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Graduate Programme

The Department of Philosophy at McGill University has particular strength in the following areas: Ancient and Medieval (especially Arabic) Philosophy; Early Modern Philosophy; Kant and post-Kantian German Philosophy; Philosophy of Mind; Aesthetics; Moral and Political Philosophy; Feminist Philosophy; History and Philosophy of Science and Mathematics; Philosophy of Logic; Contemporary European Philosophy. The course of study leading to a PhD in philosophy includes course work and the preparation and defence of a thesis. Students normally take twelve courses over two years, including courses which satisfy requirements in logic, history of philosophy, value theory and metaphysics/epistemology. (Students may take some courses for credit at the Université de Montréal and the Université du Québec à Montréal). Students are expected to work with at least two members of faculty in the preparation of a thesis. The Department has an excellent placement record.

Department and University Information

Department of philosophy.

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PhD Program

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The PhD program in the Department of Philosophy provides students with intense philosophical training, and can help them transition to careers in philosophical research and teaching.

Those admitted will work with award-winning faculty members who engage in research in the philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, aesthetics, ethics, social/political philosophy, logic, Asian philosophy and the history of philosophy, just to name a few.

Program Overview

PhD students will take courses in the first years to provide them with expertise in a broad range of philosophical topics, including value theory, the history of philosophy, the core areas of metaphysics and epistemology as well as their own personal research interests. After the coursework comes the comprehensive exam, followed by prospectus and dissertation.

Students interested in a PhD in philosophy must be aware of these degree requirements.

• Two years’ residency at UBC,
• Eight one-term courses at or above the 500 level,
• During the first year, five one-term courses including four at the 500 level or above and four with a minimum average of 80% (A- or 3.7 GPA),
• During the second year, complete the PhD coursework requirement with an overall average of 80%.

For students who have not obtained a master’s degree

• Three years’ residency at UBC,
• Ten one-term courses, including eight at the 500 level or above,
• A minimum average of 80% (A- or 3.7 GPA) in six one-term courses,

For all doctoral candidates

• One presentation to the Philosophy Graduate Colloquium during the first two years
• Complete the Comprehensive Exam
• Complete a dissertation prospectus and oral presentation
• Complete a dissertation of approximately 60,000 words and public dissertation defence

Graduate Resources

As part of the program, graduate students will have access to a number of resources that support each individual’s work and research.

Graduate Regulations (revised September 2023)

This document contains full details on MA and PhD procedures and requirements, including information on the following topics: the MA course-only and thesis options; transferring from the MA to the PhD program; residency requirements; the course distribution and formal methods requirements; the proseminar; the comprehensive examination; the PhD prospectus; leaves of absence; and PhD thesis preparation. For details on these and other topics, please consult the table of contents.

Graduate students are crucial to the life of the department. They are expected to regularly attend colloquia, to elect a representative for faculty meetings, and to organize periodic social events. There are also work in progress seminars where graduates and faculty are invited to share and discuss their developing research projects. In addition, there is currently an active Graduate Student Colloquium for graduate student presenters only.

Reading groups are also a nice way to explore philosophy in a more informal setting, and students have access to a reading room in addition to having space in the graduate lounge. Lastly, graduate students have the opportunity to hone their teaching skills as TAs or instructors.

Science and Technology Studies (STS)

Several philosophy department faculty are members of the Science and Technology Studies program in cooperation with faculty from History, English, and other departments. The STS program offers an MA program and a PhD stream within the philosophy PhD. Philosophy PhD students enrolled in the PhD stream take three STS seminars as part of their graduate coursework. STS seminars are frequently cross-listed with philosophy seminars and are open to other graduate students.

Centre for Applied Ethics

Supervision in applied ethics, including biomedical ethics, environmental ethics, and business and professional ethics, is available in conjunction with the Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics . The Centre for Applied Ethics is an independent academic unit with resources for graduate education in applied ethics. Graduate students in the philosophy department can seek research supervision from Centre faculty.

