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The Department of Philosophy at the University of Arkansas offers an M.A. and a Ph.D. in philosophy. Our M.A. and Ph.D. programs are actually distinct programs. The M.A. program is a two-year program, and the PhD program is a three-year program; students must have an M.A. in philosophy to qualify for the Ph.D. program. Students in either program can concentrate in history of philosophy (including ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary), metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and/or philosophy of science. Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree:
The PhD program is separate from the Master's program; admission is only open to students with an MA in philosophy.
Admission to the M.A. program is subject to the approval of the Graduate School of the University of Arkansas and the graduate committee of the Department of Philosophy. The department encourages both philosophy majors and students with majors in other fields to apply. Though the normal expectation for admission to the M.A. program is at least 18 undergraduate hours in philosophy, including logic, exceptions are sometimes made. Students with significantly fewer hours in philosophy may be admitted "with deficiencies" (i.e., admitted but required to take more than the usual number of courses to satisfy the M.A. requirements). It is possible, but rare, for students with deficiencies to receive assistantships. The Graduate School has additional requirements, posted here. Admission to the Ph.D. program is also subject to the approval of the Graduate School of the University of Arkansas and the graduate committee of the Department of Philosophy. Students must have an MA in philosophy to be eligible for the PhD program. Those who are still working on their MA may be conditionally admitted into the PhD program. Application Materials: Application is a two-part process. Send application form, fee, transcripts, and (optional) GRE scores in a single envelope to the Graduate School. Send at least three confidential letters of recommendation, a sample of written work, and statement of purpose directly to the Philosophy Department, at the address below. Letters may be sent separately. Applicants seeking a teaching assistantship should submit an assistantship application form to the Philosophy Department as well. The Graduate School has additional requirements for International students. Click here for details. Graduate program admission/application FAQ: click here Assistantships/Fellowships: Department assistantships are available. For 2009-2010 the stipend of a half-time assistant (this is the normal assistantship) was $8700. Tuition (resident or nonresident) is waived for half-time assistants. Graduate assistants usually teach Logic or Introduction to Philosophy. Applications for assistantships must be received by March 25 for consideration for the following fall. Click here for Fellowships offered by the Graduate School. Send application materials to:
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Satisfactory progress toward the PhD: Full-time students are to take steps to satisfy the language requirement by the end of the summer following their first year; to satisfy the 24 credit hour course requirement by the end of their second year, and normally by the end of the first semester of their second year (exceptions to be allowed at the discretion of the graduate advisor); to attempt the comprehensive exam by the end of the second year; to complete the prospectus by the end of the summer following their second year; and to take the prospectus exam early in the first semester of the third year. Part-time students should consult the graduate advisor to establish a comparable time-table. If a student successfully completes his or her requirements according to this time-table, he or she will be eligible to be considered for a fourth year of Ph.D. financial support; otherwise, not.
Through an agreement with the Academic Common Market, residents of Alabama and Mississippi may qualify for graduate enrollment in the doctoral program in philosophy as in-state students for fee purposes. See the Graduate Catalog for details. Listing of Philosophy Courses back
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