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Best Universities for Philosophy in the World

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the World ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 315M citations received by 19.8M academic papers made by 6,566 universities in the World was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Sao Paulo

For Philosophy

2. Stanford University

3. University of California - Berkeley

4. Harvard University

5. University of Toronto

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7. University of Oxford

8. University College London

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

10. Cornell University

11. University of Cambridge

12. University of Washington - Seattle

13. State University of Campinas

14. University of California - Los Angeles

15. Columbia University

16. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

17. National Autonomous University of Mexico

18. University of Pennsylvania

19. Yale University

20. University of Wisconsin - Madison

21. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

22. New York University

23. Carnegie Mellon University

24. Pierre and Marie Curie University

25. University of British Columbia

26. University of California-San Diego

27. Princeton University

28. University of Texas at Austin

29. University of Chicago

30. University of Liege

31. University of Montreal

32. Sao Paulo State University

33. Pennsylvania State University

34. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

35. Catholic University of Leuven

36. Ohio State University

37. Johns Hopkins University

38. University of Southern California

39. University of Edinburgh

40. University of Maryland - College Park

41. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

42. McGill University

43. University of Amsterdam

44. University of Manchester

45. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

46. Complutense University of Madrid

47. Autonomous University of Barcelona

48. Arizona State University - Tempe

49. Federal University of Minas Gerais

50. University of Pittsburgh

51. University of Barcelona

52. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

53. University of Granada

54. Federal University of Santa Catarina

55. University of Sydney

56. University of Buenos Aires

57. University of Arizona

58. University of Melbourne

59. Michigan State University

60. Heidelberg University - Germany

61. Northwestern University

62. University of Florida

63. Boston University

64. University of Alberta

65. Duke University

66. University of Brasilia

67. University of Ottawa

68. University of Munich

69. University of California - Davis

70. University of Tokyo

71. University of Chile

72. Imperial College London

73. Utrecht University

74. Tel Aviv University

75. King's College London

76. National University of Singapore

77. University of Copenhagen

78. Laval University

79. Technical University of Munich

80. University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

81. University of Queensland

82. University of California - San Francisco

83. University of Iowa

84. Texas A&M University - College Station

85. University of Virginia

86. University of Valencia

87. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

88. University of Zurich

89. University of Hong Kong

90. Tsinghua University

91. University of Vienna

92. Hebrew University of Jerusalem

93. Australian National University

94. University of California - Irvine

95. University of Seville

96. University of Hamburg

97. Monash University

98. Washington University in St Louis

99. University of New South Wales

100. National University of Colombia

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in the World

The Graduate Program in Philosophy

Graduate Degree

Stanford's graduate program in Philosophy is by any measure among the world's best. We attract  excellent students , we provide them ample access to  leading scholars  for instruction and advice, and we turn out accomplished philosophers ready to compete for the best jobs in a very tight job market. We offer both MA and PhD degrees.

Doctoral Program

Masters Program

Our  graduate students  are part of a vigorous philosophical community.

Our tradition is to treat and regard our graduate students as much like colleagues as like students. Faculty and graduate students participate in workshops, in reading groups, in colloquium discussions and in nearly all department life on an equal basis. The Department covers the cost of graduate student participation in lunches and dinners with visiting speakers. Our graduate students participate in the running of the department. Two graduate students serve as representatives at department meetings, a graduate student serves on the Graduate Studies Committee, and graduate students also serve on faculty hiring committees. Graduate students are essential to our efforts to recruit new graduate students each year.

Graduate students have a lively society of their own, the Hume Society that is responsible for a range of both intellectual and social events.

Graduate students take a mixture of courses and seminars both in our department in other departments. They also regularly take directed reading courses or independent study courses when special needs are not met by scheduled courses or when students are working directly on their dissertations.

Our  calendar  is packed with a range of philosophical events. We have a regular  Colloquia series  with visiting speakers on Friday afternoons. Our Colloquia are followed by receptions for the speakers hosted by the graduate students followed by dinner with the speaker. In addition to the regular colloquia series, every year we host the  Immanuel Kant Lectures . Our graduate students, along with other local graduate students,  organize the  Berkeley/Stanford/Davis Conference  where every year graduate students have the opportunity to present papers to an even larger philosophical community.

Many more informal reading and research groups,  including the Social Ethics and Normative Theory Workshop, the Global Justice and Political Theory Workshop, and the  Logical Methods in the Humanities Workshop , existing within the department and the university and are able to invite speakers from all across the world.

The affiliated  Center for Ethics in Society  hosts many different events including the annual lectures such as   Tanner Lectures in Human Values , the   Wesson Lectures on democratic theory and practice , and the  Arrow Lecture Series on Ethics and Leadership , in addition to a vast range of other  conferences, lectures and workshops  on ethics and political philosophy.

The  Center for the Explanation of Consciousness  (CEC) is a research initiative at  Center for Study of Language and Information  which is devoted to studying materialistic explanations of consciousness. The CEC hosts talks and symposia from a variety of viewpoints exploring the nature of conscious experience. They also sponsor reading groups during the term, led by faculty and graduate students.

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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.

The APA Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy

To browse all programs, leave the fields below blank and click the green search button. 

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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.

Note: You do not need to log in to use the Grad Guide.  To log in, you must first create an account. Your login/password from www.apaonline.org will not work.

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Program Overview

The Department of Philosophy offers programs covering a wide range of fields in philosophy. The department’s graduate program is primarily a PhD program. In addition to the standard PhD in Philosophy, the department offers a PhD in Classical Philosophy in collaboration with the Department of the Classics, a PhD in Indian Philosophy in collaboration with the Department of South Asian Studies, and a joint JD/PhD program in conjunction with the Harvard Law School. Below you will find a list of the requirements for each program. The department does not admit applicants who wish to study only for the master’s (AM) degree. The AM may be taken as a step toward the PhD after a minimum of two terms in residence.

PhD in Philosophy

Graduate advising.

The department’s arrangement for advising students is structured to correspond to four stages of a student’s progress toward the PhD. These stages include the first year, the second-year paper, reading and research toward a dissertation topic, and work on the dissertation.

• The director of graduate studies is assigned as an advisor to all first-year students and continues to meet with all students at the beginning of each term and sign their study cards throughout their time in the program. Their advising role is particularly important during the coursework stage (generally through the second year), because they have principal responsibility for monitoring the student’s progress toward fulfilling the general requirements for the degree: the preliminary requirement, and the distribution requirement. In addition, each first-year student is assigned an informal faculty advisor.
• At the end of the first year, students should arrange with a member of the faculty to supervise the student’s second-year paper. That faculty member will be the student’s advisor during the second year. If necessary, the director of graduate studies is available to assist a student in finding a suitable faculty member.
• At the beginning of the third year, after the second year paper is completed, a student arranges for a faculty member to be their advisor during the process of exploring areas for a possible dissertation and formulating a topic and a prospectus. This advisor may be the same person as the second-year paper advisor but need not be. Normally, a student will continue with this advisor until the topical examination, but change is possible by arrangement among the parties involved.
• When a prospectus is well along, the student should discuss the formation of a dissertation committee with the advisor, the director of graduate studies, and possible committee members.  Normally, this committee has three members, two of whom must be Harvard faculty as members; however, the committee may consist of only two members at the time of the topical examination.  Committees may have a fourth member, who may be, with permission of the DGS, a faculty member in another Harvard department or at another institution. This committee conducts the topical examination and, after a successful topical, will continue supervising the student’s work on the dissertation. Normally it conducts the dissertation defense when the dissertation is completed.
• During work on the dissertation, change is possible by arrangement with the parties involved and with the approval of the director of graduate studies. At this stage, one member of the committee will be designated as the student’s advisor. The significance of this will vary as the supervision of dissertations is more collective in philosophy, for example, than in many other fields. In some cases, the advisor will be the principal supervisor, in others the role of the committee members will be close to equal and the choice of one advisor is a matter of convenience.

Preliminary Requirement

Candidates must pass at least twelve approved philosophy courses or seminars. The norm is that these course are completed during the first four terms in the department. Courses numbered 301 or above do not count toward this preliminary requirement, save that the two required terms of Philosophy 300, the First Year Colloquium, may be counted as two of the twelve. Independent Studies (Philosophy 305) may also be used to satisfy distribution requirements but not the preliminary requirement with the prior approval of the DGS. For a letter-graded course philosophy course to be considered satisfactory, the candidate’s grade in the course must be B or higher.  The average grade for all letter-graded philosophy courses taken during the candidate’s time in the program must be at least B+.

Courses taken to meet the preliminary requirement must be approved in advance by the department’s director of graduate studies. Students must take and complete Philosophy 300a plus two letter-graded courses or seminars during their first term and Philosophy 300b plus three letter-graded courses or seminars more in their second term, thus completing five letter-graded courses during the first two terms of residence.

These courses, like the rest of the twelve, should be among those designated “For Undergraduates and Graduates” or “Primarily for Graduates” in the course catalogue. At least ten of the courses must be taught by members of the Department of Philosophy (including visiting and emeritus members). This requirement can be modified for students specializing in Classical or Indian Philosophy.