Philosophy PhD Co-op Option

The Arts Co-op Program offers students enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth. Co-op is a high-impact educational program that allows you to alternate dissertation-writing terms with work terms, during which you gain meaningful paid work experience. We work with a diverse range of community partners and sectors to provide transformative workplace learning for co-op students. The Arts PhD Co-op Program allows you to explore different career options, while gaining paid, professional work experience and a network of contacts. Some students are able to secure work terms that are relevant to their dissertation research, while others choose to pursue work experience that diversify their expertise and give them range. Students complete three work terms of 4 months each over the two to three years after achieving candidacy. The PhD Co-op option is currently being piloted for Philosophy students. Philosophy PhD Co-op option

Co-operative agreement with Simon Fraser University

Philosophy graduate students at UBC may take courses in the Philosophy Department at Simon Fraser University without paying additional fees. Supervisory committees may include members from both departments.

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Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis-based program

Program overview.

Philosophy scholars pursue questions of truth at the root of virtually all academic investigation in science and the humanities. Our philosophy graduate program is one of Canada's finest, garnering international recognition. Through their dedication to academic excellence, our doctoral supervisors and students maintain a PhD program that is one of Canada's top five.

The program has a strong placement record for graduates of both the PhD and MA. While many graduates pursue academic careers, the PhD in philosophy can lead to careers in consulting, public policy and research. Students accepted into this highly competitive PhD program will engage with a vibrant philosophical community supplemented with a visiting speaker series and regular research group meetings.

Completing this program

Core Course:  Graduate Proseminar, usually taken in the first year.

Logic:  Students must show competence in logic.

Thesis:  Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.

Additional Courses:  Topics may include philosophy of science, history of philosophy, metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of language, epistemology, logic and more.

Candidacy:  Students will complete both oral and written candidacy exams.

Professional skills: Students take the required Research and Professional Development seminar after they have advanced to candidacy.

Academia, law, public policy, research analysis, consulting, publishing.

A PhD in philosophy is usually considered a final degree.

Students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend in an open oral defense.

Minimum of seven courses

Learn more about program requirements in the Academic Calendar

Classroom delivery

Time commitment.

Four years full-time; six years maximum

A supervisor is required, but is not required prior to the start of the program

See the Graduate Calendar for information on  fees and fee regulations,  and for information on  awards and financial assistance .

Virtual Tour

Explore the University of Calgary (UCalgary) from anywhere. Experience all that UCalgary has to offer for your graduate student journey without physically being on campus. Discover the buildings, student services and available programs all from your preferred device.

Learn about faculty in the Department of Philosophy. Contact the program for more information.

Results for:

Megan Delehanty

Jeremy Fantl

Christopher Framarin

Allen Habib

Ann Victoria Levey

David Liebesman

Lorraine Markotic

Mark Migotti

Brendan Moran

C. Kenneth Waters

Nicole Wyatt

Richard Zach

Admission Requirements

A minimum of 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.

Minimum education

Applicants hold a four-year undergraduate degree with honours or a major in philosophy; however, applicants with a degree in a related academic field will be considered.

Work samples

A sample of written work, such as a recent essay, written in English. 

The sample should be 10-15 pages including bibliography, prepared for anonymous review.

Reference letters

Test scores, english language proficiency.

An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt)  score of 97.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)  score of 7.0.
• Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL)  score of 70 (no less than 70 in each section).
• Pearson Test of English (PTE)   score of 68, or higher (Academic version).
• Duolingo English Test  and obtaining a minimum score of 135* (with no sub-score below 115*). 
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency  minimum score of 191.
• Academic Communication Certificate (ACC)  score of A- in writing and oral communication courses/B+ in other courses.

For Admission September 1:

Canadians and permanent residents are strongly urged to apply for SSHRC scholarships in the Fall prior to application.

If you're not a Canadian or permanent resident, or if you have international credentials, make sure to learn about international requirements

Are you ready to apply?

Learn more about this program, department of philosophy.

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Located in the nation's most enterprising city, we are a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude.

