Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of Philosophy
Program Learning Outcomes for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Philosophy
Upon completing the MA and PhD degrees in the field of Philosophy, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate advanced skills of reading philosophical texts critically and with understanding of the problems and contexts.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and logically their own views on a range of important philosophical problems at an advanced level.
- Demonstrate an understanding in depth of the content and context of one of the main areas of philosophy.
- Propose, evaluate, and defend original views in at least one of the main areas of philosophy.
Requirements for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Philosophy
MA Degree Program
The MA degree can be either a thesis or a non-thesis master's degree depending on the option the student pursues. For general university requirements for thesis master's degrees, please see Thesis Master’s Degrees. For general university requirements for non-thesis master's degrees, please see Non-Thesis Master’s Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students.
Students pursuing the non-thesis MA degree in the field of Philosophy must:
- Complete at least two semesters in residence at Rice University.
- Complete 42 credit hours of courses approved for graduate credit in philosophy at Rice University with a grade of B- (2.67 grade points) or better in each course.
- Accumulate an overall GPA of at least 3.00.
- Complete at least 30 credit hours in philosophy at the 500-level or higher.
- Satisfy the departmental logic requirement. (Complete PHIL 505 with a minimum grade of B- or pass a departmental examination).
- Complete at least 5 courses in an area of concentration.
- Satisfactorily complete departmental duties.
- File a petition for certification of the non-thesis master's degree. This petition can be obtained from the graduate administrator and must be approved and signed by the department chair and submitted to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies according to the deadlines posted in the Academic Calendar.
Students pursuing the thesis MA degree in the field of Philosophy must:
- Complete with high standing at least 30 credit hours in advanced courses approved by the department.
- Complete a written thesis on a subject approved by the department.
- Perform satisfactorily on a final oral examination (not limited to the student’s special field of study).
- Satisfy the departmental logic requirement. (Complete PHIL 505 with a minimum grade of B- or pass a departmental examination).
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the non-thesis MA Degree in the field of Philosophy | 36 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the thesis MA Degree in the field of Philosophy | 30 | |
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Philosophy
PhD Degree Program
For general university requirements, please see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Philosophy must:
- Complete with high standing 36 credit hours of coursework approved by the department (including logic).
- Satisfy the departmental logic requirement. (Complete PHIL 505 with a minimum grade of B-, pass a departmental examination, or provide evidence of logic proficiency).
- Pass a qualifying examination.
- Perform satisfactorily on an oral defense of their thesis proposal.
- Complete a written thesis on a subject approved by the department (at least one year of thesis research must be spent in residence).
- Perform satisfactorily on a final oral examination (not limited to the student’s special field of study).
- Enroll and participate in the Dissertation Research Seminar every semester following the completion of qualifying examination.
- Satisfactorily complete the teaching requirement by serving twice as a teaching assistant and teaching at least one lower-level course designed in conjunction with the instructor of the Dissertation Research Seminar.
All first year PhD students are required to take the introduction to Humanities doctoral study course HUMA 500, The Humanities Beyond the Disciplines, (2 credit hours). The course does not replace or displace any of the required coursework in the department.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the PhD Degree in the field of Philosophy | 90 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | ||
| HUMA 500 | THE HUMANITIES BEYOND THE DISCIPLINES 1 | 2 |
| Additional Requirements as Defined by Department | 88 | |
| Total Credit Hours | Minimum of 90 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | HUMA 500 is required for all first-year PhD students within the School of Humanities. |
Policies for the PhD Degree in the field of Philosophy
Department of Philosophy Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the Department of Philosophy publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Philosophy_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.pdf.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Philosophy should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:
- Transfer credit is limited to 1 course (3 credit hours) at the graduate level per one year of graduate study at another institution. Total transfer credit is limited to 2 courses (6 credit hours).
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Philosophy website at: https://philosophy.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the PhD Degree in the field of Philosophy
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Philosophy website at: https://philosophy.rice.edu/.