All graduate students must complete two semesters of the Pedagogy seminar, Philosophy 315hf. Normally this is done during a student's third year in the program, when students begin functioning as teaching fellows. Exceptions to taking 315hf in the third year must be approved in advance by the DGS.

Students who have done graduate work elsewhere may petition the DGS to obtain credit for up to three courses, which may be counted toward the preliminary requirement. If they are in philosophy (as would normally be the case), such courses will be regarded as equivalent to those taught by members of the department.

Distribution Requirement

This requirement, intended to ensure a broad background in philosophy, is met by completing eight distribution units of work, normally before the beginning of the fourth year of graduate study. A distribution unit may be fulfilled (i) by completing an approved course or seminar (which may also be counted toward the preliminary requirement), or (ii) by writing a paper under the guidance of a faculty member, with the approval of the director of graduate studies. In the latter case the work does not count toward the preliminary requirement.

The units are to be distributed as follows:

• Contemporary Theoretical Philosophy: Three units in core areas of twentieth- and twenty-first century metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, and the like.
• Practical Philosophy: Two units in contemporary or historical ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and the like.
• History of Philosophy: The distribution requirement in history is intended to assure that students have knowledge of the philosophical tradition out of which contemporary Anglo-American philosophy has grown, as well as an ability to work though texts whose philosophical presuppositions are different enough from those of contemporary Anglo-American philosophy that careful historical and philosophical analysis is required to bring them to light.

Three sorts of courses satisfy the requirement:   A. Courses in ancient Greek, Roman, or medieval philosophy.   B. Courses in early modern European philosophy up to and including Kant.   C. Courses on the foundations of philosophical traditions other than contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. These might include courses on traditional South Asian or East Asian philosophy, 19th century Continental European philosophy, early 20th century work of Heidegger, and so on.   A student must take three history courses to satisfy the requirement; at most one of these may be in practical philosophy. Save in the most exceptional circumstances (and with the approval of the DGS), at least one of these courses must be of category A and at least one must be of category B. Students should verify (with the DGS) in advance of taking a course to satisfy the requirement that the course will in fact satisfy it.

The First-Year Colloquium (Philosophy 300a and 300b) may not be used to fulfill any part of the distribution requirement. Philosophy 299hf, the second-year paper, may be used to fulfill a distribution requirement.

Logic Requirement

Candidates for the Ph.D. are expected to have mastered the fundamentals of logic and to have an understanding of the elements of logic’s metatheory. Normally, this requirement is satisfied by successfully completing one of the Department’s 100-level courses in logic: 140 (Introduction to Mathematical Logic), 144 (Logic and Philosophy), or 145 (Modal Logic). It can also be satisfied by taking an appropriate mathematics course (for example, Mathematics 143, 144a, or 145b). The requirement may also be satisfied by an examination set by the DGS in consultation with appropriate Department members or by serving as a TF in a Department logic course.

Second-Year Paper

Students are required at the end of their second year in residence to submit a paper whose length is between 7,500 and 12,000 words including footnotes.

The expectation is not that the second-year paper should constitute a kind of Master’s Thesis; a better model is that of a journal article: i.e., an essay that sets out a focused philosophical problem, articulates its significance, and makes a significant contribution rather than a mere intervention. Given this goal, the second-year paper may under no circumstances be over 12,000 words, and generally will be significantly shorter. Students must annotate the paper with an accurate word count.

By the end of the first year, students need to have a faculty advisor who will supervise the second year paper. Together the advisor and advisee will write a plan of study for the summer and the first term of the second year, and submit it to the DGS. This plan of study will specify a schedule for submitting work and receiving feedback, and will also specify a benchmark to be met before the beginning of the second semester.

A preliminary draft of the second-year paper is to be submitted by the end of the spring vacation of the second semester, and a final draft is due by June 1st. Under extraordinary circumstances and with the written approval of both advisor and the DGS, the final version of the paper may be submitted after June 1st, but no later than August 1st.

Once the second-year paper is submitted to the advisor, the advisor forwards the paper to the DGS, who selects a faculty member to act as the paper’s reader. The author, advisor, and reader meet in a timely manner to discuss the paper, after which the examiner in consultation with the advisor awards the paper a grade. This grade will be recorded as the student’s grade for their two semesters of 299hf.

Normally, a student is not allowed to participate in a dissertation workshop until they have submitted their second-year paper.

The Third Year

In a successful third year, graduate students do two things: they acquire pedagogical skills and confidence as teachers; they make enough progress on isolating a dissertation topic that they are able, at the end of that year or by the end of the first term of the fourth year, to write a prospectus and have a successful topical exam.

Normally, at the end of a student's second year, the student's 2YP advisor and the DGS consult and then assign a pre-prospective advisor to the student. The pre-prospectus advisor need not, and often will not, be someone who specializes in the area in which a student expects to write a dissertation. Rather, the advisor is someone with whom the student is comfortable discussing philosophy and who can advise about directions of research. In many cases the pre-prospectus advisor may be the 2YP advisor, since the student has formed a working relationship with that faculty member.

The student and pre-prospectus advisor should meet before the end of spring exams. The meeting's purpose is to discuss the student's general area(s) of interest for a dissertation and, if the student is ready, to devise a tentative list of articles or books which the student will read and reflect on over the next twelve months.

G3s meet with their pre-prospectus advisor in the first days of the fall term. The aim of this meeting is to give the student a manageable set of concrete tasks to complete toward settling on a prospectus topic. In this meeting, advisor and student should decide on: a collection of at least six articles or book chapters to discuss at meetings; a schedule for meetings during the fall (the norm being a meeting roughly every two weeks); the written work the student commits to doing in advance of each meeting. This work need not be elaborate --it might, for example, be a few pages of critical summary and discussion of the reading for the meeting.

Until a successful defense of a prospectus, students register of that section of Philosophy 333 associated with their pre-prospectus advisor.

The norm is that in the fall term of year 3 students do research in the area in which they expect to write so that they can fashion a fairly specific topic for the prospectus; spring term is then devoted to writing a prospectus. Students normally aim at having a prospectus and a topical before the beginning of classes in the fourth year; the expectation is that students have done a topical by the end of the first term of their fourth year.

Students who have completed their second year paper are required to enroll each term in one of the two dissertation workshops, Philosophy 311, Workshop in Moral and Political Philosophy or Philosophy 312, Workshop in Metaphysics and Epistemology. In an academic year in which a student is actively seeking post Ph.D. employment, they are not required to enroll in a workshop.

This a requirement for the Ph.D.; it is only in unusual personal circumstances that students may fail to enroll in a workshop. Permission not to enroll in a Workshop must be granted by the director of graduate studies. G3s are not required to present more than once a year in a workshop, and it is understood that their presentations may consist of such things as (constrained) literature reviews, overviews of the particular area in a sub-discipline, or drafts or presentations of a prospectus.

Prospectus and Topical Examination

When the prospectus is complete, a candidate must pass an oral topical examination on the prospectus. The examining committee consists of at least two Philosophy Department faculty members. If the topical examination is not passed, it must be taken again and passed by the beginning of the winter recess in the year immediately following. Normally students have a successful topical by the end of their fourth year in the program.

Requirements for a prospectus are set by a student's dissertation committee and may vary with committee membership. That said, in many cases a good default model for a prospectus will simply be a list of clear, straightforward answers to the following five questions: (1) What question(s) do you intend your dissertation to answer? (2) Why do you consider these questions to be important? (3) What is a good summary of what you consider to be the most important contributions to these questions in the literature? (4) Why, in your view, do these contributions leave more work to be done? (5) What is your tentative plan of attack (including a list of sources you anticipate using)? Think of your answers to these questions as building a case for why your dissertation project needs to be done , along with a sketch of how you in particular plan to do it. Finally, limit yourself to about 5000 words.

Although called an examination, a topical (which is approximately ninety minutes in length) is in fact a conference on the dissertation topic, not an occasion on which the candidate is expected to produce a complete outline of arguments and conclusions. The conference is intended to determine the acceptability of the topic on which the candidate wishes to write a dissertation, the candidate’s fitness to undertake such a dissertation, and the candidate’s command of relevant issues in related areas of philosophy. A dissertation on the proposed topic may be submitted only if the topical examination is passed.

Application to take the topical examination must be made to the director of graduate studies at least two weeks in advance. At the same time, the candidate must submit copies of a dissertation prospectus to the director of graduate studies and members of the student’s prospective committee.

Financial Support, Travel and Research Funding, and Teaching

Beyond tuition remission, Ph.D. students receive the following financial support from the Graduate School.

· A stipend for their first two years. During this period, students do not teach.

· Financial support via guaranteed teaching in the third and fourth year . During this period, students are hired as teaching fellows; the normal workload for a teaching fellow is two sections a term.

· A dissertation completion fellowship. This includes a full stipend for one academic year.

In addition, various university fellowships (for example: Term Time and Merit Fellowships, Fellowships at the Safra Center) are available on a competitive basis.

