Philosophy
Mailing Address:
Department of Philosophy (MC 267)
601 South Morgan Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7114
Campus Location: 1421 UH
Program Codes: 20FS0332MA (MA); 20FS0332PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996-3023
E-mail: val@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/depts/phil/
Chairperson of the Department: Anthony Laden
Director of Graduate Studies: David Hilbert
The Department of Philosophy offers work leading to degrees in Philosophy at both the master’s and doctoral levels and participates in the Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies and the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:
Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy
- Baccalaureate Field No restrictions. Prior academic work should include courses in modern formal logic, ethics, history of philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of science or philosophy of language.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
- Tests Required GRE.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
- Letters of Recommendation Three required, preferably from professors who are familiar with the student’s recent work.
- Personal Statement Required; 250 words. The statement should address the applicant’s past work in philosophy and plans for graduate study.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
Master of Arts
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
- Course Work At least 24 hours must be in courses at the 500-level. At least 24 hours must be in courses in the Department of Philosophy, of which at least 20 must at the 500-level (excluding PHIL 590–599). Students must receive a B or better in one course in the history of philosophy; one course in metaphysics, epistemology, logic, philosophy of science, or philosophy of language; and one course in ethics, political philosophy, or aesthetics.
- Comprehensive Examination None.
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only. No other options are available.
Doctor of Philosophy
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 for students entering with a baccalaureate, and 64 for students entering with a master’s.
- Course Work Students must achieve a grade of B or better in each of 14 regularly scheduled graduate courses by the middle of their third year. At least 10 of these must be at the 500-level or be 400-level logic courses; and at least 10 must be in the UIC Department of Philosophy. PHIL 593, 596, and 599 may not be counted toward the fourteen, and PHIL 590 may not be counted more than once toward the fourteen.
- Required Courses: A grade of B or better in each of the following courses: PHIL 500; three 500-level courses in the history of philosophy (at least 1 in ancient or medieval and 1 in modern); five 500-level courses (except for logic courses, one of which may be at the 400-level) in (a) metaphysics or epistemology, (b) logic, philosophy of science, or philosophy of language, or (c) ethics or value theory, with at least 1 of the 5 courses in each of the areas (a), (b), and (c); PHIL 500, 590, 593, and 596 may not be used to satisfy these requirements. Third-year students may register for PHIL 593—Independent Research to prepare for the departmental qualifying exam.
- Logic Requirement: A grade of B or better in PHIL 210 or a higher-level UIC logic course.
- Examinations Departmental Qualifying Examination: Required. The examination consists of a research paper and a written or oral exam within the student’s general area.
- Preliminary Examination: Required. Performance in courses, departmental qualifying examination, and teaching will be considered in determining whether the student passes the preliminary examination.
- Dissertation Required.
- Other Requirements The language requirement for each student is decided by a department committee of graduate faculty. The determination is based on a consideration of the student’s area of interest. In no case is proficiency in more than two languages required. In those areas in which the primary sources are in English, a foreign language may not be required.
Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. See Gender and Women’s Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for more information.
Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience
Doctoral students may pursue the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience. Refer to Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience in the Graduate College section for more information.
