phd in philosophy in usa

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As a PhD student in the Harvard philosophy program, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your ideas, knowledge, and abilities. You'll work with other doctoral students, our faculty, and visiting scholars, all in a stimulating and supportive environment. The program has strengths across a broad range of topics and areas, so you'll be able to pursue your interests wherever they may lead, especially in moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. In addition, students can pursue joint degrees with classics, Harvard Law School, and in Indian philosophy.

Incoming cohorts consist of five to eight students per year. You will have substantial access to our renowned faculty and all the resources that Harvard makes available. This relatively small size also gives students a sense of intellectual community.

The curriculum is structured to help you make your way towards a dissertation: graduate-level coursework, a second-year research paper, a prospectus to help you identify a dissertation topic, and then the dissertation itself. Past dissertations in the department have addressed a broad range of topics: Aristotle, Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; contemporary moral and political philosophy; metaphysics; epistemology; and logic.

In addition to your research, you will also have the opportunity to develop your teaching skills in many different settings across the University.

You can find graduates of the PhD program in many universities. Some of our students have gone on to faculty positions at Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, and Stanford University. Other graduates have gone on to diverse careers in, among others, the arts, the law, secondary education, and technology.

In addition to the standard PhD in philosophy, the department offers a PhD in classical philosophy in collaboration with the Department of the Classics and a coordinated JD/PhD program in conjunction with Harvard Law School.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Philosophy and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Philosophy | Classical Philosophy | Indian Philosophy 

For information please consult the Department webpage on the  graduate program overview .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Philosophy .

Academic Background

Applicants to the program in Philosophy are required to have a solid undergraduate background in philosophy, indicating that they have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, as well as familiarity with contemporary work in ethics, epistemology and metaphysics, and logic.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Optional

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be between 12 to 30 pages long. The sample must address a substantial philosophical problem, whether it is an evaluation or presentation of an argument, or a serious attempt to interpret a difficult text. The upload of the writing sample should be formatted for 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper, 1-inch margins, with double-spaced text in a common 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

Applicants seeking admission to the coordinated JD/PhD program must apply to and be separately admitted to Harvard Law School and the Department of Philosophy.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Philosophy

See list of Philosophy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Department of Linguistics and Philosophy

Ph.d. program.

The program of studies leading to the doctorate in philosophy provides subjects and seminars in such traditional areas as logic, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, aesthetics, social and political philosophy, and history of philosophy. Interest in philosophical problems arising from other disciplines, such as linguistics, psychology, mathematics and physics, is also encouraged.

Before beginning dissertation research, students are required to take two years of coursework, including a proseminar in contemporary philosophy that all students must complete in their first year of graduate study. Students are also required to pass general examinations and demonstrate competence in the following areas: value theory, logic and the history of philosophy.

Interdisciplinary study is encouraged, and candidates for the doctorate may take a minor in a field other than philosophy. There is no general language requirement for the doctorate, except in those cases in which competence in one or more foreign language is needed to carry on research for the dissertation.

Below is a detailed description of the philosophy Ph.D. program. For information about applying, see our admissions page ; we have also compiled data on placement , retention, and average completion times .

1. Your Advisor

When you join the Department you will be assigned a faculty advisor who will supervise your course of study. Your advisor must approve your program at the beginning of each term, and you should keep them abreast of your progress and problems. When forming a Fifth Term Paper committee the chair of your committee becomes your advisor. Similarly, when you form a dissertation committee.

Your teachers will write comments on your performance in subjects which you complete. These comments will be placed in your file in the Department office (your file is open to you), and they will be discussed at a meeting of the faculty at the end of each term. You should see your advisor at the end of each term to review your progress.

You may change your advisor at any time. Similarly you may change the composition of your fifth year paper and dissertation committees, as well as adjust the topics of those projects. To make a change first ask the relevant faculty if they are willing, then notify the Chair of the Committee on Graduate Students (COGS).

The current composition of COGS is: Brad Skow (Chief Cog), Kieran Setiya , and Roger White .

2. Requirements

2.1 overall course requirements.

Students must pass (with a grade of C or higher) at least 10 graduate subjects in philosophy (unless you earn a minor, in which case see section 4 below ). At least 7 must be subjects at MIT.

Students may petition COGS to use undergraduate subjects at MIT to satisfy the overall course requirement (except: in the case of an undergraduate logic subject more advanced than 24.241, no petition is needed).

Students must take at least 2 subjects in philosophy at MIT during each term of their first year, and at least 1 subject in philosophy at MIT during each term of their second year. Normally, students take 4 subjects during their second year.

2.2 Teaching Requirement

All graduate students must acquire some teaching experience. This requirement is normally satisfied by serving as a Teaching Assistant in an undergraduate subject in philosophy at MIT.

2.3 Logic Requirement

The Department has a standing committee which is charged with administering the logic requirement; the requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:

(a) by auditing Logic I and completing the work (Logic I may not be taken for graduate credit); (b) by successfully completing a logic assessment set by the committee; (c) by successfully completing an alternative or more advanced subject in logic at MIT (for example, modal logic or Logic II) approved by the committee. (d) by being exempted from the requirement by COGS. Such exemption does not affect the overall course requirements (2.1 above).

The level of knowledge of logic expected for exemption, or tested on the examination, is what is covered in Logic I at MIT: proof procedure and semantics for first-order predicate logic with identity, and some acquaintance with standard metalogical results (for example, those concerning completeness, incompleteness and decidability).

Students are normally expected to satisfy the logic requirement by the beginning of their second year.

2.4 Distribution Requirement

2.4.1 proseminar.

All first-year students are required to complete the two-semester sequence 24.400-24.401, Proseminar in Philosophy. The first semester is an intensive seminar on the foundations of analytic philosophy from Frege to roughly 1960. The second semester is an intensive seminar on highlights of analytic philosophy from roughly 1960 to the present. The two-semester sequence counts as two subjects.

2.4.2 History of Philosophy

Students must complete two graduate subjects in the history of philosophy. For the purposes of this requirement, the history of philosophy means philosophers or philosophical schools that flourished before 1879.

A subject that spends a substantial part of, but not all of, its time on history counts toward this requirement provided the student’s term paper focuses on the history part. If there is doubt about whether a subject qualifies, consult COGS.

History subjects designed for a mixture of graduate and undergraduate students, like 100-level courses at Harvard, also count.

COGS permission is required in order to satisfy this requirement by taking two subjects on the same philosopher. (COGS will likely reject using two subjects on Descartes’ Meditations to fulfill the history requirement; COGS will likely approve using two subjects on Kant, one focused on ethics, the other on metaphysics and epistemology.)

Students wishing to fulfill this requirement by some other means should contact COGS.

2.4.3 Value Theory

Students must complete one graduate subject in ethics or political philosophy or aesthetics.