The Department also grants each Philosophy graduate student one academic term of stipend support through Philosophy Department Fellowships and also a total of $5500 in fellowships for professional development. For details see: Funding | Department of Philosophy (harvard.edu)

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

Once the topical exam is passed, the examining committee (which must consist of at least two faculty members of the Philosophy Department) normally becomes the dissertation advisory committee.  One member of the committee is the dissertation’s primary advisor (aka, the dissertation director).  It is expected that a student will have a committee of at least three members within a few months of the defense; the committee must have three members at the time of the defense.  It is possible, with the approval of the primary advisor and the DGS, to add a faculty member from another institution.  Normally a dissertation committee has no more than four members; larger committees must be approved by primary advisor and the DGS.

The primary advisor has primary responsibility for supervision for the dissertation.  The norm is that the student and the dissertation committee set out in advance how often students will meet with and receive feedback from advisors.  The expectation is that the committee and the student will meet as a body once a term to discuss progress on the dissertation.

At least three months before a final defense of the dissertation can be scheduled, the candidate must submit a draft of the dissertation or at least a substantial part of it to the committee.  Until this is done, a defense of the dissertation cannot be scheduled.  Assuming the committee approves scheduling a defense, the candidate completes a draft and circulates it to the committee. While it is a matter for the committee and the candidate to decide, the expectation is that the complete draft of the dissertation which will be defended will be circulated to the committee at least three weeks before the date of the defense . 

Dissertation defenses are public, and may be attended both by department members and other interested parties.  They are normally two hours in length, and normally begin with a brief summary by the candidate of what the candidate has accomplished in the dissertation, followed by a conversation between the candidate and the committee.  The purpose of this conversation is not so much to test the range and detail of the candidate’s knowledge as to judge the candidate’s skill in presenting and discussing matters considered in the dissertation as well as the candidate’s ability to meet friendly but searching criticism.

PhD in Classical Philosophy

The departments of the Classics and Philosophy collaborate in an interdisciplinary PhD program in Classical Philosophy for students registered in either department. Candidates whose major field is philosophy are expected to take the Proseminar for graduate students in the classics, as well as attend seminars or other courses in classics relevant to their interests. With the approval of the director of graduate studies, students in the Classical Philosophy program may be permitted to count an appropriate course in ancient philosophy toward the distribution requirement in metaphysics and epistemology and one (in addition to the one already required) toward the requirement in history of philosophy.

Language requirements:

Candidates who plan to write a dissertation in Classical Philosophy are expected to have learned at least one of the classical languages (Greek or Latin) before they are admitted. Depending upon the level of fluency they have reached before entering the program, they may be asked to take additional language or reading courses. If they have not previously studied the second language, they will be required to reach the level of one year of college coursework. This can be done either by taking courses or by passing a language examination. In addition, candidates will be expected to have acquired a reading knowledge of German sufficient for reading scholarly literature and to pass a departmental examination on a suitably chosen text. The rules and procedures for the dissertation will, in general, be those established for candidates in philosophy.

PhD in Indian Philosophy

The departments of Philosophy and South Asian Studies collaborate in an interdisciplinary PhD program in Indian Philosophy for students registered in either department. Candidates whose major field is Philosophy are expected to take advanced language courses in South Asian studies and pass AM qualifying examinations. Candidates whose major field is South Asian studies are expected to fulfill the requirements of students in Philosophy, including distribution and logic requirements. With the approval of the director of graduate studies, students in Indian Philosophy may be permitted to count appropriate course in advanced Sanskrit or Tibetan toward the distribution requirement in metaphysics or epistemology and one toward the requirement in history of philosophy.

Language Requirements:

Candidates who plan to write a dissertation in Indian Philosophy are expected to have learned at least one of the relevant classical languages (Sanskrit or Tibetan) before they are admitted to the program. Depending upon the level of fluency they have reached before entering the program, they may be asked to take additional language or reading courses. In addition, candidates will be expected to satisfy the specific language requirements of their home department. The rules and procedures for the dissertation will, in general, be those established for candidates in Philosophy.

For more information please see the PhD in Indian Philosophy section .

JD/PhD in Philosophy and Law

A coordinated JD/PhD in Philosophy and Law is available. Students wishing to obtain the coordinated degrees must be admitted separately to both programs. Students admitted for the coordinated degrees must begin either with the first full year of law school or the first two years of philosophy; after that they may alternate terms as they choose. The program in Law may be completed in five terms. The requirements for philosophy are the same as for regular philosophy graduate students. For more information please see the JD/PhD Coordinated Program section .

The Master of Arts (AM) in Philosophy

The Department does not admit students for degrees other than the PhD. Students who have been admitted for the PhD and who have completed all course requirements for the degree may apply to be awarded an AM in Philosophy.

Harvard PhD students from programs (such as African and African-American Studies) which require PhD students to take courses required for an AM in another program are not required to take the first year colloquium required of Philosophy PhDs. (Students from these programs who wish to the take the colloquium must consult with the DGS.) Students from these programs who have completed 10 philosophy courses which satisfy the course requirements for a PhD and who have satisfied the distribution requirements for the PhD may apply to be awarded an AM in Philosophy.

A student who is pursuing an ad hoc degree administered in part by the Philosophy Department may petition to receive a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy. To receive this degree the student must have taken a total of 10 courses in Philosophy at the level of 100 or higher. At least two of these courses must satisfy the graduate distribution requirement in metaphysics and epistemology, two must satisfy the practical philosophy distribution requirement, two the history distribution requirement, and one must be a logic course. All must be passed with a grade of B or better. Students may receive this degree only when the Department has voted to support their petition.

Secondary Field in Philosophy

Much work in philosophy speaks directly to one or more disciplines which have Harvard PhD programs --literature, physics, statistics, science, mathematics, linguistics, and economics, to name a few. A secondary field in Philosophy gives students from other disciplines an opportunity to step back and look at the big picture in their discipline, putting students from discipline X in a position to do "philosophy of X" as part of doing X, thereby helping them both to understand their field more deeply and to open a path to developing it in innovative ways.

Graduate students may apply to the Philosophy Department to do a secondary field after their first term as a graduate student at Harvard. Secondary field students normally begin the secondary field in the second or third semester at Harvard, normally taking one or two courses a semester until they have completed the secondary field requirements.

Applicants should contact the Philosophy DGS before applying to do a secondary field in Philosophy. Applications must include: a brief statement explaining what the applicant hopes to achieve with the secondary field, including a brief summary of the applicant's background in philosophy; a copy of the undergraduate transcript (this can be a copy sent from the student's home department at Harvard) and a brief letter from a Harvard faculty member of the student's home department discussing how a secondary field in philosophy would contribute to the student's work in the home department.

To complete a secondary field in philosophy, a student completes four courses in philosophy at the 100 level or higher with a grade of B+ or better. One course must be in the area of one of the Department's PhD distribution requirements: moral and political philosophy; metaphysics and epistemology; logic; history of philosophy. A second course must be in another of these areas. At least one course must be a graduate seminar. In principle, an independent study with a member of the Department may be used to complete the secondary field. A capstone project is not required. Courses are counted towards satisfying the secondary field requirements only when approved to do so by the Philosophy DGS.

A student completing a secondary field in philosophy is assigned an advisor from the Philosophy Department, normally the DGS.

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2024 Best Philosophy Doctor's Degree Schools

College Factual reviewed 33 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of philosophy. Combined, these schools handed out 388 doctor's degrees in philosophy to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Philosophy School for Your Doctor's Degree

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on philosophy students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of philosophy students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Student Debt - How much debt philosophy students go into to obtain their doctor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized philosophy related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for philosophy students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings , including this Best Philosophy Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Philosophy in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in philosophy.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Philosophy

University of Pennsylvania is a great option for students pursuing a doctor's degree in philosophy. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from University of Pennsylvania

Duke University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in philosophy. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from Duke University

Emory University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in philosophy. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from Emory University

Any student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in philosophy needs to take a look at University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from University of Chicago

Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from Boston College

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from Vanderbilt University

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from University of Southern California

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from University of Notre Dame

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University in the City of New York

UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. More information about a doctorate in philosophy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Philosophy by Region

View the Best Philosophy Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in philosophy, best master's degrees in philosophy, best value in philosophy, best for non-traditional students in philosophy, best online in philosophy, most popular online in philosophy, best bachelor's degrees in philosophy, best overall in philosophy, highest paid grads in philosophy, best for veterans in philosophy, most popular in philosophy, most focused in philosophy.

View All Rankings >

Philosophy Related Rankings by Major

Philosophy is one of 3 different types of Philosophy & Religious Studies programs to choose from.

Philosophy Focus Areas

Most popular related majors, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ). More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

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2024 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America

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1-25 of 1,003 results

Columbia University

New York, NY •

• • Rating 3.82 out of 5   1,366 reviews

Alum: As a biochemistry student at Columbia University, my experience was extraordinary. The Core Curriculum was a highlight, exposing me to literature, philosophy, art history, and music. This interdisciplinary approach enriched my understanding and fostered critical thinking and analytical writing skills. Beyond academics, I loved engaging with the community through Peer Health Exchange (now S-HEAL), where I educated high school students on health and wellness. This experience enhanced my communication skills and deepened my commitment to public health. Writing for The Spectator allowed me to make scientific concepts accessible, improving my ability to articulate ideas clearly. Additionally, Columbia’s vibrant arts scene, from Miller Theatre performances to Wallach Art Gallery exhibitions, provided a rich cultural balance to my studies. Overall, Columbia offered a holistic education, blending rigorous science, arts, and community involvement, preparing me well for the future. ... Read 1,366 reviews

• grade  A+ Overall Niche Grade

Acceptance rate 4%

Net price $22,058

SAT range 1490-1580

#1 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

Blue checkmark.

NEW YORK, NY ,

1366 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says As a biochemistry student at Columbia University, my experience was extraordinary. The Core Curriculum was a highlight, exposing me to literature, philosophy, art history, and music. This... Beyond academics, I loved engaging with the community through Peer Health Exchange (now S-HEAL), where I educated high school students on health and wellness. This experience enhanced my... Writing for The Spectator allowed me to make scientific concepts accessible, improving my ability to articulate ideas clearly. Additionally, Columbia’s vibrant arts scene, from Miller Theatre... Overall, Columbia offered a holistic education, blending rigorous science, arts, and community involvement, preparing me well for the future. .

Read 1366 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : A+ ,

Acceptance Rate : 4% ,

Net Price : $22,058 ,

SAT Range : 1490-1580 ,

Stanford University

Stanford, CA •

• • Rating 4.1 out of 5   1,283 reviews

Freshman: I honestly really like it here! It was my dream school and genuinely there are so many opportunities that you have access to. That said, its heat you make of it. No one will force you or push you to apply for things or cold email people. You just need to have the personal drive. Also, I love the area, its quiet, so if you're into big massive part vibes, it may not be the place for you. I love how they have options for weekends for people who don't party. Very accommodating! ... Read 1,283 reviews

Net price $18,279

SAT range 1500-1580

#2 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

STANFORD, CA ,

1283 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I honestly really like it here! It was my dream school and genuinely there are so many opportunities that you have access to. That said, its heat you make of it. No one will force you or push you to... .

Read 1283 reviews.

Net Price : $18,279 ,

SAT Range : 1500-1580 ,

Yale University

New Haven, CT •

• • Rating 4.02 out of 5   1,053 reviews

Freshman: Yale is amazing overall! Campus is full of activities and there's always something to do. New Haven may not be the greatest city in America, but that just makes students be more active on campus and creates a sense of community! Yale also has the perfect balance of academics, extracurriculars, and social life, or as we like to think about it, the 8/8/8 rule: 8 hours of studying, 8 of sleep, and 8 of social life. ... Read 1,053 reviews

Acceptance rate 5%

Net price $18,647

#3 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

NEW HAVEN, CT ,

1053 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Yale is amazing overall! Campus is full of activities and there's always something to do. New Haven may not be the greatest city in America, but that just makes students be more active on campus and... .

Read 1053 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 5% ,

Net Price : $18,647 ,

Stony Brook University

STONY BROOK, NY

• • Rating 3.54 out of 5   2,893

Northeastern University

• • Rating 3.75 out of 5   3,754

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV

• • Rating 3.7 out of 5   4,745

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA •

• • Rating 4.15 out of 5   849 reviews

Alum: Attending Harvard College was transformative. The housing system fostered a strong sense of community, facilitating academic support and social interaction. The rigorous academics, led by renowned faculty, challenged me to think critically and pursue my interests. Harvard's commitment to diversity enriched my experience, and the vibrant location in Cambridge provided endless opportunities for exploration and growth. Harvard College offered an unparalleled experience that has left an indelible mark on my life. ... Read 849 reviews

Acceptance rate 3%

Net price $19,491

#4 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

CAMBRIDGE, MA ,

849 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Attending Harvard College was transformative. The housing system fostered a strong sense of community, facilitating academic support and social interaction. The rigorous academics, led by renowned... .

Read 849 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 3% ,

Net Price : $19,491 ,

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA •

• • Rating 3.98 out of 5   5,588 reviews

Alum: As with any college, the experience is what you make of it. UCLA just presents a lot of diversity in terms of the experiences that you can have. You can get your party fix in on Thursdays at frat row, kickbacks through cultural or professional organizations, or even a warehouse rave in the Arts District. Academically, there are plenty of opportunities for research and internships. It can be difficult to get into certain classes until you are in your 3rd or 4th year, though. Living on campus is really helpful for finding friends and the food is definitely a blow-out compared to other schools I've visited. Only downside is that housing in general is expensive due to the area, so you'll likely be sharing a room and living on a budget! ... Read 5,588 reviews

Acceptance rate 9%

Net price $16,999

SAT range —

#5 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

5588 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says As with any college, the experience is what you make of it. UCLA just presents a lot of diversity in terms of the experiences that you can have. You can get your party fix in on Thursdays at frat... .

Read 5588 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 9% ,

Net Price : $16,999 ,

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL •

• • Rating 3.81 out of 5   1,297 reviews

Sophomore: Starting out at this university was not easy for me since I had to face many challenges on my own, away from family and friends I had back home. However, I had adjusted to the quarter system and found my place at the college. UChicago academics have impressed me, even with the required core classes. The professors I have met so far all appear to be enthusiastic about their specific fields, and they can be especially helpful outside of class. Given that our campus is located within a neighborhood, there are plenty of community activities and restaurants that students can hang out at, such as a Mexican-Korean restaurant called Seoul Taco. There are multiple dormitory buildings on campus, and the southern one is especially convenient as it has a dining hall, gym, and a small store all in one general place. There are also plenty of clubs, called RSOs, ranging from many types of activities like boxing or Japanese drum practice (Taiko). I would like more transportation options to explore. ... Read 1,297 reviews

Net price $36,991

#6 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

CHICAGO, IL ,

1297 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Starting out at this university was not easy for me since I had to face many challenges on my own, away from family and friends I had back home. However, I had adjusted to the quarter system and... .

Read 1297 reviews.

Net Price : $36,991 ,

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Princeton University

Princeton, NJ •

• • Rating 3.97 out of 5   470 reviews

Freshman: I am currently a first-year here at Princeton University and my experiences here have single-handedly changed my life. The school has offered me so much support in every facet of my life -- from academics, to finances, to extracurriculars. I feel that I am completely thriving here in a way that I was never able to before. Classes are suburb with professors who really care about not only about what we learn but also how we grow as individuals. Dining is amazing and we have the sweetest dining staff ever. There are so many options for clubs that you are never bored and can always find something for you. Overall, I feel like there is no better place for me than Princeton :). ... Read 470 reviews

Acceptance rate 6%

Net price $18,698

#7 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

PRINCETON, NJ ,

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

Featured Review: Freshman says I am currently a first-year here at Princeton University and my experiences here have single-handedly changed my life. The school has offered me so much support in every facet of my life -- from... .

Read 470 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 6% ,

Net Price : $18,698 ,

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA •

• • Rating 3.9 out of 5   1,359 reviews

Freshman: It's important to acknowledge that college experiences vary greatly from person to person, and while some may face challenges or difficulties, others may find their time in college to be transformative and rewarding. Instead of focusing on the negatives, perhaps you could consider exploring constructive criticism or discussing specific areas for improvement in the college experience. This approach allows for a more balanced and productive discussion that can lead to positive changes and improvements in the education system. If you have specific concerns about your college experience, it might be helpful to address them directly with the appropriate channels within your institution or seek support from counselors or advisors. Remember, challenges are a natural part of any educational journey, and there are often resources available to help navigate them. ... Read 1,359 reviews

Acceptance rate 7%

Net price $26,123

SAT range 1500-1570

#8 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

PHILADELPHIA, PA ,

1359 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says It's important to acknowledge that college experiences vary greatly from person to person, and while some may face challenges or difficulties, others may find their time in college to be... .

Read 1359 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 7% ,

Net Price : $26,123 ,

SAT Range : 1500-1570 ,

Rice University

Houston, TX •

• • Rating 4.09 out of 5   1,121 reviews

Graduate Student: Going to Rice University to attend the Shepherd School of Music at a graduate level is an experience separate from the rest of Rice. The Opera Department at Rice University has been one of the best programs in the United States producing incredible singers in the industry for a while now. Financial aid has been decreasing from full rides to having to pay a couple of thousands to attend +fees for a Master of Music. It is case by case, however. Pros: BEAUTIFUL theater that is incredible to sing in, program's very YAP reminiscent (in good and bad ways), world-class faculty, great networking opportunity, masterclasses/private audition opportunities Cons: your soul/free-time belongs to the Opera Department; if a release conflicts with the opera schedule, tough luck; there have been many issues with casting opportunities/favoritism; if you're a person of color, be prepared to be a token on all promo material; TOO many irrelevant time-consuming academics; having a car is a MUST in Houston ... Read 1,121 reviews

Net price $19,902

SAT range 1490-1570

#9 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

HOUSTON, TX ,

1121 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Graduate Student says Going to Rice University to attend the Shepherd School of Music at a graduate level is an experience separate from the rest of Rice. The Opera Department at Rice University has been one of the best... Pros: BEAUTIFUL theater that is incredible to sing in, program's very YAP reminiscent (in good and bad ways), world-class faculty, great networking opportunity, masterclasses/private audition... Cons: your soul/free-time belongs to the Opera Department; if a release conflicts with the opera schedule, tough luck; there have been many issues with casting opportunities/favoritism; if you're a... .

Read 1121 reviews.

Net Price : $19,902 ,

SAT Range : 1490-1570 ,

Duke University

Durham, NC •

• • Rating 3.93 out of 5   1,208 reviews

Junior: Duke is an amazing place to go to college! I have loved every minute here as CS major -- the classes are challenging, professors are engaging and available, the campus is beautiful, and the people are incredibly smart and down-to-earth. I chose Duke over some other great schools and I can't recommend it enough! ... Read 1,208 reviews

Net price $23,694

#10 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

DURHAM, NC ,

1208 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says Duke is an amazing place to go to college! I have loved every minute here as CS major -- the classes are challenging, professors are engaging and available, the campus is beautiful, and the people... .

Read 1208 reviews.

Net Price : $23,694 ,

University of Southern California

• • Rating 3.99 out of 5   4,045 reviews

Freshman: I loved campus life and the academics are amazing! I didn’t get out as much so I can’t tell you much about party life or life outside of the university. However, I didn’t think I needed to because there is so much to do on campus! So much food and places for you to go to, I love the campus so much. Go to USC you won’t regret it. Also, the connections you will make, even in your first year, are amazing, trust me! ... Read 4,045 reviews

Acceptance rate 12%

Net price $36,808

SAT range 1450-1550

#11 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

4045 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I loved campus life and the academics are amazing! I didn’t get out as much so I can’t tell you much about party life or life outside of the university. However, I didn’t think I needed to because... .

Read 4045 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 12% ,

Net Price : $36,808 ,

SAT Range : 1450-1550 ,

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH •

• • Rating 3.88 out of 5   746 reviews

Sophomore: My experience at Dartmouth has been great so far. The education is high quality and so are the professors. There are great opportunities for practical work and research. And the student body and campus life is lively and welcoming. The university is not perfect and the frat culture is very big here, but it is a wonderful place to be. ... Read 746 reviews

Net price $19,208

#12 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

HANOVER, NH ,

746 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience at Dartmouth has been great so far. The education is high quality and so are the professors. There are great opportunities for practical work and research. And the student body and... .

Read 746 reviews.

Net Price : $19,208 ,

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Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA •

• • Rating 3.95 out of 5   432 reviews

Sophomore: Transferred in from a flagship state school and have no regrets. Found more welcoming communities, interesting professional/research opportunities, and more engaging classes. Facilities and the overall area (being in between LA County and San Bernardino) are somewhat underwhelming but can be made more enjoyable with a car. Food and residential life is good, and you'll find most people are friendly across the 5Cs. More specific to CMC, students love having profound conversations and engaging in multiple productive pursuits. It's definitely a grind, but a fulfilling one -- especially if you're pre-professional interested in IB/Consulting. ... Read 432 reviews

Acceptance rate 10%

Net price $28,701

SAT range 1440-1550

#13 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

CLAREMONT, CA ,

432 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Transferred in from a flagship state school and have no regrets. Found more welcoming communities, interesting professional/research opportunities, and more engaging classes. Facilities and the... .

Read 432 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 10% ,

Net Price : $28,701 ,

SAT Range : 1440-1550 ,

Georgetown University

Washington, DC •

• • Rating 3.8 out of 5   1,277 reviews

Freshman: Amazing campus, beautiful area surrounding campus with lots of connections to history! GU boasts a strong reputation for academic rigor and excellence across various disciplines, including law, business, international relations, and public policy. Situated in Washington, D.C., Georgetown benefits from its proximity to numerous government agencies, international organizations, and cultural institutions, offering unparalleled opportunities for internships, research, and networking. I love the diverse and inclusive community, attracting students and faculty worldwide. Diversity enriches the cross-cultural understanding. Georgetown has a vast and influential alumni network, providing students with valuable connections and opportunities for mentorship and career advancement. Rooted in its Jesuit tradition, Georgetown emphasizes the importance of ethical leadership and service to others, instilling in students a sense of responsibility and commitment to making a positive impact on society. ... Read 1,277 reviews

Net price $35,566

SAT range 1410-1560

#14 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

WASHINGTON, DC ,

1277 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Amazing campus, beautiful area surrounding campus with lots of connections to history! GU boasts a strong reputation for academic rigor and excellence across various disciplines, including law,... .

Read 1277 reviews.

Net Price : $35,566 ,

SAT Range : 1410-1560 ,

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL •

• • Rating 3.7 out of 5   1,493 reviews

Freshman: There is a wealth of awesome student communities to join which really contributed to my experience. Classes are challenging but Northwestern offers many unique opportunities to explore different things and some uncommon ones like design classes. Performing arts are abundant on campus, so there is always something to see on the weekends! ... Read 1,493 reviews

Net price $22,095

#15 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

EVANSTON, IL ,

1493 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says There is a wealth of awesome student communities to join which really contributed to my experience. Classes are challenging but Northwestern offers many unique opportunities to explore different... .

Read 1493 reviews.

Net Price : $22,095 ,

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI •

• • Rating 3.96 out of 5   4,718 reviews

Sophomore: The University of Michigan takes a lot of pride in calling itself the best university in the world, but while finishing up my sophomore year I could not agree more. There is such a healthy balance between challenging courses that make students competitive prospects in their next step in life and opportunities to destress and enjoy the "best years of our lives", from watching our football team win the national championship to simply receiving free treats around campus from staff. From my personal experience, I cannot offer any suggestions for change for this amazing university! I have met some of the most kindhearted and motivated people in friends and professors while here and I cannot imagine attending another college. ... Read 4,718 reviews

Acceptance rate 18%

Net price $19,318

SAT range 1350-1530

#16 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

ANN ARBOR, MI ,

4718 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says The University of Michigan takes a lot of pride in calling itself the best university in the world, but while finishing up my sophomore year I could not agree more. There is such a healthy balance... .

Read 4718 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 18% ,

Net Price : $19,318 ,

SAT Range : 1350-1530 ,

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN •

• • Rating 4.02 out of 5   1,349 reviews

Graduate Student: My time at Vanderbilt University was truly enriching. The academic atmosphere fostered a culture of excellence and intellectual curiosity that I found invigorating. The professors were not only knowledgeable but also deeply invested in the success of their students, providing invaluable mentorship and guidance. The campus itself is beautiful, with a vibrant campus life offering countless opportunities for personal and professional growth. I particularly enjoyed the plethora of extracurricular activities available, from student clubs to research initiatives. What stood out to me was Vanderbilt's commitment to diversity and inclusion, creating a welcoming environment for students from all walks of life. However, one area that could be improved is the accessibility of certain resources, especially for students from underprivileged backgrounds. Enhancing financial aid and support services for these students would further enhance the University. ... Read 1,349 reviews

Net price $25,606

#17 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

NASHVILLE, TN ,

1349 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Graduate Student says My time at Vanderbilt University was truly enriching. The academic atmosphere fostered a culture of excellence and intellectual curiosity that I found invigorating. The professors were not only... What stood out to me was Vanderbilt's commitment to diversity and inclusion, creating a welcoming environment for students from all walks of life. However, one area that could be improved is the... .

Read 1349 reviews.

Net Price : $25,606 ,

New York University

• • Rating 3.76 out of 5   5,741 reviews

Other: New York University (NYU) is more than just an educational institution; it's an immersive journey through academic excellence, cultural diversity, and urban vibrancy. As a recent graduate, I can confidently affirm that NYU offers an unparalleled experience that transcends the traditional boundaries of higher education. One of the most striking aspects of NYU is its location. Situated in the heart of Manhattan, the campus seamlessly blends into the bustling rhythm of New York City. From the iconic Washington Square Park to the countless cultural landmarks just a stone's throw away, NYU provides students with unparalleled access to the pulse of the city. ... Read 5,741 reviews

Net price $29,499

SAT range 1470-1570

#18 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

5741 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Other says New York University (NYU) is more than just an educational institution; it's an immersive journey through academic excellence, cultural diversity, and urban vibrancy. As a recent graduate, I can... One of the most striking aspects of NYU is its location. Situated in the heart of Manhattan, the campus seamlessly blends into the bustling rhythm of New York City. From the iconic Washington Square... .

Read 5741 reviews.

Net Price : $29,499 ,

SAT Range : 1470-1570 ,

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA •

• • Rating 3.71 out of 5   1,483 reviews

Freshman: Carnegie Mellon University suits those who believe in working hard, working hard, and playing hard occasionally. The academics are demanding and challenging, which ultimately creates dedicated, disciplined students, or burnout. Many people require some kind of passion to be here, as it takes passion to get through the intense workload. On the surface, the social life at CMU seems pretty dead. However, after actively looking for clubs, organizations, and student groups, I found there are a lot of opportunities to be part of communities that are passionate and welcoming. I also love that CMU is very invested in their student's success: it is easy to get help from academic advisors, pursue research positions, and take interesting opportunities to get your education outside the classroom. Overall, I am very proud and happy that I came here :). ... Read 1,483 reviews

Acceptance rate 11%

Net price $33,499

#19 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

PITTSBURGH, PA ,

1483 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Carnegie Mellon University suits those who believe in working hard, working hard, and playing hard occasionally. The academics are demanding and challenging, which ultimately creates dedicated,... .

