PHILO-PHD - Philosophy (PhD)
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Program Overview
Philosophy concerns itself with fundamental problems. Some are abstract and deal with the nature of truth, justice, value, and knowledge; others are more concrete, and their study may help guide or enhance understanding of other subjects. Philosophy also examines the efforts of past thinkers to understand the world and people’s experiences.
Although it may appear to be an assortment of disciplines, there are features common to all philosophical inquiry. These include an emphasis on methods of reasoning and how judgments are formed, criticizing and organizing beliefs, and the nature and role of fundamental concepts.
Students of almost any discipline can find something in philosophy relevant to their specialties. In the sciences, it provides a framework within which the foundations and scope of a scientific theory can be studied, and it may even suggest directions for future development. Since philosophical ideas have significantly influenced human endeavors, including artistic, political, and economic, students of the humanities and social sciences should find their understanding deepened by acquaintance with philosophy.
This program is full time, doctoral students in the Philosophy PhD program are expected to maintain a significant physical presence on campus throughout their graduate studies. This ensures that students have access to advisors and mentors, libraries, and other resources that support timely progress towards completion of degree requirements. Additionally, being on campus ensures that students are part of the academic and campus community which supports continued professional development.
Admissions Information
Information on how to apply for graduate study at Stanford is available on the university’s Graduate Admissions website. Application information specific to Philosophy can be found on the Philosophy website.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
Courses used to satisfy any course requirement in Philosophy (except Teaching Methods and the summer Second Year Paper Seminar, which are described later in this bulletin) must be passed with a letter grade of B- or better.
The department reviews the progress of each student to determine whether the student is making satisfactory progress. Students who are failing to make satisfactory progress may be dismissed from the program.
Instructors indicate which courses may satisfy particular requirements. If a course potentially satisfies more than one requirement, the student may use it for only one of those area requirements; no units may be double-counted. Students must develop broad competencies in all these areas. Those without strong backgrounds in these areas would typically satisfy these distribution requirements by taking more basic courses rather than highly specialized and focused courses. Students should consult with their advisor in making these course decisions and be prepared to explain them when reviewed for candidacy.
1. First-year Ph.D. Proseminar, PHIL 300. This is a topically focused seminar offered in autumn quarter and required of all first-year students.
Distribution requirements during the first six quarters are intended to ensure a broad and substantial exposure to significant areas of philosophy while allowing for considerable freedom to explore.
a. Six courses are required, each taken for the full unit load for the course, distributed across three areas as follows:
Two courses in value theory, including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, and philosophy of law. At least one of the courses satisfying this distribution requirement must be in ethics or political philosophy.
Two courses in language, mind, and action. One course satisfying this requirement must be drawn from the language-related courses and one from mind and action-related courses.
Two courses in metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of science). At least one of the courses satisfying this requirement must be drawn from either metaphysics or epistemology.
b. One course in Logic is required, PHIL 250 or equivalent.
c. Three courses in History are required, one approved course each in Ancient and Modern Philosophy. For the third course, choose either another approved History of Philosophy course, or PHIL 251 or equivalent.
d. Students should usually take at least 64 graduate-level units at Stanford during their first six quarters; in many cases, students would take more. Of those total units, at least 49 units of coursework must be in the Philosophy department. These courses must be numbered above PHIL 110.
Teaching Methods (course Teaching Methods in Philosophy) is not included in these units.
Units of Individual Directed Reading are usually not counted toward this 49-unit requirement unless there is special permission from the student’s advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
e. Take Courses with Multiple Faculty. Prior to candidacy, at least 3 units of work must be taken with each of four Stanford faculty members.
f. In the summer quarter of the second year, students are required to attend the Second Year Paper Development Seminar course. The seminar is intended to help students complete their second-year papers detailed below.
g. Students must take course Teaching Methods in Philosophy during spring quarter of their first year (before they start teaching) and autumn quarter of their second year (once they have started teaching.)
One course in logic, PHIL 250 or equivalent.
