Ph.D. in Philosophy - Courses and Degree Requirements

All first-semester graduate students are required to take the proseminar, “Philosophical Research and Writing,” which covers the basics of academic research and writing in the discipline. All students who are required to teach by the terms of their financial aid awards must also take the “Seminar in Philosophical Education.” The credits for these two seminars do not count toward satisfying the 48-credit requirement.

Ph.D. students in Philosophy must demonstrate a strong level of reading competence, as determined by their Advisory Committees, in one language other than English. Students register for a 0-credit, pass/fail course when they are prepared to demonstrate proficiency in the relevant language. Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge, either through graduate reading courses or by taking departmentally administered language exams. Students who satisfy the requirement by taking a graduate reading course must earn a grade of B or higher in the course. For more details, see the Graduate Student Handbook.

All Ph.D. students must demonstrate an understanding of the elements of symbolic logic, either by taking PHIL 5100 (Logic I), or by taking a departmentally administered logic exam. For more information, see the Graduate Student Handbook.

Ph.D. students entering the program without an M.A. must submit a qualifying paper (5,000-7,500 words, including footnotes but excluding bibliography) of professional quality by the end of their third semester. The requirement is intended to promote the student’s breadth of knowledge and professional development, and to help the student develop an AOC (area of competence). Hence, the qualifying paper will normally be in an area different from the student’s intended dissertation area. Students should discuss their qualifying paper plans, including choice of topic, with their Advisory Committee. The paper will be blind reviewed by two readers chosen by the Director of Graduate Studies. If both readers deem the paper of professional quality (for example, suitable for a professional conference presentation or suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal), the paper receives a High Pass and the requirement is satisfied. If both readers assign a grade lower than a High Pass, the requirement is not satisfied. If one reader assigns a High Pass grade and the other assigns a grade lower than a High Pass, a third reader will be chosen by the Director of Graduate Studies. If the third reader assigns a High Pass grade, the requirement is satisfied. If the third reader does not assign a High Pass grade, the requirement is not satisfied. Students who do not satisfy the qualifying paper requirement on their first attempt may revise and resubmit once for reevaluation. When evaluating resubmissions, readers will take into account the student’s response to feedback and the extent to which they engaged with the revision process. For more details, see the Qualifying Papers page of the Graduate Student Handbook.

Ph.D. students must pass an oral examination based on both a reading list and a related paper. This paper is distinct from the Qualifying Paper submitted by the end of the third semester by the students entering the program without an M.A.

The student develops the reading list in consultation with their dissertation mentor and two examiners (appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the mentor). The list is then approved by the committee and by the Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies. This group constitutes the student's Reading List Committee.

Once the reading list is approved, the student is responsible for having a Reading List Approval Form signed by all members of the committee and by the Chair (or, if designated, the Director of Graduate Studies).

The reading list should consist of three distinct areas, at least one of which should be historical. This may take the form of one historical period and two contemporary approaches, or two historical periods and one contemporary approach. The reading list should provide the student with the requisite background for the dissertation and, thus, should consist of the major primary and secondary sources in the dissertation area. The reading list should present the major alternative positions that characterize the dissertation area and should limit itself to the most important representatives of these positions. Students can ask the Director of Graduate Studies to consult some past “model” reading lists.

Students entering with an M.A. must have their reading list approved by their committee by the end of their third semester. Students entering without an M.A. must be approved by the end of their fifth semester. In both cases, students must pass their oral exam within a year of their reading list’s approval (i.e., the end of the fifth semester for students entering with an M.A., and the end of the seventh semester for students entering without an M.A.). The oral exam will focus on both the full reading list and on the student’s related paper, which must be submitted no later than one month before the date of the examination. Each student is expected to be able both to defend their paper’s thesis and to answer questions regarding any of the items on their reading list. Oral exam dates for the fall must be set by October 15 and, for the spring, by March 15.

After the oral exam, members of the committee will write reports detailing the reasons for the grade they assign. These reports must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies within three days of the examination. Students must earn a grade of High Pass on the exam by earning a grade of High Pass from at least two of the examiners. No student receiving a grade of Fail from any examiner can achieve an overall grade of High Pass for an exam. Students may retake this examination no more than once, and a retake must be completed in the semester following the original examination. For more details, see the Oral Examination page of the Graduate Student Handbook.

The dissertation is the cornerstone and culmination of your graduate career and demonstrates your ability to write and research at a professional academic level. The dissertation process begins with the dissertation proposal, which is defended before a panel of four faculty members. The body of the written, double-spaced dissertation proposal should be at least 3,000 but no more than 6,000 words and should include:

• a working title;
• an account of the topic and of its philosophical importance;
• a strategic overview or outline, normally including a tentative sequence of chapters or sections;
• a statement of the relation of the project to previous, especially current, discussions; and
• a word count at the end of the body of the proposal

In addition, the proposal should include a bibliography of appropriate primary and secondary sources.

The written proposal should be sent to each member of the committee at least two weeks prior to the scheduled defense. They should also be given advanced notice of when they will be receiving the proposal. Proposals should be presented during the fall and spring terms and not requested during vacation periods.

The dissertation proposal will normally be defended by the end of the eighth semester (or the sixth semester for students who enter with an M.A. in philosophy). A date for the dissertation proposal defense must be set by October 15 for a defense in the fall semester and by March 15 for a defense in the spring semester. 

During the writing of the dissertation, students should be in regular conversation with their mentors, submitting written drafts of chapters or sections from time to time for feedback and refinement. At or near the time of the proposal defense, the mentor, student, and two readers should come to an agreement on how the two readers will be involved. It is given that they will read the final draft of the completed dissertation and be questioners at the oral defense, but the nature and extent of their involvement during its writing are negotiable.

The dissertation should not exceed 350 pages, including notes and bibliography, in standard 12-point typeface. The purpose of this limitation is to compel the author to exercise judgment about what is essential to the project.The complete dissertation should be sent to the mentor and two readers at least four weeks prior to the defense. The summary should be in the hands of the examiners at least two weeks prior to the defense. Again, all members of the committee should also be given some advanced notice of when they will be receiving the dissertation or summary essay.

A date for the dissertation defense must be set by October 15 for a defense to occur in the fall semester and by March 15 for a defense to occur in the spring semester. Students should remember that the GSAS will not guarantee May graduation for students defending their dissertations after April 15. After the defense and after all corrections are made, the dissertation must be submitted to the GSAS in electronic format. Any student wishing a hard copy stored in the departmental library must arrange for the submission of an appropriately bound and formatted hard copy. For more details, see the Dissertation page of the Graduate Student Handbook.

For detailed descriptions of the program’s requirements and expectations, see the Philosophy Graduate Student Handbook.