2.5 Fifth Term Paper Requirement

By the end of a student’s third term (usually fall of the second year) the student should select a paper topic for their Fifth Term Paper and form a committee to advise them on their work. The committee will consist of two faculty members (a supervisor and a second reader). The proposed topic and names of committee members should be submitted to COGS before the end-of-term meeting.

During the student’s fourth term, the student, in consultation with the committee, should assemble a reading list on the chosen topic. As a guideline, the reading list might consist of roughly twenty papers or the equivalent; the faculty recognizes that lengths of lists will vary. The final list must be approved by the committee and submitted to COGS by the end-of-term meeting.

During the fifth term, the student will write a polished paper on the chosen topic, roughly 25 pages long, in consultation with their committee. After submitting a final version of the paper that the committee deems satisfactory, the student will sit for an oral examination with the committee on both the paper and, more generally, the paper’s topic, as defined by the reading list.

The fifth term paper project is graded pass-fail. Students must pass the oral exam by the end-of-term meeting of their fifth term. After a student passes the exam their committee will write a report on the project to be given to the student and placed in the student’s file. Successfully completing this project constitutes passing the written and oral general examination requirements imposed by MIT’s Graduate School.

2.6 Petitions

A student may petition COGS to waive a requirement in light of their special circumstances.

3. Independent Studies

While in the normal case a student’s 10 graduate subjects will be seminars, students may also take an independent study with a faculty member. Students wishing to register for 24.891 or 24.892 must obtain permission from the Chief COG. After talking with the faculty member they wish to supervise their independent study, the student should write a proposal describing how often they will meet, how long the meetings will last, a tentative list of readings, and the amount of writing they will do. The Chief COG will approve an independent study only if the amount of work proposed equals or exceeds the usual amount of work in a seminar.

Students can minor in a field outside philosophy of their choosing (for example, linguistics, psychology, science technology and society, physics, feminist theory…). To earn a minor in field X a student must (i) pass 3 graduate subjects in field X, (ii) pass one graduate philosophy subject on a topic related to field X, and (iii) obtain COGS approval. (It is best to seek approval before all 4 subjects have been taken.) A student may receive no more than two minors; in the case of two minors, a single philosophy subject may (in rare cases) be used to satisfy clause (ii) for both minors.

Students who earn a minor need only pass 8, rather than 10, graduate philosophy subjects (7 must be taken at MIT). The subject used to satisfy (ii) counts as one of these 8.

Our faculty uses pluses and minuses, but the grades on your official transcript will be straight letter grades. Here are the meanings that MIT assigns to the grades:

A Exceptionally good performance, demonstrating a superior understanding of the subject matter, a foundation of extensive knowledge, and a skillful use of concepts and/or materials.

B Good performance, demonstrating capacity to use the appropriate concepts, a good understanding of the subject matter, and an ability to handle the problems and material encountered in the subject.

C Adequate performance, demonstrating an adequate understandingof the subject matter, an ability to handle relatively simpleproblems, and adequate preparation for moving on to more advanced work in the field.

D Minimally acceptable performance.

When the faculty determines the status of a student in the program, it does so on the basis of a review of the student’s total performance, which includes weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s whole record. Thus it is in principle possible to redeem a weakness in one area by excellence in others.

An Incomplete (a grade of I) indicates that a minor part of the subject requirements has not been fulfilled and that a passing grade is to be expected when the work is completed. The grade I for the term remains permanently on the student’s record even when the subject is completed. In subjects in which the major work is a term paper, students may earn an I for the subject only if they submit a draft to the instructor(s) by midnight on the day before the end of term meeting. If a student does not hand in a draft by midnight on the day before the end of term meeting, the instructor is required to give the student an F. (The end of term meeting is shortly after the beginning of exam week.)

Any uncompleted incompletes on registration day of the following term will be converted to an F.

6. Ph.D. Thesis

A student is normally not allowed to begin work on a Ph.D. thesis until they have completed all of the requirements listed above. Students must complete all of those requirements by the end of their fifth term; exceptions will be made only after petition to COGS.

Once a student has completed the requirements listed above, there is the option of taking a terminal Master’s Degree instead of the Ph.D. This requires completing a Master’s thesis — students should consult COGS for more details.

The Ph.D. thesis is a substantial piece of original and independent research that displays mastery of an area of philosophy. A student may plan to write a sustained piece of work on one topic; they may instead plan to write three or more papers on connected topics. By the second month of the student’s sixth term they will submit to COGS a short (three to five pages) description of the projected thesis.

When the plan is approved, COGS will appoint a thesis committee consisting of a thesis supervisor and two additional readers, who shall be members of the philosophy faculty chosen by the student and willing to undertake the responsibility. The student will then meet with the members of the thesis committee for discussion of the material to be dealt with in the thesis. COGS approval is required if the student wants to include a non-MIT professor, or an MIT professor who is not on the philosophy faculty, on the committee. COGS approval is also required for a committee whose members include fewer than two MIT philosophy faculty (and this will be approved only in exceptional circumstances).

The student will meet regularly with their thesis supervisor throughout the writing of the thesis, and will provide all members of the thesis committee with written work by the end of each term. This requirement holds for nonresident as well as resident students.

The following rules govern completion of the thesis.

6.1 Final Term

The student will meet with their thesis committee during the first week of the term to assess the feasibility of completing the thesis during that term. The student and the committee will agree on a table of contents for the thesis, and on a schedule of dates for meeting the following requirements; a copy of the contents and the schedule should be given to COGS.

6.1.1 MIT Deadline

MIT requires that the completed thesis be delivered to the Department office by a date set by the Registrar for all Departments. (Early in January for February degrees, early in May for June degrees.) The Department regards this requirement as met by delivery to the thesis committee by that date of what the student regards as the final draft of their thesis.

6.1.2 Thesis Defense

The student will meet privately with their thesis committee to defend the thesis and to discuss any needed revisions. This meeting constitutes the official oral examination of the thesis.

The private defense must be scheduled for a date which will leave time for the student to make revisions before the MIT deadline. Once a student has completed the oral examination, and made any requested revisions, the decision whether to recommend award of the PhD is made by unanimous vote of the thesis committee.

6.1.3 Public Defense

The public defense is open to all members of the Department and their guests; it is chaired by the thesis supervisor, and normally runs for an hour, starting with a twenty-minute presentation by the student of the main results of the thesis. The public defense is the one occasion on which the entire Department has an opportunity to learn about and participate in the student’s work, and is a central part of the Ph.D. program.

The public defense is to be held after the student’s committee has voted to recommend awarding the PhD. One week before the public defense, the student should email the revised version to the chief COG, to be made available to members of the Department. A copy of the abstract should be emailed to the Academic Administrator for distribution when announcing the public defense to the Department.

6.1.4 Final Library Copy

The final library copy must be given to the Departmental representative to MIT’s Committee on Graduate School Policy (CGSP) by the day before that committee’s end-of-term meeting at which it approves the final degree list.

