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Programs

Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy offers a program of study leading to the degree Doctor of Philosophy. It emphasizes training for scholarly research and teaching in ethics, epistemology, meta- physics, philosophy of science, history of philosophy, and logic. The department cooperates with the Departments of Computer Science, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Linguistics in a graduate program in cognitive science. A detailed description of these programs may be obtained upon request from the department.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the Department of Philosophy website.

AdmissionsLink to section

Applying to Master's ProgramsLink to section

Students are typically not admitted to the MA in Philosophy program; rather, they earn an MA en passant.

Applying to Doctoral ProgramsLink to section

Applicants to the philosophy graduate programs must submit an online application with the following materials:

  • A sample of your written work in philosophy
  • A copy of your transcript
  • Three or more confidential letters of recommendation
  • A personal statement
  • A list of all prior courses in philosophy
  • TOEFL scores (for non-native English speakers)

AcademicsLink to section

Master's Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

The requirements for the MA include 30 hours of coursework and an exam or master’s thesis.

Doctoral Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

The requirements for the PhD include 90 credits of coursework and a dissertation in philosophy. Students will complete six courses in philosophy at the 400 level, including courses in logic, history of ancient philosophy, and history of modern philosophy. Students will complete nine courses in philosophy at the 500-level, with at least six being graduate seminars (not independent studies). Primary and secondary exams are required in subfields of philosophy. Students will participate in a writing seminar, write a dissertation proposal, and write a book-length dissertation. It is designed to be completed in five years.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

  • PHIL 412. Probability, Inference and Decision
  • PHIL 414. Logical Methods
  • PHIL 415. Intermediate Logic
  • PHIL 416. Mathematical Logic
  • PHIL 418. Philosophy of Math
  • PHIL 420. Recent Ethical Theory
  • PHIL 423. Social and Political Philosophy
  • PHIL 426. Philosophy of Law
  • PHIL 428. Public Health Ethics
  • PHIL 429. Philosophy of Education
  • PHIL 430. Environmental Justice
  • PHIL 431. Philosophy of Race and Gender
  • PHIL 435. Data, Algorithms, and Justice
  • PHIL 442. Metaphysics
  • PHIL 443. Theory of Knowledge
  • PHIL 444. Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL 446. Social Character of Knowledge
  • PHIL 447. Philosophy of Language
  • PHIL 450. Philosophy of Action
  • PHIL 452. Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 457. Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
  • PHIL 465. Selected Topics in Ancient Philosophy
  • PHIL 470. Selected Topics in Modern Philosophy
  • PHIL 491. Master’s Reading in Philosophy
  • PHIL 493. Master’s Essay
  • PHIL 495. Master’s Thesis Research
  • PHIL 503. Theory of Knowledge
  • PHIL 515. Selected Topics in Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL 516. Selected Topics in Philosophy of Language
  • PHIL 517. Selected Topics in Ethics
  • PHIL 518. Selected Topics in Moral Theory
  • PHIL 527. Selected Topics in Modern Philosophy
  • PHIL 542. Selected Topics in Metaphysics
  • PHIL 544. Selected Topics in Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL 552. Selected Topics in Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 560. Writing Seminar
  • PHIL 580. Supervised Instruction in Philosophy
  • PHIL 581. Supervised Instruction Continued
  • PHIL 591. PhD Readings in Philosophy
  • PHIL 595. PhD Research in Philosophy