StudyQA — PhD: Philosophy — Princeton University

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The Princeton University Philosophy Program offers students an opportunity to explore some of the most fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, morality, and the nature of reality through rigorous analytical inquiry and historical study. Our curriculum is designed to develop critical thinking, clarity of expression, and proficiency in philosophical argumentation. Students engage with a wide array of philosophical topics, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, philosophy of mind, and the history of philosophical thought from antiquity to the modern era.

Undergraduate majors in Philosophy at Princeton benefit from a distinguished faculty renowned for their research and contributions to the field. The program encourages active participation in seminars, conferences, and independent research projects, which prepare students for diverse careers in academia, law, public policy, journalism, and beyond. Our curriculum also promotes interdisciplinary approaches, connecting philosophical inquiry with insights from sciences, arts, and humanities.

Princeton’s Philosophy Program emphasizes critical analysis, precise reasoning, and clear writing. Students are required to complete a sequence of core courses that provide foundational knowledge, followed by advanced seminars that allow for specialization in areas of interest. The program also offers opportunities for students to engage with philosophical texts in their original languages and to develop their own philosophical arguments through essays and theses.

In addition to classroom learning, students are encouraged to participate in the vibrant intellectual community on campus, including philosophy discussions, guest lectures, and research groups. The program fosters a collaborative environment where future philosophers can thrive and contribute to ongoing philosophical debates. Graduates of the program have gone on to successful careers in academia, law, government, and other fields requiring critical reasoning and analytical skills.

Princeton’s commitment to academic excellence and philosophical inquiry provides an ideal environment for students passionate about understanding the fundamental questions of human existence, the nature of knowledge, and moral values. Our Philosophy Program aims to cultivate thoughtful, discerning individuals capable of engaging with complex ideas and making meaningful contributions to society.

Courses:

Permission to take the general examination is granted after review of the student’s record by the department. It is normally necessary (the grounds for exception are explained below) and always sufficient that students satisfy the department that they have an adequate basic knowledge of each of the following fields: (1) history of philosophy, both ancient and modern; (2) metaphysics and epistemology; (3) ethics; and (4) logic. Before taking the general examination, students must complete seven units of work distributed as follows: at least two in the history of philosophy, at least two in metaphysics and epistemology, at least two in ethics, and at least one in logic. In addition, before taking the general exam, students must complete two further philosophy units, plus the language requirement or an alternative to it (see the Language(s) section, below). For the Interdepartmental Program in Classical Philosophy, four additional units must be completed, consisting of sight reading tests and reading list exams in Greek and Latin. Completion of a unit can be accomplished by seminar or course work, examination, or submission of independent work, as prearranged with a faculty member. Two of the required units must contain an oral component. Up to three units may be satisfied by the submission of papers written before the student’s arrival at Princeton, but neither of the first two units, and only one of the first five, may be satisfied in this way. At least one of the first three units must be for new substantive work in philosophy.

Students who wish to do especially intensive work in one area of philosophy through extra work either in the Department of Philosophy or in related areas in other departments may be granted variances permitting them to do less than the norm in some other areas of philosophy, if this is required to allow them to pursue their special interests. Such variances will require approval of the department. There are, in addition, three specific alternative tracks that lead to the Ph.D. degree in philosophy, all of which provide special opportunities for combining the study of philosophy with other disciplines: the philosophy of science track, and the interdepartmental programs in classical philosophy and in political philosophy. For information about special programs, refer to the special programs (link is external)page on our website.

Please refer to and navigate within our general website(link is external) for detailed information on the department’s various units and programs.

Language(s):

Every student must either demonstrate a reading knowledge of French or German, or else satisfy an alternative requirement before taking the general examination. Reading knowledge is demonstrated by passing an examination on the translation of philosophical prose administered by two members of the Department of Philosophy.

A student electing to satisfy the alternative requirement must either (1) complete a 10th distribution unit in any area of philosophy (see above) or (2) complete a unit of advanced work in another department, in accordance with a plan previously approved by the Graduate Committee of the philosophy department. (This may not be work also used to satisfy any other requirement.)

In many areas of philosophy, including but not limited to the history of philosophy and recent European philosophy, satisfactory scholarship is not possible without a good reading knowledge of certain foreign languages. The languages most often needed are French, German, Greek, and Latin. A student having none of these languages will therefore be significantly limited in choosing areas of research, and in the choice of a dissertation topic. If a student's dissertation is devoted to any considerable extent to an author, the student must be able to read the author's works in their original language.

General Exam:

The general examination consists of an oral examination of approximately one hour, preceded a few days earlier by a written examination, given over the course of 48 hours, in the field within which the candidate proposes to write a dissertation. The examinations are administered by a committee of the faculty, the composition of which ensures that the student is questioned from a variety of points of view. The subject of the examinations is broadly construed. The candidate is not expected to defend a thesis plan in detail, but instead is asked to present and defend some ideas in the area of the planned dissertation. Advancement to continued candidacy for the Ph.D. is based on an assessment of a student’s performance on the general examination in light of the student’s level of achievement in gaining the required units. Further details can be found on our website(link is external).

Qualifying for the M.A.:

The Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Philosophy – an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy – is earned by obtaining, at a specific level of achievement, the units required before taking the general exam. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that these requirements have been met.

Teaching:

All graduate students in philosophy, including those receiving outside fellowships, engage in some classroom teaching under the guidance of a faculty member: leading discussion groups, setting and marking examinations and tests, and criticizing written papers. This work normally amounts to three hours of classroom teaching plus attendant preparation, or the equivalent, for three terms, and , in no case, totals less than six hours. Assignments are made with regard for the student’s aptitudes and interests. First-year students normally are not assigned teaching responsibilities. In addition, all graduate students must give an undergraduate lecture at Princeton, observed by a philosophy department faculty member, prior to taking the general exam.

Post-Generals Requirement(s):

Colloquium

The department conducts a colloquium, principally for members of the faculty and graduate students, at which professors from Princeton and other universities present papers for discussion. In addition, graduate students working on their dissertations present portions of their work in progress at a series of talks scheduled throughout the year.

Dissertation and FPO:

The dissertation is written under the guidance of one or two members of the department (the primary and secondary advisers). While working on the dissertation, students may consult not only their advisers but also other members of the faculty. The dissertation is normally limited to 100,000 words (about 400 standard pages); a length of 30,000 to 50,000 words is recommended.

The dissertation must be accepted by the department, having first been read and recommended for acceptance by two readers, neither of whom may be the student's primary adviser. After the dissertation has been accepted, the student takes a final public oral examination in which he or she must demonstrate a capacity for scholarly research in the area of the dissertation.

After passing the final examination, the student is awarded the Ph.D. degree in philosophy by the University.