This page provides detailed information on the requirements for the doctoral degree in the Department of Philosophy with guidance on various stages of the degree. Please consult with the director of graduate studies and your faculty adviser for further details.

PhD Progress-to-Degree Checklist

Program Overview

The doctorate degree requires a minimum of 81 credits of graduate-level course work, of which 18 must be in dissertation (PHIL 603). Students must:

• Complete a logic requirement.
• Demonstrate proficiency in a second language.
• Complete course distribution requirements.
• Pass two comprehensive examinations, each of which takes the form of an extensive research project—one in the history of philosophy and one in the student’s areas of intended dissertation specialization.

Most students finish their doctoral degrees within five to six years (note that the department commits to only five years of funding). The graduate school imposes a limit of seven years for completion of the PhD degree.

Timetable for Completing the Doctorate

• Logic requirement: by the end of year 2
• Language requirement: by the end of year 3
• Distribution requirements: by the end of year 2
• Historical Research Paper Proposal: by the end of winter term of year 2
• Historical Research Paper: by the end of winter term of year 3
• Literature review: by the end of fall term of year 4
• Prospectus: by the end of winter term of year 4
• PhD dissertation: by the end of spring term of year 5

Graduate Advising    

The director of graduate studies serves as the official advisor of all philosophy graduate students  until they choose a dissertation director. Students should meet with the director of graduate studies to discuss how they plan to satisfy the  requirements for an advanced philosophy degree.   

Students may also consult with the director of graduate studies about which courses satisfy which  distribution requirements, transfer credits, satisfaction of the second language requirement and logic requirement, teaching assistantships inside and  outside of the department, and fellowships.    

       Beata Stawarska   
       Director of Graduate Studies: Advising    

       Email:  stawarsk@uoregon.edu  
       Phone: 541-346-5545          
       Office: 247 Susan Campbell Hall          
       Profile  Page 

Choosing an Advisor    

Graduate students are free to choose an advisor from amongst the tenure-related faculty at any point in  their graduate career; however, doctoral students must do so by the time they begin their Literature Review, generally spring of year 3.    

The faculty member must agree to be the student’s advisor. Keep in mind: the department recommends that  you not work with the same faculty members for your History Paper–fall and winter, year 3–and your dissertation.    

Please contact the director of graduate studies for more information about policies on assessment  of student progress.    

Back to Top

Course Distribution Requirements

Students must complete at least 81 graduate credits, of which at least 18 must be dissertation research credits. As part of the requirements for completing the doctorate, students must also take at least 12 four-credit graduate courses within the department of philosophy.

Students must complete course distribution requirements by receiving a mid-B or better in the areas listed below, demonstrate proficiency in a second language, and pass two comprehensive examinations, which in our program are extensive research projects—one in the history of philosophy (the “history paper”) and one in the student’s intended area of research specialization (the literature review).

The PhD program in philosophy at UO is based upon three pillars:

• Philosophical traditions in a pluralistic sense
• Emerging and engaged philosophies
• History of philosophy

Four Philosophical Traditions

• American
• Analytic
• Continental
• Feminism

In each of these four traditions either an Advanced Introductory Course must be completed (offered as a 500-level course) or, if the requirement for the introduction course is waived for a tradition (by approval of the director of graduate studies), then at least one graduate course within that tradition must be completed.

Emerging and Engaged Philosophies

Students must explore emerging and engaged areas of philosophical work, as this work not only challenges more established traditions but also puts into question the prevailing ways in which a tradition is understood.

Students must also explore how such work bears upon real-world issues. This requirement helps inform both the teaching and the research of our graduate students. Students must complete two courses in Emerging Philosophies, such as Critical Race Theory, Latin American Philosophy, Native American Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, and LGBTQ Philosophy.

Students must also complete one course that focuses on how these various philosophical traditions and strands are engaged with lived experiences and problems. Some examples include Environmental Philosophy, Biomedical Ethics, Animal Ethics, and Data Ethics.

History of Philosophy

One course in each of the following three historical periods must be completed:

• Ancient
• Modern
• 19th Century

Criteria for Multiple Fulfillment

Graduate courses may be listed as counting toward the simultaneous fulfillment of multiple categories of distribution simultaneously, though this is possible for only some of the categories.