We are the second-largest graduate program in philosophy in Canada, with almost 40 professors whose research and teaching cover a diverse range of topics. Our program has particular strength in four broad areas: moral, political and legal philosophy; philosophy of cognitive science, mind and language; epistemology and philosophy of science; and history of 19th and 20th century philosophy. The environment is friendly and welcoming. We support and mentor our students and make their goals our goals. Professors co-author articles with students, share social events with them and take students to conferences. Our PhD students TA two courses a year, with the possibility of gaining additional funding and experience by TAing in the summer. In the 4th or 5th year of the program, students who are making good progress are typically given the opportunity to teach their own course.

The program is designed to be completed in 4 years but often takes longer. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with the Faculty of Graduate Studies Registration Policies, including the requirement of continuous registration. Terms that students register as Leave of Absence, Maternal Leave, Parental Leave, or No Course Available are not included in these time limits.

Students must complete Philosophy 6800 6.0: First-Year Seminar and either Philosophy 6850 6.0: PhD Research Seminar or Philosophy 6860 6.0: PhD Research Seminar II, plus another six half-courses (or the equivalent), with no more than one full course equivalent a reading course and no more than one full course equivalent integrated with an undergraduate course. Philosophy 6800 6.0 must be taken in Year 1. The six half courses must normally be completed by the end of Year 2, and Philosophy 6850 6.0 or Philosophy 6860 6.0 by the end of Year 3, in order to remain in good standing in the program. With the permission of the program director, students may take one half-graduate course outside the program, either at York University or elsewhere, and count it towards these course requirements. There are also Breadth and Area Requirements that must be met by the six half courses—at least two of them must focus in-depth on a single historically significant problem or philosopher and cover different periods in the history of philosophy; at least two of them must be in metaphysics and/or epistemology, understood as including philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science; and at least two of them must be in moral, political, social or legal philosophy. Normally, by the end of the second year, students must demonstrate to the logic examination committee a mastery of the semantic and syntactic elements of sentential and first-order predicate logic. This includes understanding validity, logical truth, and natural deduction derivations for both sentential and predicate logic. Mastery may be demonstrated by passing an exam in logic that is set by the logic examination committee, or by passing a graduate-level course in logic. Students who fail to fulfill the logic requirement by the end of the second year will be withdrawn from the program.

Students must submit two papers, normally by the end of the first term of Year 3, to be examined by three anonymous examiners in the program. To pass the exam, each paper must be passed by at least two of the three examiners. The papers, which may be based upon previous term papers, will demonstrate the skills that are needed to successfully pursue advanced doctoral research. One paper will be in the student’s primary area of research, and the other paper will be in a closely related (but not identical) area.

Students must submit a suitable dissertation proposal acceptable to the supervisory committee successfully defend the dissertation proposal and pass an oral examination on literature relevant to the dissertation topic. The list of literature will be compiled jointly by the supervisor and the student after the supervisory relationship is formed and before the proposal is written. The examiners will consist of the student’s supervisory committee plus one outside member from the program. This requirement is normally met by the end of the third year.

Candidates must write an acceptable dissertation embodying original research and defend it at an oral examination. It is recommended that Candidates whose field of study necessitates a reading knowledge of a language other than English acquire sufficient knowledge of that language. Candidates may be asked to demonstrate their proficiency to the Examining Committee.

The Graduate Program in Philosophy at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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PhD Program in Philosophy

McMaster’s PhD Program in Philosophy enables students to develop their own research while building a foundation of comprehensive knowledge. The program culminates in the preparation and defence of a doctoral dissertation: an original piece of research prepared under the guidance of a supervisory committee. See below for information about the program.

I found the passion amongst individual professors for their discipline and area of study the most beneficial to me.

Brandon Coombs '15

Honours Philosophy and Art History Double Major

About the Program

The PhD Program is designed to be completed in four years. It begins with coursework and culminates in a dissertation: an original piece of research prepared under the guidance of a supervisory committee. Students are encouraged to participate in the life of the department by attending talks, meetings, conferences, workshops, reading groups, and social events. We regularly offer workshops on such topics as: publishing, presentations, the academic job market, careers beyond academia, developing as a teacher, writing a thesis, and work-life balance. Students have access to the resources of McMaster’s MacPherson Institute for Teaching and Learning and can teach their own course as a PhD Teaching Fellow. A Placement Coordinator supports students in their pursuit of both academic and non-academic careers.