6.2 September Degrees

Students who will be unable to complete their theses during the spring term may wish to petition COGS for consideration for award of the degree in September. Such petitions will be granted on condition that an appropriate thesis committee can be constituted to work with the student during the summer. A schedule analogous to that described under 6.1 — including the scheduling of private and public defenses — must be given to COGS by the end of the spring term. The final library copy of the thesis must be given to the Departmental representative to CGSP by the day before that committee’s September meeting at which it approves the September degree list.

7. Policies on Satisfactory Progress and Good Standing

A student is in good standing so long as they have not fallen behind on any deadline mentioned in this document. The most salient of these is the deadline for the 5th term paper.

If a student is not in good standing, they will be unable to use their travel funds. If a student is not in good standing or has received a grade of B or lower in two classes in the previous semester, they are at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress.

If a student is at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress, the faculty will discuss the matter at the next end of term of meeting. (If any of the student’s advisors are not present at the meeting, they will be consulted before any action is taken.) The faculty will consider the work the student has produced, or failed to produce, so far, and the progress it represents. If there are serious doubts about the student’s prospects of completing the PhD, which includes writing a thesis that meets the conditions in section 6 , the student’s academic progress will be deemed unsatisfactory, and they will be issued a written notice from the Chief COG. The notice will explain how the student’s progress is unsatisfactory, what the student should accomplish in the following semester in order to avoid an official warning from the Vice Chancellor, and what steps the faculty will take to help the student accomplish these things. If a student fails to meet the conditions of the notice by the end of the following semester, as determined by the faculty, the student will receive an official warning from the Vice Chancellor. This warning will explain why the student’s progress continues to be unsatisfactory, what the student should accomplish in the following semester in order to continue in the program, and what steps the faculty will take to help the student accomplish these things. If the student is in a position to receive a terminal Master’s Degree, the conditions for doing so will be detailed. If the student fails to meet the conditions of the warning by the end of the semester, as determined by the faculty, the student will be denied permission to continue in the program.

PhD Program Overview

Academic mission.

The PhD Program in Philosophy offers an intensive course of study in preparation for a career as a scholar and teacher of philosophy. The program in particular consists of four major components. (1) Completing coursework in the three main areas of contemporary philosophy and in the history of philosophy. (2) Participating in a paper revision workshop, in which students significantly revise an essay originally written for a seminar in consultation with faculty and other students. (3) Defining an intellectual project and writing the PhD dissertation under the direction of a faculty committee. (4) Teaching as assistants in faculty-taught lecture courses and then as lecturers in stand-alone tutorials and small courses. In addition to these major components, students and faculty also participate in a variety of workshops and reading groups in which students present their own work for criticism by their peers and faculty. Throughout the PhD program, students and faculty join together in a continuous, rich philosophical dialogue. And faculty also support that dialogue and students’ intellectual work through advising, mentoring, ongoing academic evaluations, and canny career advice.

Note: The PhD Program in Philosophy is the only graduate program to which the Department of Philosophy admits students; those students interested in a masters degree can apply directly to the Masters of Arts Program in the Humanities ( MAPH ). This is a standalone program in the Division of Humanities within which students can take a number of graduate courses in philosophy. Elsewhere on this site we have a more thorough explanation of how our faculty interests serve our MAPH students.

Culture of the PhD Program

The PhD Program in Philosophy is intellectually inclusive, capacious in its research and teaching interests, and unusual in the extent and depth of the collective engagement with both the analytic and continental traditions. All programs now promote their interdisciplinarity, but we’ve been enjoying our wide range of philosophical interests for decades here at Chicago—thanks in part to the thorough integration of the interdisciplinary Council of Advanced Studies workshops into the PhD program and also to departmental colloquia, in which departmental and visiting faculty speak (and are challenged) on various philosophical issues. The department hums with free-flowing philosophical discussions among students and faculty occurring in seminars, workshops, colloquia, the hallways of Stuart Hall, and the Friday afternoon coffee hours in our Anscombe Library.

Socially, the department also tries to make sure that every student’s voice is heard in the running and shaping of the department and its PhD program. There are always two elected graduate student representatives who help keep channels of communication open and flowing in both directions between the departmental faculty and graduate student body, and faculty meet with students regularly about issues of concern. The department also has a faculty diversity liaison; a Diversity, Inclusivity, Climate, and Equity (DICE) Committee composed of departmental faculty and graduate students; and a graduate student outreach coordinator. We all work to ensure that the PhD program, courses, and the departmental culture feel welcome to students from all backgrounds. Here is  more information on DICE .

The Women in Philosophy (WIP) group organizes bi-quarterly social gatherings for graduate women in the department. Gatherings typically consist of dinners or brunches hosted at the home of one of our members. While the primary purpose of these gatherings has typically been that of socializing, they are also a space in which people should feel free to raise and discuss any issues pertaining to life in the department. These social events build solidarity and community for the women in our department, and in general there is a high level of cooperation and collaboration between graduate women in the department. Here is  more information on WIP .

The University of Chicago is situated in the heart of the South Side of Chicago, one of the country’s most culturally and intellectually rich cities . Life in Chicago is itself also inclusive: it’s a diverse, vibrant city with many social possibilities and livable—and strikingly affordable!—neighborhoods for students.

The APA Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy

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Total Schools

Total students, total ph.d. programs, total ma programs.

The  Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy , published biennially until the early 2000s, was relaunched in 2012 as an annual online resource. The guide compiles data on both doctoral and master’s degree programs in philosophy at institutions throughout the US and Canada, offering prospective students, job candidates, and other members of the profession a rich resource on post-graduate education and employment in philosophy. 

All data in the guide are self-reported by representatives of the institutions. Any changes or corrections should be sent directly to them.

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Philosophy, PhD

The Penn Philosophy Department has a long and distinguished history. Philosophy has been taught at the University since 1755, and Penn was among the first universities in the country to offer the PhD degree in Philosophy, in 1882. The Department has always prized breadth, and its members are prepared to supervise advanced research in metaphysics and epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, logic, philosophy of language, ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of law, and the history of philosophy.

The Ph.D. program includes course work, a teaching requirement, a preliminary examination, and the preparation and defense of a dissertation.   Required coursework includes two courses in contemporary epistemology and metaphysics (including philosophy of science, mind, language, and mathematics); two courses in value theory (ethics, political or legal philosophy, aesthetics); three courses in history of philosophy, and a logic requirement.

For more information: http://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/graduate

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Required Courses

The total course units required for graduation is 20.

Must include one course in ancient and one course in early modern through Kant.

One course unit must be a regularly offered Philosophy course.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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Philosophy PhD

The Graduate Program in Philosophy at Berkeley offers a first-rate faculty, a stimulating and friendly community of graduate students, and the resources of one of the world's finest research universities.

