stanford university phd philosophy

Masters Program

Three programs lead to the M. A. in Philosophy

• The General Program providing a grounding in all branches of the subject. 
• The Special Program in Symbolic Systems and the Special Program in the Philosophy of Language provide special training in their respective branches.

Below are yearly lists of courses which the faculty have approved to fulfill distribution requirements in these areas: value theory (including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, philosophy of law); language; mind and action; metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science); logic; ancient philosophy; modern philosophy.

 Stanford Bulletin

All prospective master's students, including those currently enrolled in other Stanford programs, must apply for admission to the program. No fellowships are available. Entering students must meet with the director of the master's program and have their advisor's approval, in writing, of program proposals. The master's program should not be considered a stepping stone to the doctoral program; these two programs are separate and distinct. Coterminal applications are only accepted in Winter Quarter, for a Spring Quarter start. The coterm deadline is the end of the second week of Winter Quarter.

Unit Requirements

Each program requires a minimum of 45 units in philosophy. Students in a special program may be allowed or required to replace up to 9 units of philosophy by 9 units in the field of specialization. Although the requirements for the M.A. are designed so that a student with the equivalent of a strong undergraduate philosophy major at Stanford might complete them in one year, most students need longer. Students should also keep in mind that although 45 units is the minimum required by the University, quite often more units are necessary to complete department requirements. Up to 6 units of directed reading in philosophy may be allowed. There is no thesis requirement, but an optional master's thesis or project, upon faculty approval, may count as the equivalent of up to 8 units. A special program may require knowledge of a foreign language. At least 45 units in courses numbered 100 or above must be completed with a grade of 'B-' or better at Stanford. Students are reminded of the University requirements for advanced degrees, and particularly of the fact that for the M.A., students must complete three full quarters as measured by tuition payment.

General Program

The General Program requires a minimum of 45 units in Philosophy courses numbered above 99. These courses must be taken for a letter grade, and the student must receive at least a 'B-' in the course. Courses taken to satisfy the undergraduate core or affiliated courses may not be counted in the 45 units. The requirement has three parts:

Part 1: Undergraduate Core

Students must have when they enter, or complete early in their program, the following undergraduate courses (students entering from other institutions should establish equivalent requirements with a master's advisor upon arrival or earlier):

• PHIL 49: Survey of Formal Methods (4 units)
• PHIL 150: Mathematical Logic (4 units)
• PHIL 151: Metalogic (4 units)
• PHIL 154: Modal Logic (4 units)
• Philosophy of science: This requirement may be satisfied by PHIL 60, PHIL 61, or any intermediate philosophy of science course numbered between PHIL 160 - 169.
• Moral and political philosophy: This requirement may be satisfied by any intermediate course devoted to central topics in moral and political philosophy numbered between PHIL 170 - 172, or PHIL 174-176. 
• Contemporary theoretical philosophy: This requirement may be satisfied by any intermediate course numbered between PHIL 180 - 189.
• History of philosophy: two history of philosophy courses numbered 100 or above

Part 2: Graduate Core

Students must take at least one course numbered over 105 from three of the following five areas (courses used to satisfy the undergraduate core cannot also be counted toward satisfaction of the graduate core). Crosslisted and other courses taught outside the Department of Philosophy do not count towards satisfaction of the core.

• Logic and semantics
• Philosophy of science and history of science
• Ethics, value theory, and moral and political philosophy
• Metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language
• History of philosophy

Part 3: 200-Level Course Requirement

Each master's candidate must take at least two courses numbered above 200; these cannot be graduate sections of undergraduate courses.

Part 4: Specialization

Students must take at least three courses numbered over 105 in one of the five areas.

Stanford Bulletin

Special Program in the Philosophy of Language

Admission to the special program in the Philosophy of Language is limited to students with substantial preparation in philosophy or linguistics. Those whose primary preparation has been in linguistics may be required to satisfy all or part of the undergraduate core requirements as described in the "General Program" subsection above. Those whose preparation is primarily in philosophy may be required to take additional courses in linguistics.

