Graduate Program in Philosophy 2/08
The graduate program is designed to train teachers and scholars in philosophy. The main areas in the graduate curriculum are metaphysics, epistemology, history of philosophy, ethics, value theory, logic, and philosophy of science.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the :bk.Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College:ek. or the :bk.Graduate:ek. College section of the Catalog.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate credit by the time the dissertation is completed. Candidacy for the doctoral program is determined by a formal vote of the entire faculty of the Department of Philosophy, usually after the student has completed three semesters of graduate study in residence.
Requirements include courses in metaphysics and epistemology, history of philosophy, logic and philosophy of science, ethics, and value theory. Students are required to take a comprehensive examination, including both written and oral components, covering the student's area of specialization. Upon successful completion of the examination, students begin work on a prospectus for the dissertation. There is no foreign language requirement. The director of graduate studies, Prof. David Cunning, can provide more information.
Complete information about the Department's placement record for its Ph.D. students is available here .
The Department's Statement of Normative Progress toward the PhD is available here.
Master of Arts
The Department does not offer a terminal M.A. program but does award the M.A. to students on the way to the Ph.D. Further information about the M.A. degree is available here.
Joint Master of Arts and J.D.
The department offers a joint degree program with the College of Law, in which students pursue an M.A. degree in philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences simultaneously with a J.D. degree in the
College of Law. Further information about the M.A. and J.D. degree is available here.
COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT'S STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE M.A. AND PH.D. DEGREES Click here
Financial Awards and Fellowships
Students who are admitted to the Ph.D. program with financial aid and who continue to meet relevant academic standards can normally expect at least five years of support, beginning with a fellowship in their first year of at least $15,490 (for 10 months) and teaching assistantships thereafter in each of the following four years of at least $15,490 (for 10 months). Exceptional applicants are nominated for four-year, tuition-free University of Iowa Presidential Fellowships with annual support of up to $25,000.
Applicants are also encouraged to apply for fellowships from outside agencies, such as the Mellon Fellowships offered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. (Note that the application request deadline is November 12 and the completed application deadline is December 1.)
Additional Information
Lecture Series: The department sponsors several visiting lecturers every year. Among those who have come to Iowa in recent years are Stephen Darwall, Ronald Dworkin, Lorne Falkenstein, Jerry Fodor, Harry Frankfurt, Michael Friedman, Don Garrett, Jorge Gracia, Susan Haack, Jaakko Hintikaa, Peter Klein, Christine Korsgaard, Penelope Maddy, John McDowell, Ruth Millikan, Quentin Smith, Barry Stroud, James Van Cleve, Peter van Inwagen, and Jeremy Waldron.
Facilities: Fellows' and assistants' offices, together with faculty offices and seminar rooms, are located in the English-Philosophy Building on the Iowa River and next to the Main Library. The library's holdings are excellent in all main areas of philosophy with the collection in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century philosophy considered one of the best in the country.
Inquiries and Applications
To receive information on the Graduate College and the Philosophy Department via US Mail, fill out the Graduate Information Request Form put together by the Office of Graduate Admissions .
To apply online, download a printable application, or request that a printed application be mailed to you, click here .
Further correspondence should be addressed to:
Prof. David Cunning
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Philosophy
The University of Iowa
272 English-Philosophy Building
Iowa City, IA 52242-1408 (U.S.A.)
E-mail: david-cunning@uiowa.edu
Phone: (319) 335-0027
Application deadline for both admission and financial awards is February 1.
We ask that in addition to your application to the Graduate College, you make sure that all of the following materials arrive at the Philosophy Department by the February 1 deadline. Do not send these materials to Admissions.
- A sample of your philosophical writing.
- A statement of purpose.
- At least three confidential letters of recommendation.
- Transcript(s) for all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
- Application for Graduate Awards
