phd in moral philosophy

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As a PhD student in the Harvard philosophy program, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your ideas, knowledge, and abilities. You'll work with other doctoral students, our faculty, and visiting scholars, all in a stimulating and supportive environment. The program has strengths across a broad range of topics and areas, so you'll be able to pursue your interests wherever they may lead, especially in moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Immanuel Kant, and 19th and 20th century European philosophy. 

Incoming cohorts consist of five to eight students per year. You will have substantial access to our renowned faculty and all the resources that Harvard makes available. This relatively small size also gives students a sense of intellectual community.

The curriculum is structured to help you make your way towards a dissertation: graduate-level coursework, a second-year research paper, a prospectus to help you identify a dissertation topic, and then the dissertation itself. Recent dissertations in the department have addressed a broad range of topics: Aristotle, Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; contemporary moral and political philosophy; metaphysics; epistemology; and logic.

In addition to your research, you will also have the opportunity to develop your teaching skills in many different settings across the University.

You can find graduates of the PhD program in many universities. Recent graduates have gone on to tenure track positions at Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, Northwestern University, Boston University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Washington University, and the University of Rochester. Other graduates have gone on to diverse careers in, among others, the arts, law, secondary education, and technology.

In addition to the standard PhD in philosophy, the department offers a PhD in classical philosophy in collaboration with the Department of the Classics and a coordinated JD/PhD program in conjunction with Harvard Law School. The department also offers a track in Indian Philosophy (administered jointly by Philosophy and South East Asian Studies.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Philosophy and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Philosophy | Classical Philosophy | Indian Philosophy 

For information please consult the Department webpage on the  graduate program overview .

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Philosophy .

Academic Background

Applicants to the program in Philosophy are required to have a strong undergraduate background in philosophy (or its equivalent), indicating that they have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, as well as familiarity with contemporary work in ethics, epistemology and metaphysics, and logic.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Optional GRE Subject: Optional

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be between 12 to 30 pages long. The sample must address a substantial philosophical problem, whether it is an evaluation or presentation of an argument, or a serious attempt to interpret a difficult text. The upload of the writing sample should be formatted for 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper, 1-inch margins, with double-spaced text in a common 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

Applicants seeking admission to the coordinated JD/PhD program must apply to and be separately admitted to Harvard Law School and the Department of Philosophy.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Philosophy

See list of Philosophy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Doctoral Program

Stanford's Ph.D. program is among the world's best. Our graduate students receive their training in a lively community of philosophers engaged in a wide range of philosophical projects. Our Ph.D. program trains students in traditional core areas of philosophy and provides them with opportunities to explore many subfields such as the philosophy of literature, and nineteenth-century German philosophy.

Among other areas, we are exceptionally strong in Kant studies, the philosophy of action, ancient philosophy, logic, and the philosophy of science. We attract some of the best students from around the world and we turn them into accomplished philosophers ready to compete for the best jobs in a very tight job market.

The most up-to-date requirements are listed in   t he Bulletin .  

CHECK PHD REQUIREMENTS

From the 2020-2021 edition of Explore Degrees:

Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy

Prospective graduate students should see the  Office of Graduate Admissions  web site for information and application materials. 

The University's basic requirements for the Ph.D. degree including candidacy, residence, dissertation, and examination are discussed in the " Graduate Degrees " section of this bulletin. Graduate students are expected to meet standards of professional behavior, including: being present on campus to meet the academic and research expectations of the degree program; communicating in a timely, respectful and professional manner; complying with institutional policies and procedures; and participating appropriately in the program’s community. Graduate students are expected to familiarize themselves with applicable university policy and degree program requirements.’ ( https://gap.stanford.edu/handbooks/gap-handbook/chapter-5/subchapter-6/… )

University candidacy requirements, published in the " Candidacy " section of this bulletin, apply to all Ph.D. students. Admission to a doctoral degree program is preliminary to, and distinct from, admission to candidacy. Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty in the department or school of the student's potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to complete department qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy at the beginning of the seventh academic quarter, normally the Autumn Quarter of the student's third year.

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is granted by the major department following a student's successful completion of qualifying procedures as determined by the department. Departmental policy determines procedures for subsequent attempts to become advanced to candidacy in the event that the student does not successfully complete the procedures. Failure to advance to candidacy results in the dismissal of the student from the doctoral program; see the " Guidelines for Dismissal of Graduate Students for Academic Reasons " section of this bulletin.

The requirements detailed here are department requirements. These requirements are meant to balance structure and flexibility in allowing students, in consultation with their  advisors , to take a path through the program that gives them a rigorous and broad philosophical education, with room to focus on areas of particular interest, and with an eye to completing the degree with an excellent dissertation and a solid preparation for a career in academic philosophy.

Normally, all courses used to satisfy the distribution requirements for the Philosophy Ph.D. are Stanford courses taken as part of a student's graduate program.  In special circumstances, a student may petition to use a very small number of graduate-level courses taken at other institutions to satisfy a distribution requirement.  To be approved for this purpose, the student’s work in such a graduate-level course would need to involve an appropriate subject matter and would need to be judged by the department to be at the level of an 'A' in a corresponding graduate-level course at Stanford.  

Courses used to satisfy any course requirement in Philosophy (except Teaching Methods and the summer Dissertation Development Seminar) must be passed with a letter grade of 'B-' or better (no satisfactory/no credit), except in the case of a course/seminar used to satisfy the third-year course/seminar requirement and taken for only 2 units. Such a reduced-unit third-year course/seminar must be taken credit/no credit. 

In the spring quarter of each year, the department reviews the progress of each first-year student to determine whether the student is making satisfactory progress. In the fall and the spring quarter of each year, the department reviews the progress of each student who is past the first year to determine whether the student is making satisfactory progress, and on that basis to make decisions about probationary status and termination from the program where appropriate.

Any student in one of the Ph.D. programs may apply for the M.A. when all University and department requirements have been met.

Proficiency Requirements

• First-year Ph.D. Proseminar : a one quarter, topically focused seminar offered in Autumn Quarter, and required of all first-year students.
• two courses in value theory including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, philosophy of law. At least one of the courses satisfying this distribution requirement must be in ethics or political philosophy.
• Two courses in language, mind, and action. One course satisfying this requirement must be drawn from the language related courses, and one from mind and action related courses.
• two courses in metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science). At least one of the courses satisfying this requirement must be drawn from either metaphysics or epistemology.
• Instructors indicate which courses may satisfy particular requirements. If a course potentially satisfies more than one requirement the student may use it for only one of those area requirements; no units may be double-counted. Students must develop broad competencies in all these areas. Those without strong backgrounds in these areas would normally satisfy these distribution requirements by taking more basic courses rather than highly specialized and focused courses. Students should consult with their advisor in making these course decisions, and be prepared to explain these decisions when reviewed for candidacy; see requirement 6 below.
• Logic requirement:  PHIL 150  Mathematical Logic or equivalent.
• History/logic requirement. One approved course each in ancient and modern philosophy, plus either another approved history of philosophy course or  PHIL 151  Metalogic.
• Students should normally take at least 64 graduate level units at Stanford during their first six quarters (in many cases students would take more units than that) and of those total units, at least 49 units of course work are to be in the Philosophy department. These courses must be numbered above 110, but not including Teaching Methods ( PHIL 239  Teaching Methods in Philosophy) or affiliated courses. Units of Individual Directed Reading are normally not to be counted toward this 49-unit requirement unless there is special permission from the student's advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
•  Prior to candidacy, at least 3 units of work must be taken with each of four Stanford faculty members.

Writing Requirement: Second Year Paper

The second year paper should demonstrate good scholarship and argumentative rigor, and be a polished piece of writing approximately 8000 words in length. The second year paper need not bear any specific relationship to the dissertation. It may be a version of a prospective dissertation chapter, but this is not required. The final version must be turned in on the last class of the Second Year Paper Development Seminar in Summer Quarter of the second year. Extensions of this deadline require the consent of the instructor of the Second Year Paper Development Seminar and the Director of Graduate Studies and are only granted in exceptional cases (e.g., documented illness, family crisis). The final paper is read by a committee of two faculty members and it is an important consideration in the department’s decision on the student’s candidacy. 

Teaching Assistancy

A minimum of five quarters of teaching assistancy are required for the Ph.D. Normally one of these quarters is as a teaching assistant for the Philosophy Department's Writing in the Major course,  PHIL 80  Mind, Matter, and Meaning. It is expected that students not teach in their first year and that they teach no more than two quarters in their second year. Students are required to take  PHIL 239  Teaching Methods in Philosophy during Spring Quarter of their first year and during Autumn Quarter of their second year. Teaching is an important part of students’ preparation to be professional philosophers.

Review at the End of the Second Year for Advancement to Candidacy

The faculty's review of each student includes a review of the student's record, an assessment of the second year paper, and an assessment of the student's preparation for work in her/his intended area of specialization, as well as recommendations of additional preparation, if necessary.

