Philosophy (Applied Philosophy) - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at University of Waterloo

Learn to integrate theoretical philosophical training with practical problems with the PhD in Applied Philosophy program. You’ll engage not just with the current professional philosophical literature, but also with real, practical situations and problems. Completion of an eight-month applied research placement at a host organization such as a non-profit, hospital, business or government agency will provide you with practical experience.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts  |  Department: Philosophy  |  Duration: 48 months (full-time)  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: Fall (September - December); application deadlines: February 1 (for admission in September)  |  Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

Research fields: Anti-Racist Philosophy and Decolonial Philosophy, Ethics and Political Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Mathematics, Research project opportunities for this program, Research in social and political philosophy of language, Work on topics of your choosing in social and political philosophy of language, under the supervision of Jennifer Saul., Research in the Philosophy of Economics, Work on topics of your choosing related to philosophy of economics under the supervision of Patricia Marino. The broader department includes experts in philosophy of science and methodology (Doreen Fraser, Carla Fehr, Katie Plaisance), political philosophy (Jennifer Saul, Laura Mae Lindo, Katy Fulfer, Chris Lowry) and public policy (Mathieu Doucet)., The Language of Misinformation and Disinformation, Come work with Jennifer Saul, who is studying the linguistic devices that are used to spread misinformation, disinformation, and bullshit. These include dogwhistles like "the storm is coming", used by QAnon adherents to communicate with each other; figleaves like "I'm just asking questions" which make people more likely to claims they would otherwise dismiss; and strategies to evade content moderation (like use of a carrot emoji by anti-vaxxers). Your own research needn't be limited to these though. You'll be in a department with philosophers like Carla Fehr, who works on both epistemology of ignorance and algorithmic bias; Patricia Marino, who works on algorithmic bias and formal philosophical methods; Laura Mae Lindo, who works on anti-racist communication and philosophy of education; and Katie Plaisance, who works on scientific communication.. Study option(s): Thesis.

Career pathways

With the skills you gain to think logically and abstractly about complex projects, you’ll be prepared for a successful career in academia, government, health care, business, charitable organizations, and beyond.

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