Further information can be found below and in our Program Handbook (available below).

Admission Requirements

Admission to the PhD program requires an MA in Philosophy or an equivalent degree. An equivalent degree here normally means an MA or other graduate degree in a related subject and at least some background in Philosophy.

There is a possibility for students enrolled in McMaster’s MA program in Philosophy to be accepted into the PhD program without completing the MA degree, subject to their satisfying certain conditions for excellent progress in their first year.

Selection is made by the PhD Program Committee of the Department of Philosophy, and any student admitted comes under the general regulations of McMaster University.

Any applicant whose first language is not English and who has not completed a degree within an accredited university in a program whose primary language of instruction is English must submit evidence of proficiency in English. Please see  https://gs.mcmaster.ca/academic-services/how-apply  under the Language Requirements tab for an enumeration of the exams and minimum scores that constitute sufficient evidence.

Application Process

Deadline: February 1, 2024, if you wish to receive full consideration for all applicable funding opportunities.

If you encounter any difficulties with your application, please contact us at  [email protected] .

To complete an online application to our PhD program, please go  here . If you have questions regarding our program, please feel free to email the department’s  PhD Advisor .

A completed application will include the following documents. Please ensure that you upload all of your documents to the online portal before finalizing your application submission.

• If the final transcript does not show that all degree requirements have been met or the degree is conferred, an official copy of your diploma is also required.
• Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified literal translation.
• If your application is accepted for admission to the program, you will be required to submit original transcripts in order to remain enrolled in the program
• Two Letters of Reference  from instructors most familiar with your academic work. Your referees will automatically be sent an e-Reference request on your behalf, once you enter their email address through the online application.
• English Language Proficiency:  For applicants who do not hold a post-secondary degree from a program whose language of instruction was English, you will be required to provide an official record of your proficiency in English. Please see https://gs.mcmaster.ca/how-to-apply/ under the Language Requirements tab for an enumeration of the exams and minimum scores that constitute sufficient evidence.
• Statement of Interest:  A brief statement (1-2 pages) explaining your research interests, how your background prepares you for the program, and your reasons for seeking to pursue your research interests as a graduate student with the McMaster University Philosophy Program.
• Sample of Work : Please submit a sample of your philosophical writing in English to the  online application system . Your writing sample should be indicative of your ability to engage in advanced philosophical research. It need not fall within the area of your proposed research. To ensure full consideration, your writing sample should not exceed 7000 words.
• C.V.:  Please include on your CV any research, publications, academic awards, teaching, or work experience relevant to philosophy.

Application Fee

You will require a valid credit card or Interac card (domestic applicants) for the application fee ($110 CAD) and a valid email address. Your application will not be considered for admission until your application fee has been received and you submit your application.

Please note that there are no admission fee waivers at the present time.

Program Timelines

The PhD Program is designed to be completed in four years. We summarize here the structure of the program and normal progression through it. For a more detailed timeline, please see the Program Handbook (available below).

In year 1 , students typically complete five graduate courses, and, in consultation with the Department’s PhD Advisor, form their supervisory committee (consisting of a supervisor and two other faculty members). They also apply for any external scholarships for which they are eligible.

In year 2 , students complete the PhD Seminar (a full year course required for all second-year PhD students, and open only to them) and prepare their thesis proposal. In May of year 2, they complete their qualifying exam, which consists of an oral defence of a written thesis proposal. Students whose research requires competence in logic or a language other than English must demonstrate that competence (typically by an exam) before taking the qualifying exam.

In years 3 and 4 , students work on their thesis in collaboration with their supervisor and committee. They also have opportunities to teach their own course as a PhD Teaching Fellow.

Throughout the program, students are encouraged to engage with the life of the department, university, profession, and broader community. This includes giving talks and guest lectures, helping organize events, and submitting their work to conferences and for publication.