To continue in the Ph.D. program, each student must apply for candidacy at the beginning of the sixth academic quarter, normally the Spring Quarter of the student's second year. Students may be approved for or denied candidacy by the end of that quarter by the department. In some cases, where there are only one or two outstanding deficiencies, the department may defer the candidacy decision and require the student to re-apply for candidacy in a subsequent quarter. In such cases, definite conditions for the candidacy re-application must be specified, and the student must work with the advisor and the DGS to meet those conditions in a timely fashion. A failure to maintain timely progress in satisfying the specified conditions constitutes grounds for withholding travel and discretionary funds and for a denial of advancement to candidacy.

• Writing Seminar : In the Summer Quarter after the second year, students are required to attend the Second Year Paper Development Seminar. The seminar is intended to help students complete their second year papers. 
• Upon completion of the summer writing seminar, students must sign up for independent study credit,  PHIL 240  Individual Work for Graduate Students, with their respective advisors each quarter. A plan at the beginning, and a report at the end, of each quarter must be signed by both student and advisor and submitted to the graduate administrator for inclusion in the student's file. This is the process every quarter until the completion of the departmental oral.
• In Autumn and Winter quarters of the third year, students register in and satisfactorily complete  PHIL 301  Dissertation Development Proseminar. Students meet to present their work in progress and discuss their thesis project. Participation in these seminars is required.
• During the third and fourth years in the program, a student should complete at least three graduate-level courses/seminars, at least two of them in philosophy (a course outside philosophy can be approved by the advisor), and at least two of them in the third year. The three seminars can be taken credit/no-credit for reduced (2) units. Courses required for candidacy are not counted toward satisfaction of this requirement. This light load of courses allows students to deepen their philosophical training while keeping time free for thesis research.

Dissertation Work and Defense

The third and following years are devoted to dissertation work. The few requirements in this segment of the program are milestones to encourage students and advisors to ensure that the project is on track.

• Dissertation Proposal— By the end of Winter Quarter of the third year, students should have selected a dissertation topic and committee. A proposal sketching the topic, status, and plan for the thesis project, as well as an annotated bibliography or literature review indicating familiarity with the relevant literature, must be received by the committee one week before the meeting on graduate student progress late in Spring Quarter. The dissertation proposal and the reading committee's report on it will constitute a substantial portion of the third-year review.
• Departmental Oral— During Autumn Quarter of the fourth year, students take an oral examination based on at least 30 pages of written work, in addition to the proposal. The aim of the exam is to help the student arrive at an acceptable plan for the dissertation and to make sure that student, thesis topic, and advisors make a reasonable fit. It is an important chance for the student to clarify their goals and intentions with the entire committee present.
• Fourth-Year Colloquium— No later than Spring Quarter of the fourth year, students present a research paper in a 60-minute seminar open to the entire department. This paper should be on an aspect of the student's dissertation research. This is an opportunity for the student to make their work known to the wider department, and to explain their ideas to a general philosophical audience.
• University Oral Exam— Ph.D. students must submit a completed draft of the dissertation to the reading committee at least one month before the student expects to defend the thesis in the University oral exam. If the student is given consent to go forward, the University oral can take place approximately two weeks later. A portion of the exam consists of a student presentation based on the dissertation and is open to the public. A closed question period follows. If the draft is ready by Autumn Quarter of the fourth year, the student may request that the University oral count as the department oral.

Below are yearly lists of courses which the faculty have approved to fulfill distribution requirements in these areas: value theory (including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, philosophy of law); language; mind and action; metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science); logic; ancient philosophy; modern philosophy.

The most up-to-date requirements are listed in  t he Bulletin .  

Ph.D. Minor in Philosophy

To obtain a Ph.D. minor in Philosophy, students must follow these procedures:

• Consult with the Director of Graduate Study to establish eligibility, and select a suitable  advisor .
• 30 units of courses in the Department of Philosophy with a letter grade of 'B-' or better in each course. No more than 3 units of directed reading may be counted in the 30-unit requirement.
• Philosophy of science
• Ethics, value theory, and moral and political philosophy
• Metaphysics and epistemology
• Language, mind and action
• History of philosophy
• Two additional courses numbered over 199 to be taken in one of those (b) six areas.
• A faculty member from the Department of Philosophy (usually the student's advisor) serves on the student's doctoral oral examination committee and may request that up to one third of this examination be devoted to the minor subject.
• Paperwork for the minor must be submitted to the department office before beginning the program.

Interdisciplinary Study

The department supports interdisciplinary study. Courses in Stanford's other departments and programs may be counted towards the degree, and course requirements in Philosophy are designed to allow students considerable freedom in taking such courses. Dissertation committees may include members from other departments. Where special needs arise, the department is committed to making it possible for students to obtain a philosophical education and to meet their interdisciplinary goals. Students are advised to consult their advisors and the department's student services office for assistance.

Graduate Program in Cognitive Science

Philosophy participates with the departments of Computer Science, Linguistics, and Psychology in an interdisciplinary program in Cognitive Science. It is intended to provide an interdisciplinary education, as well as a deeper concentration in philosophy, and is open to doctoral students. Students who complete the requirements within Philosophy and the Cognitive Science requirements receive a special designation in Cognitive Science along with the Ph.D. in Philosophy. To receive this field designation, students must complete 30 units of approved courses, 18 of which must be taken in two disciplines outside of philosophy. The list of approved courses can be obtained from the Cognitive Science program located in the Department of Psychology.

Special Track in Philosophy and Symbolic Systems

Students interested in interdisciplinary work relating philosophy to artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, linguistics, or logic may pursue a degree in this program.

Prerequisites—Admitted students should have covered the equivalent of the core of the undergraduate Symbolic Systems Program requirements as described in the " Symbolic Systems " section of the Stanford Bulletin, including courses in artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive science, linguistics, logic, and philosophy. The graduate program is designed with this background in mind. Students missing part of this background may need additional course work. In addition to the required course work listed in the bulletin, the Ph.D. requirements are the same as for the regular program, with the exception that one course in value theory and one course in history may be omitted.

Joint Program in Ancient Philosophy

This program is jointly administered by the Departments of Classics and Philosophy and is overseen by a joint committee composed of members of both departments:

•         Christopher Bobonich , Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Ethics)
•         Alan Code , Philosophy, Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Metaphysics)
•         Reviel Netz , Classics (History of Greek and Pre-Modern Mathematics)
•         Andrea Nightingale , Classics, (Greek and Roman Philosophy and Literature)
•        Josh Ober , Classics and Political Science (Greek Political Thought, Democratic Theory)

It provides students with the training, specialist skills, and knowledge needed for research and teaching in ancient philosophy while producing scholars who are fully trained as either philosophers with a strong specialization in ancient languages and philology, or classicists with a concentration in philosophy.

Students are admitted to the program by either department. Graduate students admitted by the Philosophy department receive their Ph.D. from the Philosophy department; those admitted by the Classics department receive their Ph.D. from the Classics department. For Philosophy graduate students, this program provides training in classical languages, literature, culture, and history. For Classics graduate students, this program provides training in the history of philosophy and in contemporary philosophy.

Each student in the program is advised by a committee consisting of one professor in each department.

Requirements for Philosophy Graduate Students: These are the same as the proficiency requirements for the Ph.D. in Philosophy.

One year of Greek is a requirement for admission to the program. If students have had a year of Latin, they are required to take 3 courses in second- or third-year Greek or Latin, at least one of which must be in Latin. If they have not had a year of Latin, they are then required to complete a year of Latin, and take two courses in second- or third-year Greek or Latin.

Students are also required to take at least three courses in ancient philosophy at the 200 level or above, one of which must be in the Classics department and two of which must be in the Philosophy department.

Ph.D. Subplan in History and Philosophy of Science

Graduate students in the Philosophy Ph.D. program may pursue a Ph.D. subplan in History and Philosophy of Science. The subplan is declared in Axess and subplan designations appear on the official transcript, but are not printed on the diploma.

1.  Attendance at the HPS colloquium series. 2.  Philosophy of Science courses.  Select one of the following:

• PHIL 263 Significant Figures in Philosophy of Science: Einstein
• PHIL 264: Central Topics in the Philosophy of Science: Theory and Evidence
• PHIL 264A: Central Topics in Philosophy of Science: Causation
• PHIL 265: Philosophy of Physics: Space and Time
• PHIL 265C: Philosophy of Physics: Probability and Relativity
• PHIL 266: Probability: Ten Great Ideas About Chance
• PHIL 267A:  Philosophy of Biology
• PHIL 267B: Philosophy, Biology, and Behavior

3.  One elective seminar in the history of science. 4.  One elective seminar (in addition to the course satisfying requirement 2) in philosophy of science.

The PhD program provide 5 years of  financial support . We also try to provide support for our sixth year students and beyond though we cannot guarantee such support. In addition to covering tuition, providing a stipend, and covering Stanford's health insurance, we provide additional funds for books, computer equipment, and conference travel expenses. Some of the financial support is provided through requiring you to teach; however, our teaching requirement is quite low and we believe that this is a significant advantage of our program.

Stanford Support Programs

Additional support, such as advances, medical and emergency grants for Grad Students are available through the Financial Aid Office. The University has created the following programs specifically for graduate students dealing with challenging financial situations.

