Graduate 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.