Tuition & Program Fees

Visit Graduate Studies to learn more about tuition, supplementary fees and everything you need to know about being paid as a Teaching or Research Assistant. Tuition fees are assessed on a term by term basis, depending on the number of courses a student takes or if they are paying by term.

Faculty Scholarship Adjustments Guidelines

The McMaster Graduate Scholarship (MGS) is the most common form of scholarship support available to graduate students in our program. The MGS ensures that students receive a guaranteed minimum level of scholarship support. Adjustments to the MGS will depend on other available scholarships.

The Faculty of Humanities Adjustments guidelines policy is available for review.

REVIEW THE POLICY

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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

PhD students take six graduate courses in total: five regular (usually single-semester) courses, plus the PhD Seminar in year 2. With permission of the PhD Advisor, one of the five regular graduate courses may be taken outside Philosophy. Students’ coursework must also satisfy the department’s area requirements (for details, see the Program Handbook, available below). The minimum grade for passing a graduate course at McMaster is B-. Graduate students may also select from Philosophy graduate courses at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Guelph.

Learn more about specific courses by reading our graduate course descriptions. Archived descriptions from previous years are also available. Graduate course descriptions

Archived course descriptions

The Qualifying Exam (QE) is an oral examination based on a written thesis proposal. It is normally completed in May of year 2. It can be retaken, but, absent an extension, must be passed before the end of the student’s 24th month in the program (normally the end of August in year 2). The purpose of the QE is to ensure the candidate has a viable thesis proposal and the background to carry it through successfully. To be eligible to take the QE, the student must have achieved (by the end of the 20th month in the program) a GPA on courses taken towards the PhD of at least 9.5. Students whose research requires competence in logic or a language other than English must also demonstrate that competence (typically by an exam) before taking the QE.

Doctoral students prepare their thesis in consultation with their supervisor and other members of their supervisory committee. With the approval of the supervisory committee, the finished work is submitted to an external examiner. Upon approval by the external examiner, the thesis is defended before members of the supervisory committee and the external examiner. General information about the doctoral thesis and thesis defence process at McMaster can be found here .

All students in the PhD Program are guaranteed funding for four years. This funding takes two main forms: a Teaching Assistantship (TA) and a graduate scholarship. Funding of both kinds may be possible beyond the end of year 4, but is not guaranteed.

Teaching Assistantships

The value of the TA is fixed by the Collective Agreement between the University and Local 3906, Unit 1 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. In 2023-24, the stipend for a full-year TA is $12,906.32. To hold a TA, students must be enrolled full-time and have paid full-time fees. Under the agreement between Local 3906 and the University, the position of TA requires an average of 10 working hours of work per week over a full academic session (Fall and Winter only), for a maximum of 266 hours a year, or 133 hours each academic term.

Typical duties for a Teaching Assistant include conducting two tutorials each week when classes are in session, with up to 20 students in each; grading student work; and consultation with students. Teaching Assistants carry out their duties under the supervision of the instructor in charge of the relevant course.

Graduate Scholarships

In addition to the TA, all PhD students who do not have an external scholarship receive a McMaster Graduate Scholarship (MGS) for four years. The value of the scholarship will be specified in the offer of admission. If a student wins an external award such as an OGS or SSHRC award, their initial offer of an MGS is rescinded and replaced by this external scholarship, assuming it is of higher value. Limited MGS support may be possible beyond year 4, but is not guaranteed.

PhD students are expected to apply for all external awards for which they are eligible. The Department makes its students aware of all funding opportunities and guides them in their applications.

The Department adheres to the Faculty of Humanities guidelines on scholarship adjustments for students winning major, merit-based internal or external awards. These can be found here.

Academic Travel Support

Any graduate student who has a paper accepted at a peer-reviewed philosophy conference is eligible for funding up to $750, once a year, to enable attendance. To apply for this funding, students should complete the  Department of Philosophy Travel Funds application , including confirmation of their paper’s acceptance and an estimate of anticipated expenses.

Limited funds for conference travel purposes may also be available to eligible students who apply to the  Graduate Students Association .