Graduate Financial Aid  homepage :

https://financialaid.stanford.edu/grad/funding/

Cash Advance:  https://sfs.stanford.edu/gradcashadvance

Emergency grant-in-aid :  https://financialaid.stanford.edu/pdf/emergencygrant-in-aid.pdf, family grants:  https://financialaid.stanford.edu/pdf/gradfamilygrant2021.pdf, housing loans:  https://financialaid.stanford.edu/loans/other/gradhousing.html, program characteristics.

Our program is well known for its small size, streamlined teaching requirements, and low average time to degree.

The program regulations are designed to efficiently provide students with a broad base in their first two years. In the third year students transition to working on their dissertations. During the summer prior to the third year, students are required to attend a dissertation development seminar. This seminar introduces students to what is involved in writing a dissertation. During the third year the course load drops to just under one course per quarter.

The rest of the time is spent working closely with a faculty member, or a couple of faculty members, on the student's area of research interest. The goal of the third year is that this process of intensive research and one-on-one interaction will generate a topic and proposal for the dissertation. During the fourth and fifth year the student is not required to take any courses and he or she focusses exclusively on research and writing on the dissertation.

Stanford University

Being a part of  Stanford University  means that students have access to one of the premier education institutions in the world. Stanford is replete with top departments in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. In addition, our professional schools, such as the  Stanford Law School , are among the best. The range of research in a variety of areas, many of which touch on or relate to philosophical issues, is simply astounding. Students have the freedom to take courses across the university. Graduate students also regularly earn joint degrees with other programs.

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• Wharton Online

Ethics & Legal Studies

Wharton’s phd program in ethics and legal studies is unique: the only doctoral program in the world to focus on ethical and legal norms relevant to individual and organizational decision-making within business..

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton trains students in the fields of ethics and law in business. Students are encouraged to combine this work with investigation of related fields, including Philosophy, Law, Psychology, Management, Finance, and Marketing. Students take a core set of courses in the area of ethics and law in business, together with courses in an additional disciplinary concentration such as management, philosophy/ethical theory, finance, marketing, or accounting. Our program size and flexibility allow students to tailor their program to their individualized research interests and to pursue joint degrees with other departments across Wharton and Penn. Resources for current Ph.D. students can be found at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/doctoral-inside/ .

Our world-class faculty take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for the academic profession. Faculty work closely with students to help them develop their own distinctive academic interests. Our curriculum crosses many disciplinary boundaries. Faculty and student intellectual interests include a range of topics such as:

• Philosophy & Ethics : • philosophical business ethics • normative political philosophy • rights theory • theory of the firm •  philosophy of law • philosophy of punishment & coercion • philosophy of deception and fraud • philosophy of blame and complicity • climate change ethics • effective altruism • integrative social contracts theory • corporate moral agency
• Law & Legal Studies : • law and economics • corporate penal theory • constitutional law • bankruptcy • corporate governance • corporate law • financial regulation • administrative law • empirical legal studies • blockchain and law • antitrust law • environmental law and policy • corporate criminal law • corruption • negotiations.
• Behavioral Ethics : • neuroscience and business ethics • moral psychology • moral beliefs and identity • moral deliberation • perceptions of corporate identity

Our program prepares graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools and law schools. We have an excellent record of tenure-track placements, including Carnegie Mellon University, Notre Dame University, and George Washington University.  Click here to see our placements .

Sample Schedule

Core Courses

In addition to the Wharton Doctoral course requirements, the student’s four-course unit core in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department consists of two required doctoral seminars, LGST 9200 Ethics in Business and Economics, and LGST 9210 Foundations of Business Law. The remaining two LGST courses may be selected from a list of LGST courses that the faculty coordinator has approved.

Students without basic law courses will be required to take LGST 1010 in their first semester. Students will take LGST courses, other than Ph.D. seminars, under an independent study number, meet with the instructor periodically outside class, and write a paper. These requirements should be satisfied through courses taught by members of the LGST standing faculty, though exceptions will be made in special circumstances. The requirements may be adjusted for students with law degrees.

Ethics and Law in Business Courses

Students must take four LGST courses, including these two core course seminars:

• Ethics in Business and Economics (LGST 9200)
• Foundations of Business Law (LGST 9210)

Major Disciplinary Cluster

The purpose of the cluster is to ground students in a single academic specialty other than Business Ethics. Clusters include the following:

Students must choose a disciplinary cluster during the first year, in consultation with a faculty advisor. Required courses may not be double-counted. For example, a student choosing Philosophy as the cluster may not use the two required courses in ethical theory as part of the five course cluster requirement.

Get the Details.

Visit the Ethics & Legal Studies website for details on program requirements and courses. Read faculty and student research and bios to see what you can do with an Ethics & Legal Studies PhD.

Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Coordinator Brian Berkey Associate Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Academic & Business Administrator Tamara English Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department Email: [email protected]

• Biblical Studies
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• History of Christianity and Church History
• Historical and Systematic Theology
• Liturgical Studies and Sacramental Theology
• Moral Theology/Ethics
• Pastoral Studies
• Spirituality

School of Theology and Religious Studies

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Doctor of Philosophy in Moral Theology/Ethics

• Master of Arts (M.A.)
• Licentiate (S.T.L.)
• Doctorate of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.)

The Ph.D. in Moral Theology/Ethics represents an achievement in theological scholarship and research. The program is designed to prepare graduate students to make significant contributions to knowledge in a major area of moral theological or ethical inquiry while broadening their understanding of other areas of theology. Students also select a minor area from in or outside of the School to support their doctoral research. By means of research seminars, advanced level courses, language skills, comprehensive examinations, and an extensive research project, the program is designed to develop graduates who are capable of thorough theological understanding and careful research.

Prerequisites

• Applicants should possess an M.A. in theology or religious studies as offered by Catholic University, or the equivalent of this degree.
• Ordinarily, applicants will have obtained twelve credit hours of undergraduate or graduate philosophy.
• Students who enter the Moral Theology/Ethics Ph.D. program with academic deficiencies will be encouraged to audit courses to complement their doctoral level courses.
• 36 Credit hours of coursework after the M.A. degree.
• Eighteen of those hours are to be taken in the area of Moral Theology/Ethics, including the four Moral Theology/Ethics core courses: Core #1: TRS 830E Ethics and Politics in St. Augustine Core #2: TRS 835B The Moral Theology of St. Thomas Core #3: TRS 737E Freedom, Law, Rights Core #4: TRS 737D Twentieth-Century Theological Ethics
• An additional nine credit hours are electives, to be taken in any of the academic areas of the School of Theology and Religious Studies or within other schools of the university.
• At least nine credit hours of coursework in one minor area.
• The doctoral-level required prerequisite course, TRS 799 Proseminar For New Doctoral Students.
• Completion of a program proposal during the second semester of doctoral study.
• Completion and filing of four research papers .
• Completion and defense of a dissertation.

Dissertation

• Reading proficiency in one modern language (normally French or German) for use in theological research.
• Reading proficiency and facility for use in theological research in one ancient language (normally Latin or Greek).
• Additional languages may be required by a student's own research.

Comprehensive Examinations

• The comprehensive examinations include both written exams and an oral exam.
• There are three written examinations, in the following areas: general moral theology the student's area of specialization within Moral Theology/Ethics the student's minor areas
• Each written exam is four hours in length. The minor area exam is only two hours in length.
• The subject matter of each examination will be based on a reading list, compiled by the student in consultation with, and pending the approval of, the student's comprehensive exam committee.
• The comprehensive exam committee will consist of four examiners. Ordinarily, three examiners will come from the Moral Theology/Ethics department and the fourth examiner from a minor area.
• The written exams may be scheduled over a period of up to seven days.
• Following successful completion of the written portion of the comprehensive examinations, students will be given a ninety-minute oral examination. The subject matter of the oral exam is the entirety of the book lists for the written exams. The oral examination is to be scheduled approximately one week following the completion of the written comprehensive examinations.
• Upon successful completion of comprehensive exams, the student will apply to the academic area director of Moral Theology/Ethics for candidacy. The Moral Theology/Ethics faculty will evaluate the student's application for candidacy and make a recommendation to the school.

Department of Philosophy

Ph.D. Program Requirements

Coursework for the ph.d..

Students are required to take 15 quarter courses for the Ph.D. (whether they enter the program with or a B.A. or with an M.A.) These include a series of three proseminars for first-year graduate students, two in metaphysics and epistemology, and one in moral philosophy (PHIL 275A, PHIL 275B, PHIL 275C). The proseminars are designed to acquaint first-year students with the current state of discussion in central areas of contemporary philosophy and to impart the skills needed to conduct their own research.

In addition to the proseminars, there is a distribution requirement. Students must take one additional course (beyond PHIL 275A and PHIL 275B) in metaphysics and epistemology broadly construed, 2 additional courses (beyond PHIL 275C) in the area of ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics, and three courses in the history of philosophy, with 1 of these in ancient philosophy. Finally, students entering the program in Fall 2018 and beyond are required to enroll in the 3rd and 4th year research seminar, PHIL 276, during winter and spring quarters of their third year and winter quarter of their fourth year. Phil 276 should be taken for 2 units on an S/NC basis in the winter quarters of the third and fourth years, and for 4 units on a graded basis in the spring quarter of the third year. The 4 graded units of PHIL 276 count as one of the 15 courses required for the Ph.D. (Students who have advanced to candidacy are exempted from the fourth year winter quarter requirement.) 

