Study Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy at University at Buffalo - SUNY in the USA, College of Arts and Sciences

About this course

About this course
- Overview
- Department
Study options
Entry requirements
- International

What will I learn?

The Department of Philosophy offers graduate study in various subfields, with notable strengths in two cross-disciplinary research areas that apply philosophical ideas and methods in the real world. The first is applied ontology, which links philosophical ideas and methods to the use of computers in managing data, for example in medical research or in intelligence analysis. The Department is the world's center for the academic study of theoretical and applied ontology. A second area where the Department has particular strengths is in the growing field of philosophy, politics and economics, which studies how the economy, political and social institutions, and questions of justice interact and draws on analytical tools and models from a range of disciplines to address pressing social problems. The Department also excels in philosophy of science, bioethics, and early modern philosophy. The Department is distinguished by its high-quality teaching, robust faculty-student interaction within a vibrant academic community, and the successful placement of our graduates in both academic and extra-academic positions.

Which department am I in?

College of Arts and Sciences

Study options

Full Time (5 Years)

Tuition fees

US$25,740.00 per year

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

August 2027

Venue

North Campus

Flint Entrance,

Amherst,

Massachusetts,

14260, United States

Entry requirements

For international students

Students entering the Ph.D. program must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students entering the M.A. program must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Please note that these are minimum requirements and that higher GPAs are desired and may be necessary for admission.

Applicants to the Ph.D. should have completed some prior coursework in philosophy, preferably at least six courses in logic or critical thinking, ethics, the history of philosophy, and in areas such as metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, political philosophy, social philosophy, or aesthetics. Applicants to the M.A. program should have completed prior coursework in philosophy as well, preferably at least four courses.

Please note that the guidelines about prior coursework represent minimal conditions. Satisfying such a criterion does not guarantee that we will view an applicant as having sufficient preparation for graduate work in philosophy at UB. If an applicant's previous coursework was completed a long time ago, the applicant did not perform well in those courses, or the contents of the courses do not serve as adequate preparation for graduate work in philosophy, more coursework will be required.

All applications must include the following materials and must be uploaded by the relevant deadline above.

Completed application form.
Electronic copies of transcripts of all previous undergraduate or graduate coursework. Only admitted applicants will be required to submit official transcripts.
Three letters of recommendation, preferably from professors who have taught you philosophy (though other letters will be accepted). Once you submit your application for final review, your recommenders will receive an automated email requesting that they upload their recommendation letter. Please note that your recommenders should upload their letters by the relevant deadline. You should submit your application much earlier than the deadline so as to give your recommenders time to submit.
A personal statement of 500 to 1,00 words, double-spaced. Please include a description of your background in philosophy and the areas of philosophy that interest you.
A writing sample of your philosophical work that is 3,000 to 6,000 words (about 10 to 20 double-spaced pages).
GRE scores are not required but are strongly encouraged.