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Department Life

The McMaster department regularly hosts conferences and workshops. Graduate students are heavily involved in these events, as both presenters and organizers. There is also a weekly visiting speaker series during the teaching term. The speaker series is preceded and followed by social events, in which the whole department community can come together. There are always reading groups in progress. For further information, see “ Our Community ” and “ Events .”

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Doctorate in Philosophy Philosophy and Specialization Canadian Studies

The Department of Philosophy offers MA (with or without thesis) and PhD programs in Philosophy. The programs are offered in English and French. According to the University's policy, students may pursue their studies in the official language of their choice.

The Department participates in the collaborative programs in Women’s Studies (at the MA level), in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (at the MA level) and in Canadian Studies (at the PhD level). For more information on these programs, see “Admission Requirements.”

Because of its strength in relevant areas, its bilingual character and its location in the national capital, the University of Ottawa is uniquely positioned to offer a collaborative program leading to a specialization in Canadian Studies at the doctoral level. The program is especially designed for doctoral students in selected programs in the humanities and the social sciences who wish to enrich their training in a particular discipline by including an interdisciplinary component. 

The programs are governed by the  general regulations  in effect for graduate studies. 

For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the  specific requirements  webpage.

Admission Requirements

Candidates are admitted to the PhD on the basis of an MA in Philosophy with a minimum "B+" average.

An application dossier must include official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a description of the intended field of research, and a sample of written work. For candidates wishing to enter the PhD without an MA the application dossier must include a detailed statement of research plans.

Language Requirements

Proficiency in both French and English is strongly encouraged so that students may take advantage of the full range of activities — lectures, personal contacts, and courses — available in the Department (graduate courses are normally not duplicated in the two languages).

Collaborative Program

The Department of Philosophy is a participating unit in the collaborative program in Canadian Studies at the PhD level. This program has been established for students wishing to enrich their training in Philosophy by including an interdisciplinary component in Canadian Studies. The seminar ( CDN 6520 or  CDN 6910 ) fits into the departmental course requirements and does not add to the number of courses required for the PhD in Philosophy.

To be admitted to the program, students must be enrolled in, or have successfully completed, at least one graduate course in Philosophy with Canadian content. The mention "Specialization in Canadian Studies" will be added to the diploma of students who pass the seminar ( CDN 6520 or  CDN 6910 ) and successfully defend a thesis on a Canadian topic in Philosophy.

Transfer from Master's to PhD

In addition, for those enrolled in the MA in Philosophy, the Department offers an accelerated entrance to the PhD on the condition of having completed four courses with a minimum "A" average. The decision for acceptance into this accelerated program will be made by the Graduate Studies Committee on the basis of recommendations by at least two professors who have taught the candidate in the four courses, the agreement of a member of the department to supervise the candidate in the PhD program, and a dossier that meets the standard requirements of admission into the PhD. Application must normally be made within sixteen months of initial enrollment in the Master's, with the successful applicant enrolling in the PhD program by the 4th term at the latest. Following the transfer, all the requirements of the doctoral program must be met. The total number of course units required is 30 (12 at the master’s and 18 at the doctoral level). Students who take this option do not receive an MA degree. However, students who transfer but do not complete the PhD can receive an MA by fulfilling all the requirements of the MA program.

Requirements for this program have been modified. Please consult the  2022-2023 calendars  for the previous requirements.

Doctorate with Collaborative Specialization

The PhD program consists of six (one-term) courses, a comprehensive exam, a thesis project, and a thesis, including defence.

Students enrolled in the collaborative program will be asked to meet both the requirements of their primary program and those of the collaborative program. The units completed for the specialization in Canadian Studies count also towards the primary degree in Philosophy. Additional units are not required.

Doctoral candidates must also complete a proficiency requirement in the second official language. This requirement can be completed in one of three ways:

• Passing (50%) the  FLS 1000  exam; OR
• Completing 6 units of FLS courses at your level (as determined by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute); OR
• Successfully completing a Philosophy graduate seminar given in French. (N.B. As per University regulations, students may write examinations and papers in the official language of their choice.)