Two features distinguish our profile from that of other leading graduate programs in philosophy:

• The department has strengths in all the main areas of philosophy, including epistemology, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, philosophy of language, logic, ethics, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of science. We aim at diversity and breadth of coverage, rather than concentration on one or two areas of philosophical activity.
• Second, the program at Berkeley is structured to give students a high degree of independence in tailoring their studies to their interests.

Those wishing to pursue graduate studies in philosophy can choose among several routes to a PhD at Berkeley:

• The Philosophy Department's graduate program leads to a PhD in Philosophy.
• Students with strong interests in Ancient Philosophy may want to take advantage of a special ancient concentration within the philosophy program.
• Students with strong interests in the History and Philosophy of Science may want to explore the special HPS concentration within the philosophy program.
• Students with strong interests in formal logic may pursue them in the Philosophy Department, in the Mathematics Department , or in Berkeley's interdisciplinary program leading to a PhD in Logic and the Methodology of Science , to which the Philosophy Department has close ties.

Contact Info

[email protected]

314 Philosophy Hall #2390 University of California

Berkeley, CA 94720-2390

At a Glance

Department(s)

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

January 8, 2024

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

William H. Miller III Department of Philosophy

• PhD Admissions

• Requirements
• Financial Aid
• BA/MA Admissions
• Graduate Courses
• Job Placement
• Miller Prize
• Student Organizations

While an undergraduate major in philosophy is good preparation for graduate study in the department, applications are welcomed from students with other majors whose interests are now turning toward philosophy.

To apply, please read the information below and on the Graduate Admissions website , and complete the application online.

If applying to more than one department, please send complete application materials for each department. All application documents must be provided in English (either the original or translations of the original documents). If you are unable to secure translations to English, we recommend that you contact World Education Services .

All application materials and supporting documents should be uploaded through the online application; these include:

• Online application
• Application fee
• Statement of Purpose (briefly state your area of interest at the beginning of your Statement of Purpose; upload through the online application)
• Letters of recommendation (at least three): Letters of recommendation should be submitted and uploaded electronically following the instructions in the online application.
• Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded through the online application. Applications will be ready for review with unofficial transcripts, but official transcripts will be required if an offer of admission is made
• GRE (optional)
• TOEFL or IELTS score (for international applicants)
• Sample of work (the sample should reflect the applicant’s area of interest, and generally does not have to be more than 20 pages in length).

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is 15 December. Some finalists will be contacted for short Zoom meetings prior to a decision being made. Decisions on admitted and wait-listed students will be made by the first week of February.

For questions or inquiries about the online application and supporting documents, contact the Graduate Admissions office. You may also contact Michelle Brock, the academic program coordinator for the philosophy department, at [email protected]   or 410-516-7524.

Graduate Admissions

Application.

Stanford’s  Online Application , information about requirements and instructions for applying are available through the  Grad Admissions website . The application opens each year in Fall quarter. 

The online application is due by the following deadlines:

PhD: Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Masters: Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Knight Hennessy: No later than December 1, 2023 (per Knight Hennessy program ) 

Coterminal Masters (internal Stanford students only): end of second week of Winter quarter,  Friday, January 19, 2024

Knight Hennessy:  No later than December 1, 2023

GRE scores will not be required in the 2023-24 admission round.

Please DO NOT mail paper transcripts at this time. E-transcripts are accepted.

Transcripts

• Please wait to mail official paper  transcripts  until we request them.
• Official e-transcripts can be sent directly by the school or clearinghouse to  philosophy [at] stanford.edu (philosophy[at]stanford[dot]edu)
• Please upload an unofficial transcript from each school you attended for a year or more with the application.
• NOTE: An official transcript is one that is received directly from the issuing institution (or CollegeNET CertiFile Service (CHESICC/Educational Perspectives) that bears the seal/signature representing its validity. To be considered official, paper transcripts must be sealed and unopened.
• Transcript information at  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/starting-your-application/required-application-documents/transcripts-academic-records-0

Writing Sample 

• Should be a recent writing sample on a philosophical topic
• We recommend you send an example of your  best work
• needs to be uploaded into the application
• Typically samples are around 20 pages or less
• If submitting a thesis or document longer than 20 pages, please include a note pointing to most important passages
• Secondary samples are allowed, please mark which sample is primary if including more than one

Letters of Recommendation 

• Please have your recommenders submit their  confidential  letter via the online application.
• Letters from recommenders are due by the deadline. Please have them in as soon as possible.
• The application requires a minimum of 3 recommendations.
• If a recommender is unable to submit their letter via the online application, please let us know. We can accept email letters directly from professors. 
• For emailed letters from professors, the applicant must also send us a note saying they waive the right to see the recommendation.
• Please check the grad admissions website for the latest updates about required tests: 
• https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/starting-your-application/required-exams
• Grad admissions requires the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for most applicants whose first language is not English. This includes US citizens as well as international students.
• Applicants who have received a Bachelors or higher degree from a U.S. school are usually exempted from the TOEFL.
• For test criteria, please see the international section of the  Grad Admissions  webpage.  TEST INFORMATION

GRE scores will not be required by Philosophy in the 2023-2024 admission round.

• The GRE general test has been required in the past for Philosophy applications.  If submitting them, GRE scores must be from within the last 5 years.

Check the status of your application (e.g., letters of recommendation received, official ETS scores, etc.,) by logging into your application account Activity Log.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars cultivates and supports a highly-engaged, multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world. Each year, Knight-Hennessy Scholars selects up to 100 students who are newly enrolling in a graduate degree program in any of Stanford’s seven schools. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. Candidates must submit two applications to be considered; one to Knight-Hennessy Scholars by early October and one to the graduate degree program by its deadline. Visit  https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/  to learn more. 

• Apply at  https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/
• The KH application deadline is October 11, 2023, 1:00pm Pacific Time.
• For more information on the Knight-Hennessy Scholars please see:  https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/
• Applicants also need to apply separately to the department where they wish to study. 
• The deadline for the application to the Philosophy department for consideration for the KH program is December 1, 2023.

Please do not mail paper transcripts at this time. We will request official transcripts at a later stage.

PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT Building 90 450 Jane Stanford Way STANFORD, CA 94305-2155 USA

• Email:  philosophy [at] stanford.edu (philosophy[at]stanford[dot]edu)  
• Phone to list for mailing address if needed: (650) 723-2547 (for fastest response, please email)
• For problems with the application website , please check the online help in the website.

For application fee waivers, apply through:

• Application Fee Waivers

For exam waivers, or general questons, please contact the Central University Grad Admissions office:

• https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/about#contact

For other questions, please contact the  Philosophy Graduate Administrator 

• Email:  philosophy [at] stanford.edu (philosophy[at]stanford[dot]edu)
• Phone: (650) 723-2548 (for fastest response, please email)

For a helpful  guide on getting into grad school  from the School of Humanities and Sciences, please check:

• https://humsci.stanford.edu/prospective-students/guide-getting-grad-school

The Department of Philosophy welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

The Philosophy Department recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

Department of Philosophy

Graduate program overview.

