Admissions

The Ph.D. in Philosophy

A graduate degree in philosophy at Vanderbilt offers extensive study in all major fields and historical periods of philosophy. Faculty in the Department of Philosophy have strengths in epistemology, ethics, feminist philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and social and political philosophy. Our expertise reflects a variety of approaches and methodologies, including analytic, continental, historical, and pragmatic.

Application

Application to the Vanderbilt Ph.D. program in philosophy consists of five components:

1. Completion of the online application to the Vanderbilt Graduate School
2. Submission of unofficial transcripts
3. Submission of at least three, but at most five, letters of recommendation
4. Submission of a personal statement, discussing philosophy background, research interests, and departmental fit
5. Submission of a philosophically substantive writing sample of manageable length (ordinarily no more than 7,000 words), demonstrating research potential

The application deadline for fall admission of any given year is January 3 of that same year.

The Vanderbilt Department of Philosophy Primary Faculty and Graduate Students