Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program

Course of Study
The course requirement for the Ph.D. in Philosophy is satisfactory completion of 15 graduate-level courses, exclusive of 699 and 899. Of these, seven must be university philosophy courses at the 700-level, exclusive of 796. The remaining eight may include: up to six hours of Independent Study or university philosophy courses at the 500, 600, or 700 level.

Summary of Degree Requirements
In addition to the course requirement, a candidate for the Ph.D. in Philosophy must also satisfy a course distribution requirement, and a “starred paper”/preliminary exam requirement. When these requirements have been satisfied, the student may begin work on the Ph.D. dis-sertation. To satisfy the dissertation requirement, a candidate for the Ph.D. must write an acceptable Ph.D. dissertation, defend it at the final oral exam, and submit it in proper form to the Graduate School and the department. A complete account of the requirements for the Ph.D. in philosophy is contained in “The Ph.D. Program in Philosophy, Revised June 2007,” available from the department.