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Ph.D. Program
The Department offers a program in traditional and contemporary philosophy.
General areas of research include ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics,
epistemology, philosophy of law, philosophy of science, philosophy of
language, philosophy of religion, and the history of philosophy. Members
of our faculty are involved in interdisciplinary work in a variety of
fields, and the Department enjoys close ties with the Lincoln Center for
Applied Ethics, the College of Law, and a number of other departments
and programs at ASU. We sponsor an active colloquium series and regular
philosophical conferences on diverse topics. The Lincoln Center for Applied
Ethics also sponsors a wide range of activities, including large-scale
conferences, distinguished visitors, and support for graduate study.
Ongoing publishing projects currently housed in the Department include
Philosophical Studies, Midwest Studies, the Journal of
Social Philosophy, the Journal of the History of Biology, and
the Collected Works of Rudolf Carnap.
Our Ph.D. program is small enough to ensure that it is tailored to the
individual student’s interests. Since there is a favorable student to
faculty ratio, students will have abundant opportunities to interact with
faculty and work closely with them. As part of our commitment to the professional
development of our doctoral students, we encourage participation in the
university’s nationally known Preparing Future Faculty program.
Prerequisites:
At least 15 semester hours of upper-division course work in philosophy,
including:
No course credits in which a grade of less than "B" has
been earned may count toward meeting this 15-semester-hour requirement.
If some or most of the prerequisites have already been met, the student
may be admitted into the program under “provisional status” or under “regular
status with deficiencies”.
Admission:
All applications for admission to the Ph.D. degree program in Philosophy
must be accompanied by complete transcripts, the applicant’s scores in
the GRE aptitude exam, three letters of recommendation from persons qualified
to judge the applicants potential for graduate work in philosophy, a sample
of philosophical writing, and a statement of purpose.
Program of Study:
The Ph.D. degree program in Philosophy is designed to prepare students
for careers as philosophers and teachers of philosophy, and in areas that
may benefit from advanced training in philosophy, such as law, civil service,
and publishing.
The program of study includes 60 hours (30 beyond the M.A.) of graduate
credit plus 12 hours of research and 12 hours of dissertation. Click
here for a semester by semester example.
The student’s program of study is selected by the student in consultation
with the graduate director and the supervisory committee and is approved
by the supervisory committee.
Course requirements:
To insure breadth in the traditional areas of Philosophy, students will
be required to pass with a grade of B or better:
1) Two graduate courses in history of philosophy.
These courses must be in two different areas chosen from ancient, modern,
and contemporary.
2) Two graduate courses in value theory.
3) Four graduate courses in metaphysics and epistemology (including areas
such as philosophy of language, philosophy of science, and philosophy
of mind).
4) One advanced course in symbolic logic (400 or 500 level).
Students may satisfy the logic requirement by examination.
Foreign Language Requirement:
None
Comprehensive Examination:
Students will be examined in their area of specialization and competence.
The written and oral examinations are based on a bibliography compiled
by the student and approved by the student's advisory committee. Normally
these examinations are taken after the student has completed at least
60 hours of graduate course work.
Dissertation Prospectus:
Each doctoral candidate will prepare a prospectus of four to seven pages
for the dissertation. The format and design of the prospectus will be
determined by the candidate and committee chair.
The prospectus should include the following:
1) A thesis statement
2) A discussion of the relevant literature
3) A discussion of the approach to the project
4) A bibliography
Dissertation:
A dissertation based on original research is required. Research for the
dissertation is supervised by a committee of at least three faculty members,
appointed by the graduate director in consultation with the student.
Final examination:
An oral examination in defense of the dissertation is required.
Master's in Passing Requirements:
The Master's in Passing will be offered only to Ph.D. students admitted
into the program without a master's degree in philosophy and who complete
the following steps:
1) Complete 30 hours of graduate course work, including completion of
the core course requirements, and receive a grade average of 'B' or higher.
2) Complete Application for Master's in Passing, subsequently approved
by the supervisory committee and the department.
3) Successful completion of two qualifying examinations in the Department
of Philosophy. The two qualifying examinations are the same oral and written
comprehensive examinations that are required for our Ph.D. students in
Philosophy. The oral comprehensive (or "qualifying") examination required
as part of the culminating experience for the Master's degree in Passing
is not the dissertation prospectus defense.
This site is for the purpose of providing information
and guidance. However, the official university catalog resides at ASU
Graduate Catalog and takes precedence should there be any inconsistencies.
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