Read 1483 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 11% ,

Net Price : $33,499 ,

Brown University

Providence, RI •

• • Rating 3.84 out of 5   1,082 reviews

Junior: My experience has been absolutely incredible. As everyone says, the open curriculum really makes a world of difference as it allows you to choose your own path and not be hampered by requirements that you might never need or have little to no interest in. I am an athlete and have had great experience with athletics and academics because Brown is really good about accommodating student-athletes when it comes to game and practice schedules. ... Read 1,082 reviews

Net price $26,723

#20 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

PROVIDENCE, RI ,

1082 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says My experience has been absolutely incredible. As everyone says, the open curriculum really makes a world of difference as it allows you to choose your own path and not be hampered by requirements... .

Read 1082 reviews.

Net Price : $26,723 ,

Emory University

Atlanta, GA •

• • Rating 3.84 out of 5   1,617 reviews

Sophomore: Emory's strong academic environment, combined with its diverse student body, has significantly broadened my perspectives and academic interests. I've particularly enjoyed the rigorous coursework and the opportunities to engage in research early in my college career. The professors here are not only leaders in their fields but are also genuinely interested in students' success, often available for guidance and support beyond the classroom. The campus itself is beautiful and well-maintained, providing a serene environment that enhances the learning experience. Socially, there are numerous clubs and organizations that cater to a wide range of interests, which made it easier for me as a transfer to integrate and find my community. However, I would like to see improvements in the advising system, especially for transfer students. Navigating a new university's academic and social landscape can be challenging, and a more structured support system could help ease this transition. ... Read 1,617 reviews

Net price $26,680

SAT range 1430-1550

#21 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

ATLANTA, GA ,

1617 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Emory's strong academic environment, combined with its diverse student body, has significantly broadened my perspectives and academic interests. I've particularly enjoyed the rigorous coursework and... .

Read 1617 reviews.

Net Price : $26,680 ,

SAT Range : 1430-1550 ,

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD •

• • Rating 3.68 out of 5   1,408 reviews

Alum: Overall, my undergraduate experience at Johns Hopkins was great. The academics were challenging without being destructive to student mental health and there were always numerous clubs, involvement opportunities, and events on campus to attend in my free time. It was easy to find research opportunities at the hospital and in general, the professors were very supportive. I do wish that I had seen more of JHU's involvement in local communities and would love to see the college work to give back more to local communities in the future. ... Read 1,408 reviews

Net price $24,034

SAT range 1520-1570

#22 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

BALTIMORE, MD ,

1408 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Overall, my undergraduate experience at Johns Hopkins was great. The academics were challenging without being destructive to student mental health and there were always numerous clubs, involvement... .

Read 1408 reviews.

Net Price : $24,034 ,

SAT Range : 1520-1570 ,

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN •

• • Rating 3.97 out of 5   1,430 reviews

Freshman: Notre Dame has a community of students who are driven both spiritually and academically to be their best selves. Over my time at UND, all students are united towards a common goal of being educated in both their hearts and minds to serve others in the world. For example, there are two students who really impacted my life named Caroline and Liam who changed my perspective on the idea of vocation and living out your life in service of God through your life. Vocation is about using your gifts to change the world and the University of Notre Dame helps cultivate students to be young men and women who do just that. ... Read 1,430 reviews

Acceptance rate 13%

Net price $28,474

#23 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

NOTRE DAME, IN ,

1430 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Notre Dame has a community of students who are driven both spiritually and academically to be their best selves. Over my time at UND, all students are united towards a common goal of being educated... .

Read 1430 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 13% ,

Net Price : $28,474 ,

Washington University in St. Louis

Saint Louis, MO •

• • Rating 4.11 out of 5   1,573 reviews

Sophomore: I am a sophomore at WashU. The depth of the education and the number of opportunities (if you seek them) can be life-changing. The business school is super good at hosting recruitment events if your interested in business careers, and the academics ARE HARD -- You will do a lot of work. CS department could be stronger; premed/ bio/chem/pre-law deps / olin are excellent. The undergraduate student body is tight-knit and mostly extremely friendly. People are very smart but not obnoxious or entitled. Campus life is great because many of the undergrads (freshmen, sophomores, and some juniors) live on campus. The housing is excellent, and many students have kitchens on campus. St Louis is certainly not a luxury city (i.e. NY or LA) but does have good restaurants (DRIVE NOT WALK AWAY) and a cheap cost of living (concerts are usually way cheaper). It is way better than being in the woods, but not the bestest place. The school has partially impeded on the fun with their attack on greek life. ... Read 1,573 reviews

Net price $23,432

#24 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

SAINT LOUIS, MO ,

1573 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says I am a sophomore at WashU. The depth of the education and the number of opportunities (if you seek them) can be life-changing. The business school is super good at hosting recruitment events if your... The undergraduate student body is tight-knit and mostly extremely friendly. People are very smart but not obnoxious or entitled. Campus life is great because many of the undergrads (freshmen,... .

Read 1573 reviews.

Net Price : $23,432 ,

Pomona College

• • Rating 4.23 out of 5   423 reviews

Junior: After three challenging, exciting, and transformational years at Pomona, I feel that I can confidently say that I wouldn't want to have studied anywhere else, and I'm already mourning that I'll have to leave this place after next year. Pomona maintains a truly unique culture among elite higher education. Students here are bright and academically top-notch, sure, but, more importantly, they are genuinely curious about the world, open-minded, and passionate about knowledge and justice. I have been challenged academically and personally, and grown more than I could have imagined as a result. The school has its problems, of course: for one, the administration is opaque and unresponsive to student needs. But the dedicated faculty, laidback California atmosphere, and student body more than make up for them. If you are given the opportunity to study here, seriously consider it: you will grow as a student and as a person. ... Read 423 reviews

Net price $19,962

SAT range 1480-1560

#25 Best Colleges for Philosophy in America .

423 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says After three challenging, exciting, and transformational years at Pomona, I feel that I can confidently say that I wouldn't want to have studied anywhere else, and I'm already mourning that I'll have... .

Read 423 reviews.

Net Price : $19,962 ,

SAT Range : 1480-1560 ,

McDaniel College

WESTMINSTER, MD

• • Rating 3.53 out of 5   727

University of Findlay

FINDLAY, OH

• • Rating 3.64 out of 5   881

University of Illinois Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, IL

• • Rating 3.6 out of 5   500

Showing results 1 through 25 of 1,003

The Best Colleges for Philosophy

Although you probably won't see many job listings for philosophers on Indeed, earning a philosophy degree is very useful. Philosophy is a discipline with many branches, all of them seeking to understand the fundamental truths about relationships with each other and the world in which we live. When you study philosophy, you learn critical thinking, logical analysis, and persuasive communication, skills in high demand by employers across many industries.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Philosophy Degree?

Top philosophy schools prepare you to work in many careers, including writing, business, journalism, public relations, non-profit work, and education. Philosophy degrees are excellent preparation for further professional studies, such as law, medicine, or other advanced degrees.

While it may sound counterintuitive, technology companies seek to hire philosophy majors. Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Slack, the team-based messaging software, majored in philosophy. Butterfield frequently hires liberal arts majors because of the creative and critical thinking skills they bring to the table.

What Classes Do You Take as a Philosophy Major?

The best colleges for philosophy all have their required courses, but, in general, you can expect to study the following subjects:

Logic is the study of reasoning, what makes a good argument, and the logical fallacies you should avoid. Logic teaches how to make a statement and back it up with solid evidence. In logic courses, you learn to draw a valid conclusion from evidence. But you must beware: once you study logic, you will never again listen to a political debate without noticing the glaring fallacies.

The History of Philosophy

When you study philosophy, you'll spend a lot of time reading the work of historical philosophers. From early Greek philosophers to modern thinkers, you ponder the ideas of famous philosophers throughout history.

The study of ethics involves reasoning about morality and what is a morally ethical action. After studying a variety of ethical standards, you apply them based on the situation. Ethics explores the following types of questions and many more:

• How should we treat each other?
• What constitutes goodness?
• What makes our actions justified and fair?

Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge, including its origin, nature, and the rationality of belief. In epistemology classes, you'll ponder the nature of knowledge, including questions such as:

• What does it mean to say someone knows something?
• How much can we know?
• How can we know that we know something?

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the fundamental nature of reality. In metaphysics courses, you might ask the following questions:

• Is there a God?
• What is time?
• Does the world you experience exist?

Like the philosophy students who came before you, you may find there are no easy answers.

The Power of a Philosophy Degree

Philosophy is an intellectually rigorous discipline that will train you to think deeply and critically. Once you complete a philosophy degree, you see the world with a new set of eyes.  When you graduate, you are prepared to use your knowledge to logically analyze and communicate, with skills applied to many disciplines. You are ready for the challenges awaiting you, whether your future means pursuing an advanced degree or going straight to the workforce.

Quick references

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

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
• Admissions & Aid

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

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.

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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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William H. Miller III Department of Philosophy

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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.

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Graduate Program

Wiley blackwell publishes new rankings: , uc san diego philosophy department ranks in top 20 philosophy programs in the u.s..