Course Requirements

• Philosophy of language: two approved courses in the philosophy of language numbered 180 or higher.
• PHIL 384: Seminar in Metaphysics and Epistemology (4 units)
• LINGUIST 230A: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (4 units)
• Logic: at least two approved courses numbered PHIL 151 Metalogic or higher.
• An approved graduate-level course in mathematical linguistics or automata theory.

For the Philosophy Masters of Arts special program in Symbolic Systems, students should have the equivalent of the Stanford undergraduate major in Symbolic Systems . Students who have a strong major in one of the basic SSP disciplines (philosophy, psychology, linguistics, computer science) may be admitted, but are required to do a substantial part of the undergraduate SSP core in each of the other basic SSP fields. 

Philosophy MA Special Program in Symbolic Systems Requirements in Stanford Bulletin  

The Program in Symbolic Systems also offers their own Masters of Science in Symbolic Systems; we recommend prospective students compare the two programs to find which is the best fit.

Symbolic Systems MS Program Requirements  

Special Program in Symbolic Systems

Students should have the equivalent of the Stanford undergraduate major in Symbolic Systems. Students who have a strong major in one of the basic SSP disciplines (philosophy, psychology, linguistics, computer science) may be admitted, but are required to do a substantial part of the undergraduate SSP core in each of the other basic SSP fields. 

This must include the following philosophy courses:

• PHIL 80: Mind, Matter, and Meaning (5 units) AND
• PHIL 151: Metalogic (4 units)

And one of the following:

• PHIL 181: Philosophy of Language (4 units)
• PHIL 184: Topics in Epistemology (4 units)
• PHIL 186: Philosophy of Mind (4 units)
• PHIL 187: Philosophy of Action (4 units)

This work does not count towards the 45-unit requirement.

• Philosophy of language
• Philosophy of mind
• Metaphysics and epistemology
• Philosophy of science
• Linguistics
• Computer Science
• The remaining courses are chosen in consultation with and approved by an advisor.

Masters Funding

No funding is available from the department for Masters students. Please check the  Financial Aid website  for information about loans and outside sources to fund your MA. There is also a list of external funding databases on the Vice Provost's page .

The  Knight Hennessy program  does offer funding for its admitted students, and that funding can be applied toward a Stanford graduate degree program. Applicants apply to both  KH  and to a department.

ICME Doctor of Philosophy

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The Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME), and its predecessor program Scientific Computing and Computational Mathematics, has offered MS and PhD degrees in computational mathematics for over 30 years. Affiliated Faculty conduct groundbreaking research, train and advise graduate students, and provide over 60 courses in computational mathematics and scientific computing at both the undergraduate and graduate level, to the Stanford community.

Doctoral Program

We develop innovative computational and mathematical approaches for complex engineering and scientific problems, attracting talented PhD students from across the globe. Advised in research by more than 50 faculty from 20-plus departments, PhD students are immersed in a wide variety of fields including statistics and data science, machine and deep learning, control, optimization, numerical analysis, applied mathematics, high-performance computing, earth sciences, flow physics, graphics, bioengineering, genomics, economics and financial mathematics, molecular dynamics, and many more. PhD graduates find outstanding positions in industry and national laboratories as well as in academia.

ICME PhD students cultivate a broad and deep understanding of computational mathematics through core courses in matrix computations, optimization, stochastics, discrete mathematics, and PDEs and through their research work with ICME affiliated faculty.

For complete details, coursework, and research requirements please view the Stanford Bulletin:  Doctor of Philosophy in Computational and Mathematical Engineering

ICME PhD Application Submission

Law and Philosophy

The philosophical underpinnings and implications of law have been a central concern for as long as there has been law. Ultimately, law is a system of rules to regulate society, and the goodness or badness of any rule must be judged by its success in promoting a more just society.

Not surprisingly, then, what justice requires in a given sphere of activity and what set of rules will best achieve it are foundational questions in virtually every area of law—questions answered by scholars exploring the intersection of law and philosophy. In the past century, legal philosophers have made major contributions in areas as diverse as the justification for criminal punishment; the meaning of consent in private contracts; the moral basis of private property rights; distributive justice in tax regimes, the welfare state, eminent domain and allocation of citizenship rights; a rights-based versus welfarist account of the tort system; the state’s right to regulate family relationships; the justness of preventive war; the moral basis of legislation; intergenerational justice in environmental law; biomedical ethics; and the values of free speech and democracy in campaign finance reform.

