The doctoral program in philosophy serves students who aspire to make philosophy a lifelong pursuit through teaching. Our students’ unique, interdisciplinary training in the Institute of Philosophic Studies makes them exceptionally well qualified to teach in colleges and schools that value a liberal education.
Philosophy, PhD
“Few wish to undergo this labor for love of knowledge, yet God has placed a natural desire for it in the human mind.”
In accord with these words of Thomas Aquinas, graduate study in philosophy calls to those whom the love of wisdom impels beyond the ordinary. It is a labor of love, undertaken by those who are already well equipped for professional success, but who choose to dedicate themselves further to the pursuit of wisdom. For some this means a lifelong commitment to philosophy, with all the sacrifices this entails. For others it means postponing for one more year the comforts of a full-time income, or dedicating nights and weekends to the task of study. Yet it is also a matter of deep and abiding joy, and a task that prepares the mind for whatever life may hold.
At the University of Dallas, graduate study in philosophy is a joyful dialogue with the great works of the Western tradition and the most insightful voices of the present, in pursuit of a wisdom that does not change, but that reveals itself only gradually to the human mind. This dialogue embraces not only philosophy in the narrow sense, but also the closely related fields of literature, politics, and theology. It is charged with the weight of Christian revelation, and with the light this revelation sheds on our shared humanity.
Philosophy cannot flourish in its distinctive intellectual role apart from the transformative power of literature and the arts, keen attention to the flourishing of human communities, and the light shed on all of these by the Jewish and Christian scriptures. For this reason, doctoral students in philosophy at UD earn a doctorate in philosophic studies with concentration in philosophy. The seven core courses that they take with their colleagues in literature and politics shape a capacity for transformative teaching that philosophy in the narrow sense cannot achieve on its own.
The University of Dallas grants all PhDs through the Institute of Philosophic Studies (IPS). The philosophic character of literary study within the Institute is reflected in a concentration upon major authors whose works can claim philosophic scope and penetration. Students inquire into the issues treated by great writers, considering the literary treatment as one voice in a conversation in which philosophers, political thinkers, and theologians also participate.
All IPS students, including those in the PhD program, complete the same general program requirements. More detailed information about these requirements can be found in the IPS Handbook.
In addition, to several IPS core courses, Philosophy PhD students complete 45 additional hours of graduate study in philosophy. A list of recently offered courses can be found here.
Admission to the doctoral program is selective. We accept about 3-5 students into the IPS program in Philosophy each year.
The main criteria for admission are:
- Quality of a philosophical paper submitted to the department.
- Previous academic background and record
- Letters of recommendation
- GRE scores
- Statement of Purpose
How to Apply
Complete an online application.
A complete application requires:
- Arrange for the submission of official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores. The scores reported must result from a test taken within the last five years.
- Submit unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution (upload through the online application).
- Submit a Curriculum Vita or resume through the online application portal.
- Arrange for two-three letters of recommendation from persons able to evaluate the applicant’s philosophical ability and potential, to be submitted through the online recommendation system associated with the online application.
- Submit a sample (typically 10 - 15 typed pages in length) of the applicant's philosophical writing and attach it electronically to the online application.
- Submit a statement of purpose through the online application system (a brief, no more than two to three typed pages, statement of the applicant's motivations and goals in undertaking graduate study of philosophy).
Deadlines
The deadline for admission is February 1st of the year for which admission is sought. All application materials must be submitted by this deadline. Admission and waitlist offers will be made as soon as the graduate committee has had a chance to review the applications.
During Coursework
Each year the Institute of Philosophy Studies awards annual stipends of up to $13,600 to two incoming students in the Philosophy concentration. These awards provide three years of support.
In addition, married students in the Philosophy concentration are eligible for the Robert E. Wood Family Fellowship. The Wood Fellow receives an annual stipend of up to $20,100 through the third year of studies, after which a new fellow is selected.
All other students admitted to the program receive a stipend of up to $8600 for the first three years.
Each of these stipends is available to full-time students who maintain a GPA of 3.7, and involves a work obligation of ten hours per week during the academic year. The exact amount of the stipend depends on the type of work, which takes place in the Academic Success or Writing Program for undergraduates, the Cowan-Blakley Memorial Library, or a similar university department. Students may opt out of the work requirement, in which case the amount of the stipend listed above is reduced by $5600.
After coursework
Each year the department awards three Wojtyła Teaching Fellowships. Wojtyła Fellows teach two undergraduate courses per semester and receive a stipend of $23,000. The fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to students who have completed their coursework and examinations and show promise as teachers. They are sometimes renewed for a second year.
Other students who show promise as teachers, and have completed enough coursework to earn the MA in Philosophy, may be invited to teach undergraduate courses as adjunct instructors. Ordinarily, successful teaching in this role is a prerequisite for receiving a Wojtyła Fellowship.
The doctoral program in philosophy serves students who aspire to make philosophy a lifelong pursuit through teaching. Our students’ unique, interdisciplinary training in the Institute of Philosophic Studies makes them exceptionally well qualified to teach in local and regional colleges, seminaries, and classical and preparatory schools where the ideals of liberal learning and formation of the whole person are valued.
Our graduates have been very successful in obtaining faculty positions at small Catholic liberal arts colleges or seminaries. In fact, many of our students have been able to find faculty positions while still completing their dissertation. Student placements since 2020 are listed here.