The Department of Philosophy at UC San Diego boasts a highly distinguished faculty and an excellent PhD program, with roughly 42 full-time students in residence , in

• Science Studies (along with History, Communications, and Sociology), and
• Cognitive Science (along with Cognitive Science).

The faculty engage in research throughout a broad range of traditional and interdisciplinary topics, with special strengths in

• moral and political philosophy (metaethics, political philosophy, philosophy of law)
• history of philosophy (ancient, early modern, Kant)
• philosophy of mind and language (perception, cognitive science) and
• philosophy of science (physics, biology, ecology).

We take seriously our obligation to help produce the next generation of researchers and teachers in philosophy. Prospective students are encouraged to look over the information on faculty research and publications included under Areas of Study .

The Setting

UC San Diego is a  nationally acclaimed research university  spread out over 1,200 of the most scenic acres in America, much of it on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. UC San Diego ranks as among the top 20 best universities in the world ( U.S. News & World Report , 2016 Academic Ranking of Wold Universities released by the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong, and The Center for the World University Rankings). Graduate programs at UC San Diego continue to rank highly as noted in the 2016 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” guidebook. UC San Diego boasts an extraordinary array of Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and national academy members.

Diversity Statement

Our department seeks to do all it can to make philosophy an inclusive discipline. We understand the value that diversity brings to philosophical inquiry, and that the health of our profession depends on greater inclusion of under-represented groups. As a leading Ph.D. program, we play an important role in training and cultivating a diverse philosophical community. One of our most important goals is thus to recruit and sustain a diverse graduate student body .

To realize this goal, we

• encourage a full range of applicants with diverse backgrounds, for instance from two-year community colleges (especially in California), from colleges with traditionally underrepresented minorities, and from “non-elite” undergraduate institutions;
• provide financial support, academic assistance, and mentoring that reflects the diverse needs of a diverse population;
• strive for a curriculum that illustrates that a diverse group of philosophers have contributed in the past, and should contribute in the future to the richness of philosophy;
• continuously strive toward an environment of greater inclusion and respect through critical self-examination, paying due attention both to overt forms of prejudice or exclusion and to its subtler manifestations.

Graduate Class Size

In any given year, there are usually between 35 to 45 philosophy graduate students in residence, almost all of whom are full-time students.

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Caroline Wells Graduate Program Coordinator Hours: Contact via email Email:  [email protected]

Faculty Contact

Kerry McKenzie Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (858) 534-2566 Email:  [email protected]

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UChicago announces 2024 winners of Quantrell and PhD Teaching Awards

The transformative education offered at the University of Chicago begins in the classroom, with the teachers who inspire, engage and inform their students. 

UChicago annually recognizes faculty for their incredible teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students through the  Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Awards , believed to be the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching; and the  Faculty Awards for Excellence in PhD Teaching and Mentoring , which honor faculty for their work with graduate students.

Learn more about this year’s recipients below:

• Quantrell Awards: Fred Chong , Anton Ford , Michele Friedner , Nicholas Hatsopoulos and Chris Kennedy
• PhD Teaching and Mentoring Awards: Marcus Clark , Mikhail Golosov , Sidney Nagel and Miwa Yasui

Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Awards

Fred chong, the seymour goodman professor in the department of computer science.

Fred Chong’s love of computer science started at an early age, when he immersed himself in the “power of creation” possible with coding. 

As an undergraduate student at MIT, where he completed his graduate education, he was captivated by computer architecture, recognizing how the intricate design of the underlying machinery—composed of wires and transistors—enabled the execution of digital logic essential for powering his creations.

In a graduate course on silicon chip design, he gained insight into the construction and spatial arrangement of these components, understanding their impact on performance, cost, and energy consumption.

“It turns out that this spatial view of technology gives the core intuition of why even today's machine designs have a certain speed, cost, and energy consumption – essentially, the smaller the better,” he said. 

He now teaches Quantum Computer Systems and Computer Architecture, and has taught Honors Introduction to Computer Science. The University of Chicago marks Chong’s third institution as an instructor, and while he has cherished each experience thus far, he said the learning environment at UChicago is unique.

“The truly exceptional and curious students, coupled with small class sizes, allow me to go deeper into very advanced topics,” Chong said. “Perhaps my favorite part comes from student questions. After 28 years of teaching, I can still get questions that surprise me and make me rethink some of the fundamentals of my field.”

Chong’s courses and research are centrally about understanding the trends in technology and shaping the future of computing. On the last day of class, he typically gives a lecture on some of these trends, and some of the more visionary ideas emerging in the future. 

“For the last 10 years or so, this last lecture has focused a bit on quantum computing, which could potentially solve problems that are unsolvable by classical computers,” he said. “If I were to distill this down to a message, it would be to "think outside of the box and be open to what is currently impossible.”

Anton Ford, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy

When Anton Ford was in high school, he found a steamer trunk in the basement of his house that contained his parents’ books from college. He spread them on the floor and took the most appealing for himself. 

As he recalls, the trunk had a wide variety of books: novels, poetry, history and sociology books, political texts and philosophy books. He said he remembers reading some Platonic dialogues, and developing an interest in Emerson and Nieztsche. 

“My tastes have matured,” he said. “But that was my first encounter with philosophy, on the floor of the basement of my childhood home. The trunk itself came to have a sentimental value for me. I brought it with me to college, then to graduate school, and then to my first job, here, at the University of Chicago.”  

Ford joined the faculty at UChicago in 2007, and is now an associate professor in philosophy with areas of special interest in Anscombe, Aristotle and Marx. In his classroom, Ford's approach aligns closely with the UChicago ethos of teaching how to think, not what to think. 

On the last day of class, he said he hopes his students will leave not so much with a message as with a set of intellectual tools for thinking about the world they will be stepping into. 

“The philosophers whose work I tend to teach are systematic thinkers,” he said. “One thing about a system of thought is that it can help one to see the connection between things. Another is that it provides one with intellectual orientation in an infinite variety of new circumstances.”

Through his teaching, Ford aims to empower his students to navigate a transitional phase in their lives with clarity and purpose. 

“College is a pivotal moment in life, a point between academic and professional paths,” he said. “Depending on who one happens to meet, what interests one develops, what one encounters in class, what is happening in the world—and much else—one’s future trajectory could change very radically. Not every period of life is like that. Nothing in particular follows from the fact that this is a pivotal moment. But the fact is worth bearing in mind.”

Michele Friedner, Professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development

On her first day of class as an undergraduate in an introduction to Indian religions course, Michele Friedner’s professor insisted that her students look closely at the craters on the moon, and identify the shape of a rabbit — and that they had to keep looking for it until they found it. 

The professor used this tactic to encourage her students to try to see things differently from how they appear at surface level, and it resonated with Friedner. 

“I loved looking for the rabbit and then finally finding it,” she said. “I never look at the moon the same way anymore. And this is what I want my students to do, too – to learn different ways of seeing and experiencing taken-for-granted objects, processes and practices.”

Now a professor of comparative human development in the College, Friedner said she is not afraid to emulate that same level of “playfulness” when interacting with her students.  

“Often, I ask a question that I have not fully formed and that I am still thinking through. I want them to be able to articulate things that are not fully formed while also being aware of the stakes of what we are reading and discussing,” she said.

Friedner teaches courses in disability anthropology and sensory anthropology, as well as classes in the Self, Culture and Society Core sequence. She also teaches a course in the “Big Problems”  Curriculum, elective capstone experiences designated for third- and fourth-year students, alongside Jennifer Iverson in the Department of Music, called “Disability and Design” The course involves working with scholars and activists at the forefront of its eponymous fields. 

For their final projects, students design a fully accessible policy, playground, restaurant, job interview guide, children’s book and more. Friedner says the course is “wonderful and invigorating” to teach.

“I love teaching disability studies-related courses at UChicago because the students are genuinely excited to consider questions and theories around disability and to grapple with complex embodiments,” she said. “They especially find it useful to reflect upon their own experiences at UChicago and beyond through the lens of disability theory.”

Nicholas Hatsopoulos, Professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy

Nicholas Hatsopoulos teaches a course titled "Neuroscience of Consciousness," delving into a subject that has intrigued him since his undergraduate days, when he minored in philosophy. 

He has always been fascinated by questions surrounding free will, which propelled him into this field of study. Though consciousness is not his primary area of research as a neuroscience professor, Hatsopoulos said he finds immense joy in engaging with his students and the lively discussions that ensue during his lectures. 

“I love the interactions I have with the students and all the questions they ask during my lectures,” he said. “The students here are really smart and inquisitive. They genuinely want to learn and not just get a good grade."

Hatsopoulos fosters an environment of active participation in his classroom. He encourages interruptions and questions, believing that dialogue is essential for deep learning. If he doesn’t know the answer to a question, he is not afraid to say he doesn’t know but says he’ll try to get an answer by the next class.

He assigns students the task of critiquing two papers they read each week, promptly discussing some of the submissions in the following class. Throughout the course, debates on consciousness-related topics stimulate further exploration and critical thinking.

“I want them to interrupt me and ask questions,” he said. "The message I give them at the beginning of the course is telling them that we won't ultimately answer the question as to how consciousness arises from the brain, but hopefully they will learn about some of the experiments and theories and learn some neuroscience in the process.”

