Philosophy

This page provides a condensed version of the program requirements outlined in more detail here.

M.A. Degree

Course Requirements (36 credit hours total):

• Basic Distribution Requirement (15 credit hours):
  • Proseminar (PHI 5935) – Must be taken in the first semester of full-time enrollment. This course does not have a final exam but requires a final paper.
  • Graduate Logic (PHI 5135) – Must be taken in the first year of full-time enrollment (graduate committee may allow for the second year).
  • Ancient I (PHP 5005) or Ancient II (PHP 5015)
  • Modern I (PHH 5405) or Modern II (PHH 5406)
  • Epistemology (PHI 5365) or Foundations of Analytic Philosophy (PHP 5785)
• Additional Distribution Requirement (15 credit hours):
  • Ethical Theory (PHI 5665)
  • One additional course from either Epistemology or Foundations of Analytic Philosophy
  • One additional course from Ancient I, Ancient II, Modern I, or Modern II
  • Any number of 6000-level seminars (taken on a graded basis)
• Electives (6 credit hours):
  • Six additional hours of elective coursework in philosophy. With permission of the graduate committee, some of these electives may be fulfilled by courses in other departments.

Important Considerations for Course Requirements:

• Courses used to fulfill the Basic Distribution Requirement cannot be used to fulfill the Additional Distribution Requirement.
• All required courses (except Proseminar) have a final written comprehensive examination.

Final Examination:

• An oral examination, usually taken after Spring Break (spring or summer graduates) or before Thanksgiving Break (fall graduates)
• Covers topics from courses taken for the Basic and Additional Distribution Requirements (excluding Graduate Logic and Proseminar)
• Administered by typically three faculty members (minimum two) and is pass/fail
• The graduate committee determines which faculty will conduct the oral examination.

Expected Progress & Time Limits:

• Students must complete the M.A. within four semesters of full-time enrollment. Summer enrollment does not count toward this total.
• One extension may be granted by the graduate committee, requiring a letter specifying an extended deadline.
• A “B” grade or better is expected in each letter-graded course used to fulfill program requirements.

 

Ph.D. Degree

Important Note: As of Fall 2023, all students in the Ph.D. program are required to complete the M.A. requirements (including the Final Examination) for advancement, regardless of whether they hold an M.A. in Philosophy from another institution.

Advancement:

• Students must submit a portfolio with two philosophy papers (3000-6000 words each) by the first day of their fifth semester (earlier deadlines may apply for students with prior graduate coursework).
• At least one paper should be a revised version of a paper written for a class in the program (typically both papers meet this requirement).
• The graduate committee evaluates the portfolio to determine whether a student can continue in the Ph.D. program.
• If revisions are required, the revised portfolio is due on the first day of the following semester.
• Students whose revised portfolios fail may not continue in the Ph.D. program but may be eligible to graduate with an M.A. degree if they have completed the appropriate coursework.
• Students who entered the program before 2020 with a prior M.A. in philosophy are not required to submit an advancement portfolio.

Course Requirements (90 credit hours total):

• Basic Distribution Requirements for the M.A. (see above)
• Ph.D. Breadth Requirement:
  • Epistemology
  • Ethical Theory
  • Foundations of Analytic Philosophy
  • One additional 5000-level history course or 6000-level history seminar beyond the basic course requirements.
    • 5000-level history courses that count: Ancient I , Ancient II, Modern I, Modern II
    • 6000-level history seminars that count: Seminar in History of Ancient Philosophy, Seminar in History of Modern Philosophy, Seminar in Kant. Additionally, the Seminar in Special Topics in Philosophy or Seminar in a School or Thinker may count depending on the topic, as determined by the graduate committee.
• Six 6000-level seminars taken on a graded basis (can include seminars taken for the M.A. requirements).
• After advancement and completion of six graded 6000-level seminars:
  • Students must enroll in at least one 6000-level seminar on an S/U basis each semester of full-time enrollment, unless taking a course that satisfies a course requirement that term.
• Other Requirements:
  • At least 3 hours (but no more than 12) of Advanced Research for dissertation proposal preparation.
  • 12 hours of Research for Doctoral Dissertation.

Important Considerations for Course Requirements:

• With permission from the graduate committee, some elective coursework may be fulfilled by relevant courses in other departments.

Optional Concentration in Ethics of Technology:

• Replaces the “six 6000-level seminars taken on a graded basis” requirement with the following requirements:
• PHI5696 Ethics and Emerging Technology (foundations course)
• One advanced course: This can be either PHI6XXX Ethics, AI, and Big Data; PHI6XXX Bioethics and Biotechnology; or PHI6639 Topics in Ethics of Technology.
• One of the following three options: Another advanced course from category B; 3 credits of PHI6905 Individual Work on a related topic (approved by the graduate committee); or a course outside Philosophy, approved by the graduate committee, that either focuses on the ethical, social, or policy aspects of emerging technologies, or provides fundamental knowledge in science and technology fields relevant to the ethics of technology.
• Three additional 6000-level seminars within the Philosophy department.
• All other coursework and exam requirements are the same as the standard Ph.D. in Philosophy.

Dissertation & Qualifying Examination:

• Students must form a dissertation committee upon admission to the Ph.D. program.
• Students must prepare a dissertation proposal and take an oral qualifying examination based on the proposal.
• A qualifying examination determines a student’s preparedness to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D.
• Specific deadlines for the dissertation proposal and qualifying examination depend on whether the student entered with a prior M.A. in philosophy.
• Students who fail the qualifying examination may retake it once in the following semester (excluding summers).

Other Requirements:

• Language Requirement: Depending on their dissertation topic, students may be required to demonstrate proficiency in languages other than English (for example, if their dissertation work requires detailed translation of Ancient Greek). This will be determined by the dissertation committee.
  • The language requirement may be met by either (1) passing the Princeton Foreign Language examination for the language(s) in question, or (2) passing a translation examination administered and graded by a member of the philosophy department and a member of the appropriate language department(s).
• Teaching Requirement: Two semesters of service as a teaching assistant, with at least one semester teaching an independent course under faculty guidance.
• Dissertation: Students must complete a dissertation (100-250 pages) representing an original and significant contribution to the field. The dissertation process includes a final oral defense open to the public.

Satisfactory Progress, Time Limits & Completion:

• Ph.D. students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 and meet departmental timelines for satisfactory progress.
• Failure to meet satisfactory progress requirements could result in the loss of funding or dismissal from the program.
• Expected completion time for the Ph.D.:
  • Without a prior M.A.: Five years (ten semesters) of full-time enrollment.
  • With a prior M.A. in philosophy: Four years (eight semesters) of full-time enrollment.
• Candidacy for the degree lapses five years after successfully completing the qualifying examination (i.e., five years after the dissertation proposal defense).