Letter from Chair to Prospective Applicants
July 2009
Dear Prospective Applicant:
Everything you will need to
apply to our graduate program in philosophy at the University of Rochester is
available at this site. Please consult our departmental handbook ("General
Information for Graduate Students" under the Requirements for Graduate Degrees).
This material provides basic information about graduate work in philosophy at
the University of Rochester. If you still have questions after reviewing the
handbook, please contact the chair of our Admissions Committee,
Professor Ralf
Meerbote or by calling 585-275-8108).
The Department has about a dozen faculty members and twenty‑five graduate students in residence. The faculty is in close contact with graduate students not only in small seminars, but also in individual reading courses. Students and faculty often participate in small study groups. The intellectual emphasis of the Department tends toward contemporary analytic philosophy and the history of philosophy. A typical year will find graduate offerings in ethics, ancient philosophy, modern philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and philosophy of science. The Department participates in an interdisciplinary Cognitive Science Program. Philosophy students with interests in cognitive science can design a program involving study in Computer Science, Psychology, and Linguistics, as well as Philosophy. It is also possible to form other interdisciplinary programs.
Our Ph.D. program and our MA program are described in detail in our handbook. The Ph.D. program has three main components. The Foundations requirement, to be satisfied during the first three semesters, includes basic graduate courses in several core areas of philosophy. The Concentration requirement, to be satisfied by the end of the seventh semester, includes advanced course work and independent study in the student's two main areas of interest. The third component is the Dissertation requirement, to be pursued during the fourth and fifth year. During the final stages of the program, faculty work closely with students and help them prepare to look for teaching positions in philosophy. We are pleased that most of our students have been successful in the difficult academic job market.
In addition to the Ph.D., the Department offers a terminal MA program. It is essentially an abbreviated version of our Ph.D. program. Students seeking only an MA are encouraged to apply. Well‑prepared students can complete the terminal MA program in one calendar year.
Support of doctoral students in the Department of Philosophy takes the form of tuition grants, Fellowships and Assistantships. University stipends for entering students are currently $13,000 per year, and there are various special fellowships (Sproull, Provost's, and Dean's) that carry higher stipends ($17,000-$20,000). Support usually continues through five years of graduate work. All awards are in the form of fellowships, with no teaching duties, during the first year of graduate work. Service as a teaching assistant or instructor is required in subsequent years.
We have a large departmental library, a seminar room, and a commons room. Much that is of educational value is accomplished through close contact with other students in these comfortable surroundings. There are frequent departmental colloquia given by philosophers from other universities in the United States and Europe, as well as by Rochester faculty and students. Our colloquia are legendary for the lively discussion that follows the presentation of the paper, and students are encouraged to join in.
If you do decide to apply, complete instructions are available online.
Applicants to our graduate program need to:
- Submit the on-line application for graduate study. There is no charge for applying on line.
- Take the Graduate Record Examination by January of 2009 and have its scores reported to the Philosophy Department at the University of Rochester.
- Send to the Philosophy Department:
- An official transcript of prior course work;
- Three confidential letters of recommendation (forms are available with the on-line application);
- A sample of written work in philosophy;
- A list of all prior courses in philosophy.
We also recommend that applicants file the Financial Aid Form with the Federal Student Aid Program, P.O. Box 4054, Iowa City, IA 52243‑ 4054. Forms are probably available on your campus; if not, they can be obtained from the Federal Student Aid Program College Scholarship Service. Fellowships are offered strictly on the basis of merit; nevertheless, the filing of these forms often makes it possible to increase the amount of financial assistance that can be offered.
Our application deadline is January 15. The date by which we notify students that we can accept them is April 1 – the date by which most graduate schools, including Rochester, announce the award of stipends. Failure to receive a notice of admission prior to that date, therefore, should not cause any special concern. Students who are admitted without fellowships are often put on a waiting list and may be offered a fellowship at a later date.
We welcome your interest in our graduate program and I would be glad to try to answer any further questions.
Sincerely,
Randall Curren
Professor and Chair
Email Address: rcurren@mail.rochester.edu