The graduate program in the Philosophy Department offers a wide range of courses in various traditions of philosophy, with strengths and a well-established reputation in the history of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, as well as other central topics. Graduates of the program have gone on to a diverse range of careers, including higher education, law, and software engineering. The Department offers combined programs with the  Classics  and  Psychology  Departments.

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD programs advance scientific discovery by training and supporting students doing in-depth research that solves the world’s biggest public health challenges. At the forefront of efforts to benefit the health of people worldwide, the School offers students the opportunity to join in shaping new ideas in public health and implementing them effectively. PhD students benefit from collaborations across public health disciplines and a broad range of academic fields through connections with other Harvard faculties.

All PhD students conduct research through a dissertation, in addition to other avenues of discovery. All PhD programs at Harvard University are administered by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), and applications are processed through the GSAS online application system . Choose from one of four PhD programs offered collaboratively between Harvard Chan School and GSAS.

• Abbreviation : PhD
• Degree format : On campus  
• Time commitment : Full-time  
• Average program length : Varies between 4 to 7 years based on program

When applying to the PhD, applicants must choose one of the following specialized fields of study. Eligibility requirements vary by program and field of study.  

• Biological Sciences in Public Health
• Biostatistics
• Health Policy
• Environmental health
• Epidemiology
• Global health and population
• Social and behavioral sciences

Career outcomes vary based on field of study and research, but in general, PhD graduates will be prepared for a career in academia, health policy, government agencies, consulting, the pharmaceutical or biomedical industry, and generally improving lives through qualitative and quantitative research.

Admission information

Like all PhD (doctor of philosophy) programs at the School—and the University—the PhD in health policy is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Applications are processed through the GSAS online application system located at gsas.harvard.edu/admissions/apply .

Doctor of Philosophy Programs in America

1-25 of 114 results

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Cambridge, MA •

Massachusetts Institute of Technology •

Graduate School

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,

Graduate School ,

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

Stanford University Department of Humanities and Sciences

Stanford, CA •

Stanford University •

Stanford University ,

STANFORD, CA ,

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

New Haven, CT •

Yale University •

• • Rating 4.5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The resources at Yale are outstanding. While some of the required courses are slow-moving and less informative, I do have more academic freedom in my second year to the program to take classes that I enjoy across all departments (including data science, statistics, computer science, and law). ... Read 2 reviews

Yale University ,

NEW HAVEN, CT ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The resources at Yale are outstanding. While some of the required courses are slow-moving and less informative, I do have more academic freedom in my second year to the program to take classes that I... .

Read 2 reviews.

The New School

Graduate School •

NEW YORK, NY

• • Rating 4.46 out of 5   37

Mississippi State University

MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS

• • Rating 4.52 out of 5   50

University of North Texas

• • Rating 4.61 out of 5   128

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Harvard University •

• • Rating 4.56 out of 5   9 reviews

Other: I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student' in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Through this School, I will be focusing my time at the John A. Paulson school of Engineering & Applied Sciences. Looking forward to wrapping up my final year on campus! ... Read 9 reviews

Harvard University ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

Featured Review: Other says I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student'... .

Read 9 reviews.

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help students in office hours or in sponsorship of projects. The worst part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the lack of structure for the graduate research program which can leave you feeling unsure on the direction of your research. ... Read 3 reviews

PRINCETON, NJ ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... .

Read 3 reviews.

Duke Divinity School

Durham, NC •

Duke University •

• • Rating 3.67 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: Great school, Great staff, Great location. Can't wait to go back. Looking forward to finishing my degree. ... Read 3 reviews

Duke University ,

DURHAM, NC ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Great school, Great staff, Great location. Can't wait to go back. Looking forward to finishing my degree. .

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Brown University Graduate School

Providence, RI •

Brown University •

Brown University ,

PROVIDENCE, RI ,

School of Arts & Sciences - University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA •

University of Pennsylvania •

University of Pennsylvania ,

PHILADELPHIA, PA ,

Rice University School of Humanities

Houston, TX •

Rice University •

Blue checkmark.

Rice University ,

HOUSTON, TX ,

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Evanston, IL •

Northwestern University •

Northwestern University ,

EVANSTON, IL ,

College of Arts and Science

Nashville, TN •

Vanderbilt University •

Vanderbilt University ,

NASHVILLE, TN ,

Washington University in St. Louis - Arts & Sciences

St. Louis, MO •

Washington University in St. Louis •

Washington University in St. Louis ,

ST. LOUIS, MO ,

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College of Arts and Letters - University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN •

University of Notre Dame •

Doctoral Student: The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research and career path matter. I loved this most. I feel taken seriously and supported with every possible resources for my mental, academic and career success. One gets many opportunities to grow talents through research, and presentations with helpful and supportive feedback from students and professors. For these reasons, I find it a place to be! On the down side, the weather is at first always a challenge for one who is not used to the harsh and gloomy midwestern winter. ... Read 2 reviews

University of Notre Dame ,

NOTRE DAME, IN ,

Featured Review: Doctoral Student says The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research... On the down side, the weather is at first always a challenge for one who is not used to the harsh and gloomy midwestern winter. .

Humanities Division - University of Chicago

Chicago, IL •

University of Chicago •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   1 review

Master's Student: My application process for the University of Chicago, including my interview and the prospective students welcome day was incredibly warm, informative and inspiring. I felt the community at the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago gave me a lot of confidence in my potential to succeed in the program and grow a lot as an artist. ... Read 1 review

University of Chicago ,

CHICAGO, IL ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says My application process for the University of Chicago, including my interview and the prospective students welcome day was incredibly warm, informative and inspiring. I felt the community at the... .

Read 1 reviews.

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

University of Southern California ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Ithaca, NY •

Cornell University •

Junior: The best school at Cornell. It truly is one major with infinite possibilities! Ives is a place of familiar faces, free cookies and home to the best career center on campus. Also, we all know ILR kids are the chillest, and the professors are the best. Let’s not forget about the Dean either, you don’t get any more amiable than him. ... Read 1 review

Cornell University ,

ITHACA, NY ,

Featured Review: Junior says The best school at Cornell. It truly is one major with infinite possibilities! Ives is a place of familiar faces, free cookies and home to the best career center on campus. Also, we all know ILR kids... .

School for Environment and Sustainability - University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI •

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: Loved the campus, the size of the incoming cohort, and the professors and faculty/staff! Had a great time around campus and engaging with off-campus sites and labs! SEAS really does its best to give as many resources as possible out to students (so if you're feeling lost or like some aspect is missing, chances are it's there, ask about it!). Fun community, lovely classrooms, and a welcoming environment. ... Read 3 reviews

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ,

ANN ARBOR, MI ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Loved the campus, the size of the incoming cohort, and the professors and faculty/staff! Had a great time around campus and engaging with off-campus sites and labs! SEAS really does its best to give... .

