Graduate Study in Philosophy

 

Program Overview

The University of Rochester offers programs leading to Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in philosophy. The course of study includes epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, history of philosophy, logic, ethics, social and political philosophy, and philosophy of religion. Oriental philosophy, phenomenology, deconstructionism and existentialism are not offered in the department. The faculty and their areas of specialization are listed below.

The Ph.D. program is scheduled to take five years. It consists of three phases: foundations, advanced courses and focused research, and the dissertation.

The M.A. program consists of approximately one year of graduate courses, followed by an exam or a thesis.

There are approximately 25 graduate students in residence. Graduate seminars are small. Individual tutorials are frequently arranged. The size and nature of the program facilitate close interaction among faculty and students.

The philosophy department maintains an active colloquium series with frequent visiting lecturers and presentations by Rochester faculty and students.

Philosophy students with interdisciplinary interests in psychology, computer science, economics, and decision theory will find opportunity and encouragement to develop those interests during their graduate studies at the University.

Cognitive Science
Work toward the Ph.D. in cognitive science is offered in the departments of philosophy, psychology, computer science and linguistics. A typical student admitted to the philosophy Ph.D. program who also receives a cognitive science degree does approximately a third the work toward the Ph.D. outside of the philosophy department.

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Program Requirements


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Financial Aid

University Fellowships
Nearly all Philosophy Ph.D. students receive financial aid for up to five years. Most receive Tuition Scholarships and University Fellowships in their first year with a teaching assistantships in subsequent years.
Sproull Fellowships
Outstanding philosophy graduate applicants are nominated to a University-wide competition for Sproull Fellowships. These fellowships substantially increase the annual stipend for philosophy students to whom they are awarded.
Ball Dissertations Fellowships
Humanities and Social Science students who are about to write doctoral dissertations may be nominated for Ball Dissertation Fellowships. These Fellowships support dissertation research for one year.

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Faculty


John G. Bennett, Ph.D. Michigan, Senior Lecturer: Political Philosophy, Ethics, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Law.

Michael Caie, ABD, UC Berkeley, Instructor Philosophical Logic, Philosophy of Language, Epistemology

Greg Carlson, Ph. D. Massachusetts, Professor and Professor of Linguistics and of Brain and Cognitive Sciences: Semantic Theory, Psycholinguistics, and Discourse.

Earl Conee, Ph.D. Massachusetts, Professor: Ethics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind.

Randall Curren, Ph.D. Pittsburgh, Professor and Chair and Professor of Education and Human Development: Ethics, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Education, History of Philosophy.

Richard H. Dees, Ph. D. Michigan, Associate Professor: Social and Political Philosophy, History of Moral and Political Philosophy, Ethics

Richard Feldman, Ph.D. Massachusetts, Professor: Epistemology, Metaphysics.

William J. FitzPatrick, Ph. D. University of California at Los Angeles, Associate Professor: Metaethics, Normative Ethics, Bioethics, Philosophy of Biology.

Ralf Meerbote, Ph.D. Harvard, Professor: Kant, History of Earl Modern Philosophy, Epistemology, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Religion.

Deborah Modrak, Ph.D. Chicago, Professor: Aristotle, History of Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind.

Alyssa Ney, Ph.D. Brown, Assistant Professor: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind.

Brad Weslake, Ph.D. University of Sydney, Assistant Professor: Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind

Edward Wierenga, Ph.D. Massachusetts, Professor and Professor of Religion and Classics: Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics.

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