Ph.D. Requirements

Our doctoral program offers considerable flexiblity; individual programs of study are developed for each student. Students may also take advantage of cooperative program to work in the Philosophy Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our program offers research opportunities across the areas of the history of philosophy; epistemology; metaphysics; philosophy of mind; cognitive science; moral psychology; ethics; political philosophy; Chinese philosophy; philosophy of science; philosophy of biology; philosophy of social science; philosophy of law; philosophy of mathematics; and philosophical logic.

Requirements

  • 15 courses, with up to 5 courses outside the department. These courses will normally be distributed over 5 semesters, with at least 6 courses completed at the end of the first year.
    • Area Requirements
      • 3 History of Philosophy courses, including 1 in Ancient and 1 in Modern Philosophy
      • 1 Philosophy of Science (philosophy of science, biology, psychology) course
      • 2 courses, selected from Metaphysics, Epistemology and Philosophy of Mind, one of which must be the M&E pro-seminar
      • 2 courses, selected from Value Theory (ethics, aesthetics, political or social philosophy, and philosophy of Law), one of which must be the ethics pro-seminar
      • 1 Logic course, satisfied by passing a logic examination or taking PHIL 250 Symbolic Logic
  • Language Requirement - if needed for dissertation work
  • Future Research Statement and Oral Examination
  • Preliminary Examination
  • Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense