Ph.D.


Program Details

The Ph.D. degree requires 39 hours of graduate coursework, which begins with a first-year proseminar and ends with an independent research seminar that culminates in the writing and oral defense of a qualifying paper. Ph.D. candidates must also satisfy a set of course requirements in distinct areas of philosophy and the University’s Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement. Students write and defend a dissertation prospectus to complete the oral comprehensive examination and advance to candidacy, after which they are expected to write and successfully defend a dissertation.

More details regarding the Ph.D. program can be found in the department's Graduate Handbook (below).

Admission to the Ph.D. in Philosophy

Apply to the graduate program via the Office of Graduate Studies online application system.

Prerequisites:

In addition to the general admission requirements from the Office of Graduate Studies, applicants are expected to have taken the following six courses or their equivalents as preparation for graduate work:

  1. symbolic logic
  2. history of ancient philosophy
  3. history of modern philosophy
  4. history of 19th/20th-century Continental philosophy
  5. value theory
  6. metaphysics/epistemology (broadly construed to include philosophy of language and philosophy of mind).

Students may be admitted without some of these courses, but they are expected to make up the deficiencies early in their graduate careers and outside of the minimum hours required for degree.

Deadlines:

Students may begin the graduate program in either the fall or spring semester. However, applicants who wish to be considered for financial support through fellowships and GTA appointments should anticipate beginning graduate studies in the Fall semester and must submit application materials by the following deadlines:

Priority deadline for fellowship and GTA appointment consideration is January 5.

The final deadline for Fall matriculation is May 1.

The final deadline for Spring matriculation is December 1.

Application Materials:

In addition to the application form, application fee, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc., the Philosophy Department Committee on Recruitment, Admission and Awards requires the following supplemental materials:

Resume/CV

A Brief Personal Statement of Academic Goals

A Writing Sample  preferably a sample of philosophical prose approximately 10-15 pages in length

Applicants who indicate English is not their native language: Proof of English proficiency, as required by the Office of Graduate Studies. To be eligible for GTA support, TOEFL or IELTS scores must meet the benchmark of Regular Admission and the Speaking portion of the exam must meet the Employment benchmark in the English Proficiency policy.  KU TOEFL Code: 6871

Graduate Record Examination Scores (verbal, quantitative, analytical) are no longer required, though the department will consider GRE scores if submitted with application materials; KU GRE Code: 6871

More information regarding transcript and letter of recommendation requirements is available on the Graduate Studies Application Process page.

The Department of Philosophy Committee on Recruitment, Admission, and Awards requires applications include all supplemental materials prior to review.

Apply Now


Please contact the Graduate Academic Advisor, Aley Pennington, with questions about the application process.

Aley Pennington
Graduate Academic Advisor
aleypennington@ku.edu
785-864-1528

Formal Philosophy Requirement

Upon entering the program, students must demonstrate competence in symbolic logic by passing a placement exam with a grade of B or higher. Students who do not pass the placement exam with a grade of B or higher, or who choose not to take the placement exam, must enroll in PHIL 310 for additional preparatory training and pass with a grade of B or higher.

Required Course Work

Students must receive a grade of B- or higher in all graduate philosophy coursework and an overall GPA of at least 3.0 in philosophy. At least 24 of these credit hours must be in courses numbered 800 or above.

CourseTitleHrs.
PHIL 800Proseminar (must be taken in the first year of study)3
PHIL 901Qualifying Paper (to be taken during the final semester of coursework)3
Complete at least seven courses from the following areas distributed as below:
Metaphysics & Epistemology6
PHIL 620Philosophy of Natural Science 
PHIL 622Philosophy of Social Science 
PHIL 630Philosophy of Mathematics 
PHIL 638Philosophy of Language 
PHIL 648Theory of Knowledge 
PHIL 650Metaphysics 
PHIL 654Philosophy of Mind 
PHIL 666Rational Choice Theory 
PHIL 850Topics in Recent Philosophy: _____ (when and only when seminar focuses on a topic in metaphysics and epistemology) 
PHIL 860Topics in Philosophy of Science: _____ 
PHIL 868Topics in Philosophy of Language: _____ 
PHIL 872Topics in Theory of Knowledge: _____ 
PHIL 877Topics in Philosophy of Mind: _____ 
Value Theory6
PHIL 504Philosophy of Sex and Love 
PHIL 662Aesthetics 
PHIL 666Rational Choice Theory 
PHIL 668Political Philosophy 
PHIL 670Contemporary Ethical Theory 
PHIL 671Feminist Theories in Ethics 
PHIL 674Philosophy of Law 
PHIL 676Medical Ethics: Life and Death Issues 
PHIL 850Topics in Recent Philosophy: _____ (when and only when seminar focuses on a topic in value theory) 
PHIL 880Topics in Ethics: _____ 
Ancient Philosophy3
PHIL 605The Philosophy of Plato 
PHIL 607The Philosophy of Aristotle 
PHIL 608Hellenistic Philosophy 
PHIL 648Theory of Knowledge 
PHIL 650Metaphysics 
PHIL 805Plato 
PHIL 807Aristotle 
PHIL 820Topics in the History of Philosophy: _____ (when and only when seminar focuses on a topic in ancient philosophy) 
Modern Philosophy3
PHIL 558Seventeenth Century Philosophy 
PHIL 557Kant 
PHIL 559Eighteenth Century Philosophy 
PHIL 648Theory of Knowledge 
PHIL 650Metaphysics 
PHIL 654Philosophy of Mind 
PHIL 820Topics in the History of Philosophy: _____ (when and only when seminar focuses on a topic in modern philosophy) 
PHIL 824Hume 
Philosophical Traditions3
PHIL 506Chinese Thought 
PHIL 560Nineteenth Century Philosophy 
PHIL 570Nietzsche 
PHIL 582Existentialism 
PHIL 590Phenomenology 
PHIL 592Contemporary Continental Philosophy 
PHIL 820Topics in the History of Philosophy: _____ (if appropriate in content) 
Additional Electives 
PHIL 500Studies in Philosophy: _____ 
PHIL 593Marxism and Critical Theory 
PHIL 600Readings in Philosophy: _____ 
PHIL 610Metalogic 
PHIL 612Modal and Non-classical Logics 
PHIL 833Nietzsche 
PHIL 835Frege 
Four additional graduate-level courses (500+) from the lists of courses above12
Total Hours39

Qualifying Paper

As students near the end of course work, they should decide on a tentative topic for their Qualifying Paper and then consult with appropriate faculty members to identify an advisor. This should be done by the penultimate semester of course work (standardly, the first semester of a student’s 3rd year in the program).

Once an advisor is identified, the student should enroll in PHIL 901 Qualifying Paper (an independent research seminar that results in the writing and successful oral defense of a qualifying paper) with the advisor. While enrolled, the student works on the paper under the advisor’s supervision. The aim is to produce a high-quality paper that is of near publishable quality (i.e. a viable candidate for publication in a well-ranked professional journal). The department recommends a length of 8,000-12,000 words for the qualifying paper as standard, but recognizes that adequate length can vary by subdiscipline and topic.

Research Skills & Responsible Scholarship Requirement

This requirement must be met before taking the comprehensive oral exam. For Philosophy doctoral students, this requirement is met by completing all of the following:

  • PHIL 800 Proseminar, which includes a basic introduction to philosophical methodology and research practices alongside content.
  • PHIL 901 Qualifying Paper, where the student works, in close consultation with a faculty advisor, to write a research paper of near publishable quality.
  • Demonstrated competence in an approved foreign language OR completion of a DGS-approved course in a discipline related to the student’s research interests

Comprehensive Oral Examination for Ph.D.

In the philosophy department, this is done by passing a prospectus for the dissertation. This examination is taken after all of the above requirements have been completed.

Following completion of required course work, students will enroll in PHIL 999 Dissertation. Students enrolled in dissertation hours will have selected a member of the Department as advisor and, with the help of their advisor, selected three other faculty members to serve on their committee. In the prospectus the candidate should state the topic of their thesis, introduce problems to be investigated, and suggest anticipated conclusions. The candidate should outline their methods and include a preliminary list of works to be consulted. The candidate should also provide a brief account of previous experience in the field of the subject matter. The prospectus should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words long.

Having prepared a prospectus in consultation with the advisor, the student will solicit comments on the prospectus from the other three members of the committee; the committee will then decide whether to approve the prospectus or call for revision. A unanimous vote of the committee is necessary for approval.

Once the prospectus has been approved by the committee, the student will be formally notified by the advisor.

The student is encouraged to have the oral exam no later than the end of the first semester of enrollment in PHIL 999 and must attempt the oral exam no later than the end of the subsequent semester. At the conclusion of the oral exam, the committee determines the grade (honors, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory).

Post Comprehensive Exam Enrollment

Starting the semester following successful completion of the oral comprehensive exam, students must enroll in accordance with the Office of Graduate Studies’ Doctoral Candidacy Policy. This enrollment includes, but is not limited to, at least 1 dissertation hour or approved dissertation hour equivalent every semester until graduation. See the Doctoral Candidacy policy for more information about this University level requirement.

Dissertation

The length of doctoral dissertations can and will vary widely, but 35,000 words is a reasonable length, and dissertations longer than 65,000 words are strongly discouraged. In addition, dissertations can be composed of three high-quality papers that do not constitute an extended argument, provided that those papers are thematically related. The dissertation must also comply with the Office of Graduate Studies’ Doctoral Dissertation policy and Department of Philosophy requirements outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook (below).

Successfully defend the Dissertation

The Dissertation Examination Committee configuration must comply with University requirements. It should contain four members (the advisor serving as chair, two other members of the Department, and one tenured or tenure-track KU faculty member who is not a member of the Department serving as Graduate Studies Representative). The three additional members must be given adequate opportunity to read the final version of the dissertation and are not expected to read or comment on any earlier versions. The grade on the examination is determined by the Dissertation Examination Committee.
 

The Graduate Handbook describes the most essential aspects of graduate study in philosophy at the University of Kansas, as determined by departmental policy and university regulations. In addition to this handbook, every graduate student should read the pertinent sections of the latest edition of the Academic Catalog.

The version below is current.

Department of Philosophy Graduate Handbook (pdf)

Awards and Fellowships

Annual Graduate Fellowship Competition  Student members of Phi Kappa Phi are urged to enter the annual Fellowship competition. Both Chapter and National Awards are available. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards fifty Fellowships of $8,500 each, six at $20,000 each, and two at $35,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study.  Every chapter has the opportunity to submit one nominee and the awards can be used in addition to any other financial support received by the student.

Doctoral Student Research Fund The Doctoral Student Research Fund is designed to support KU doctoral students on the Lawrence Campus who need assistance to carry out research that advances progress toward the degree. A doctoral student is eligible to apply for up to two awards during their graduate program, one before doctoral candidacy (up to $1500) and one as a candidate (up to $2000).

Hall Center Awards  The Hall Center for the Humanities offers a rolling schedule of awards to support dissertation research travel and timely completion. Doctoral students are eligible to apply for awards at various points in their dissertation research and writing process.

The Olin Templin Fellowship in Philosophy is awarded on the basis of both academic excellence and financial need, and is awarded on the recommendation of the departmental Committee on Recruitment, Admission, and Awards. The department typically awards two or three Templin Fellowships for the summer semester; the Director of Graduate Studies will issue a call for applications in the spring. The stipend is variable, but is generally in the amount of $1000 for summer Templins. Applications for Templin Fellowships at other times should be made by writing to the Director of Graduate Studies.

Graduate Student Travel Awards  Graduate Students are eligible for travel support to professional conferences at which they have had a paper accepted for presentation. There are currently two sources of support:

  1. Graduate Studies OfficeThe Graduate Scholarly Presentation Travel Fund is for Lawrence or Edwards Campus graduate students presenting their research or the disciplinary equivalent at a meeting of a learned or professional society being held outside of the state of Kansas. This fund provides reimbursements of $500 for domestic or international travel expenses.
  2. Edward S. Robinson Philosophy Travel Awards The department occasionally has limited funds for transportation costs for students who are presenting papers at significant philosophical meetings. Eligible students should apply to the Chair of the Committee on Recruitment, Admissions and Awards.

Direct Exchange Scholarships  Direct Exchange Scholars receive tuition and modest monthly stipends from the partner institutions for room, board and incidental expenses. Students will generally need to supplement their stipends with their own funds or student loans to ensure enough money to travel and to participate in extracurricular activities.  For more information, please contact the Department of International Programs.

Additional funding opportunities are available on the Graduate Studies Funding page.

 

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

The Department of Philosophy employs qualified graduate students to teach logic, introduction to philosophy, introduction to ethics and intro to social and political philosophy. Half-time (.50 FTE) Teaching Assistants receive a nine-month student salary based on the current rate as determined by the University, in addition to a 100% remission of tuition.

Recommendations concerning Assistantships in Philosophy are made to the Chair of the Department by the Committee on Recruitment, Admissions and Awards. In making its recommendations, the Committee is especially concerned to maintain or enhance the quality of undergraduate instruction and to provide funding for, as well as recognition of, qualified graduate students. 

The Department of Humanities and Western Civilization  Many graduate students in philosophy are qualified for teaching assistantships in Humanities and Western Civilization, a required undergraduate course. The Humanities and Western Civilization program emphasizes reading, self-study, and discussion of important intellectual issues with one's peers. A discussion leader's function is to co-ordinate the discussion, and to motivate the students both to think about the readings and to draw many of the relevant implications from the readings for contemporary life. Students who are interested in applying for a Humanities and Western Civilization Teaching position should contact the Director of Humanities and Western Civilization.

 

Graduate Placement Information Table
Ph.D.NameAdvisor(s)Employment
2024Jihui HuangArmin SchulzChinese Academy of Sciences (Postdoc)
2024Bada KimEileen NuttingUniversity of Seoul (Tenure Track)
2023

Chelsea Bowden

 Brad Cokelet & Ben Eggleston

 Denison University (Tenure Track)

2022

Nadia Ruiz

 Armin Schulz

 Stanford University (Postdoc)

2022

Gareth Fuller

 Armin Schulz

 Univ. of New England (VAP)

2022

Vasfi O. Özen

 Scott Jenkins

 Boğaziçi University, İstanbul & Middle East Technical University, Ankara (Lecturer)

2021

 Polo Camacho

 Armin Schulz

 American Society of Clinical Oncology (Ethics Program Manager)

2021

Dong-yong Choi

Dale DorseyInha University (Tenure Track)
2020

 Michael Otteson

 Tom Tuozzo & Dale Dorsey

 Utah State University (VAP)

2020

Kamuran Osmanaglu

 Armin Schulz

 Koç University (Academic Writing Program Lecturer)

2020

Hassan Alsharif

 John Symons

 Taibah University, Saudi Arabia (Tenure Track)

2019

Ramón Alvarado

 John Symons

 University of Oregon (Tenure Track)

2019

Michael Hayes

 Dale Dorsey

 Shook, Hardy, and Bacon (Law Firm)