PhD Program

Ph.D. Program Chart

Ph.D Program Assessment

Ph.D. Requirements Overview

For an extensive Philosophy Ph.D. course work guide, including all requirements, please visit the Marquette Bulletin.

  • A total of 60 hours are required for the Ph.D.
    (    48 credits in course work and 12 credits for the Dissertation) 
  • Incoming Ph.D. students who hold an M.A. in philosophy or related fields may transfer in up to 18 credits (6 courses).
  • Foreign Language Requirement (typically French, German, Latin, or Ancient Greek, although other languages may be approved by the DGS as relevant to a student’s research).
  • A Doctoral Qualifying Paper submitted the semester after completion of coursework
  • A Doctoral Dissertation

Why Pursue Ph.D. Studies in Philosophy at Marquette?

  • Study
  • Program Outcomes
  • Teach
  • Research
  • Get Funded

Study diverse philosophical traditions to integrate the pursuit of enduring questions in the history of philosophy with contemporary problems and approaches. We offer graduate training that synthesizes these perspectives so that history of philosophy is a living tradition that bears on current debates, and current debates are analyzed with reference to their origins. The Ph.D. program in philosophy is one of the oldest at Marquette University.

Upon graduating from the program, students will be able to:

  1. Introduce a philosophical work of scholarship with a clear articulation of a problem.
  2. Determine what scholarly philosophical literature is relevant to a scholarly work making progress in addressing a philosophical problem, and to make good use of it.
  3. Develop and argue for a thesis, in conformity with professional standards of logical rigor and philosophical sophistication.
  4. Anticipate objections to philosophical theses and arguments, and to be able to respond to them in a way that reflects awareness of both their strengths and weaknesses.
  5. Write a clear and effective conclusion to a work of philosophical scholarship.

Help others to learn about philosophy: undergraduate teaching experience, with quality mentorship and training, is available to nearly all Ph.D. students. Enjoy the challenge of having full responsibility for all classes that you might teach. This is a great way to develop leadership and communication skills.

Focus on specific areas of research. At the Ph.D. level, we offer coursework in History of Philosophy, Ethics and Values, Phenomenology and Existentialism, and Philosophy of Mind/Science.

Get funded: We offer graduate assistantships for Ph.D. students that include tuition benefits and stipend for work as research and teaching assistants.