The opportunities to open up new legal questions to philosophical inquiry, as well as shed new light on old questions, are virtually limitless. In many cases, this work requires thorough grounding in both legal institutions and philosophy—and Stanford’s JD/PhD program in law and philosophy is designed to provide that foundation. Although the program may be most relevant to aspiring academics, anyone hoping to work in policy positions in fields such as biomedical ethics and environmental ethics or even tax may find this joint degree useful.

Course Requirements

As many as 54 quarter units of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. No more than 31 quarter units of courses that originate outside the law school may count toward the law degree.

The maximum number of law school credits that may be counted toward the PhD in philosophy is the greater of: (i) 12 quarter units; or (ii) the maximum number of units from courses outside the department that PhD candidates in philosophy are permitted to count toward their degree under general departmental guidelines or in the case of a particular student’s individual program.

Stanford Philosophy Department

Note to applicants:  The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to Stanford graduate students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields. Joint Degree applicants are encouraged to apply to the  Knight – Hennessy Scholars Program.  Please be aware that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars applications are due in early Autumn one year prior to enrollment. View dates and deadlines: knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/dates-and-deadlines .

Ralph Richard Banks

• Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor of Law
• Faculty Director, Stanford Center for Racial Justice

Joshua Cohen

• Marta Sutton Weeks Professor of Ethics in Society
• Professor of Political Science, Philosophy and Law, Emeritus

Richard Thompson Ford

• George E. Osborne Professor of Law

Barbara Fried

• William W. and Gertrude H. Saunders Professor of Law, Emerita

Henry T. Greely

• Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law
• Director, Center for Law and the Biosciences
• Professor, by courtesy, Genetics
• Chair, Steering Committee of the Center for Biomedical Ethics
• Director, Stanford Program in Neuroscience and Society

Mark G. Kelman

• James C. Gaither Professor of Law

Norman W. Spaulding

• Nelson Bowman Sweitzer and Marie B. Sweitzer Professor of Law

Barton Thompson

• Robert E. Paradise Professor of Natural Resources Law
• Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment
• Professor, Doerr School of Sustainability

Allen S. Weiner

• Senior Lecturer in Law
• Director, Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law
• Director, Stanford Humanitarian Program
• Director, Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation

Robert Weisberg

• Edwin E. Huddleson, Jr. Professor of Law
• Faculty Co-Director, Stanford Criminal Justice Center

Philosophy and Literature at Stanford

Crossing departmental boundaries. Expanding perspectives. Opening minds.

Philosophy + Literature is a unique initiative that brings together faculty from more than 10 departments, along with curious undergraduate and graduate students, to ask and answer big questions.  For example:

Should we live our life as a story?

Must we always be honest with ourselves?

Can philosophical approaches account for the specific power of literary works?

Can literary devices contribute to philosophical goals?

Innovative & Interdisciplinary

One of the only programs of its kind, nationally and internationally.

Events & Workshops

Join a reading group. Participate in a research workshop. Attend talks and conferences.

For Undergraduates

Undergraduates can explore the terrain and expand their horizons by starting with our Gateway Course. It's the first step in special major tracks in philosophy and literature.

For Graduates

Graduate students can take a PhD Minor, or gain unique interdisciplinary teaching experience supporting the undergraduate program.

Browse books by our faculty

Fiction Sets You Free

Ludic Proof

Pushkin and Romantic Fashion

Postnaturalism

How to Do Things with Fictions

The Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology (MCP) offers a course of study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. The program of study is designed to prepare students for careers in research and teaching, with a  major emphasis  on training in research. Students work closely with a dissertation adviser and members of a research group on  novel  and  important biological problems  at the cellular and molecular level.  Each student’s program of study is created in consultation with the adviser to  best fulfill  the student’s unique educational goals.  

We encourage applications from  all  qualified persons interested in pursuing a career in scientific research.

Please visit  https://biosciences.stanford.edu/ for more information.  