Chris Kennedy, Professor in the Department of Linguistics

Chris Kennedy, who has been teaching linguistics at UChicago for nearly 20 years, wasn’t planning to become a linguist. 

“I was living in Austin, Texas, playing bass in a punk band,” he remembers. “I had a horrible case of poison ivy one summer and was stuck inside. I asked my now wife/then girlfriend to grab me a book by Noam Chomsky from the Austin Public Library. She brought me a copy of ‘Syntactic Structures,’ and I was hooked.”

In the Department of Linguistics, Kennedy teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in semantics and pragmatics, and the occasional course in syntax. He also helped design and is the faculty director for the new cognitive science major, for which he teaches the two foundational courses alongside instructors in the Psychology Department. He also teaches in the Philosophical Perspectives humanities sequence.

Kennedy says he appreciates UChicago students’ passion for the “acquisition of knowledge,” which he incorporates into his own teaching approach.

“I like to approach my classes with the idea that I am learning the material alongside the students, approaching it from a position of discovery rather than presenting it from a position of authority,” said Kennedy. “Much of the time, this is literally true, because I've found that the best way for me to really understand new ideas, especially from areas outside my own expertise, is by working through them in a classroom full of University of Chicago students. And even when I teach a class on something I’m very familiar with, I like to start from some basic assumptions and then, together with the students, build up the theory from scratch.”

Kennedy threw himself into new material as an undergraduate student and said his curiosity has been a major influence in his career. He recalls coursework in religion and archeology, as well as his primary undergraduate major in Russian language and literature, as formative educational experiences even though they were quite different from the field he works in today.

“Whenever a student asks me what they should study, I say: ‘It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you find the best teachers, and do different things,’” he said. 

Faculty Awards for Excellence in PhD Teaching and Mentoring

Marcus clark, professor in the department of medicine.

Marcus Clark is fond of telling people that he loves his work. “My job is really an amalgam of hobbies, the things that I like to do. I just happen to get paid for them.”

As chief of the Section of Rheumatology in the Department of Medicine and director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), an NIH-funded training program that pairs medical degrees with PhDs in the biological or physical sciences, he has his hands full. But rather than embracing the role of an administrator, he prefers a hands-on approach to mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists.

“I really get to know each incoming class, what they’re interested in and what their strengths are. I think that the personal touch elevates you from being just an administrator and shows them how to work like a scientist,” he said.

Clark individually mentors, advises and counsels each of the roughly 80 students in the MSTP, making a point to meet them where they are and challenging them to reach their potential how they define it—not according to a predetermined plan. He provides guidance, but not solutions—a “teach a man to fish” philosophy that makes students feel empowered in their career choices. He credits this ability to having been there before, building his own career researching immune system functions and treating patients with psoriatic arthritis and lupus.

“I think I have a good sense of where a student needs to be and how their personal journey can get them there,” he said. “I feel like I’ve done enough in my own career that I can give the students a little bit more space and think about them more. It helps me be like a proud dad in a way. I just want to see them do well.”

Mikhail Golosov, the Homer J. Livingston Professor in Economics and the College

As a graduate student, Mikhail Golosov remembers having tea with his advisor, economist Larry Jones, after a particularly brutal presentation. They talked for hours. As Golosov calmed down, he was able to spot the weaknesses in his research. 

“Now, it's probably one of my most famous papers,” Golosov said. “For me, that focus on well-being played a huge role in graduate school.”

Using his own mentors as a model, Golosov’s approach to advising is twofold—guiding students through difficult research questions as well as helping manage the anxieties that might crop up because of them.

“When you start, there is so much uncertainty,” Golosov said. “You don’t know much about research; you don’t know if you’re good at it.”

After taking Golosov’s public finance course, one student was inspired to pursue a related research topic using an unfamiliar methodology.

“Without Mikhail Golosov’s patience, guidance and intelligence, I could not have pursued this project,” the student wrote. “He carefully considers each and every question without prejudice, demystifies the process of research and expresses empathy on its exciting, but frightening uncertainties."

As director of Graduate Studies, Golosov meets with student representatives from each Ph.D. cohort to hear their concerns. If he has the power to make students’ experiences better, Golosov simply will—whether that’s arranging for an accommodation or mediating between faculty and students. 

“There are little things we can do that don’t require that much effort that could improve the life of graduate students a lot,” Golosov said. “Whenever I come across them, it gives me a lot of satisfaction.” 

“It is rare for a scholar of his stature to demonstrate such a deep commitment to each student's success,” wrote another student. “My growth as an economist and as a member of the academic community is largely attributable to Mike’s influence.”

Sidney Nagel, the Stein-Freiler Distinguished Service Professor of Physics and the College

In Sidney Nagel’s laboratory, graduate students are learning to be physicists—to ask a question about the world no one has yet been able to answer, and then design a way to answer it. It’s not easy, but it is rewarding.

“I want to make sure they understand that doing physics is hard, but that it’s also hard for me, even as long as I’ve been doing it,” Nagel said. “To fight through the ideas to get something crisp and clean at the end is a challenge every time. But we are working on these things together.”

The “joy of common striving,” as Nagel puts it, is the theme that runs through the lab. A former student wrote that Nagel, and other more experienced Ph.D. students in the laboratory, “readily dedicated hours to guide and help me…The sense of support and collaboration permeates the Nagel group completely, out of genuine kindness and alignment of curiosity.”

Among the communal lab activities is something that Nagel believes in deeply: the value of learning to articulate a scientific problem. “That is, can you frame a vision about why this problem is important, why it’s worth doing and where it can lead?” Nagel said.

As members of Nagel’s laboratory transform from students to scientists, each learns how to present this vision through intensive coaching and group feedback.

“When I started grad school, I had no experience in giving scientific presentations, had very limited public speaking skills as a non-native English speaker, and did not enjoy presenting my work to people,” wrote another former student. “He is single-handedly responsible for making me a decent public speaker who loves giving talks.”

Another former student agreed: “He taught me to see the beauty in science, and to share my joy at understanding it with the world.”

Miwa Yasui, Associate Professor in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice

Described by her students and colleagues as an “exceptional,” “creative,” and “devoted lifelong mentor,” Miwa Yasui is a passionate educator whose deep commitment to teaching and student development has made a profound impact at the Crown Family School.    

Recognizing that the academic life of a social scientist is never a solitary one, Yasui believes that learning is best cultivated in an environment that fosters collaboration and the sharing of ideas.

“Social sciences is something that you can never do on your own. It requires an entire team of great minds to come together. I’m very grateful for leading the team of students in my research lab from whom I have come to learn about their own interests and journeys, seeing especially how they would continue their intellectual trajectories,” she said.

Her pedagogy is also characterized by an empathetic listening that takes into account the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of her students, often reflected in their classroom discussions. 

It is no wonder that she is well-loved among students in her department for being compassionate and attentive to their scholarly and emotional needs. 

“Prof. Yasui has provided time and space to empathetically listen to my personal experience, inquire about my family and loved ones and mentor me on the importance of care. I cannot thank her enough for that,” a Crown Family School student said.

Having lived in different countries such as Japan, England, Singapore, and the United States, Yasui is deeply sensitive to the ways in which our human behavior, values, and beliefs are determined by cultural influences. Her research focuses on the intersection between race, culture, and immigration in the context of child development and family processes, and how they contribute to racial disparities in mental health.

Yasui’s conviction for her students is that they will not only become innovative leaders in social work but, more importantly, that their scholarship will also transform the lives of the vulnerable and marginalized.

As a former student gratefully expressed: “Notably, she believed in me.”

—With contributions by Andy Brown, Meredith Davis, Tori Lee, Louise Lerner and Matt Wood.

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Philosophy Major Jobs and Graduate School Acceptances 2024

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• Frederiksberg Psychiatric Hospital, Copenhagen, part of the NEAD Research Group.  

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Grapple with the insights of great thinkers from across the world and throughout history while developing skills in critical thinking, argument analysis and cultural literacy.

We prepare graduates to meet a rapidly changing world. Students will study ancient and contemporary philosophers as they engage in rigorous debate, ask the big questions and sharpen their critical thinking skills.  Students will study problems arising in contemporary movements such as analytic philosophy, existentialism and American philosophy; students will be introduced to the major subdivisions of philosophy, including logic, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy and law, philosophy of science and philosophy of religion.

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The major is part of the Department of Philosophy and Religion , an academic unit within the College of Arts and Letters .

The major in philosophy empowers students to analyze diverse worldviews and value systems. In a world that is increasingly pluralistic, ideologically driven and globally connected, skills in critical thinking and cross-cultural understanding are more important than ever. Our students apply this degree to a wide variety of career fields.

Students choose from two concentrations: general philosophy and interdisciplinary philosophy. The interdisciplinary concentration allows students to count relevant courses in another field toward the major and is a particularly good fit for students choosing philosophy as a second major.

Philosophy and Religion

• B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, Major in Philosophy
• Interdisciplinary Philosophy
• Logic and Reasoning

For detailed program information and curriculum, please visit:

• Department of Philosophy & Religion website
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