Doctoral students must have sufficient mastery of languages to complete their research project; that is, they must be capable of studying texts in the original language and be able to check translations.

CDN 6520   is offered only in French.

Submission and successful defence of a thesis on a Canadian topic in the participating unit. The proposed topic must be approved by both the participating unit and the Canadian Studies Graduate Committee. At least one of the examiners of the thesis must be a person chosen in consultation with the executive committee of the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 units), the thesis proposal, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw.

Duration of Program

The program is designed to be completed in four years. The maximum time permitted is six years, or seven years in the case of transfer students.

Thesis Advisory Committee

For information on the Thesis Advisory Committee, please consult the graduate studies secretariat of the Department of Philosophy.

Research at the University of Ottawa

Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa ranks among Canada’s top 10 research universities. Our research is founded on excellence, relevance and impact and is conducted in a spirit of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Our research community thrives in four strategic areas:

• Creating a sustainable environment
• Advancing just societies
• Shaping the digital world
• Enabling lifelong health and wellness

From advancing healthcare solutions to tackling global challenges like climate change, the University of Ottawa’s researchers are at the forefront of innovation, making significant contributions to society and beyond.

Research at the Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is proud of the state of the art research conducted by its professors. In the spirit of showcasing its research to the university community as well as to the general public, the Faculty has created three activities: Dean's Lecture Series, Treasures of the Library, and Excellence Lectures.

Facilities, Research Centres and Institutes at the Faculty of Arts

• Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française
• Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies
• Institute for Science, Society and Policy
• Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI)
• Morisset Library

For more information, refer to the list of faculty members and their research fields on Uniweb . 

IMPORTANT: Candidates and students looking for professors to supervise their thesis or research project can also consult the website of the faculty or department of their program of choice. Uniweb does not list all professors authorized to supervise research projects at the University of Ottawa.

PHI 5319 Aesthetics and philosophy of art (3 units)

Course Component: Seminar

PHI 5320 History of analytic philosophy (3 units)

Study of an aspect or a specific set of texts in contemporary analytic philosophy (19th-20th centuries). This course has variable topics and may be taken several times if the themes are different.

Course Component: Lecture

PHI 5321 History of continental philosophy (3 units)

Study of an aspect or a specific set of texts in contemporary continental philosophy (19th-20th centuries). This course has variable topics and may be taken several times if the themes are different.

PHI 5323 Asian and Comparative Philosophy (3 units)

Internal or comparative study of an aspect or a specific set of texts in Asian philosophy. This course has variable topics and may be taken several times if the themes are different.

PHI 5324 Philosophy of mind and cognitive science (3 units)

Study of an aspect or a specific set of texts in philosophy of mind and cognitive science. This course has variable topics and may be taken several times if the themes are different.

PHI 5325 Metaphilosophy (3 units)

Study of an aspect or a specific set of texts in metaphilosophy and/or methodology of philosophy. This course has variable topics and may be taken several times if the themes are different.

PHI 5326 Metaethics (3 units)

Study of an aspect or a specific set of texts in metaethics. This course has variable topics and may be taken several times if the themes are different.

PHI 5331 Ancient Philosophy (3 units)

PHI 5332 Medieval Philosophy (3 units)

PHI 5333 Modern Philosophy (3 units)

PHI 5341 Logic and Philosophy of Science (3 units)

PHI 5342 Epistemology (3 units)

PHI 5343 Metaphysics (3 units)

PHI 5344 Philosophical Anthropology (3 units)

PHI 5345 Ethics (3 units)

PHI 5346 Social and Political Philosophy (3 units)

PHI 5347 Philosophy of Religion (3 units)

PHI 5348 Philosophy of History (3 units)

PHI 5719 Esthétique et philosophie de l’art (3 crédits)

Étude d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes d’esthétique et de philosophie de l’art. Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

Volet : Séminaire

PHI 5720 Histoire de la philosophie analytique (3 crédits)

Étude d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes de philosophie analytique contemporaine (19e-20e siècle). Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

