Program Overview

Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Philosophy is a rigorous and comprehensive program designed to prepare students for a career in academic philosophy. The program requires students to complete 36 credits of coursework, in addition to 12 credits of dissertation research (PHIL899).

Program Requirements

• Students must complete a History requirement and a Logic requirement, which do not count towards the total course or credit total.
• Students must form a Prospectus Examining Committee, write a Dissertation Prospectus, and have the Prospectus approved by the Prospectus Examining Committee at a formal Prospectus Meeting.
• Students who have completed the coursework component of the program are required to audit at least one course in each semester thereafter.
• Students who seek admission to the Ph.D. program normally should intend to pursue only full-time study toward that degree.

Coursework

• Students must complete twelve three-hour courses, or a total of thirty-six hours of course work.
• Two of these courses must be Core Courses, and the remaining ten graduate seminars are offered by the Department.
• Additional details may be found in the Graduate Handbook on the Department's website.
• Foreign language skills are required only as demanded by the individual student's research.

Course List

Credit Transfer

Partial credit toward the Ph.D. requirements may be awarded for relevant work done at other graduate institutions. The Director of Graduate Studies will make a specific determination in each case.