Department of Philosophy, University of Saskatchewan

Department News & Events

Call for Papers: 50th Annual Meeting of the Western Canadian Philosophical Association, Oct. 18-20, 2013. Submission deadline: July 15, 2013.

Congratulations to Arvie Frydenlund on being awarded the Dr. John V. Bateman Memorial Scholarship and to Jared McRorie who has been awarded the Nathan Danylczuk Memorial Bursary.

The Philosophy Club on Facebook: The University of Saskatchewan Philosophy Club

Also on Facebook: U of S Philosophy Alumni Group

About the Department

Arts Building, University of Saskatchewan
(Photo: eMAP, 2007)

Department Head
Eric Dayton	eric.dayton@usask.ca
Graduate Chair
Karl Pfeifer	karl.pfeifer@usask.ca
Undergraduate Chair
Leslie Howe	l.a.howe@usask.ca
Undergraduate Advising
Students seeking advice on programs should arrange an appointment through the Department Administrative Assistant, Della Nykyforak <philosophy.dept@usask.ca>

Philosophy has been a presence at the University of Saskatchewan for fully 100 years. Dr. Walter C. Murray, first President of the University, taught the first philosophy course here in 1909. The first Department Head was Ira MacKay and there have since been eleven more. Fr. Basil Markle began teaching scholastic philosophy in the Department in 1926; in 1936 he moved to the Department of Philosophy at the newly founded St. Thomas More College, the Catholic liberal arts college federated with the University. In the 1960s the main Department expanded to nine members under Dr. Leonard Miller (Head from 1961-1978). Recent changes have seen many new faces in the faculty, with four of the eight current members of the Department having been hired since 1999.

The Philosophy Department has a thriving graduate program, in 2010-2011 numbering 15 Masters Students and one interdisciplinary Ph.D. student. Current and recent students in our programs have secured 14 scholarships, including 4 prestigious SSHRCs; in a typical year we have a further 3 to 6 students holding Graduate Teaching Fellowships. The graduate program brings together 13 Philosophy faculty members from our Department and St. Thomas More College, and an additional 5 associate and affiliated members from U of S faculty.