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - Georgetown University

Nw Washington, DC •

Georgetown University •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We are informed of the professors office time and so we can email them to make inquiries and get assistance when needed. We make presentations during class which train us to become more bold and be able to communicate the concepts easily. We are able to discuss and critic writings independently. We work on projects in groups of about 3-4 and discuss findings to the entire class and professor. We review research papers and make meta-analyses inform of class projects. The program is well structured and i am gaining skills. My worst experience is having to worry about Tuition and other related school bills. ... Read 2 reviews

Georgetown University ,

NW WASHINGTON, DC ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We... .

UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

University of California - Los Angeles •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

Alum: I went to the UCLA Teachers Education Program to be a teacher. Overall, the program was good and very aligned with its focus (social justice). Because I graduated from UCLA, it was pretty easy to find a job after in the public school system. ... Read 1 review

University of California - Los Angeles ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says I went to the UCLA Teachers Education Program to be a teacher. Overall, the program was good and very aligned with its focus (social justice). Because I graduated from UCLA, it was pretty easy to... .

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences

Baltimore, MD •

Johns Hopkins University •

• • Rating 4.53 out of 5   19 reviews

Master's Student: I have yet to enroll for Fall 2023 after receiving my acceptance letter due to a delay in my need-based financial aid from JHU. However the Homewood Campus in Baltimore is beautiful and my Student Advisor, Alexis has been extremely helpful in initiating my enrollment process and answering all of my questions in a timely matter. My intended Advanced Academic Program is the accelerated (2 semester), dual-modality, 40-credit M.S. in Biotechnology, Biodefense concentration. All of the anticipated course subjects are diverse and there's even a customizable core lab course on campus (at least until Summer 2024). I can't wait and I wish you all the best in your search for academic programs or professional certifications. ... Read 19 reviews

Johns Hopkins University ,

BALTIMORE, MD ,

19 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I have yet to enroll for Fall 2023 after receiving my acceptance letter due to a delay in my need-based financial aid from JHU. However the Homewood Campus in Baltimore is beautiful and my Student... .

Read 19 reviews.

Bloomberg School of Public Health

• • Rating 4.64 out of 5   22 reviews

Master's Student: The classes at Bloomberg are highly specialized and the student to teacher ratio is very low, leading you to learn a lot and have close connections with your colleagues ... Read 22 reviews

22 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The classes at Bloomberg are highly specialized and the student to teacher ratio is very low, leading you to learn a lot and have close connections with your colleagues .

Read 22 reviews.

Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Pittsburgh, PA •

Carnegie Mellon University •

Carnegie Mellon University ,

PITTSBURGH, PA ,

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA •

University of Virginia •

Alum: Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study ... Read 1 review

University of Virginia ,

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA ,

Featured Review: Alum says Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study .

Laney Graduate School

Atlanta, GA •

Emory University •

Master's Student: I chose the graduate programs at Emory because they are ranked among the best in the country. The school of nursing also provides the clinical experiences, something many of the online only nurse practitioner programs do not do. ... Read 2 reviews

Emory University ,

ATLANTA, GA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says I chose the graduate programs at Emory because they are ranked among the best in the country. The school of nursing also provides the clinical experiences, something many of the online only nurse... .

UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science

Berkeley, CA •

University of California - Berkeley •

University of California - Berkeley ,

BERKELEY, CA ,

University of Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA

• • Rating 4.43 out of 5   74

Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

University of Pittsburgh •

The New School for Social Research

The New School •

• • Rating 2.5 out of 5   2

Showing results 1 through 25 of 114

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is jointly offered by HDS and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Find detailed information about PhD fields of study and program requirements on the Committee on the Study of Religion website.

With a focus on global religions, religion and culture, and forces that shape religious traditions and thought, the PhD prepares students for advanced research and scholarship in religion and theological studies. 

Resources for the study of religion at Harvard are vast. We offer courses in the whole range of religious traditions from the ancient Zoroastrian tradition to modern Christian liberation movements, Islamic and Jewish philosophies, Buddhist social movements, and Hindu arts and culture. Some of us work primarily as historians, others as scholars of texts, others as anthropologists, although the boundaries of these methodologies are never firm. Some of us are adherents of a religious tradition; others are not at all religious. The Study of Religion is exciting and challenging precisely because of the conversations that take place across the complexities of disciplines, traditions, and intellectual commitments.

• Master of Divinity (MDiv) Program
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Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
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The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

Reshaping Teacher Licensure: Lessons from the Pandemic

Olivia Chi, Ed.M.'17, Ph.D.'20, discusses the ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and stability of the teaching workforce

Lost in Translation

New comparative study from Ph.D. candidate Maya Alkateb-Chami finds strong correlation between low literacy outcomes for children and schools teaching in different language from home

What are you looking for?

Suggested search, our graduate program.

Many PhD programs, including in philosophy, adopt a ‘sink or swim’ mentality. Students are expected to figure out how to be successful, and those who struggle are assumed not to “have what it takes.” We try our best to adopt a different approach. It takes a large and rare combination of skills, talents, dispositions, and the luck of circumstance and timing for everything to go perfectly in a graduate student’s development. Many people of great talent can easily run into trouble in graduate school due only to a minor weakness, bad timing, or a distracting life event. Our goal is to help students realize their philosophical talent by addressing any weaknesses and being as supportive of our students as we can, while guiding them in developing all of the auxiliary skills required for success in the profession.

The PhD in Philosophy

A PhD in philosophy offers students the highest form of training in rigorous thought and analytical writing, and guidance in the development of a productive, active research program, contributing to the advance of the field. Philosophy PhD students in our graduate program at USC also begin to practice and develop as teachers of philosophy and develop the concrete skills that will come in handy in a career as a college or university professor.

A PhD in philosophy offers students the highest form of training in rigorous thought and analytical writing, and guidance in the development of a productive, active research program, contributing to the advance of the field. Philosophy PhD students at USC also begin to practice and develop as teachers of philosophy and develop the concrete skills that will come in handy in a career as a college or university professor.

A philosophy PhD is not for everyone. Success as a PhD student in philosophy requires talent and preparation, as well as a tremendous amount of hard work. Successful PhD students are independently motivated, set their own goals and are comfortable working with their own deadlines by themselves for significant stretches of time. They also have the patience and dedication to stick to their goals. Nationwide, the average time it takes to earn a PhD in a humanities field, including philosophy, is more than seven years. At USC, it currently takes most students between five and seven years to earn their degree.

Even once you have earned your degree, there is no guarantee that a job will be waiting for you—academic philosophy is a highly competitive field, with hundreds of applicants for every position. Still, USC students have been doing very well in recent years. Some of our recent graduates have secured tenure-track appointments at such places as the University of Michigan, Princeton University, the University of Colorado, Colgate University, or Claremont McKenna College. And many others have secured permanent positions abroad in such places as University College, London, Cardiff University or Trinity College, Dublin.