Of the 15 courses required for the Ph.D., 10 must be seminars and workshops in the 272-285 series. (Only 4 graded units of PHIL 276 count towards the PhD course requirements). Up to 5 courses may be drawn from PHIL 125 (Intermediate Logic), courses in the PHIL 220-266 series (mixed undergraduate/graduate courses with an additional section for graduate students), or PHIL 290-292 (directed studies courses). Courses taken on a Satisfactory (S)/No Credit (NC) basis cannot be used to satisfy course requirements. Students are in addition expected to take one seminar on an S/NC basis each quarter after they have completed their course work until they advance to candidacy.

Normally students take 9 courses during their first year and 5 during their second year. Philosophy 276, the 3rd and 4th year research seminar, should be taken for 4 graded units in the spring of the third year.  This counts as the student’s 15 th course.

Logic Requirement

The logic requirement for the Ph.D. is the completion of PHIL 125 (Intermediate Logic) with a grade of “B” or better. PHIL 124 (Formal Logic) is the pre-requisite for PHIL 125. PHIL 124 is waived for a student who shows sufficient knowledge of logic upon entering the graduate program, as indicated by an optional diagnostic examination administered at the start of each academic year.

Students who are unsure about the adequacy of their background are encouraged to take the test for diagnostic purposes. Depending on how a student does on the diagnostic exam, a student may be permitted to audit part or all of PHIL 124 in order to get the needed background for PHIL 125.

Upon entering the program, a student is assigned a faculty mentor who consults with the student each quarter to discuss the student’s individual course of study, progress in the program, and recent performance. Students also consult the Faculty Graduate Advisor regularly to discuss their course of study and progress in the program.

Colloquia and Professional Development Workshop Requirement

Students must register for the PHIL 270 (Philosophy Colloquia) during each quarter of their first and second years. Students must register for PHIL 400 (Research and Professional Development Workshop) during each quarter of their second and third years.

Students who enter the program with only a B.A. must complete a Master’s paper. A student selects a paper to submit to the graduate advisor as their M.A. paper by the end of the spring quarter of their second year. M.A. papers can be seminar papers, revised seminar papers, or any other paper that the student has written (of 25 pages or less). (Standard practice is to take a good seminar paper, in consultation with the instructor, and to rewrite it in response to one round of comments. Further information on what constitutes an acceptable paper is available from the Faculty Graduate Advisor.)

Upon the submission of this paper, the graduate advisor selects three faculty members to serve as the M.A. committee, which conducts an oral examination on the paper. Normally the oral examination will be completed before the end of the student’s second year, but it may be postponed until the fall quarter of the student’s third year.

Master’s Degree

Though we do not admit students only for the Master’s Degree, the students who enter the program with only a B.A. may earn an M.A., and occasionally a student leaves the program after completing the M.A. requirements. The M.A, requirements are 12 courses, with a grade of “B” or better, including the three proseminars for first-year graduate students. Of these 12 courses, 8 courses must be seminars and workshops in the 272-283 series, and up to 4 courses may be drawn from PHIL 125, courses in the PHIL 220-266 series, or PHIL 290-292. The logic requirement for the M.A, the degree is the completion of PHIL 124 with a grade of “B” or better, though this requirement may be waived for students who show sufficient knowledge of logic upon entering the graduate program, as indicated by an optional logic diagnostic examination.

Proposition Requirement

All Ph.D. students must complete an acceptable proposition normally during their third year in the program. A proposition is a paper, no more than forty pages in length, devoted to a significant problem in philosophy. It should show the ability to mount a sustained thesis and to work with the relevant primary or secondary literature. The proposition project may lead to a dissertation, but it is not required to.

Language Requirement

Students must show the competence necessary to work in one of four foreign languages: French, German, Latin, or Greek. Another language may be substituted upon approval of the faculty if it agrees better with the student’s area of their research.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Students must write a dissertation prospectus and pass a qualifying oral examination before advancing to candidacy. This examination, which is supervised by a faculty committee as stipulated in the regulations of the Graduate Division, concentrates on the students’ preparation for writing a dissertation as indicated by the dissertation prospectus. It must be taken after the student has passed the M.A., language, and proposition requirements and normally occurs within two-quarters of the completion of these requirements.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination

A dissertation to be presented as prescribed by the Graduate Council is prepared under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee. After completion of the dissertation, the candidate is examined in its defense by the dissertation committee.

Normative Time to Degree

18 quarters

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John Abughattas PhD candidate

Mustafa Aziz PhD candidate Research Interests: Greek Philosophy, German Idealism, Phenomenology

Bethany Cates PhD candidate Research Interests:  Legal and Political Philosophy, Ethics, Meta-Ethics  

Justin Cavitt PhD candidate Research Interests: Set Theory, Mathematical Logic, Philosophy of Mathematics, Philosophy of Science

Luke Ciancarelli PhD candidate Research Interests:   Moral psychology, history of philosophy, ethics as first philosophy  

Britta Clark PhD candidate Research Interests: Moral And Political Philosophy (especially intergenerational justice and the ethics of climate change)

Megan Entwistle PhD candidate

Rachael Goodyer PhD candidate Research Interests: Ethics, Political Philosophy, 19th and 20th Century European Philosophy

Veronika Hammond PhD candidate Research Interests:  Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Science, Epistemology

Shelby Hanna PhD candidate Research Interests:  Metaethics, Philosophy of Language

Denish Jaswal PhD candidate Research Interests: Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, Feminist Philosophy, Emotions

Lucy Johnson PhD candidate  

Yunhyae Kim PhD candidate Research Interests: Social and Political Philosophy, Moral Philosophy

Matt Macdonald PhD candidate

Ian Martel PhD candidate Research Interests:   Metaphilosophy, History of Philosophy

Michael Mitchell JD/PhD candidate Research Interests: Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy

Malcolm Morano PhD candidate Research Interests: Metaethics and Moral Psychology; analytic flavors of Marxism and Existentialism.

LaKeyma Pennyamon PhD candidate (AAAS) / MA candidate (Philosophy)  

Eden Sayed PhD candidate Research Interests: Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics

Ezra Schwartz PhD candidate  

Isaijah Shadrach PhD candidate  

Ryan Sirk PhD candidate

Asa Zabarsky PhD candidate Research Interests: Philosophy of mind, Philosophy of action, Moral psychology, Ethics

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Moral Philosophy

Related faculty.

Colin Marshall

Shawn Tinghao Wang

Latest news.

• Newsletter Fall 2011 Moral Imagination (March 27, 2014)
• Newsletter Fall 2010 MA and PhD's (March 27, 2014)
• Undergraduate Paper Accepted at Two Conferences (August 7, 2012)

Related Research

• Marshall, Colin and Mehl, Kayla. 2024. “Schopenhauer's Five-Dimensional Normative Ethics.” In The Schopenhauerian Mind , David Bather Woods and Timothy Stoll (eds.). New York: Routledge Press, 213-27.
• Emmerman, Karen S. "Moral Arguments Against Zoos." In Routledge Handbook of Animal Ethics , edited by Robert Fischer, 381-93. New York: Routledge, 2019.
• Emmerman, Karen S. "What's Love Got to do With It? An Ecofeminist Approach to Inter-Animal and Intra-Cultural Conflicts of Interest."  Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 22, no. 1 (2019): 77-91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-019-09978-6.
• Rosenthal, Michael. “Spinoza on Beings of Reason [ Entia Rationis ] and the Analogical Imagination.” In Spinoza in 21st-Century American and French Philosophy: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Moral and Political Philosophy , edited by Charles Ramond and Jack Stetter, 231-250. London: Bloomsbury Press, 2019.
• Marshall, Colin, ed. Comparative Metaethics: Neglected Perspectives on the Foundations of Morality. Routledge, (2019)
• Hereth, Blake. "Animal Rights Terrorism and Pacifism."  Blog of the APA  (February 22, 2018).
• Fourie, Carina. "Wrongful Private Discrimination and the Egalitarian Ethos." In The Routledge Handbook of the Ethics of Discrimination , edited by Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen. Routledge, 2018.
• Mendoza, José Jorge.  The Moral and Political Philosophy of Immigration: Liberty, Security, and Equality . Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017.
• Marshall, Colin. "Schopenhauer and Non-Cognitivist Moral Realism."  Journal of the History of Philosophy 55 (2017): 293-316.
• Marshall, Colin. " Moral Realism in Spinoza's  Ethics ," in Spinoza's 'Ethics': A Critical Guide , edited by Yitzhak Melamed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
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Political and Moral Philosophy

Students in this concentration analyze policy and policy making through a lens of political and moral philosophy. The emphasis is on the foundational philosophies upon which public and private policy-making institutions are based.  Students pursuing this concentration consider Ancient Greek, Enlightenment, and Modern political ideas and take into account questions of morality in policy making.  These basic issues can then be applied to issues within fields such as medicine, law, business, education, politics, the non-profit sector, and the environment.

