Note: to acquire more information, please consult thePh.D. in Philosophy page around the Columbia Graduate School of Arts Sciences website.

The objective of earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy would be to become a completely independent scholar in addition to a teacher from the subject. Possibly the best accomplishment throughout the Ph.D. may be the writing from the doctorate dissertation, that is typically students’s first substantial and original scholarly contribution to Philosophy. The coursework that’s carried out prior to the dissertation is supposed to function as preparation for both writing the dissertation as well as for teaching. Additionally to coursework and also the dissertation, Ph.D. students at Columbia are needed to assistance with the teaching of undergraduate courses in their doctorate training.

Enroute to cooking a Ph.D. in Philosophy, students earn an M.A. (Master of Arts in Philosophy) as well as an M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy in Philosophy).

This program of study for that Ph.D. in Philosophy falls into three phases:

1) The foremost and second years, where students concentrate on coursework and distribution needs.

Students should complete the needs for that M.A. degree within the second year the M.A. degree should be conferred through the finish from the second year.

2) The 3rd year, where students write three papers throughout creating a Dissertation Proposal, and play in the Proposal Preparation Seminar.

Students should complete the needs for that M.Phil. degree within the 4th year the M.Phil. degree should be conferred through the finish from the 4th year.

Earning the M.Phil. degree implies that students have finished all needs for that Ph.D. in Philosophy aside from the dissertation, and they are ABD “Basically Dissertation.”

3) The Dissertation phase, beginning using the conferral from the M.Phil. through the finish from the 4th year and ongoing with the fifth (and, possibly, sixth and seventh years), where a student completes a dissertation and earns the Ph.D. degree.

Columbia College awards the Ph.D. degree simply to candidates who’ve earned the M.Phil. only at that institution. However, an applicant may join the Columbia Ph.D. enter in Philosophy after getting completed an M.A. in Philosophy at another institution. Such candidates might be qualified for Advanced Standing, which may advance them twelve months toward the M.Phil. Advanced Standing is awarded in the discretion from the Director of Graduate Studies and also the Graduate School of Arts Sciences, and might not be formally granted before the finish from the student’s newbie within the program. Students thinking about trying to get Advanced Standing should consult with the DGS (Director of Graduate Studies).

The Department of Philosophy operates within system of multi-year educational funding packages that are supplied by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Such funding is awarded, so far as possible, to any or all incoming Ph.D. students no matter nationality. The packages typically cover 5 years. All fellowship awards cover the whole price of tuition in addition to health insurance accessibility Columbia Student Health Service. Additionally, they offer a yearly nine-month fellowship stipend.

An in depth summary of the GSAS educational funding system, such as the possibi­lity of mixing GSAS funds with exterior fellowships, can be obtained around the GSAS website: Fellowship Information for Doctorate Students. Take note that some charges have no coverage by fellowship awards or through the Department of Philosophy. Also, please be aware that from the ten funded semesters, for the most part four of these is going to be free training responsibilities.

Columbia College is dedicated to training its Ph.D. students to get distinguished teachers in addition to distinguished scholars within their field. GSAS mandates that all Ph.D. students educate a minimum of two terms like a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

A lot of students who get a five-year funding package from GSAS are needed to educate in six of the ten funded semesters. Normally, such teaching will require the type of a Teaching Assistantship inside the Department of Philosophy (except when students are awarded Preceptorships within the Core Program or Teaching Fellowships within the Undergraduate Writing Program see below). There’s some versatility concerning which semesters students is a Teaching Assistant (TA). However, no student is going to be allowed to educate within the newbie, so students should be expecting to distribute their six relation to teaching over their second through fifth years. Usually, students TA within their second, third, and 4th years.

The fundamental required all TAs are: to go to class lectures, to carry work hours, and also to grade written work. In a few large opening-level courses, TAs assists as Section Leaders of small discussion sections. In some instances, TAs may also conserve a class website.

According to Columbia College policy, TA work should add up to no more than 20 hrs each week.

Students on multi-year funding packages are anticipated to accomplish their Ph.D. inside the time-period included in their funding, that is typically 5 years. Some students affect educate as Preceptors or Teaching Guys in Columbia College. Since these are demanding positions, students who become Preceptors or Teaching Guys are anticipated to accomplish their Ph.D.’s within six years. Please be aware that students who pass past the sixth year don’t have any automatic to carry on living in College Housing if they would like to achieve this, they have to sign up throughout the Spring semester of the sixth year. In addition, the Philosophy Department recognizes simply no obligations of any sort to students who pass past the seventh year.

Registration

Please be aware that all Ph.D. students should be continuously registered as full-time students over the duration of their graduate program. The only real exceptions for this requirement are official Leaves of Absence. which can be granted only through the Dean of GSAS.

Please visit the Registration Groups page around the GSAS website to learn more.

The needs below ought to be read with the general needs from the Columbia Graduate School of Arts Sciences .

Note: Courses provided by other departments don’t count toward Philosophy levels unless of course they’re mix-listed. In some instances, the DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) may grant the best for this restriction if it’s justified with a student’s philosophical project.

For that M.A. Degree

The needs for that free-standing M.A. degree in Philosophy and also the M.A. degree taken on the way to the Ph.D. are similar.

The program and distribution needs for that M.A. are half individuals for that M.Phil. The needs for that M.Phil. are cumulative, and can include the needs for that M.A.
(For example: 30 points of coursework are needed for that M.A. degree, and the other 30 points for that M.Phil. so 60 points total 3 points are needed in every distribution group for that M.A. and the other 3 points are needed in every distribution group for that M.Phil. so 6 points total.)

