Graduate Program

Philosophy admitted its first doctoral students in 2001. The size of the graduate program fluctuates from year to year, but is generally around 20 students. Each year we aim to admit 4-5 new Ph.D. and 1-3 M.A. students.

Among the faculty’s main contemporary interests are metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, epistemology, aesthetics, philosophy of language, ethics and moral psychology (see the “Research” page). The faculty’s research and teaching in these areas is informed by leading historical figures, including especially Kant, Aristotle, Hume, Wittgenstein and— uniquely for such a small department—leading figures from the Middle Ages and late antiquity, including medieval Islamic figures.

Inquiries should be directed to:

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Philosophy PhD emerge with the following knowledge and skills:

1. Mastery of the fundamental techniques of philosophy, as demonstrated by an ability to argue cogently for a philosophical point and to analyze and criticize the arguments of others.
2. An ability to demonstrate mastery in written work and oral presentations of the central concepts and key debates in the core areas of contemporary philosophical thought, including ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and predicate and sentential logic.
3. A mastery of the works of the major figures in the history of philosophy.
4. An exhibited ability to do independent research and to communicate concepts and results to other experts in the field, including an ability to write publishable work in philosophy.

Students who complete the Philosophy MA emerge with the following knowledge and skills:

1. Proficiency in fundamental techniques of philosophy, as demonstrated by an ability to argue cogently for a philosophical point and to analyze and criticize the arguments of others.
2. An ability to demonstrate familiarity with and competency in the central concepts and key debates in the core areas of contemporary philosophical thought, including ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and predicate and sentential logic.
3. A familiarity with the works of the major figures in the history of philosophy.
4. An exhibited ability in the MA research paper and other seminar work to do independent research and to communicate concepts and results to other experts in the field.