See our Admissions FAQ page here .

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Tuesday, december 5, 2023, education requirements, application process.

Admission of Ph.D. students into Molecular and Cellular Physiology (MCP) occurs through the Biosciences Ph.D. Program. Please review the complete up-to-date- information about the application process here.

• Applications are available online in early September at http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu • Submit application, including transcripts and letters of recommendation by the deadline.

The Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology (MCP) 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.

The Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology (MCP)   welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review process is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, prior research experience, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field and how they might enrich the learning community at Stanford.  

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Additional inquiries can be directed to:

Schantae Wright Student Services Officer Stanford University School of Medicine Beckman Center, Room B100A 279 Campus Drive Stanford, CA 94305-5345

Email:  [email protected] Tel: (650) 725-7554 Fax: (650) 725-8021

Quick Links

Lab Websites

Science Friday Schedule

MCP Courses

Calendars - B100 & B181

MCP Community Newsletters

HELPFUL LINKS

for Admissions

• Graduate Study in Biosciences Ph.D. Program
• Graduate Admissions
• MCP Graduate Student Handbook
• Stanford University Graduate Student Handbook
• Stanford Bulletin  
• Financing Graduate Studies
• International Students
• School of Medicine Course Catalog
• Graduate Student Council

Program Philosophy

Partnering with teachers and students to ignite curiosity and meet educational needs

Stanford Chemistry Department members have worked hand-in-hand with local high school teachers to build and develop educational programs and lab exercises that engage students while also fulfilling curricular needs and meeting state requirements. Our ready-to-go lab exercises help teachers find time to include labs and still cover all of their essential class content.

Our programs also aim to inspire future scientists, with opportunities to explore chemistry and scientific careers with young scientists – undergraduate and graduate students in chemistry who can show them the path forward and answer questions.

Our Programs

Inspiring future scientists through shadowing (ifss).

Hosted annually by the chemistry department at Stanford University, the IFSS program allows rising juniors and seniors in high school to experience cutting-edge chemical research while shadowing a graduate student mentor as they work in the laboratory.

In the ChemEx2 Program, local high school teachers work with a set of chemistry experiences and experiments –designed and vetted by the Stanford Department of Chemistry in conjunction with high school chemistry teachers and science educators – to foster student learning and expand high-leverage, core teaching practices in chemistry. Participants develop a plan for their own classrooms that address the science learning goals in the NGSS and Common Core State Standards. Follow-up days during the academic year provide additional support.

School Visits

Schedule a visit for your local Bay Area  high school  or  K–5  students to learn about chemistry research and the career steps to becoming a scientist, with a small outreach group from the Stanford Chemistry Department. Presentations may be scheduled both on- and off-campus. Each presentation features the projects of a current Ph.D. student in chemistry or chemical engineering, with demonstrations that illustrate some of the fundamental chemistry concepts at work within the research, followed by time for Q&A.

Meet Our Program Leaders!

Jennifer Schwartz-Poehlmann

Michael Fayer

Christopher Chidsey

Program History

The 2009 Outreach Team (from left): Gary Benz , Science Department Chair at American High School; Dave Heppner, Stanford Chemistry Ph.D. Student; Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann, Stanford Chemistry Sr. Lecturer; Sarah Sherlock, Stanford Chemistry Ph.D. Student; Brian Smith, Stanford Chemistry Ph.D. Student; Hernan Sanchez, Stanford Chemistry Ph.D. Student; Lindsey Hanson, Stanford Chemistry Ph.D. Student

The first trial run of the Stanford Chemistry Outreach Program was introduced April 24th, 2009, with the aim to foster a greater interest and appreciation for chemistry among underrepresented minorities and women in high school.

The group provided a structured laboratory experience at American High School in Fremont. Working with Gary Benz, chair of the Science Department at American, we were able to design a laboratory experience to reinforce and complement the chemistry concepts that were currently being taught in the classroom, using creative and exciting teaching methodologies that help students relate the lab material to the ‘real world’ around them. For example, the Fremont High School lab discussed why insoluble metals are toxic by guiding students to make a bright yellow lead precipitate formerly used in making paints. The students then dissolved this precipitate by titrating with water, allowing them to observe a reversible reaction and gain a better understanding of solubility and equilibrium reactions.

