Department of Philosophy

Thank you for your interest in our graduate programs.

We are a relatively large department with diverse philosophical interests and we take pride in providing a rigorous and nurturing environment for graduate study in Philosophy. Our PhD program emphasizes both theory and history and represents a variety of philosophical traditions. In addition, we participate in dual JD/MA and JD/PhD programs with the Georgetown University Law Center and dual MD/MA and MD/PhD programs with the Georgetown University Medical School. Students wishing to pursue these programs must apply and be admitted to both Philosophy and the professional school. The Department does not offer a free-standing MA program.

We offer a small number of assistantships (usually five or six per year) to students admitted to the PhD program.  Assistantships provide tuition remissions, living stipends, and health insurance, and require service as a teaching assistant or teaching associate.  Assistantships are guaranteed for a total of five years for awardees in good standing, but the Department will normally extend assistantship support to students in good standing beyond five years if necessary. Students admitted without financial support can apply for assistantships in later years.

A partnership in support of doctoral education for Mexican students between the Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Washington, DC and El Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT) México provides another opportunity for those seeking assistantships. Read more about it here.

Application deadlines:

Fall 2014: Dec. 15, 2013 (PhD program)
Fall 2014: Jan. 1, 2014 (MD/MA and JD/MA programs)
Spring 2014: To Be Announced

Please read the complete admissions information found on the Graduate School website. The Department requires all applications to be submitted electronically.

Applications must include:

1. Graduate Record Examination (General Test) scores
2. Official undergraduate and graduate transcript(s) from all tertiary instritutions you have attended.
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. A personal statement from the applicant
5. TOEFL, required for non-native English speakers who do not have an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution in which the primary language of instruction is English.  You must have a score of 600 (paper test) or 100 (Internet based test) or higher.
6. An application fee
7. One sample of written work in philosophy, which should show evidence of the ability to do original work in philosophy.  It should not be more than about 6000 words.
8. An abstract of the writing sample.
9. A brief resume or curriculum vitae, with educational record, employment history, honors, GPAs, GRE scores.

Please note: All application materials must be sent directly to the Graduate School, not to the Philosophy Department.

If you have further questions, you may contact Neil Lewis, Chair of Graduate Admissions, Assistantships and Recruitment. He may be reached by e-mail at lewisn@georgetown.edu.