Temple’s Department of Philosophy has strengths in several areas of philosophical study. The department has a rich history and continuing presence in the field of aesthetics as Monroe Beardsley and John Fisher were in the department for many years. The department also has expertise in European philosophy, epistemology, feminist philosophy, philosophy of mind, philosophy of race, and philosophy of science.
The Ph.D. program is designed to provide students with a breadth of knowledge in Philosophy while emphasizing depth of knowledge through intensive work on particular philosophical issues of interest to the student. The program stresses early development of professional writing standards and oral skills. Ph.D. students are generally given the opportunity to teach courses under the guidance of the department's Teaching Mentoring Program.
Job Prospects: Graduates typically find employment in college or university teaching and research. A departmental placement committee assists students with the job search.
September 2025
Temple University
1801 N Broad Street,
PHILADELPHIA,
Pennsylvania,
19122, United States
Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree is not required.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree in Philosophy is standard, although not mandatory, for admission into the program.
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
TOEFL iBT: 105
IELTS Academic: 7.0
PTE Academic: 72. Application Deadline: Fall: January 15
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.