This first outreach laboratory was a very positive experience for everyone involved. The graduate students jumped at the chance to get out and interact with younger students in the community. The high school students seemed to really enjoy the opportunity to talk with graduate students about science, and college in general, as well as run a cool experiment.

We know that in a high school setting, many laboratory experiences are not feasible given the time and setup logistics required, as well as the limited individual attention that one teacher can provide. In a classroom of ~30 students, it was clear in our April 2009 launch that the added instructors in the classroom enabled set-up of more involved experiments and greater individual attention - especially to those students who were struggling with key concepts. Even more importantly, though, this experience allowed all students the opportunity to interact with other young people who are truly passionate and excited about chemistry.

From our 2009 roots, this program has developed a set of 12 guided inquiry lab activities in which high school students work in small groups to get hands-on experience with key chemical concepts that are taught throughout the academic year. Stanford Chemistry Professor Michael Fayer and Senior Lecturer Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann continue to spearhead the educational components of the program. Working with local high school teachers, we continue to strive to ensure that these laboratory experiences reinforce the California State Curriculum Standards. In these ready-to-go laboratories, everything can be brought to and taken back out of the school quickly. It is through these efforts that we hope to make a significant contribution to K–12 education, as well as to encourage more students to consider chemistry, or science in general, in their futures. Finally, this experience also provides a unique professional development opportunity for our graduate students who are interested in an academic career.

Gifts in Kind

Our program strives to pack in and out all supplies needed for the experiments that we run during out school visit, thus we are in particular need of nitrile or latex gloves and other chemical consumables. If you are interested in donating any materials, chemicals, or equipment to the program please contact  Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann  for more information. Thank you for your consideration!

A Special "Thank You"

A special THANK YOU to the Baskin Family Foundation, Stanford Chemistry Department, and Fisher Scientific for contributing to the "Motivating Future Scientists Chemistry Outreach" program. Special thanks also to the Daughters of the American Revolution for a generous donation defraying the cost of transportation for outreach trips to/from the Stanford Campus. If your classroom or students require financial assistance to visit the Chemistry Department, please contact Jeffrey Babicz.

The Program in History & Philosophy of Science

The Program in History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) at Stanford teaches students to examine the sciences, medicine and technology from myriad perspectives, conceptual, historical and social.

Our community of scholars includes core faculty and students in History, Philosophy, and Classics, and affiliated members in Anthropology, English, Political Science, Communication and other disciplines.

Together, we draw upon the multiple methods of our disciplines to study the development, functioning, applications and social and cultural engagements of the sciences.

Ph.D. in Chinese Linguistics

The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students for a doctoral degree in Chinese linguistics.

Students should consult the most up-to-date version of the degree plan on the Stanford Bulletin  as well as the EALC Graduate Handbook . Each student should meet with their faculty advisor at least once per quarter to discuss the degree requirements and their progress.

Admission to Candidacy

Candidacy is the most important University milestone on the way to the Ph.D. degree. Admission to candidacy rests both on the fulfillment of department requirements and on an assessment by department faculty that the student has the potential to successfully complete the Ph.D.

Following University policy ( GAP 4.6.1 ), students are expected to complete the candidacy requirements by Spring Quarter of the second year of graduate study.

Pre-Candidacy Requirements

• CHINLANG 103 - Third-Year Modern Chinese, Third Quarter (5 units)
• CHINLANG 103B - Third-Year Modern Chinese for Bilingual Speakers, Third Quarter (3 units)
• CHINA 208 - Advanced Classical Chinese: Philosophical Texts (3-5 units)
• CHINA 209 - Advanced Classical Chinese: Historical Narration (2-5 units)
• CHINA 210 - Advanced Classical Chinese: Literary Essays (2-5 units)
• EALC 201 - Proseminar in East Asian Humanities I: Skills and Methodologies (3 units)
• CHINA 290  - Research in Chinese Linguistics (2-3 units)
• Four courses numbered above 200 in the field of China studies, at least two of which must be listed with the CHINA  subject code, and the other two of which may be in different sub-fields such as anthropology, art history, history, philosophy, political science, religious studies, or another relevant field, as approved by the student’s advisor.

