PhD Philosophy at University of Illinois Chicago

Programme overview

The Department of Philosophy offers work leading to degrees in Philosophy at both the master's and doctoral levels and participates in the Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies, the Interdepartmental Concentration in Black Studies, the Interdepartmental Concentration in Latin American and Latino Studies, and the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

Minimum 36 semester hours required. Coursework only.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Prior degree: No restrictions. Prior academic work should include courses in modern formal logic, ethics, history of philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of science or philosophy of language. GPA: At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study. No minimum for students qualified for the terminal MA. Letters of recommendation: Three required, preferably from professors who are familiar with the student’s recent work. UIC students qualified to apply for the terminal MA need submit only a letter of approval from the director of graduate studies from their home department. Personal statement: Required; 250 words. The statement should address the applicant’s past work in philosophy and plans for graduate study.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate and professional programmes admit for Fall, Spring and Summer terms depending on the programme; applications for Fall 2027, Spring 2028 and Summer 2028 are expected to open on August 1, 2026.

Graduate and professional application deadlines are set per programme, with separate deadlines for domestic and international applicants for most non-online programmes; optional earlier priority, recommended or fellowship dates apply to both.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.uic.edu/admissions/

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