Note that the courses below are not an exhaustive list; students may select other courses for their concentration with the approval of their faculty advisor. 

Affiliated Faculty

Hakeem Jefferson

Elective Courses

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Graduate program.

The vibrancy of the Department’s philosophical culture, its strength in a broad range of areas of philosophy, and the outstanding reputation of our faculty combine to attract some of the nation’s most talented graduate students. Our philosophy doctoral program has an excellent placement record . Since 1996, over 70% of graduates have continued on to tenure-track academic positions.  

Department Strengths

Our faculty have a wide range of expertise covering ethics, the philosophy of science, logic, metaphysics and more, but Duke’s Department of Philosophy is especially strong in three key areas:

Value theory and moral psychology

Combining a long-standing record of excellence in ethics with innovative, interdisciplinary work in moral psychology and a growing number of faculty with leading contributions to decision theory , Duke is a rich place for graduate students to study normative and evaluative questions of good and goodness.

Graduate students have the chance to work with faculty researching applied questions in business ethics and clinical medical research, as well as others examining the role of emotions in virtuous action, morality in atheism, moral relativity and the relationship between morality and psychology.

By bringing Benjamin Eva to the department in 2020 and Reuben Stern in 2022, we extended those strengths with two philosophers interested in how to make good decisions through a study of counterfactuals, conditional beliefs and related issues.

Inclusive philosophy and social ontology

Duke is a department with a strong commitment to inclusivity. Recent hires include Ásta (in 2022) and Kevin Richardson (in 2021), two leaders in the growing field of social ontology investigating the meaning and nature of social categories including race, gender and sexual orientation.

The department is also highly ranked in Asian and comparative philosophy , thanks to the work of several faculty who have published extensively on classical Chinese philosophy and cross-cultural philosophy as part of their work in ethics. Wenjin Liu , hired in 2022, further strengthens this area, combining research on ancient Greek ethics with ancient Chinese philosophy.

Duke faculty have devoted themselves to recovering neglected figures in philosophy , such as Emilie Du Châtelet. Project Vox , co-led by Andrew Janiak , highlights the work of marginalized individuals.

Philosophy of science and causation

Because Duke is known for its interdisciplinary work, it’s no surprise that our department works closely with other fields. Our strength in philosophy of science is the result.

Our faculty combine philosophical research with science labs to dive deep into the philosophy of neuroscience and cognitive science . This work probes memory, artificial intelligence, the neurology of counterfactuals and more.

Working with colleagues in Duke’s highly regarded Department of Economics , our faculty are also deeply engaged with the philosophy of economics . Research topics include questions of causality and reductionism in the discipline, how to understand supply and demand curves, along with modeling problems in economics more generally. The Center for the History of Political Economy provides a home for further study of economics and economic thinkers.

Many of our faculty work on questions of causation more broadly, including free will, how to model causation, understanding causes from messy empirical data, causation in physics and in the history of philosophy, and more.

History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine 

(Affectionately known as  HiP-STeM ) uses the tools and methods of the humanities (especially history and philosophy) to study the sciences understood as human endeavors. This includes historical evolution and context; conceptual foundations and puzzles; theories, methods, and claims to knowledge; institutions, material practices, and social structures, past and present.

Duke HPSTM incorporates science, technology, engineering, medicine, and mathematics. We promote universal ownership of the sciences as shared cultural inheritance through encouragement and support of HPSTM in research and in teaching across the academy.

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Department of Philosophy

Characteristic of philosophy are commitments to the construction and evaluation of arguments, to expressing thoughts clearly and precisely, and to defending one’s ideas and evaluating the ideas of others. The study of philosophy thus provides resources for critical participation in all realms of human endeavor.

The PhD in Philosophy

Rice offers a consistently highly-ranked PhD program in Philosophy. The faculty and staff take proactive roles in supporting our graduate students in their pursuit of academic positions and other opportunities. We conduct regular workshops and additional activities to help graduate students at all stages of the PhD program to develop their professional skills. We also work closely with graduating students to ensure they are in the best position possible when they enter the job market. A smaller but highly-ranked PhD program allows for consistent individual attention to the needs of our graduate students that is often impossible in larger programs. The Department of Philosophy strongly encourages applications from women and members of other groups underrepresented in philosophy.

Please note: we do not offer a terminal MA program in Philosophy.

Rice’s PhD in Philosophy is focused on two broad areas that reflect the internationally recognized research strengths of our faculty and that also include the history of these areas:

1. Moral Philosophy & Social and Political Philosophy

• Neuroethics and Ethics of Technology ( Robert Howell )
• Ethics, Applied Ethics, Political Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, Philosophy of Sex and Love, LGBTQ Philosophy ( Elizabeth Brake )
• Medical Ethics, Moral Psychology, Bioethics, Normative Ethics ( Samuel Reis-Dennis )
• Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Moral Psychology ( George Sher )
• Moral Psychology, Action Theory ( Timothy Schroeder )
• History of Political Philosophy, 19th and 20th century German Philosophy ( Thimo Heisenberg )

2. Philosophy of Mind & Phenomenology

• Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Psychology, Philosophy of Neuroscience ( Timothy Schroeder )
• Philosophy of Mind, Phenomenology, Ancient Philosophy ( Charles Siewert )
• Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Consciousness, Subjectivity, and Epistemology ( Robert Howell ) 
• 19th and 20th century German Philosophy ( Thimo Heisenberg )

General Degree Requirements for the PhD in Philosophy

• Complete 36 hours of course work. Students with an MA in Philosophy must complete 33 hours of course work.
• Demonstrate competence in logic.
• Pass a qualifying examination.
• Perform satisfactorily on an oral defense of a thesis proposal.
• Complete a written thesis on a subject approved by the department.
• Perform satisfactorily on a final oral defense of the written thesis.

Official Graduate Handbook

Please click below to read the most recent official student handbook:

• 2023-2024 Graduate Student Handbook

Additional Research Funding and Travel Fellowships

Rice’s Fondren Library maintains a database of internal and external fellowships. The database can be accessed  here .

Graduate students can apply for additional funding to the School of Humanities   Dean’s Conference, Research, and Professional Advancement Fund . The fund allows each eligible graduate student to apply for up to $1,500 per academic year in support of their research, conference travel, or professional development.

The Lodieska Stockbridge Vaughn Fellowship provides funding for graduate students whose record at Rice show evidence of outstanding achievement and promise. Each spring, department chairs are invited to nominate continuing graduate students for this endowed fellowship. The final recipients are chosen by the Graduate Council. The amount of the fellowship and the number of recipients vary from year to year, but individual fellowships can be in the range of $16,000.

The Humanities Research Center offers the competitive Marilyn Marks Gillet International Travel Fellowship for graduate students in the School of Humanities who need to conduct research abroad over the summer. Travel awards range between $2,500 and $5,000. The funds may be used for, but are not limited to, travel to present papers at conferences, consult archives, interview scholars and authors, take courses, and to participate in workshops.

Graduate students can also apply to Rice’s Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, which offers the   Wagoner Foreign Study Scholarship Program . Awards range between $2,000 and $15,000.

Graduate Program Contacts

Department of Philosophy Rice University MS 14 P.O. Box 1892 Houston, Texas 77251-1892 Phone: 713 348-4994 Fax: 713 348-5847 Email: [email protected]

Department Chair Robert Howell [email protected]

Department Administrator Nicole Switzer [email protected]  

Director of Graduate Studies Samuel Reis-Dennis [email protected]

Graduate Program Administrator Lydia Westbrook Phone: 713-348-2092 [email protected]

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is designed to equip you for teaching and research in colleges, theological seminaries, and universities, and for advanced church leadership.

Home / Programs / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

What Is a Doctor of Philosophy?

A doctor of philosophy, also known as a PhD, is a doctoral degree in a specific area of study. At Calvin Theological Seminary, this terminal degree is available in the area of theology.

What Is a Theology PhD Program?

Calvin Theological Seminary’s PhD focuses on Christian theology. The graduate program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is designed to afford students advanced training in independent inquiry, academic research, critical analysis, and scholarly writing as they define their own theological positions in dialogue with other points of view. It is aimed at equipping scholars from all parts of the world for teaching and research in colleges, theological seminaries, and universities and for general ecclesiastical leadership.

Theology Doctorate Career Opportunities

A PhD can prepare you for many roles, including:

• Professor: Share your knowledge through undergraduate- or graduate-level teaching. 
• Pastor-Scholar: Help lead a congregation and a denomination as a pastor who engages with and produces scholarship that feeds the church.
• Author: Curate your learning and research through written works.
• Center or institute staff: Serve as a leader for a faith-based center, institute, think tank, or other organization that values theology.

Our PhD in Theology Program

Seminary phd concentrations.

PhD concentrations are offered in the History of Christianity, Moral Theology (Ethics), New Testament, Philosophical Theology, and Systematic Theology.

