Philosophy

Doctorate in Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy at Duquesne University was one of the first graduate programs in the United States to emphasize the concentrated study of phenomenology and contemporary Continental philosophy. The current program continues the commitment to this distinct orientation. We specialize in contemporary French and German philosophy.

We emphasize, in addition, a thorough grounding in the history of philosophy. The graduate faculty includes outstanding scholars in ancient, medieval, and modern philosophy. Courses are regularly offered in figures such as: Husserl, Heidegger, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, Adorno, Gadamer, Derrida, Levinas, Habermas, and Foucault, as well as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, Hegel and Nietzsche.

The Ph.D. program prepares students to enter the academic profession as scholars and teachers. Graduate students ordinarily take 9 course credits (3 courses) each semester. Course work for the Ph.D. is normally completed in three years. The fourth year and those following are dedicated to the dissertation.

Requirements for Admission into the Ph.D.

• Bachelor's degree in philosophy, or the equivalent, from an accredited college or university. Students must submit 2 official transcripts of academic work from each institution attended.

• All application materials must be sent to:
  

  McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
  Graduate Office
  Duquesne University
  600 Forbes Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15282

• GRE scores.
• At least three letters of recommendation.
• A statement of intent.
• It is helpful if entering students have reading knowledge of at least one of the following languages: French, German, Greek or Latin.
• Two copies of the application
• A writing sample.
• Complete applications must be received by February 1 for students entering the following fall semester.
• Please see Graduate School Policies and Programs for additional information; this is particularly important for international students.

Requirements for Completion of the Ph.D.

• A minimum of 48 graduate credit hours, i.e., 16 courses of 3 credits each. Students must take at least one three-credit course in each of the four historical periods: ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary.
• Language Requirement. Demonstrated reading knowledge of two of the following languages: Greek, Latin, German, or French. This requirement should be met during the first two years of coursework.
• Comprehensive Exams. For a brief description see link:
  PhD Student Portfolio Sheet
• 2 courses of supervised teaching. Normally this occurs in the third or fourth year. International students are generally exempted from this requirement.
• An approved dissertation proposal must be submitted to the Graduate School Office no later than two years after completion of the comprehensive exams. All remaining work leading to the Ph.D. degree, including defense and electronic submission of the dissertation, must be completed within four years of the comprehensive exam.
• In order to graduate at the end of a particular session, a candidate must submit the final copy of the dissertation for approval to their director and readers at least one month before the final oral may be scheduled.
• After the final oral defense of the dissertation, the signed copy of the dissertation signature page along with the approved checklist and supporting documents must be delivered to the Chair and to the Graduate School. All above items must then be submitted to the library by the date listed in the University Calendar.
• Candidates must have made formal application for the degree at the office of the Registrar prior to the date listed in the University Calendar, and should be present at graduation.
• Candidates must make complete settlement of their financial accounts with the university.
• Transferred Graduate Credit: With the approval of the Chair of the Department, graduate work done at other accredited institutions may be offered in partial fulfillment of course requirements, provided the grade is no lower than a B. After a reasonable time has elapsed to observe the student's work at Duquesne, a transfer of up to 24 graduate credits is possible.

Application Forms 

Please fill out and submit the appropriate free online application form:

Online Application for U.S. citizens and permanent residents (Green Card holders)

Online Application for International applicants (who are NOT U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and are not Green Card holders) 

There is no fee to apply online.

Additional Requirements

1. Please download the Philosophy Graduate Admission Application Form fill it out, and mail to the address on the bottom of the form:
2.  Please download three copies of the Letter of Recommendation Form and send to your references:
3.  Please send to the Philosophy Department a letter of intent, expressing why you want to pursue graduate studies in philosophy at Duquesne, your GRE scores [school code (2196), department code (2801)], two official copies of all transcripts, and a writing sample of no more than 3000 words. Send to: McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, Graduate Office, Duquesne University 600 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15282

• Applications for the Ph.D. must be received by February 1.
• Applications for the MA must be received by November 15 for Spring admission and April 15 for Fall admission.
• Phone interviews of select candidates may be conducted.
• Please see Graduate Studies Policies and Programs for additional information; this is particularly important for international students.