Degrees Offered

We offer both a PhD and a dual JD/MA in philosophy. However, the only degree for which we directly admit students is the PhD. Students who are already enrolled in the JD program at USC Gould School of Law may apply for admission into the joint JD/MA program upon completion of their first full year of law school.

Doctor of Philosophy in sustainability

About the doctor of philosophy degree.

The PhD in sustainability, offered only on ASU’s Tempe campus, engages scientists and leaders in research to investigate the urgent sustainability challenges of this century.

The flexible, interdisciplinary nature of the program allows students to focus on problems of interest to them, drawing upon relevant knowledge from a variety of disciplines.

Students may be admitted to the PhD program with either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree from an international institution officially recognized by that country.

Learning outcomes

PhD graduates will have an advanced understanding of the dynamics of coupled socioecological systems and will be able to lead others in research and providing adaptive solutions to specific sustainability challenges. In addition to the common learning outcomes, PhD students will be able to:

• Understand the concepts and methods of a number of critical disciplines bearing on the sustainability of systems at different spatio-temporal scales.
• Lead others in applying these concepts and methods to developing sustainable strategies for water, land, air, and urban management at the local and global level.
• Lead others in the analysis and design of the built environment and institutions’ policies, regulations, and technologies to support sustainable development.

Requirements and electives

Courses and electives, core courses.

• SOS 510 – Perspectives on Sustainability
• SOS 520 – Research Design
• SOS 525 – Social-Ecological-Technical Systems: Domains & Interfaces
• SOS 589 – Community of Scholars (taken twice)

Solutions workshops

Solutions workshops are listed under SOS 594 and are designed to provide students with experience solving real-world problems that involve multiple sustainability challenges. As such, they will be problem-based and not specifically attached to one of the main themes.

Some example workshops include:

• SOS 594 – Sustainability Short Form Documentary
• SOS 594 – Sustainable Development in Action
• SOS 594 – Sustainable Neighborhoods for Happiness
• SOS 594 – Urban Sustainability – Best Practices/Case Studies
• SOS 594 – Operationalizing Corporate Sustainability through ESG Programs

Elective courses

Students may choose courses from any discipline at ASU that relate to their research project or dissertation. Electives must be approved by a student’s supervisory committee.

Research and dissertation

At least 12 credits of the approved PhD program of study must be SOS 792 Research and at least 12 credits must be SOS 799 Dissertation. After completion of the dissertation, the student must pass an oral examination in defense of the dissertation.

• SOS 792 – Research
• SOS 799 – Dissertation

Exams and Dissertation

When students have completed the coursework, they must pass a comprehensive examination and begin a prospectus (proposal) for their dissertation. After passing the prospectus defense, students enter candidacy. The culminating experience for the doctoral degree program is publication of the dissertation, accompanied by a dissertation defense. The non-coursework portion of the program usually lasts 2 years.

Have a question about the PhD in sustainability?

Ask us about sustainability at ASU and the diverse environmental, social, and economic focused degrees offered by the School of Sustainability!

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Doctor of Philosophy in the Field of Business Administration, International Business Concentration

The objective of the PhD in business administration with a concentration in international business is to prepare students for academic careers at major research universities. To meet this objective, the program:

• Equips students with an in-depth and comprehensive knowledge of international business theories and concepts.
• Provides candidates with the necessary conceptual, quantitative, and methodological skills to carry out high quality empirical research aimed at publication in top-tier academic journals.
• Produces well-trained students who can obtain an academic appointment at a top school in international business or related discipline.
• Prepares candidates for the varied responsibilities of academic careers.

By the end of the program, students are expected to have one or more journal publications in top-tier academic journals; made multiple presentations at major academic conferences; won awards for best dissertations and best papers at professional conferences; and developed effective personal networks with scholars from around the world.

The PhD in business administration involves two years of formal courses established by each department and approved by the doctoral committee. Students take a minimum of 45 credits during their program, including 27 credits in core courses, a 3-credit summer paper, and 15 credits in elective courses. Students should consult their faculty advisory group about the required courses and electives for which they should register.

Students should complete at least 39 credits within the first two years from matriculation. The remaining 6 credits should be completed during the third year.

Requirements for the international business concentration

*Policies for core courses

In general, all core courses should be doctoral courses, i.e., those at the 8000 level. All courses must be taken for letter grades. Required courses cannot be waived without substitution except in unusual circumstances as determined on a case-by-case basis. Examples of unusual circumstances include students holding a specialized master's or doctoral degree where equivalent core courses were taken in a particular area (such as statistics or mathematics). Students may petition the Associate Dean of Research and Doctoral Programs to substitute up to 12 credits of required courses with alternative courses approved by the faculty advisory group.

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Remembering Daniel C. Dennett, University and Fletcher Professor of Philosophy Emeritus

This message is being sent on behalf of the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

Dear colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that Daniel C. Dennett, University and Fletcher Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, passed away early this morning. He was 82.  

Dan Dennett was truly a once-in-a-generation scholar, teacher, and colleague. His career at Tufts spanned more than 50 years and we are incredibly fortunate to have had him as a part of our community for so long.

After receiving his AB in philosophy at Harvard University and his PhD in philosophy at the University of Oxford, Dan taught at the University of California, Irvine, from 1965 to 1971, before arriving at Tufts as an associate professor. He was promoted to professor in 1975 and chaired the Department of Philosophy from 1976 to 1982. Dan was named University Professor in 2000, Tufts’ highest honor for faculty members. That year, he also became the Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, and he received the distinction of University Professor Emeritus when he retired at the end of 2022.

Dan was a major intellectual figure internationally, with research centering on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He published 21 books, such as Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (1995) and Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (2006), and more than 560 articles. Interestingly, an off-Broadway play, “The Unbelieving,” which was staged in New York City in 2022, was directly inspired by interviews with clergy conducted for his book (with researcher Linda LaScola) Caught in The Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind (2013).

At least 18 books have been written about Dan and his work, and he appeared in numerous documentaries, including A Glorious Accident (1993). In 2011 he collaborated with Tufts undergraduate Matthew Hurley and Assistant Professor of Psychology Reginald Adams to coauthor Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind (2011). He also chaired the Loebner Prize Committee that held the first three restricted Turing test competitions. Students and colleagues from around the world traveled to Tufts to study, work, and think alongside him.

Dan’s pioneering approach to his field has garnered international attention for more than half a century. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1987, and has received two Guggenheim awards, a Fulbright fellowship, and a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. From the last decade alone, his awards included the Mind & Brain Prize (2011), the Erasmus Prize (2012), the SINe medal (2016), and the Carl Sagan Award (2018). Dan gave talks across the globe, even after retirement, and was awarded numerous honorary degrees, granted by universities spanning from Connecticut to Bucharest.