All doctoral students must complete an MA qualifying paper. An MA thesis is accepted instead of a qualifying paper for students initially admitted as EALC MA students. Students seeking an MA en route to the PhD must secure approval from the primary advisor and submit an MA thesis.

A graded MA qualifying paper or thesis must be submitted to the DGS and SSO with an accompanying note from the student’s primary advisor by week five of spring quarter of the second year of study for the annual review and candidacy decision.

During the quarter when students complete the MA qualifying paper or thesis (25-30 pages), they must enroll in EALC 299 .

Teaching Requirement

• DLCL 301 - The Learning and Teaching of Second Languages (3 units)
• Demonstrate pedagogical proficiency by serving as a teaching assistant for at least three quarters, starting no later than autumn quarter of the third year of graduate study. The department may approve exceptions to the timing of the language teaching requirement.

Post-Candidacy Requirements

Demonstrate proficiency in at least one supporting language (beyond the near-native level required in Chinese and English) to be chosen in consultation with the primary advisor according to the candidate’s specific research goals. For this supporting language (typically Japanese, Korean, or a European language), students must be proficient at a second-year level at the minimum; a higher level of proficiency may be required depending on the advisor’s recommendation. Reading proficiency must be certified through a written examination or an appropriate amount of coursework to be determined on a case-by-case basis. This requirement must be fulfilled by the end of the fourth year of graduate study.

Students in Chinese linguistics must take at least one literature course.

Complete two relevant seminars at the 300 level. EALC 200  may be substituted for one of these two seminars.

Pass three comprehensive written examinations, one of which tests the candidate’s methodological competence in the relevant discipline. The remaining two fields are chosen, with the approval of the student’s advisor, from the following: Chinese literature, Japanese literature, Korean literature, archaeology, anthropology, art history, comparative literature, communication, history, linguistics, philosophy, and religious studies. With the advisor’s approval, a PhD minor in a supporting field may be deemed equivalent to completing one of these three examinations.

Students should submit a dissertation prospectus before advancing to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status. The prospectus should comprehensively describe the dissertation project and include sections on the project rationale, key research questions, contributions to the field, a literature review, a chapter-by-chapter outline, a projected timeline, and a bibliography.

Pass the University Oral Examination (dissertation defense). General regulations governing the oral examination are found in Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures ( GAP 4.7.1 ). The candidate is examined on questions related to the dissertation after acceptable parts have been completed in draft form.

Following university policy ( GAP 4.8.1 ), submit a dissertation demonstrating the ability to undertake original research based on primary and secondary materials in Chinese.

PhD Program

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The Doctor of Philosophy degree is offered under the general regulations of the University as set forth in the Stanford Bulletin. This degree is recommended for those who expect to engage in a professional career in research, teaching, or technical work of an advanced nature in civil or environmental engineering.

A PhD at Stanford requires a minimum of 90 units of graduate study beyond the Masters degree. PhD students who arrive at Stanford with a Masters degree that did not provide adequate background in their area of specialization may be required take additional units beyond this minimum as part of their PhD studies. Students who are directly admitted to the PhD without a Masters degree are required to take a total of 135 units of graduate study. The department requires CEE PhD students arriving without a Masters degree to take sufficient coursework each quarter, until the GQE is completed, to satisfy the requirements for a CEE Masters degree by the end of their 6th non-summer quarter of PhD studies. Once the GQE is completed, steady progress towards the MS is no longer required. PhD candidates should develop individually tailored study plans and expected-progress timetables in consultation with their thesis advisors. 

Julia Irwin

HAI Postdoctoral Fellow

Julia Irwin researches the history and philosophy of artificial intelligence as a lens for understanding contemporary issues of AI safety, values alignment, and human-computer interaction. Her scholarship uncovers the ways twentieth-century theories of human perception and reason have shaped the development of AI, and how machine capabilities have likewise informed our theories of human intelligence and social organization. She holds a PhD in Film & Media from UC Berkeley and a masters from NYU Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.