, political, and cultural development within an increasingly inter-connected global context."

Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Programs

Peace and Justice Studies

"P&J Studies is a flexible, multidisciplinary program designed to complement any undergraduate major. Its primary objective is to encourage students to think critically about violence, its causes, consequences, and alternatives both at home and abroad."

Undergraduate Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society

"Health and the social and humanistic dimensions of medicine have a profound impact on people's lives. To address these types of issues, Michigan State University offers students the option of completing a Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society (BHS). It is not aimed solely at preprofessional students, but offers much for anyone interested in the personal, cultural, historical, and philosophical dimensions of physical and psychological health and medicine. And because all of us are medical consumers in one way or another, it provides a means of examining life experiences that, sooner or later, we all face when we see our doctor or nurse, when we fall sick, and when we die."