• History of Christianity: If you love studying history and the life of the global church, this concentration offers you a deeper study of the development of Christian communities and Christian thought over time.
• Moral Theology (Ethics): For students who have a passion for ethical living, personally and communally, this concentration offers a philosophical and practical look at moral theology.
• New Testament: Does the life of Jesus, and the acts of the early church, excite you? Do you pore over Scripture with an eagerness to understand more deeply? This concentration offers an up-close look at the New Testament of God’s living Word.
• Philosophical Theology: If you are drawn to the work of thought-provoking authors throughout time, energized by philosophical conversations with your peers, and curious about the implications of philosophy for the church and the world, this concentration is your key to open doors of the mind.
• Systematic Theology: What is theology? Why does it matter? How can we respond to basic questions about the Christian faith? What is the story being told in the whole of Scripture? Explore these questions and more through the systematic theology concentration. 

Theology PhD Coursework

Students are required to complete a total of twelve PhD courses for credit in biblical or theological content areas. Full-time students take six courses per year (typically three per semester) for two years. Part-time students take either four courses per year for three years or three courses per year for four years. At least three courses must be taken in the student’s discipline of specialization and at least two courses in each of the other three areas.

In addition to the twelve required PhD courses in biblical and theological content areas, students in the program must take seminar 9103RP, “Teaching & Student Formation,” during the first two years in the program and are expected to take seminar 9102RP, “Dissertation Seminar,” if they have completed the required PhD courses and are working on their dissertation. Students ordinarily will take the dissertation seminar during more than one semester. These seminars are offered on a credit/no credit basis and do not count toward the twelve required courses in the program. Students living outside of the Grand Rapids area can join by video call.

Learning in the Reformed Tradition

Calvin Seminary is committed to the confessional and theological standards of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), but students from all Christian traditions are welcome to apply. The academic freedom to probe the foundations of Reformed theology and to explore the validity of other approaches is a fundamental assumption of the PhD program.

Get Your Theology Doctorate in Michigan

The residential PhD program allows you to learn in our newly remodeled smart classrooms alongside your peers and mentors. Experience true community, below-market housing (optional), and a vibrant city at your fingertips.

Academic & Vocational Support

As an option, PhD students may use the services of the Vocational Formation Office, including formation groups with peers and personal assessment tools such as the Birkman.

Finishing Your PhD

How long does a phd take.

The PhD program at Calvin typically takes between 4–5 years to complete.

Program Details and Requirements

In addition to this summary of the PhD program, further details and requirements can be found in the PhD Handbook.

Program Outcomes

PhD graduates will leave the program with the following skills and competencies:

• Academic research skills
• Critical analytical skills
• Scholarly writing skills
• Ability to teach across the entire field of biblical and theological studies, with mastery of one biblical or theological discipline
• Ability to provide thoughtful, fair, and respectful analyses and interpretations of positions with which they agree and of positions with which they disagree
• Ability to articulate their own biblical and theological positions and engage in informed, respectful dialogue with other points of view
• Understanding of and appreciation for Christian thought from around the world and from diverse points of view
• Ability to strengthen the church’s biblical and theological understanding and its ministry, including the ministry of proclaiming the gospel and discipling believers for Christ-like service in everyday life

What Makes the PhD Program at Calvin Different from Other Seminary PhDs?

• International learning community: Calvin Seminary offers an international community of Christian scholars eager to learn from one another. Calvin is a truly global community, with students coming from over 20 countries around the world. Over 30% of students come from outside the United States and Canada.
• Reformed : Calvin Seminary is a learning community in the Reformed Christian tradition that forms church leaders who cultivate communities of disciples of Jesus Christ. Here you will receive a thorough grounding in confessional Reformed thought. 
• Diverse scholarly literature: The program helps develop an awareness and appreciation of scholarly literature representing diverse points of view in the worldwide church today and of ways in which cultural and religious contexts challenge and enrich theological education.
• Know your Christian history: Students will learn about key figures and issues in the history of Christian thought and throughout church history. 
• Solid methodology: The Calvin Seminary PhD program teaches and practices a solid methodology of theological research. You will be introduced to proper research methods and their application as well as to important theological issues and developments.
• Broad range of biblical and theological topics: Calvin Seminary enables teaching competency across a variety of biblical and theological topics through a broad range of coursework and comprehensive examinations. In addition, each PhD concentration provides depth and breadth of learning in a specific area.
• Insightful pedagogy: The PhD program offers instruction in pedagogy that provides insights, skills, and practice in teaching. Courses are innovative and engaging, built on the learning and expertise of world-class professors. 
• Supportive community: At Calvin Seminary, you will find a supportive community from the first course to the last chapter of the dissertation. Faculty, staff, and fellow students are here to support you throughout your seminary journey.
• Significant financial support: Calvin Seminary PhD students will find substantial financial support and options for reasonable living expenses. You are guaranteed to receive tuition support between 25% and 100%.

Library and study space resources: Calvin Seminary offers high-quality literary resources and study space. Here you will discover Hekman Library—the largest private library in Michigan, and home to an entire floor of resources devoted to theology, biblical scholarship, and ministry practices.

How to Apply

Begin the journey to your potential PhD by applying now and submitting supplemental materials. Our application process will walk through the items you need to submit, and our Enrollment Management team is available for help and questions along the way.

Calvin Seminary offers a wide range of scholarships and other financial assistance. In fact, in recent years, nearly $1.5 million in scholarship funds were awarded annually.

Application Requirements

The PhD committee, in partnership with the admissions office, will make all admissions decisions. 

A Master of Divinity , Master of Theological Studies , Master of Theology , or an equivalent degree, with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 (B+), from an accredited institution. All applicants must show transcript evidence that they know Hebrew, Greek, and a modern foreign language (preferably German, French, or Dutch). Applicants must also submit scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a research paper that demonstrates their ability to do theological research and analysis at an advanced level. 

Additionally, an Autobiography (250-500 word autobiography, focusing on personal history, academic/professional background, and church/ministry involvement) and a Statement of Purpose (500 words describing your academic interests and vocational goals in pursuing a PhD at Calvin Seminary) are required.

For more information on the PhD admissions process, please see the PhD Handbook .

Applicants who are non-native in English must submit official TOEFL exam results as a part of their application for admission. A minimum internet-based total score of 90 with a score of 23 in the writing section is required. Use Calvin Theological Seminary’s institutional code 1096 to order scores.

For information on international student application requirements, visit the international student information page .

Admission Deadlines

The deadline for PhD application materials to be submitted is January 15. 

The PhD program has one start date: the Fall Semester. Admitted students will typically be required to be on-campus for an orientation in mid-August.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), like a ThD (Doctor of Theology), is a terminal degree. PhD and ThD degrees from seminaries and theological schools generally have equivalent standing. Some institutions choose to use the degree title of ThD as a way to designate a focus on Christian theological study or include Christian formation. However, many PhD programs, like Calvin’s, also focus on Christian theological study and include Christian formation.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is designed to equip students for teaching and research in colleges, theological seminaries, and universities, and for advanced church leadership. Calvin Seminary’s DMin program allows ministry professionals to develop advanced ministry leadership skills and spiritual formation.

The PhD can enhance pastoral and other ministry roles, but it is not required for ordination .

Start your PhD journey today when you apply now.

Get to Know Calvin Theological Seminary

Meet Your Faculty

Faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary carry out the seminary’s mission as inspiring thought leaders, invested teachers and mentors, and committed followers of Christ.

Student Stories

Past graduates have applied their learning to a variety of ministry-based opportunities. Here are some of their stories.

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In addition to contextual learning, the Vocational Formation Office offers students other forms of support, including formation groups with peers, vocational mentors, and assessment tools to help students identify and cultivate their strengths.

Department of Theology

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• Moral Theology & Christian Ethics

Moral Theology & Christian Ethics

Moral theology/Christian ethics is that branch of theological inquiry that studies in a systematic way the practical implications of God's revelatory intervention in Jesus Christ. It is concerned with the kind of people we ought to be and the kinds of actions we ought to perform or avoid. In pursuing its task, moral theology must draw upon every available source of understanding: scripture, tradition, relevant human sciences (such as psychology, sociology, economics), and human reason.

“What difference can faith make for morality when people today recognize that people of various or no faith can live a virtuous, honorable, moral life?” — William Mattison, Associate Professor of Theology

Therefore, any adequate study of moral theology, in elaborating "the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world" (Vatican II, Decree on Priestly Formation, 16), must be not only "thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching," but also broadly interdisciplinary. Furthermore, it will take ecumenism seriously because it is clear that what the Spirit works in the hearts of others "can contribute to our own edification" (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, 4).

At Notre Dame, the doctoral program in moral theology responds to these broad mandates in several ways. It studies a number of subdisciplines, including social, medical, and foundational ethics. The program encourages interaction with philosophical ethics. While the program concentrates on the Roman Catholic tradition, it engages and is open to a variety of traditions. It demands course work outside of the field of moral theology (e.g., systematic theology, scripture).