A course may count toward one Historical Period while also fulfilling a Philosophical Tradition or a course in Emerging and Engaged Philosophies. Courses may count toward either a Philosophical Tradition or the Emerging and Engaged requirement, but no course may count toward both of these requirements at once. For example, a course in 19th-century feminist philosophy can count toward either the requirement in the Feminist Tradition or in Emerging and Engaged Philosophies (but not both) and at the same time fulfill a requirement for Historical Periods.

When a course is listed to provide an option for fulfillment of either the Traditions or Emergent and Engaged requirements, students must choose which requirement the course is to fulfill.

Transfer Credits for Distribution Requirements

Subject to approval by the director of graduate studies, a student may use transfer courses, i.e., graduate courses taken at another university, or graduate courses taken outside the Philosophy department, as follows:

• One course in Emerging or Engaged Philosophies.
• One course toward the History of Philosophy requirement.
• Two courses may be used under the Traditions requirement. Each transfer course must be approved using the following Approval Form.

Transfer Courses Approval Form

Logic

One course in advanced symbolic logic must be completed (undergraduate or graduate).

A student must satisfy the logic requirement in one of four ways (note that courses taken for logic credit under 2-4 below must be approved by the director of graduate studies):

1. Earning a grade of B or higher in PHIL 526 (Advanced Logic).
2. Earning a grade of B or higher in an advanced undergraduate logic course taken before entering the doctoral program.
3. Completing (with a B or higher) an appropriate 4-credit reading and conference course (PHIL 605) in logic within the Department of Philosophy.
4. Earning a grade of B or higher in a logic course offered by another UO department, e.g., mathematics or computer science.

Professionalization Seminars

Pedagogy Seminar (Teaching Philosophy Seminar)

In the first year of employment as a graduate employee (GE), graduate students must also complete the sequence of all three terms of the professionalization pro-seminar on pedagogy and teaching (for a total of 4 credits). Thus, all doctoral students are required to complete three terms of this course as part of their graduate requirements. Master's students are also welcome to join this seminar. 

Note for master's students offered GE positions: You are required to successfully complete the pedagogy seminar for any term you are scheduled to teach, provided you have not completed it previously in that same term of the year. For example, if you previously completed the teaching seminar in winter term, you would still be required to register for the seminar if chosen for a fall or spring GE assignment, but not to repeat the winter seminar if you receive another winter assignment.

Writing Seminar

In the third year of the PhD, as they transition from writing for coursework to writing for independent research and dissertation, graduate students must also complete the sequence of all three terms of the professionalization seminar on writing and publication (for a total of 4 credits). The primary purpose of this course is to teach students how to develop a regular writing practice, how to revise their own work, how to submit work for publication, and how to write a dissertation. Thus, all doctoral students are required to complete three terms of this course as part of their graduate requirements.

Back to Top

Language Proficiency

To graduate with an advanced degree in philosophy from UO, students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language equivalent to two years of study in that language at the college level. The language must be approved by the student’s advisor and should be relevant to the student’s philosophical interests.

Proficiency may be demonstrated by:

• Providing an official transcript that shows a passing grade in second-year language coursework (normally the 201, 202, 203 sequence; although second-year competency may also be demonstrated by passing a 300-level language course for which 203 is a prerequisite).
• Successfully testing out (for more information on second-year language tests, contact the UO Testing Center.

UO Testing Center

Back to Top

Master's on the Way to Doctorate

When doctoral students have completed both the distribution and language proficiency requirements, they are eligible to apply for a master's and are encouraged to do so.

The philosophy master's requirements for doctoral students are the same as those for master's students, except that a doctoral student is encouraged to apply for the master's as soon as possible after the master's requirements have been met. The Graduate School has a policy of not granting master's and doctorate degrees at the same time, i.e. when the student has completed the doctorate.

NOTE: The deadline for applying for the advanced degree is the second Friday of the expected term of graduation.

Application for Advanced Degree

Back to Top

Comprehensive Exams (Research Papers)

The comprehensive examinations are passed by completing two substantial research papers— the Historical Research Paper (formerly History paper) and Literature Review—under the supervision of faculty.

Students are eligible for advancement to candidacy the term after completion of the comprehensives. Within two weeks of the student passing these examinations, the home department and the student must submit a report to the dean of the Graduate School recommending advancement to candidacy.