Three courses in History are required, one approved course each in Ancient and Modern Philosophy. For the third course, choose either another approved History of Philosophy course, or PHIL 251 or equivalent.
Two courses in value theory, including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, and philosophy of law. At least one of the courses satisfying this distribution requirement must be in ethics or political philosophy.
Two courses in language, mind, and action. One course satisfying this requirement must be drawn from the language-related courses and one from mind and action-related courses.
Two courses in metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of science). At least one of the courses satisfying this requirement must be drawn from either metaphysics or epistemology.
The second-year paper should demonstrate good scholarship and argumentative rigor and be polished writing, approximately 8000 words. The second-year paper need not bear any specific relationship to the dissertation. It may be a version of a prospective dissertation chapter, but this is not required. The final version must be turned in at the last class of the required Second Year Paper Development Seminar course in the summer of the second year. A committee of two faculty members reads the final paper.
Upon completing the summer writing seminar, students should sign up for independent study credit, PHIL 240 - Individual Work for Graduate Students, with their respective advisors each quarter. Students should confirm with their advisor the work required for the independent study, as well as the units and grading basis, at the beginning of the term.
In autumn and winter quarters of the third year, students register for and satisfactorily complete PHIL 301 - Dissertation Development Proseminar. Students meet to present their work in progress and discuss their thesis project. Participation in these seminars is required.
During the third and fourth years in the program, students must complete at least three graduate-level courses/seminars by the end of the fourth year, as professional development. At least two of these courses should be in philosophy and at least two should be completed in the third year. This light load of courses allows students to deepen their philosophical training while keeping time free for thesis research.
Courses used to satisfy this seminar requirement should be taken for only two units and credit/no credit. Any Philosophy course numbered in the 302-399 range can fulfill this seminar requirement.
Teaching is core to the academic and professional training of doctoral students in our program. All students are required to complete three quarters of teaching by the end of their fourth year in the program regardless of their financial support. Typically, students complete more than the required number of teaching quarters as part of their professional training and financial support.
Students are typically expected to complete at least two additional quarters of teaching beyond the minimum required for the degree to further their pedagogical and professional skills development.
Review at the End of the Second Year for Advancement to Candidacy
The faculty’s review of each student includes a review of the student’s record, an assessment of the second-year paper, an assessment of the student’s preparation for work in their intended area of specialization, and recommendations of additional preparation, if necessary.
Candidacy
Admission to candidacy is a prospective judgement by the faculty of a student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to complete qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the end of their second year in the program. Qualifying procedures in the Department of Philosophy include required coursework, completion of the second year paper, and completion of degree milestones.
To continue in the PhD program, each student must apply for candidacy prior to the beginning of the autumn quarter of the student’s third year.
In the Philosophy department, the oral exam is a defense of the dissertation presented upon the completion of a substantial portion of the dissertation or upon completion of a pre-final draft. Students consult with their dissertation advisor and reading committee members on the timing of the defense.
PhD students must submit a completed draft of the dissertation to the reading committee at least one month before the student expects to defend the thesis in the University Oral Exam. If the student receives consent to go forward, the University Oral Exam can take place approximately two weeks later. A portion of the exam consists of a student presentation based on the dissertation and is open to the public. A closed-question period follows. If the draft is ready by autumn quarter of the fourth year, the student may request that the University Oral Exam counts as the department oral.
The third year and following years until completion of degree are devoted to dissertation work. The few requirements in this program segment are milestones to encourage students and advisors to ensure the project is on track.
Dissertation Proposal—Students should have selected a dissertation topic and committee by the end of winter quarter of the third year. The committee must receive a proposal outlining the subject, status, and plan for the thesis project and an annotated bibliography or literature review indicating familiarity with the relevant literature one week before the meeting on graduate student progress late in spring quarter. The dissertation proposal and the reading committee’s report will constitute a substantial portion of the third-year review.