David Clairmont

Associate Professor

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics |Ethics and Spirituality, Theology and Business Ethics, Comparative Religious Ethics |Clairmont studies comparative religious ethics, particularly the moral thought of Roman Catholicism and Theravada Buddhism, issues of method in Catholic moral theology, and the connection between ethics and spirituality. He is interested in questions of moral formation, inter-cultural dialogue in the Church, and the history of Christian spirituality (especially the Benedictine and Franciscan traditions). He is co-editor (with Don S. Browning) of American Religions and the Family: How Faith Traditions Cope with Modernization (Columbia University Press, 2007) and author of Moral Struggle and Religious Ethics: On the Person as Classic in Comparative Theological Contexts (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). His articles have appeared in the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the Journal of Religious Ethics, and the Journal of Moral Theology. His current projects include an introduction to comparative religious ethics (with William Schweiker) tentatively titled Religious Ethics: Meaning and Method, the co-edited Encyclopedia of Religious Ethics (with William Schweiker, Maria Antonaccio, and Elizabeth Bucar), a book on the religious ethics of Thomas Merton, and a book on theology and business ethics tentatively titled Love and Accounting.

David Cloutier

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics |Catholic Social Thought, Economic Ethics, Fundamental Moral Theology |David Cloutier (B.A., Carleton; Ph.D. Duke) is Professor of Moral Theology with a concurrent appointment in the Business, Ethics, and Society program of the Mendoza College of Business. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning The Vice of Luxury: Economic Excess in a Consumer Age (Georgetown UP) and Walking God’s Earth: The Environment and Catholic Theology (Liturgical Press). He has written for Commonweal, America, and writes a quarterly column on Catholic social ethics and everyday life for US Catholic. His current writing project aims at articulating more fully a Catholic social imaginary for contemporary society, beyond partisan divisions. He is married to Melissa Moschella, a philosopher in the McGrath Institute. He runs, sings in church choirs, follows baseball, and served for 8 years as Board President of the Common Market, a large consumer food co-operative in Frederick, MD.

Mary Hirschfeld

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics |Economics and theology |Mary Hirschfeld works on the boundaries between theology and economics using an approach rooted in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. She has written on economic inequality, the technocratic paradigm, the financial crisis and the common good.

David Lantigua

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics, World Religions and World Church |Modern Catholic social tradition; Spanish scholastic moral, legal, and political thought; human rights and social movements; Latin American theology and Indigenous cultures; (neo)colonialism and history of international law; comparative religious ethics |Born of Latino immigrants, Prof. Lantigua graduated with a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He taught previously at The Catholic University of America, and has been a graduate fellow of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study and past recipient of the Louisville Institute Sabbatical Research Grant. He previously served as Co-Director of the Catholic Social Tradition minor in the Center for Social Concerns. He is currently the William W. and Anna Jean Cushwa Co-Director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism.Prof. Lantigua teaches undergraduate courses on God and Slavery in the Americas and Catholic Social Teaching. He has served on exam and dissertation committees for graduate students in the areas of Moral Theology, History of Christianity, World Religions and World Church, and the Departments of Political Science and History. Prof. Lantigua is currently writing a monograph on the Latin American theological and cultural dimensions of Pope Francis’s social teachings and its implications for global Catholicism in the twenty-first century.Aside from spending time in the Florida sunshine with family, he enjoys playing fútbol with his children and cheering for the US and Paraguayan (and Argentine) national teams.

William C. Mattison III

Wilsey Professor of Theology

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics |Fundamental Moral Theology, Virtue, St. Thomas Aquinas, Scripture and Ethics |Prof. Mattison completed his doctoral studies at the University of Notre Dame. During these years he studied Thomistic moral theology under Dr. Jean Porter, and spent a year on a Fulbright Fellowship in Fribourg, Switzerland doing dissertation research under the guidance of Fr. Servais Pinckaers, O.P. He then spent two years as a Visiting Assistant professor at Notre Dame, and another two at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD before joining the faculty at the Catholic University of America’s School of Theology & Religious Studies.Prof. Mattison spent ten years at The Catholic University of America. After tenure he served as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, and one year as Interim Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies. He also began to write and speak on Catholic higher education. He returned to Notre Dame in 2016 with a joint appointment as Wilsey Family Associate Professor in the Department of Theology as well as Senior Advisor for Theological Formation in the Alliance for Catholic Education, where he helped prepare Catholic school teachers.Prof. Mattison is now the Wilsey Professor of Theology, and he continues to write and to teach students at the doctoral, Masters (including seminarians), and undergraduate levels. He was also named in 2023 the Faculty Director of the Moreau First Year Experience, leading the reconception and implementation of the Moreau seminars, part of the Core Curriculum for all Notre Dame undergraduates.  Besides having served in leadership roles in the Ethics and Catholic Theology Group and Moral Theology Groups at the Society of Christian Ethics and Catholic Theological Society of America, respectively, Prof. Mattison co-founded and served as Executive Director of the annual New Wine, New Wineskins symposium for pre-tenure Catholic moral theologians.

Gerald McKenny

Walter Professor of Theology

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics | Natural and Revealed law, the Decalogue and Christian ethics | McKenny teaches and writes on Christian ethics and the ethics of biotechnology. He is the author of To Relieve the Human Condition (SUNY Press, 1997), The Analogy of Grace: Karl Barth’s Moral Theology (Oxford University Press, 2010), and Biotechnology, Human Nature and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2018) along with about fifty articles and book chapters in Christian ethics, biomedical ethics, the ethics of biotechnology, religious ethics, and the philosophy of medicine. He is co-editor of four books, including The Ethical (Blackwell, 2003), Altering Nature (two volumes) (Springer, 2008), and Darwin in the Twenty-first Century (Notre Dame, 2015). He is currently finishing a second book on Karl Barth's ethics and has begun work on a one-volume Christian ethics based on the Gospel story of the rich young ruler.

Paulinus I. Odozor, C.S.Sp.

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics, World Religions and World Church | Working on projects relating to sex and sexuality in an ecumenical age; working on projects about virtues in Africa, etc | Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor, C.S.Sp., is a priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He received his initial formation in Nigeria and did his graduate studies at St Michaels College, Toronto, Regis College, Toronto, and the University of Toronto. Odozor's scholarly interests are in Foundational issues in Christian ethics; history of Catholic moral theology; contextual theological issues, including questions pertaining to inculturation; theology and society; African Christian theology; and the theology of marriage. Fr, Odozor is also an Africanist with interest in African history, African literature, African politics and questions relating to change and contemporary African societies. In addition to being the author of many articles in peer-reviewed publications in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, Fr Odozor has also authored or edited nine books. Fr. Odozor held numerous academic, administrative, and pastoral positions in Nigeria and Canada. He was president of the Governing Council of Spiritan International School of Theology in Enugu, Nigeria(2005-2017) and was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as expert assistant to the 2009 Synod of Bishops for Africa.

Margaret Pfeil

Teaching Professor

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics | Catholic Social Teaching, Racial Justice, Nonviolence, Ecological Ethics, Ecumenism | Dr. Margaret R. Pfeil holds a joint appointment in the Department of Theology and the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame and is a Faculty Fellow of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights. She is a founder and resident of the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker Community in South Bend, Indiana.

Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C.

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics |Moral Theology and Pastoral Practice; Applied Christian Ethics |Father Poorman returned to the Theology Department as Associate Professor of Theology after serving full-time in senior-level administrative positions in Holy Cross institutions, including Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, as well as Executive Vice President and President at the University of Portland. During his administrative service he continued teaching undergraduate moral theology courses in character formation, virtue ethics, and applied Christian ethics in the areas of sexuality, Catholic health care, and justice issues. He has also served as Director of the Master of Divinity program for the Department. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, he has been a member of numerous governing boards in Catholic higher education and health care institutions. As part of his pastoral service in the Congregation of Holy Cross, he resided in undergraduate residence halls and continues to minister in the residential mission of Holy Cross at Notre Dame. His academic interests lie in the intersection of moral theology and pastoral practice, with past publications in that theoretical area, as well as the mission of Catholic higher education, models for theological reflection in ministry education, and ethical issues in end-of-life care and decision-making.

Jean Porter

John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics | Aquinas' virtue theory, theories of life | Jean Porter is the author of numerous articles and six books on the history of the Christian moral tradition and its contemporary relevance. She has a particular interest in the moral theology of Aquinas and his scholastic predecessors and contemporaries.

John Cardinal O'Hara, C.S.C. Associate Professor of Theology

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics | Health, development and human rights in Christian bioethics |Maura Ryan is the John Cardinal O’Hara, C.S.C. Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at the University of Notre Dame. Ryan's primary interests are in the areas of bioethics and health policy, women’s health and development, and Catholic Social Teaching. She is the editor of two volumes in social and medical ethics and her book Ethics and Economics of Assisted Reproduction: The Cost of Longing was published by Georgetown University Press in 2001. Her articles have appeared in the Hastings Center Report, Theological Studies, The Journal of Philosophy and Medicine, Signs, The Journal of Catholic Social Thought and Environmental Health Perspectives. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Society of Christian Ethics, the editorial boards of Religious Studies Review and Ethics and Behavior, the St. Joseph County Healthcare Advisory Consortium and the ethics committee for Hospice of St. Joseph County. Ryan served as Associate Provost at Notre Dame 2001-2004; Associate Dean for the Humanities and Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts and Letters 2008-2015; and currently serves as Vice President and Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.  

