PhD Philosophy at University of Virginia

Programme overview

Small, discussion-driven doctoral programme with about twenty full-time philosophy faculty. Students receive an initial fellowship year, a dissertation fellowship year, four years of teaching assistantships and funding for at least two conferences per year.

Faculty: Graduate School of Arts & Sciences | Department: Philosophy | Study mode: full-time | Location: Charlottesville, VA, United States

What you will study

Seminars, colloquia, workshops and reading groups across metaphysics, ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of mind and science, history of philosophy, logic and philosophy of language, and bioethics.

Career pathways

University or college professor, research scholar, ethics or policy analyst, writer or editor, higher-education administrator.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (all programmes): online application with a 500-1,000 word statement of purpose, unofficial transcripts of all postsecondary work, minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0, two letters of recommendation (programmes may require more), and an $85 non-refundable application fee. International applicants whose undergraduate degree was not earned entirely in English submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test scores: TOEFL iBT 90 overall (22 speaking, 22 writing, 23 reading, 23 listening) for tests taken before 1/21/26, IELTS 7.0 in each section, Duolingo 130 overall; committees may still consider scores below these minimums. GRE is not required for this programme. A writing sample is required for Philosophy. PhD application deadline: January 15.

Requirements published at faculty level.

Application fees (2026-27): undergraduate $75; Graduate School of Arts & Sciences $85; Architecture $80; Batten graduate $75; Darden non-PhD $250, Darden PhD $100; Data Science $85; Education and Human Development $65; Law $85; McIntire graduate $85; Medicine $80; Nursing $88; SCPS $70; Graduate Engineering no fee.

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