Students working on the Historical Research Paper, Literature Review, or Prospectus may register for up to nine research credits (PHIL 601) P/NP per term for work on the requirement and add the requirement as the “name” of the class (e.g., PHIL 601: Research: Historical Research Paper).

Research credits will be graded based on the work accomplished during the quarter as assessed by the faculty member serving as instructor for the credits.

Historical Research Paper (HRP) (formerly History Paper)

After course work, all PhD students must pass the HRP requirement by producing a philosophical research paper suitable for publication. It is the Philosophy Department’s first of two comprehensive “exams.”

The purpose of the Historical Research Paper (HRP) is:

1. To provide students with the time, space, and guidance to pursue a substantial yet manageable independent research project;
2. In keeping with the ethos of the department, to reflect on the significance of historical lineages in philosophy and differences within and between them;
3. To facilitate the publication of at least one journal article prior to completion of the PhD.

HRP Guidelines:

1.  Papers should be 7,500-10,000 words in length, including bibliography and endnotes.
2.  Papers should constitute original research that makes a contribution to some subject area/s of philosophy, as judged by the student’s HRP committee. (This is what is meant by “suitable for publication.”)
3.  Papers should make appropriate use of secondary literature, as approved by the student’s HRP committee.
4.  Papers should be reasonably accomplished (that is, researched, conceptualized, drafted, and defended) within the projected timeframe below without taking time out of the student’s PhD dissertation schedule.
5.  Students should develop a plan for submitting the paper to a relevant peer reviewed journal, familiarize themselves with the submission process, and be ready to discuss it with the committee.

HRP Procedure:

Step 1 – Second-Year HRP Workshop(s)

All second-year students will participate along with their cohort in the HRP workshop(s). This/these will review the HRP procedure and offer guidance on choosing a topic of appropriate scope, forming an HRP committee, and writing an HRP proposal.

Step 2 – Committee and Proposal

By the end of Year Two in the program, students will have formed a committee of two philosophy faculty members, one of whom will serve as chair of the committee. Before drafting an HRP proposal, students are encouraged to consult with their committee chair—who should be an expert in the relevant field(s)—about the relevant primary and secondary literature, main debates in the chosen area, and possible original contributions, etc. Students will submit an HRP proposal of no more than 1,500 words, along with a reading list, to their committee for approval. Please see the HRP Proposal Template (linked below), which is recommended but not required.

Step 3 – Independent Reading

If at all possible, students should find time to complete their HRP reading list during the summer before Year Three of the program. This will help to ensure they stay on track to complete the program during their five years of funding.

Step 4 – Registration for PHIL 601 Graduate Research (Fall of Year Three)

Following approval of the proposal, a student will register for PHIL 601: Research with the chair of their HRP committee. The topic should be “Historical Research Paper” and it should be for nine credits. PHIL 601 will be graded based on work completed during the term. Students may register for HRP research credits during more than one term.

Step 5 – Completion (No later than Winter of Year Three)

1.  Students should complete their HRP in no more than two terms and no later than Winter term of Year Three. Students should share their first complete draft with their committee chair, who will work with the student to determine when the paper is ready to be formally submitted to the committee for review.
2. The student will make the publication plan which should include the relevant peer reviewed journals and their submission guidelines.
3. The committee will consult with the student to provide an evaluation of the paper which will focus primarily on ensuring the paper is strong enough to be submitted to a journal for publication. The committee will provide feedback on the paper and the publication plan and will help the student to identify possible additional publication venues.
4. Formally, the paper will be (1) accepted, (2) accepted pending revisions, or (3) rejected. If it is accepted pending revisions, the revised version of the paper will be evaluated again by the committee and (1) accepted, (2) accepted pending revisions, or (3) rejected. If the paper is rejected, then, after consideration by the Graduate Studies Committee and a two-thirds vote of the Faculty, the student may be asked to leave the PhD program.
5. Upon formal acceptance of the HRP, the student will collect email approvals from committee members and fill out the HRP Completion Form .

Clarifications and Other Recommendations:

• The HRP may be an extensive elaboration/revision of an earlier term paper.
• The HRP is approved based on its suitability for publication, but need not be published to receive credit.
• Most students will find it efficient (and marketable) to write an HRP in the same topic area as their dissertation, but this is not required.

