BA Philosophy at Yale University

Programme overview

The Philosophy major prepares students to reflect critically and creatively on questions concerning the nature of things, the scope and limits of human understanding, and the principles of value and right action. The major aims to address these questions wherever they arise, whether in the philosophical tradition, in other disciplines and practices, or in everyday life. Our courses are designed to encourage depth in thinking, rigor in argument, clarity in writing and speaking, and the widest possible view of whatever subject matter we take up.

Faculty: Yale College | Duration: Thirty-six term courses in eight terms of enrollment (Yale College bachelor's degree) | Study mode: full-time | Location: New Haven, CT, United States

What you will study

Number of courses: 12 term courses, incl prereqs and senior req. Specific courses required: Standard major — PHIL 1125 and PHIL 1126 , or DRST 0003 and DRST 0004 ; Psychology concentration — PSYC 1100 or equivalent. Distribution of courses: Standard major —3 courses in hist of phil (incl PHIL 1125 and PHIL 1126 , or DRST 0003 and DRST 0004 ), 2 in metaphysics and epistemology, 2 in ethics and value theory, and 1 in logic; 2 phil sems at 3000+ level; Psychology concentration —7 courses in phil, as specified; 5 courses in psych (incl PSYC 1100 ). Senior requirement: a third sem in phil, or a one- or two-term independent project ( PHIL 4490 , PHIL 4491 )

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to Yale College, not to this major (applies to all Yale College programmes). Yale College requires letters of recommendation, a school report with transcript, and ACT or SAT scores; applicants who are non-native English speakers without two or more years in an English-medium school must also submit an English proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English or Duolingo English Test). Major prerequisite: Standard major —2 intro or intermediate phil courses; Psychology concentration —any 2 courses in phil or psych.

USD 72,500 a year (2026-27). Yale College 2026-2027 tuition (single rate for all Yale College students). Excludes housing, food, optional health insurance, student activities fee and class dues. Source

First-year and transfer applicants apply to begin in the fall semester.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application, the Coalition Application on SCOIR or the QuestBridge Application. Single-Choice Early Action deadline: November 1. QuestBridge National College Match deadline: November 1. Regular Decision deadline: January 2. Yale does not advantage students by program.

First-year and transfer applicants must include ACT or SAT scores (testing is required); neither exam is preferred.

Transfer applicants submit the Transfer Common Application by March 1 to enter as sophomores or juniors.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences deadlines (all 11:59 pm Eastern) for fall 2027: December 1, 2026 (e.g. BBS, Chemistry, Economics, History, Linguistics, Psychology, Public Health, Statistics); December 15, 2026 (e.g. American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Political Science, Sociology); January 2, 2027 (e.g. African Studies, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Architecture, Computer Science MS, Earth and Planetary Sciences, East Asian Studies, Nursing, Philosophy). Combined programs follow the earlier deadline or December 15.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application fee for all degree-seeking applicants is US $105, non-refundable, payable by Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express; fee waivers can be requested until January 2.

GRE General Test requirements vary by GSAS program (required, optional or not accepted) for the 2026-2027 cycle.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.yale.edu/apply

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