When the Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876, it was the first university in the United States designed as a center for research and doctoral education. Among its earliest graduate students were Josiah Royce and John Dewey; C.S. Peirce was an early faculty member. The William H. Miller III Department of Philosophy continues this tradition today, preparing graduate students to make original contributions to the field and to pursue careers in college and university teaching. Please see the Philosophy Department handbook for more information on funding and benefits.
Usually there are about 15 graduate students taking courses and seminars, and another 15 at various stages in the writing of their dissertations. Because classes are small, we look for students who wish to take advantage of the individual attention available here. The Department’s purpose is to provide opportunities for students to develop special interests within a program that also ensures breadth of knowledge. We offer classes, seminars, and directed study in the history of ancient, modern, and contemporary Western philosophy, and in the systematic areas of epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, philosophy of mathematics, mathematical logic, and aesthetics. Courses with relevance to philosophy are frequently offered in other departments, and in certain circumstances these may be used toward the PhD or MA course requirements in philosophy.
For more information on the requirements for the PhD, financial aid, and other support refer to the Department's website.
Admission Requirements
While an undergraduate major in philosophy is good preparation for graduate study in the department, applications are welcomed from students with other majors whose interests are now turning toward philosophy.
For program admissions requirements, please see the departmental admissions website.
To apply, please visit the Krieger School Graduate Admissions website and select 'Apply Now'.
For questions or inquiries about the online application and supporting documents, contact the Graduate Admissions office using the online contact form. You may also contact the Department's administrative office at philosophy@jhu.edu or 410-516-7524.
Requirements
Coursework
A minimum of 14 courses is required, of which Proseminar will count as 2. Students must satisfy the Categories I-III distribution requirements, the analytic philosophy requirement, and the social concepts requirement (see handbook for details). A minimum of 3 of the required courses must be graduate seminars at the 600 level. The minimally passing grade in regular courses is B-.
Preliminary Research Exercise
In consultation with their advisor, students decide on a contemporary debate or subfield to research during the summer between the first and second years.
Qualifying Paper
Work on the Qualifying Paper extends from the end of the second year to the middle of the third year. Every student is expected to sign up for independent study with their advisor for the first term of the third year in order to work on this project.
Dissertation Proposal & Topical
The Dissertation Proposal is a paper of roughly 15-20 pages, accompanied by a bibliography, developed in consultation with the advisor and one other faculty member. When the Proposal is completed and is judged acceptable by these two faculty members, the Topical examination will be scheduled and the Proposal will be circulated to the entire department.
Dissertation & GBO Exam
A Ph.D. dissertation is to be written under the direction of the student's Dissertation Readers, who share the entire responsibility for its supervision.
Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for more detailed information.
M.A. Degree Requirements
Students are not normally admitted to pursue a terminal Master's degree in Philosophy. (Anyone applying to the Department to pursue such a degree will need to provide a compelling explanation of why this is necessary or desirable.) However, students may earn and receive a Master's degree in Philosophy in the course of pursuing the Ph.D. in Philosophy, or in the course of pursuing a graduate degree in another field, or if they enter the Ph.D. program in Philosophy but then leave the Department (for any reason) before completing it. Students enrolled in departments other than Philosophy must be approved by the Department (by a majority vote of the entire faculty) in order to receive a Master's degree.