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Academic Programs

ICS faculty members are recognized scholars in their fields and are also committed mentors. They encourage students to discover their own interests and give students the space and support to grow into their own scholarship. The ICS curriculum is broad and deep. It immerses students in the study of leading philosophical figures and movements, both historical and contemporary. A wide range of courses open the door to challenging ideas.

Program Design

Our programs have an innovative design. Unlike graduate programs that emphasise the distinct subdisciplines of philosophy, ours gathers courses into six interdisciplinary clusters. Each cluster serves as a major or concentration, within which students find their own pathways of study. See program design for more info.

Master's Degrees

The Institute for Christian Studies confers two master's degrees: Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy and Master of Worldview Studies (MWS). The MA in Philosophy is awarded upon the successful completion of two years of full-time study. The program requirements include the writing and oral defense of a thesis. The MWS is awarded upon the successful completion of a one-year program consisting of eight courses.

In Canada, provincial governments have jurisdiction over higher education and the granting of academic degrees. The Institute for Christian Studies operates under a charter granted by the Ontario Legislature in the Institute for Christian Studies Act, 1983 (amended in 1992 and 2005).

Doctoral Degree

ICS also offers a PhD in interdisciplinary philosophy which is awarded upon completion of prescribed course work, language requirements, and the doctoral dissertation.

ICS enjoys a close working relationship with the Free University (Vrije Universiteit) in Amsterdam, whereby responsibility for the program was shared between the two institutions. Until 2005, the Free University granted the doctoral degree. As of 2005, ICS is authorized under the consent of the Minister of Colleges, Training and Universities to grant its own PhD. ICS anticipates continued collaboration of some kind with the Free University, such that qualified students may have the opportunity to seek a degree conjointly granted by both institutions.