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Ph.D. Program Summary
Brief Overview of the Requirements for Earning a Doctoral Degree in Philosophy at Arizona
The program of study leading to a doctorate degree in philosophy includes:
§ course requirements
§ comprehensive examination
§ starred paper requirement
§ dissertation prospectus examination
§ dissertation
An overview of each of these is presented below followed by a semester-by-semester summary of the doctoral program. For more information about each of these requirements, students should consult the unabridged version of the guidelines and requirements for the graduate program.
Courses requirements
Credits: 51 units of graduate-level course work (17 semester courses), at least 39 units allotted to one’s major field (philosophy) and the remainder to one’s minor field (either philosophy or an outside minor). For the philosophy minor, 12 units are required. For other fields, the number of units is fixed by that program. In addition to course work units, 18 units of dissertation credit is required.
Distribution: Two graduate-level courses with a grade of B or better in each of the following areas:
1. Metaphysics and Epistemology (both broadly construed),
2. History of Philosophy: one course in Ancient philosophy and one course in Modern philosophy (normally a course covering one or more figures from Descartes to Kant),
3. Ethics and Value Theory (including social, political, and legal philosophy),
4. Logic, Language, and Science.
Formal requirement: 1 course in an area (e.g., Greek) that will aid students in their research.
Logic competence requirement: This requirement may be fulfilled either by taking 1 course in formal or symbolic logic (which may be satisfied by an appropriate undergraduate course), or by passing a special logic examination to be given by the department.
Note: satisfying the logic requirement will often be sufficient for satisfying the formal requirement.
Seminar Requirements: Of the 39 units of course work required for the major, at least 24 units (8 courses) must be taken in seminars. If a student also minors in philosophy, an additional 6 units (2 courses) of seminar work are required.
Proseminar: The proseminar, offered every fall semester, is intended to be an intensive introduction to philosophical methods and tools, as well as to an area of philosophy that may vary from year to year. Enrollment in the proseminar is restricted to first-year students and is mandatory for those students.
Dissertation Research Seminar: The dissertation research seminar (DRS), normally offered in the fall semester, is a 3 unit non-lecture course for advanced doctoral students in philosophy. Its purpose is to provide a forum for students to present and discuss their dissertation research. In addition to periodic presentations throughout the course, students are also required to participate in the discussion of the work of fellow students. In-residence students will be required to take this seminar at least once, normally during their 7th semester. Only three units of the DRS may count toward the minimum of 39 units of philosophy graduate courses required for the degree. However, students who have taken the seminar are strongly encouraged to enroll in it every fall semester they remain in residence.
Transfer Credits: Of the 39 units of course work required for the major, at least 24 units (8 courses) must be taken in seminars. If a student also minors in philosophy, an additional 6 units (2 courses) of seminar work are required.
Comprehensive Examination
Students are to pass written and oral examinations in two areas (a major and a minor). The major field must be within philosophy, but the minor field may be drawn from another discipline. The written exam in the major area will typically be a 4-hour exam in which the student must answer three or four essay questions drawn from a range of choices. The written exam in the minor area will typically be a 3-hour exam in which the student must answer two or three essay questions drawn from a range of choices. If the committee members in each area deem that the student’s performance on the written exam is appropriate for an oral exam to proceed, then an oral exam will be held, with all four committee members. This exam will last two or three hours and will cover the material on the reading lists, with attention both to the student’s answers on the written exams and to other topics covered in the reading list.
Students are to pass written and oral examinations in two areas (a major and a minor). The major field must be within philosophy, but the minor field may be drawn from another discipline. The written exam in the major area will typically be a 4-hour exam in which the student must answer three or four essay questions drawn from a range of choices. The written exam in the minor area will typically be a 3-hour exam in which the student must answer two or three essay questions drawn from a range of choices. If the committee members in each area deem that the student’s performance on the written exam is appropriate for an oral exam to proceed, then an oral exam will be held, with all four committee members. This exam will last two or three hours and will cover the material on the reading lists, with attention both to the student’s answers on the written exams and to other topics covered in the reading list.
To advance to candidacy for the doctorate, a student must write a ‘starred’ paper. The purpose of this requirement is to help students hone the various skills that they will need in order to produce written work of the highest professional quality. Students may choose to fulfill this requirement by revising a paper they have written previously for a seminar. Producing a professional quality paper will normally involve a series of revisions in light of criticisms and comments on various drafts.
Prospectus Examination
The prospectus examination is required as a gateway to the dissertation process. The prospectus will normally include a brief chapter by chapter narrative description of the dissertation, a bibliography, and a timetable for its completion. The examining committee will typically be composed of the student’s dissertation committee members.
Once the prospectus examination is passed, the student proceeds to write a dissertation. Traditionally, a dissertation takes the form of a monograph. Under some circumstances, and subject to the advice and approval of the graduate student’s dissertation committee, an acceptable dissertation can take the form of a set of at least three thematically related papers. The substance and length of the papers (combined) should be comparable to a monograph dissertation. Except in unusual cases, the starred paper will not count among the papers in the minimal set of three.
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Credit Hour requirements:
51 units of graduate level work plus 18 units of dissertation hours. |
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1st Year
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Fall
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Spring
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Pro-seminar
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2nd Year
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Fall
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Spring
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Course -or- independent reading for comps
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3rd Year
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Fall
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Spring
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Comprehensive exams
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Course
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Organize Prospectus Committee
Starred paper due |
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4th Year
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Fall
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Spring
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Dissertation research seminar
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Dissertation hours
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Prospectus defense
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Dissertation hours
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5th Year
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Fall
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Spring
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Dissertation research seminar
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Dissertation hours
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Dissertation hours
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Dissertation defense
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