Graduate Field
Philosophy
Program Description
The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in no more than six and one-half years. Accordingly, students in the program are normally guaranteed full financial support for six and one-half years.
The Sage School does not offer a terminal master's degree. For detailed information on the Graduate Program in Philosophy, please visit the Sage School of Philosophy website.
Concentrations
Program Information
- Instruction Mode: In Person
- Location: Ithaca, NY
Program Requirements
- Minimum Semesters for Degree: 10
Graduate School Milestones
- Responsible Conduct of Research Training: Required
- Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID): Required
- Student Progress Reviews (SPR) begin: Second Year
- Examination for admission to candidacy (A Exam): By the end of the third year, before the seventh semester begins
- Defense of Dissertation (B Exam): Varies
Field Specific Milestones
- Field progress review conducted in the first year
- Six semesters of teaching assistantship required
Course Requirements
Additional course requirements may be set by the student’s Special Committee. Program specific requirements that apply to all students are included below.
- PHIL 6100 Pro Seminar in Philosophy (Taken in the first semester)
University Graduation Requirements
Requirements for All Students
In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.
Academic Requirements
A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.
Non-academic Requirements
Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.
Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.
Learning Outcomes
The successful graduate student in our program will know how to “do philosophy” as the discipline is currently practiced in the Anglo-American tradition. This involves, among other things, being able to:
- Think clearly and creatively about fundamental concepts.
- Generate original arguments about topics of philosophical significance
- Write in a clear and logically-perspicuous fashion, and
- Reconstruct and evaluate the philosophical arguments of others.
- In addition, students will be competent in the history of philosophy and in philosophical and/or mathematical logic.
- Finally, students will be accomplished classroom teachers and seminar leaders.