Dan assisted and advised former Tufts President Jean Mayer in his efforts to turn Tufts into a major research university. During Larry Bacow’s presidency, he created and hosted the Tufts High Table dinners, which gave faculty members the opportunity to get to know each other in non-committee contexts, and which led to many longstanding friendships and collaborations. He also served as director of the Tufts Center for Cognitive Studies since its inception in 1985 and co-founded the Curricula Software Studio in 1985.   Dan is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Susan, their son, Peter, their daughter, Andrea, and six cherished grandchildren, as well as his two sisters, Charlotte and Cynthia.   Those seeking support during this time may wish to make use of the services of the Tufts Employee Assistance Program and/or the University Chaplaincy .    Thank you for joining us as we send our heartfelt condolences to the Dennett family and to all those whose lives Dan touched.

Sincerely yours,

James M. Glaser Dean, School of Arts and Sciences

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New publication by our PhD student

The Philosophical Quarterly  has just published our current PhD student, Denis Kazankov's, co-authored article 'Linguistic imposters'. You can read the article here .

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Three CUNY Educators Win 2024 Guggenheim Fellowships

April 17, 2024

Art Historian, Interdisciplinary Artist and Philosophy Scholar Win Prominent Prize

Three women from CUNY’s faculty have won prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships in recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to the arts and humanities. This year’s CUNY Guggenheim fellows are interdisciplinary artist  Bang-Guel Han  and philosophy scholar  Barbara Montero , both of the College of Staten Island, and art historian  Claire Bishop , of the CUNY Graduate Center.

“We congratulate Professors Han, Bishop and Montero for their selection as recipients of the highly coveted Guggenheim Fellowship,”  said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Not only are they dynamic changemakers producing innovative, influential work in their respective fields, they are also devoted faculty members who educate and inspire the next generation of scholars.”

Now in its 99th year, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation this year selected 188 fellows in 52 disciplines from nearly 3,000 applicants. Scholars are honored for work in the social and natural sciences, the humanities and the creative arts, and each recipient receives a stipend to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.” Prior recipients include James Baldwin, Rachel Carson and Martha Graham. See the  full list of 2024 Fellows .

Examining Politics, Social Constructs

Han, an associate professor at the College of Staten Island, is an interdisciplinary artist working across video, performance and code. Through her work, she examines the sociopolitical and cultural dimensions of body and language in relation to social structures, representational systems and understandings of self.

“The list of recipients contains so many amazing people – I feel humbled to be in the same company,” Han said, adding that she feels “elated and honored.”

As a Guggenheim Fellow, Han will be working on a new interdisciplinary art project consisting of an experimental tapestry, electronic sculpture and live events in the form of public panel discussions.

Han was born and raised in Seoul and has been based in the United States since 2003. Her work has been shown in The Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Queens Museum, DOOSAN Gallery New York, SangSangMadang in Seoul and Centro Internazionale per l’Arte Contemporanea in Rome.

In her artist statement, Han said that her art practice “critically engages with manifestations of activities often associated with the feminine: talking about emotions, confessions, eavesdropping and gossiping. I’m interested in text as sites of disclosure and declaration that blur and complicate the distinction between public and private.”

Exploring the Mind-Body Problem

Montero is a philosophy professor at the College of Staten Island and the University of Notre Dame. Her experience as a former professional ballet dancer helps inform her research, which is focused on two very different notions of the body: as the physical or material basis of everything, and as the moving, breathing, flesh and blood instrument that we use when we run, walk or dance.

“I feel ecstatic that my work was recognized as worthy of support,” Montero said.

Her Guggenheim project will involve writing a draft of a book to be titled “Things That Matter: Actual-World Metaphysics and the Mind-Body Problem,” which is currently under contract with Oxford University Press. The book will explore what philosophy can teach readers about both themselves and the world they inhabit. “My goal is to methodically complete a full draft. After that’s done, it’s pure pleasure for me,” Montero said.

Montero has won fellowships and awards including the National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowship and the American Council of Learned Societies Charles Ryskamp Research Fellowship. She was nominated by Oxford University Press for the Susanne M. Glasscock Humanities Book Prize for Interdisciplinary Scholarship, an award for which publishers are permitted to submit only one book per round.

Critic and Contrarian 

Bishop, a prolific scholar and contemporary art critic, is known for her original and sometimes contrarian views and interpretations. Her book “Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship,” for which she won the 2013 Frank Jewett Mather award, calls for art that engages and challenges its audience in a more intentionally assertive manner.

“So many great scholars have been Guggenheim Fellows, and there are so many I admire on the list of fellows this year. It’s terrific to be in that company,” Bishop said. “It’s also public recognition of a more contemporary and interdisciplinary way of writing.”

Her forthcoming book, “Disordered Attention: How We Look at Art and Performance Today,” due in June from Verso Books, includes four essays about changing patterns of attention in contemporary art and performance since the early 1990s. Her essays and books have been translated into 20 languages. A professor at the CUNY Graduate Center since 2008, she has taught courses on a variety of topics, such as exhibition history, museums of contemporary art, dance and performance, histories of art education and attention and technology.

“Art history can be a very niche bubble, while the media oversimplifies,” she said, speaking of her plans for the Guggenheim. “I’d like to help bring some accessibility to the former and some complexity to the latter.”

Read the full announcement from the  CUNY Graduate Center .

The City University of New York  is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving more than 225,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit  https://www.cuny.edu .

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Graduate Nursing programs embrace the core commitments and values expressed in the University Mission, which includes providing the highest academic standards in graduate and professional education. Both programs provide educational experiences, which are transformative and inclusive by building on the knowledge, skills, and values of the Baccalaureate and/or master’s prepared nurse.

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Dr. Tony Umadhay, the visionary Dean of the School of Nursing at Barry University, is redefining what it means to be a nurse in today's complex healthcare environment. With a journey that spans continents—from his early days at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila to achieving pinnacle academic honors in the United States—Dr. Umadhay embodies the spirit of dedication and innovation. His transformative leadership at Barry University is not just about imparting knowledge; it's about inspiring a new generation of nurses to tackle health equity challenges head-on. Behind his accolades, including prestigious awards and recognitions, lies a relentless pursuit of excellence and a deep commitment to societal well-being.   

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Philosophy Department

Tiana-marie blassingale: jeezy’s lessons from adversity.

Please check out an excerpt from Philosophy Graduate Student Tiana-Marie Blassingale’s new review essay, “Jeezy’s Lessons from Adversity”:

On the surface, it seems like Adversity for Sale is a collection of short stories about a young Black man as he navigates his way through the street life into a position of an established entrepreneur who is capable of providing generational wealth for his family by any means. However, seen through a philosophical lens, the book highlights a new perspective on liberatory virtues and vices. It’s a curation of epistemology, learned through lived experiences, not only by Jeezy, but also by many others in the book and the hood, more generally speaking. The book provides a glimpse into a rich body of knowledge, which could be referred to as “Hood Philosophy,” otherwise known as “street smarts” or “street knowledge.”

You can read the full essay on the Blog of the APA here.

Congratulations, Tiana-Marie!

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