Paul Scherz

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics |Bioethics, Technology Ethics, AI |Paul Scherz is the Our Lady of Guadalupe Professor of Theology. His work examines the intersection of theology, science, medicine, and technology. His interests in ethics center on the role of virtue ethics, especially Stoic virtue ethics, in moral theology. He has published articles on many topics in bioethics, such as human enhancement, genetic technology, and end of life ethics. His books analyze issues like the moral formation of scientists, the role of risk in contemporary practical reason, the ethics of precision medicine, and the ethics of artificial intelligence. He began his career in science with a BA in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley (2001), a PhD in genetics from Harvard (2005), and a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF. He then received an MTS and a PhD in moral theology from the University of Notre Dame (2010, 2014). His previous teaching positions were at the Catholic University of America and the University of Virginia. He is currently working on projects on the ethics of artificial intelligence and the historical influence of Stoicism on moral theology.

Todd Whitmore

Moral Theology/Christian Ethics, World Religions and World Church | Theology and Ethnography; Social theory; the Opioid Crisis | Professor Whitmore uses ethnographic methods to raise theological questions. From 2005-2013, this took him to war and post-conflict zones in northern Uganda and South Sudan, leading to his book, Imitating Christ in Magwi: An Anthropological Theology (Bloomsbury/T&T Clark, December 2018). Anthropological theology turns traditional “theological anthropology” on its head, with the conviction that any account of “the person” must be richly informed by accounts of how persons in fact live. His work has led to him being appointed as Concurrent Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department. Currently Professor Whitmore’s work is local, where he serves as a Certified Addiction Peer Recovery Coach for persons with methamphetamine and opioid addictions in northern Indiana. His research asks how Christianity, race, and class work in the construction of public ideas of who counts as an addict. In doing “grounded” theology, Professor Whitmore believes that theologians should serve the marginalized by more than writing books. In Uganda in 2008, he co-founded, based on Catholic social teaching, a non-profit that combined agricultural training and peacebuilding. In 2018 he wrote a successful grant to train addiction recovery coaches to work in the local hospital emergency room to help those recovering from overdoses to maintain ongoing sobriety.

Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy and Theological Studies

Program snapshot.

Intensive study in the intersection of philosophy and systematic theology.

The Ph.D. in Philosophy and Theological Studies prepares students to teach philosophy, apologetics, and systematic theology in a broad range of graduate and undergraduate contexts.

Modular format – relocation to Louisville not required.

Students will complete this program with trips to campus twice each year for doctoral seminars. Each seminar session will last two weeks. Travel to campus only required during the Ph.D. coursework stage.

Advance your education. Grow in your love for God.

Total Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy and Theological Studies: 70

Fall/Winter 1

Spring/Summer 1

Fall/Winter 2

Spring/Summer 2

Student can be supervised by the following faculty:

Systematic Theology Faculty

Gregg R. Allison

Research Interests

Michael A. G. Haykin

Bruce A. Ware

Stephen J. Wellum

Philosophy Faculty

Bradley G. Green

Timothy Paul Jones

John D. Wilsey

Frequently asked questions.

No. The Ph.D. in Philosophy and Theological Studies is available in a modular format, requiring two trips each academic year to Louisville for doctoral seminars. Students should plan for each campus session to last two weeks.

Winter seminars are typically held during the last week of November and the first week of December . Summer seminars are typically held during the second & third week of May each year.

Refer to the academic calendar for current year seminar dates.

If you do not have an M.Div. but you do have a M.A. or other masters-level divinity credit, you may submit a  doctoral equivalency evaluation  to the admissions office to find out if you qualify for SBTS PhD programs.*

• A minimum master’s level cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

For a complete listing of doctoral admissions requirements, see the “Admissions & Cost” tab.

*International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES approved organization for both admissions consideration and for equivalency requests.

During the application process you will indicate your preferred supervisor and be asked to describe your research interest but both can be subject to change until you are accepted and enrolled in the program.

During your faculty interview and during on-boarding to the program (if accepted) you will have the opportunity to discuss and receive advising on both your supervisor and your research topic.

Your final research area(s) will be determined in close consultation with and approval by your supervisor, this generally occurs during the coursework stage of your program.

Admissions for the Ph.D. program consists of:

Initial Application Submission

• All required materials must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the appropriate deadline (see “Admissions” tab for more information).

Entrance Exam and Interview

• Students who are believed to have a reasonable possibility of acceptance are invited to participate in entrance exams and faculty interviews.
• Exams and interviews are held remotely via Zoom (travel to campus not required) on the first Friday of each month.
• For more information on Entrance Exams, click here .

The Ph.D. program is structured for 48 months (4 years). Students who take longer than four years will be assessed an additional $2,000 fee for each semester of extension beyond the four-year limit.

During the PhD student stage (coursework stage), students will complete eight seminars, usually five seminars in their major and three seminars that may be completed in any area.

Some concentrations, such as biblical studies, historical and theological studies, and philosophy and theological studies , will require four seminars in each of two separate areas. All students will take the four RDS general education courses, four colloquia, and four installments of Prospectus Development.

In addition, students must demonstrate proficiency in two research languages (for School of Theology concentrations) or research methodology courses (for Billy Graham School concentrations).

Admissions Prerequisites

To be considered for admission in our Ph.D. program we require the following for applications:

• For the PhD concentrations in Christian Apologetics, Christian Philosophy, Christian Ethics, Ethics and Public Theology, and Philosophy and Theological Studies, the 72 hours may consist of an M.A. or equivalent in the field (60 hours minimum in specific disciplines), with the addition of 12 credit hours in biblical languages
• For the PhD concentrations in Christian Worship, Biblical Counseling and Practical Theology, Leadership, Missions, Evangelism, and World Religions, an M.A. or equivalent in the field (60 hours minimum in specific disciplines) may be acceptable.
• Students requiring additional coursework may attend Southern Seminary as a “Doctoral Leveling Student” online or on-campus.
• International transcripts will require an official evaluation from a NACES approved organization (World Evaluation Services is preferred).

*For more information about our equivalency standards, leveling options, or to request an equivalency review based on your master’s level work, please email  [email protected] .

Application Requirements

• All applicants must receive a reference from the local church where they are a member. Family members may not complete this reference. If you are the pastor of your church, please select another church leader (associate pastor, elder, deacon, etc.) to complete the church recommendation.  Recommendation forms are automatically emailed to references via our online application.
• Two additional academic recommendations. We suggest that a professor or a business acquaintance who can speak to academic performance complete the 2 additional recommendations required for doctoral students.
• Transcription from the educational institution or institutions that conferred  any required degrees  should be submitted to the Admissions Office. Contact the registrar or academic records office of your previous institution(s). They may e-mail the transcripts (directly or via 3rd party such as Parchment) to [email protected] or mail copies to our physical address.  Transcripts must come directly from schools either electronically or in sealed/unopened envelopes.
• A graduate level research paper  in the same field to which the applicant is applying  must be submitted along with the application.  You may upload this research paper directly onto the application.
• $40 application fee –  paid after application submission.

Application Deadlines

All application materials must be received by:

September 1 – Spring matriculation

March 1 – Fall matriculation

Entrance Exams and Interviews

Entrance Exams are exams designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of the subject area in which they are applying and sometimes in related fields. Students will be notified soon after submitting all application components as to whether they are invited to participate in the entrance exam and interview.

Exams and interviews are held on one Friday each month  and are administered remotely (travel to campus not required). Click here to learn more.

Ready to learn more?

Prospective doctoral students are invited to visit Southern Seminary.

Program Cost

$1,000 down payment, and remaining balance due equally over 48 months.*

*Program tuition shown is for the 2024-2025 academic year. Additional fees are subject to the current fee schedule.

Financial Aid

Southern Seminary does not offer fully-funded scholarships or grants for the PhD program. Limited financial aid may be available for students that meet certain criteria. Click here to view our financial aid page to learn more.

Contact Admissions

Phone: (502) 897-4200

Text: (502) 305-3554

Email: [email protected]

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DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

• Program Overview

PhD in Ancient Philosophy

This program, established in January 2011, is designed for students enrolled in the Ph. D. program in the Philosophy Department who also wish to work closely with Northwestern’s Classics Department. Upon completion of their requirements, they receive both a Ph.D. from the Philosophy Department and a Certificate from the Classics Cluster (described below). The program provides students with the opportunity to work on their knowledge of ancient languages and to improve their understanding of the Greco-Roman world. One need not be part of the program to write a dissertation on ancient philosophy.

Students who choose to enter the program will be affiliated with the Classics Cluster, which makes the Department of Classics their official second home at Northwestern.  Upon completion of the Program in Ancient Philosophy, they will receive a Certificate from the Classics Cluster, which will be indicated on their transcript. A description of the Classics Cluster can be found here . In most ways, students in the program are treated in the same way as other graduate students in the Philosophy Department. The requirements of the Philosophy Department are slightly modified to help prepare students for professional research in this field.