Departmental Oral Exam—During autumn quarter of the fourth year, students take an oral examination based on at least 30 pages of written work in addition to the proposal. The exam aims to help the student arrive at an acceptable plan for the dissertation and ensure that the student, thesis topic, and advisors make a reasonable fit. It is an important chance for the student to clarify their goals and intentions with the entire committee present.
Fourth-Year Colloquium—Students present a research paper in a 60-minute seminar open to the entire department no later than spring quarter of the fourth year. This paper should be on an aspect of the student’s dissertation research. This is an opportunity for the student to make their work known to the broader department and to explain their ideas to a general philosophical audience.
Dissertation defense - see Oral Exam above.
Dissertation —Students are required to submit an approved dissertation that makes an original contribution to scholarship in the field of Philosophy.
Students interested in interdisciplinary work relating philosophy to artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, linguistics, or logic may pursue a degree in this program.
Admitted students should have covered the equivalent of the core of the undergraduate Symbolic Systems Program requirements described in the program section of this Bulletin, including courses in artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive science, linguistics, logic, and philosophy. The graduate program is designed with this background in mind. Students missing part of this background may need additional coursework. In addition to the required coursework below, the PhD requirements are mostly the same as for the regular program, with the exceptions noted below.
The program consists of three years of courses and two years of dissertation work. Students are required to take the following philosophy courses in the first two years:
Proseminar
Two courses in Language/Mind/Action
Two courses in Metaphysics/Epistemology/Science
Two courses in Value Theory
One course each in Ancient and Modern
Among the eight courses required by 2-5, students in the program may omit two in any two of the four categories. The two omitted courses may not come from the same category.Two graduate courses in cognitive psychology
Two graduate courses in linguistics
From categories 7-9, at least one of these courses must significantly engage with experimental literature.64 graduate-level units, 49 of which are units in philosophy, during the first six quarters.
A second-year paper, which not need not be on a topic in symbolic systems, but could be on any philosophical topic.
After the first two years, the requirements are mostly the same as for the standard track:Three graduate-level seminars in the third and fourth year, at least two of which are taught in the Philosophy department, and at least two in the third year. [All can be taken credit/no credit for reduced (2) units.]
Three advanced seminars in symbolic systems. Double counting: at most, one of these could be a course satisfying one of 1-5; at most, one could be a course satisfying one of 6-9; and at most, one could be a course satisfying 11. At least one must not be counted for any other requirement. (In other words, at most, two of these courses could count toward other requirements.) These may be completed at any time before the fourth year.
Second Year Paper Seminar in the summer after the second year.
The usual requirements for the dissertation (a proposal, oral, fourth-year talk, etc.).
The dissertation committee must include at least one member of the Department of Philosophy and one member of the Program in Symbolic Systems outside the Department of Philosophy.
One advanced course in logic, at the level of Phil 151 or higher.
Complete two graduate courses in computer science, one of which must be either CS 221 - Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Techniques, or a more advanced course in AI.
Same TA requirements as above, and taking PHIL 239 - Teaching Methods in Philosophy.
Graduate students in the Philosophy PhD program may pursue a PhD subplan in History and Philosophy of Science. The subplan is declared in Axess, and subplan designations appear on the official transcript but are not printed on the diploma.
Students must fulfill Departmental degree requirements and the following requirements:
Students must attend the HPS colloquium series.
Complete one elective seminar in the History of Science.
Complete one elective seminar (in addition to the course satisfying requirement 2) in Philosophy of Science.
Philosophy participates with Computer Science, Linguistics, and Psychology departments in an interdisciplinary program in Cognitive Science. It is intended to provide a multidisciplinary education, as well as a deeper concentration in philosophy, and is open to doctoral students. Students who complete the requirements within Philosophy and the Cognitive Science requirements receive a special designation in Cognitive Science and a PhD in Philosophy. To receive this field designation, students must complete 30 units of approved courses, 18 of which must be taken in two disciplines outside philosophy. The list of approved courses can be obtained from the Cognitive Science program in the Department of Psychology.