Because the M.Phil. needs are cumulative, students within the first couple of many years of the Ph.D. program should concentrate on finishing all course and distribution needs for that M.Phil. degree, but make certain to try to get the M.A. degree when the M.A. needs (2 Residence Units 18 points of E-credit including a minimum of 2 workshops and a minimum of 3 points in every distribution group 12 points of R-credit) are completed.

For that M.Phil. Degree

RESIDENCE Needs.
6 Residence Units (such as the 2 Residence Units needed for that M.A. degree). (1 Residence Unit = 1 semester of full-time study.)

PROSEMINAR REQUIREMENT :
All Ph.D. students are needed to accept Proseminar within their newbie within the program. The Proseminar is taken for R-credit.

COURSE Needs :
No less than 60 points in the G4000-level or over are needed for that M.Phil. degree.

Of those 60 points, a minimum of 33 points should be for E-credit (a passing letter grade).

• From the 33 points of E-credit. a minimum of 30 points should be earned within the first 24 months. The rest of the 3 points is going to be earned within the third year, for any Quodlibetal Studies course within the Fall semester from the third year using the student’s consultant. (The Proposal Preparation Seminar, early in the year semester from the third year, is taken Pass/Fail.)
• From the 30 points of E-credit that must definitely be drawn in the very first 2 yrs, a minimum of 6 points should be in each one of the following three distribution groups:
  Group I: Ethics Appearance Political Philosophy
  Group II: Theory of Understanding Philosophy of Logic Philosophy of Language Philosophy of Science Metaphysics
  Group III: Good reputation for Philosophy (a significant philosopher or philosophical period).
• From the 30 points of E-credit that must definitely be drawn in the very first 2 yrs, a minimum of 12 points should be for G9000-level workshops. Quodlibetal (independent study) courses might be substituted with regular workshops, using the approval from the DGS.

3 points is going to be Pass/Fail, for that Proposal Preparation Seminar early in the year Semester from the third year.

The rest of the 24 points might be taken for R-credit (Registration credit).

Note: To be able to earn instructions grade, students must complete all of the needs for that course. To be able to earn R-credit (Residence credit), students must attend the program and satisfy any extra needs the teacher may impose, just like an dental presentation. However, no letter grade is given R-credit.

Note: 6 points of R-credit is going to be earned within the Proseminar within the newbie (3 points during fall term, 3 points during spring).

An average course load within the first couple of many years of the Ph.D. program could be the following:

Newbie:
Fall Semester:
– The needed Newbie Proseminar for R-credit. The Proseminar runs for that first 7 days of every term.
-2 classes for letter grades
-2 additional classes for R credit
Spring Semester:
– The needed Newbie Proseminar for R-credit. The Proseminar runs for that first 7 days of every term.
-two or three classes for letter grades
-one or two additional classes for R credit

(Please be aware that students don’t have any TA responsibilities within the newbie.)

SECOND YEAR:
Fall Semester:
-two or three classes for letter grades
-one or two classes for R credit
Spring Semester:
-two or three classes for letter grades
-one or two classes for R credit

THIRD YEAR:
Fall Semester:
-1 Quodlibetal Studies course for any letter grade using the student’s consultant within the fall term
-1 course for R credit
Spring Semester:
-Proposal Preparation Seminar, taken Pass/Fail
-1 course for R credit

Logic Requirement:
A lot of students must demonstrate proficiency in Logic. This requirement might be satisfied in 2 ways:

1. Earning a minimum of 3 points of E-credit inside a Logic course (G4000-level or over)

2. Passing the proficiency examination in Logic administered through the Department within the last week before the start of the autumn Term. (Students who pass test are exempt from the additional coursework in Logic.) The proficiency exam is optional and can’t be retaken.

Language Requirement:
Students must demonstrate competence within the following languages: French, German, Greek, or Latin. This requirement might be satisfied in four ways:

1. Getting taken, in the last 5 years, 2 yrs of among the designated languages in the college level, and getting received grades of B or greater in individuals courses.

2. Getting a grade of B or greater within an Intermediate-level college language class (For instance, French S1202).

3. Passing among the Proficiency Exams administered through the Classics, French, and German departments. In France They and German departments offer courses particularly made to prepare students of these Proficiency Exams (German S1115 Faster Elementary Studying and French S1204 Rapid Studying and Translation).

4. Passing a translation exam administered through the Philosophy Department. Test includes a single passage of roughly ¾ of the printed page long passing test requires converting the given passage precisely into grammatically correct and idiomatic British. The entire time allotted for that exam is 1 hour 30 minutes. Utilization of a dictionary is allowed.

Note: Students might be exempted in the language requirement only if British isn’t their native language and also the Director of Graduate Studies (in consultation using the Department) approves an alternate requirement. Students with disabilities might be exempted under college-wide rules.

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL DEFENSE REQUIREMENT :

Protecting a Dissertation Proposal may be the final requirement of the M.Phil. degree. Following the Proposal Defense (presuming other M.Phil. needs are complete), students may make an application for the M.Phil. degree whether or not the defense was effective. An unsuccessful Proposal Defense means students may leave this program by having an M.Phil. in hands. However, to be able to stay in this program and be the official Candidate for that Ph.D. students’s Proposal Defense should be effective and also the Proposal formally authorized by the student’s Dissertation Committee.

For that Ph.D. Degree

After students have obtained their M.Phil. levels, and therefore are accepted to candidacy, they have to effectively complete and defend their doctorate dissertations in compliance using the rules from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students should consult the Dissertation Office pages around the GSAS website:
gsas.columbia.edu/dissertations.