Literature Review

The literature review is the second comprehensive examination. The purpose of the review is to prepare students for their dissertation research in a particular area by studying and reviewing the literature in that area.

Committee: The committee evaluating the literature review shall be constituted under the same guidelines and rules as the dissertation committee (see below) and include three members: the adviser and two “core” members (the fourth member—the institutional representative—is not required for the evaluation of the literature review). In most cases, the members of the literature review committee will continue as the dissertation committee, but this is not required.

Bibliographical sources: Students should work with their committee members to develop a list of 50-100 sources that will be important to their dissertation projects. Once this list is approved, the student will write a review of the literature.

Literature review guidelines and procedures:

• The completed literature review should be no more than 50 and no fewer than 30 pages long, double-spaced, 12-point font.
• The review should be written in narrative style, i.e., students should avoid simply handing in an annotated bibliography, though they may well complete such a bibliography in preparation for writing the literature review.
• Each work that is addressed in the literature review should be discussed in terms of its relation to an articulated philosophical question or problem related to the area of the dissertation project, rather than simply summarized.
• When the review is finished and the committee reads it, the student may be asked to do additional work on the review before it is deemed completed.
• Upon final approval of the literature review, the student will collect email approvals from committee members and fill out the Literature Review Completion Form.

Advancement to Candidacy for the Doctorate

Doctoral students are eligible for advancement to candidacy the term after they have completed their comprehensives, i.e., after successfully completing the distribution requirements, history paper, and literature review.

Within two weeks of the student passing these examinations, the home department and the student must submit a report to the dean of the Graduate School recommending advancement to candidacy.

Students working toward a doctorate or professional doctorate must register for a minimum of 18 credits in Dissertation (PHIL 603). Credit for dissertation is recorded P/N (pass/no pass).

Doctoral Dissertation Registration Request

Back to Top

Dissertation Committee

The selection of the dissertation advisor should be made with the following considerations in mind:

• The adviser should have a research focus in the central area of the proposed topic.
• The adviser should be someone that the student can work with.
• The adviser has the responsibility for the reading and evaluation of initial drafts of the dissertation.

The membership of the committee should be formed in consultation with the dissertation adviser, who can provide suggestions about the selection of core members and the institutional representative. Typically, other committee members will read a draft of (or parts of) the dissertation when the thesis adviser considers them to be ready for other committee members to see them and comment.

Dissertation committees in the Department of Philosophy are proposed by the student and approved by the director of graduate studies. The dissertation committee typically consists of four members: The adviser and two “core” members who are regular members of the department, and one “institutional representative” from a department in the university other than the philosophy department. With approval according to the processes described below, and in accordance with the Graduate School’s Dissertation Committee Policy, committees may include advisers or core members from departments other than philosophy or core members from outside the university.

When the proposed committee is to include a chair from UO whose appointment is outside the Department of Philosophy, a UO faculty member not appointed to the graduate faculty, or a “core” member from outside UO, the member will be reviewed by the Department of Philosophy tenure-related faculty. If the proposed member meets the Graduate School guidelines and is approved by the department faculty in light of departmental guidelines, then the department head will forward the recommendation to the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School for final approval.

Any member of the UO graduate faculty, including Department of Philosophy affiliate faculty, may serve as “core” committee members without review of the Philosophy department faculty (in accordance with the Graduate School’s Dissertation Committee Policy).

Approving UO Faculty not Appointed to the Graduate Faculty

UO faculty in the Department of Philosophy who are not appointed to the graduate faculty, e.g., non-tenure track faculty with “career” appointments, may request nomination to the Graduate School by submitting a letter of interest and a current curriculum vitae to the department head. The department head will forward the request and curriculum vitae to the department’s tenure-related faculty who will consider the request.

Qualifications for nomination to the Graduate School include a doctorate in philosophy, a record of ongoing and recent research in the field, and successful teaching. If the request is approved by a majority of the tenure-related faculty, the nomination will be forwarded to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for review. Once approved as a member of the graduate faculty in philosophy, the nominee is permanently eligible to serve on dissertation committees following the graduate school guidelines.

