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Program Overview & Requirements

Program Overview 

The graduate program in philosophy at Purdue offers its Here at Purdue Philosophy, we offer our students the opportunity to pursue an unusually diversified and well-balanced plan of study. Students Graduate students in our program acquire a solid grounding in four traditional areas of philosophy while developing their own specialized research programs.

Our graduate students are guided by a faculty of 28, whose research strengths span the philosophic spectrum: from PPE to the history of philosophy, from continental European philosophy to cognitive science and AI, and from the philosophy of religion to contemporary ethical theory to the philosophy of science. Overlapping faculty research areas reflect departmental research strengths that provide a range of opportunities for graduate students. An excellent faculty-student ratio and a commitment to sound graduate education allow for close and informal relations among faculty and students, particularly in graduate seminars and reading groups. 

Graduate students are funded through departmental teaching assistantships, and there are opportunities for students to design and teach their own course sections. Our Graduate students also benefit from our colloquium series which brings a diverse set of prominent philosophers to campus for lectures, as well as workshops, conferences, and social events. Most of our students who earn a Ph.D. and seek academic appointments obtain them; our outstanding record of success can be found on our placement information page. 

Please use the links on the left to find detailed information about our faculty, our programs, and our application process. If you are looking for a friendly and unusually helpful environment in which to pursue serious graduate training in philosophy, we invite you to consider joining us here at Purdue. 

Questions about the admissions process can be sent to Prof. Sarah Robins, Director of Graduate Admissions skrobins@purdue.edu.

 

Program Requirements 

The Ph.D. program comprises two stages: 

First Stage: During their first two years, students pass 12 graduate courses, pass an area exam, and fulfill course distribution requirements in four areas:

  1. Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Science;
  2. History of Philosophy;
  3. Value Theory; and
  4. Formal Methods.

Students must also fulfill a Foreign Language or Other Tools of Research requirement, usually in Ancient Greek, French, German, or Latin. 

Second Stage: At the beginning of the third year of graduate studies, students begin work on a dissertation prospectus and continue to take (or audit) courses, including the dissertation seminar. Once the prospectus has been completed and successfully defended, students begin working on their dissertation. They are encouraged to complete their dissertation by the end of their fifth year at Purdue. 

The following tables summarize the requirements that must be met during each stage of the Ph.D. program. Note: All incoming Ph.D. students must take 12 courses, but students coming to Purdue from MA programs in philosophy may transfer up to two courses to count toward area requirements.