Approving Dissertation Chairs Outside the Department of Philosophy

If a student wishes to request that a member of the UO graduate faculty outside the Department of Philosophy serve as chair of the dissertation committee, or if the student wishes to include a faculty member from another university as a “core” member of the committee, the student will propose the committee to the director of graduate studies.

The director of graduate studies will contact the relevant nominated member and request a letter of interest confirming the person’s willingness to serve on the committee and a current curriculum vitae. The director of graduate studies will present the nominee to the tenure-related faculty for consideration. If the nominee is approved by a majority of the faculty, the department head will forward the nomination to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

In general, the faculty will approve a proposed dissertation committee member if the person:

• Meets the Graduate School guidelines.
• Has demonstrated philosophical expertise in an area relevant to the proposed dissertation.
• Has confirmed an interest in serving on the committee.

Back to Top

Dissertation Prospectus

The dissertation prospectus and prospectus examination is a key step towards earning a doctorate in philosophy at UO. A student should register for PHIL 603 Dissertation once they have advanced to candidacy, i.e., completed both the History Paper and the Literature Review. This means they should be registered for PHIL 603 while they are working on, and after they have defended, the dissertation prospectus.

After preliminary discussions with a thesis advisor, students should prepare a draft of the prospectus and submit it to the thesis advisor.

Submission

When the advisor and student agree that the prospectus is ready for submission to other members of the doctorate committee, a version of it should be presented to them. Committee members may request revisions of the prospectus, and students should allow time for these revisions to be in compliance with departmental expectations.

Examination

A prospectus examination should be scheduled (for 60-90 minutes) in consultation with the thesis advisor and other members of the committee. The examination is expected to be attended by the candidate and all members of the dissertation committee. It should be held only when the advisor and the committee members believe that there is a workable project, something they determine after their evaluation of a submitted draft of the prospectus.

The examination provides an opportunity for all of the members of the committee, including the outside member, to share their views of what needs to be done to strengthen the project: how it might need to be expanded or, as is more likely, narrowed in its focus. The committee will consider whether, and how, the proposed dissertation addresses a problem that can be handled adequately by the candidate in a reasonable amount of time.

By accepting the prospectus, the committee agrees that the prospectus presents a project suitable in content and scope for a dissertation. Upon successful defense of the prospectus, the student will collect email approvals from committee members and fill out the Prospectus Approval Form.

Content

There are certain ingredients that a prospectus must contain. Most importantly, there should be a problem that the prospectus identifies and explains. To this end, the introduction to the prospectus should include some motivation for addressing the problem, as well as an attempt at explaining, illustrating and clarifying what the problem is.

The prospectus also should try to make clear how the candidate intends to address that problem. It is not sufficient for the Prospectus to indicate that certain claims will be defended or attacked; it must be made clear how the candidate proposes to establish these claims or to illuminate them. To this end, a synopsis of each chapter is needed together with an indication of how the chapters are linked, why one chapter leads into another. A prospectus should not be overly long, somewhere from 7 to 10 pages, not including the bibliography.

Bibliography

Not only is the dissertation expected to be an original piece of work, something that would be reflected in what it has to say about the problem it addresses, but it is also expected to demonstrate the candidate’s familiarity with the relevant literature and competence in providing critical readings of this literature. The candidate is expected to know the more influential and important writings on the problem the thesis is to address, and the prospectus should reflect the fact that the candidate has plans to acquire that knowledge. To this end, the candidate should provide an extensive bibliography appended to the end of the prospectus.

Back to Top

Dissertation

All candidates must submit a dissertation based on independent and original research. The dissertation must contribute significantly to knowledge, show a mastery of the literature of the subject, be written in acceptable literary style, and conform to the standards outlined in the UO Style and Policy Manual for Theses and Dissertations. Preparation of the dissertation usually requires the greater part of one or two academic years.

Defense of Dissertation

A formal, public defense must take place at the UO on a date set by the committee chair and approved by the Graduate School. Tentative approval of the dissertation by the committee is recommended prior to formal defense. This evaluation is based on copies of the final manuscript, which the candidate provides for the dissertation committee at least 7 weeks before the dissertation defense date, unless all members of the committee approve of an alternative submission date.

The dissertation must be approved by the committee as suitable for oral defense at least 3 weeks before the formal defense. Four copies of the dissertation abstract (350-word maximum) must also be filed with the Graduate School at this time. The time and place of the defense must be publicly noted. The dissertation committee must be present at the defense, and the chair of the committee must certify to the Graduate School within 2 weeks following the defense that the defense was held as scheduled.

Completion of Dissertation

Within 2 weeks following the defense of the dissertation but before the dissertation is submitted in duplicate to the Graduate School, each member of the dissertation committee must confirm in writing either approval or disapproval of the final version. Approval requires a unanimous vote.

Scheduling note: The “Application for Final Oral Defense” and “Confirmation of Agreement to Attend Final Oral Defense” forms must be filed by week 5 of the expected term of graduation and no less than 3 weeks before the dissertation defense date.

Back to Top

Leaves of Absence

Doctoral students are eligible for a maximum of 6 academic terms of on-leave status, regardless of reason, throughout the doctoral degree program. The on-leave request form must be submitted on or before the last day of finals week in the term for which leave is requested. The request will then be reviewed and approved or denied by the department’s director of graduate studies.

If approved, the request will then be reviewed by the Graduate School. If approved the student will not register for credits during the approved leave term(s).

If not approved the student must register to maintain continuous enrollment.

The time limit for program completion is not extended for an approved on-leave request when taken for the following reasons:

• Family emergencies
• Independent research
• Other

An approved on-leave request will automatically extend your time limit for program completion by the same number of terms of approved leave, e.g., an approved leave of one term will extend the time limit by one term only for the following reasons:

• The student’s serious health/medical condition
• Parenting needs during the 12 months immediately following a child’s birth or placement in the home

Continuous Enrollment Policy

Back to Top

Criteria Used to Assess Satisfactory Progress

The criteria used to assess satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree in philosophy are detailed above: fulfilling requirements within the stated timeframe.

Deviation from the timeline should be discussed with the director of graduate studies, who will generate and approve an academic plan toward retaining or restoring satisfactory progress and good standing.

Grades

1. Maintain a GPA of 3.3 or better (the GPA will be computed for course work meeting the requirements of the graduate degree);
2. At any one time, a student shall have no more than 7 credit hours of incomplete course work;
3. The number of courses taken toward the graduate degree on a P/NP basis shall not exceed 21 credit hours, excluding Thesis, Dissertation, Research and Reading credits.

Assessing Satisfactory Progress

The faculty committee will evaluate all graduate students for satisfactory progress toward degree annually in the spring term. This evaluation will be based on information provided by the director of graduate studies, the graduate advisor (student’s thesis or dissertation director) if applicable, and other faculty who have taught or supervised the student.

Failure to make satisfactory progress toward the graduate degree jeopardizes the graduate employee position and places a block on future registration. Procedure to remedy will be implemented upon discussion between the student, the graduate advisor (if applicable), and the director of graduate studies.

Upon regaining satisfactory progress status, the director of graduate studies in consultation with the student’s graduate advisor (student’s thesis or dissertation director if applicable) will provide a written statement of recommendation about strength of work already completed and of support for the student’s new timetable for advancement and completion. Failure to remedy will result in disqualification from the department’s degree program.

In addition to specific Department of Philosophy requirements, doctoral candidates must satisfy all Graduate School requirements, as specified in the Graduate Catalog and on their website.

Residency

Students need to take particular notice of the Graduate School residency requirement:

For the doctorate degree, the student must complete the equivalent of at least 81 quarter credits of graduate-level work over the course of at least three years. At least one academic year—the residency year—must be spent in residence at UO after the student has been classified as a conditionally or an unconditionally admitted student in a doctoral program.

During this year of residency, the student is expected to make progress toward the degree by completing course credits and satisfying doctoral degree requirements. The residency year consists of 3 consecutive terms of full-time study, with a minimum of 9 completed graduate credits a term in the student’s major.

A doctoral candidate may fulfill the residency requirement during the period in which he or she works toward a master’s degree at the UO as long as the student has been officially awarded the master’s degree, the doctoral degree program immediately follows the master’s degree program, and both the master’s degree and the doctoral degree are in the same discipline.

Getting Ready to Graduate

Back to Top

Apply to our Graduate Program

Ready to apply? Start your application on Slate, the centralized application portal for graduate admissions at the University of Oregon.

Apply Now

Back to Top