PHI 5721 Histoire de la philosophie continentale (3 crédits)

Étude d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes de philosophie continentale contemporaine (19e-20e siècle). Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

PHI 5723 Philosophie asiatique et comparée (3 crédits)

Étude interne ou comparée d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes issu de la philosophie asiatique. Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

PHI 5724 Philosophie de l’esprit et des sciences cognitives (3 crédits)

Étude d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes de philosophie de l’esprit et de sciences cognitives. Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

PHI 5725 Métaphilosophie (3 crédits)

Étude d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes de métaphilosophie et/ou méthodologie de la philosophie. Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

PHI 5726 Métaéthique (3 crédits)

Étude d’un enjeu ou d’un ensemble de textes de métaéthique. Ce cours à thèmes variables peut être suivi plusieurs fois pourvu que les thèmes diffèrent.

PHI 5731 Philosophie ancienne (3 crédits)

PHI 5732 Philosophie médiévale (3 crédits)

PHI 5733 Philosophie moderne (3 crédits)

PHI 5741 Logique et philosophie du langage (3 crédits)

PHI 5742 Épistémologie et philosophie des sciences (3 crédits)

PHI 5743 Métaphysique (3 crédits)

PHI 5744 Anthropologie philosophique (3 crédits)

PHI 5745 Philosophie morale (3 crédits)

PHI 5746 Philosophie sociale et politique (3 crédits)

PHI 5747 Philosophie de la religion (3 crédits)

PHI 5748 Philosophie de l'histoire (3 crédits)

PHI 5911 Séminaire d'intégration / Integration Seminar (3 crédits / 3 units)

Préparation aux études supérieures en philosophie. Introduction aux outils et méthodes de recherche. Développement des compétences en recherche, en rédaction et en communication orale. Préparation de demandes de bourses et revue des exigences de programme. Professionnalisation et formation aux carrières académique et non académique. / Preparation for graduate studies in Philosophy. Introduction to research tools and methods, paper writing and oral communication. Preparation of grant applications and review of the program requirements. Training for academic and non-academic career. Graded S (Satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory).

Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar

PHI 59111 Séminaire d'intégration (Partie 1 de 2) / Integration Seminar (Part 1 of 2)

Préparation aux études supérieures en philosophie. Introduction aux outils et méthodes de recherche. Développement des compétences en recherche, en rédaction et en communication orale. Préparation de demandes de bourses et revue des exigences de programme. Professionnalisation et formation aux carrières académique et non académique. (Partie 1 de 2) / Preparation for graduate studies in Philosophy. Introduction to research tools and methods, paper writing and oral communication. Preparation of grant applications and review of the program requirements. Training for academic and non-academic career. Graded S (Satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory). (Part 1 of 2)

PHI 59112 Séminaire d'intégration (Partie 2 de 2) / Integration Seminar (Part 2 of 2) (3 crédits / 3 units)

Préparation aux études supérieures en philosophie. Introduction aux outils et méthodes de recherche. Développement des compétences en recherche, en rédaction et en communication orale. Préparation de demandes de bourses et revue des exigences de programme. Professionnalisation et formation aux carrières académique et non académique. (Partie 2 de 2) / Preparation for graduate studies in Philosophy. Introduction to research tools and methods, paper writing and oral communication. Preparation of grant applications and review of the program requirements. Training for academic and non-academic career. Graded S (Satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory). (Part 2 of 2)

Préalable : PHI 59111 . / Prerequisite: PHI 59111 .

PHI 6102 Selected Problems II (3 units)

PHI 6103 Selected Problems III (3 units)

PHI 6502 Thèmes et problèmes de philosophie II (3 crédits)

PHI 6503 Thèmes et problèmes de philosophie III (3 crédits)

PHI 6904 Étude dirigée / Directed Study (3 crédits / 3 units)

Travail à préparer sous la direction d'un membre du corps professoral du département. Préalable : permission du comité des études supérieures. / Paper to be prepared under the direction of a professor in the department.

Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research

Prerequisite: Paper to be prepared under the direction of a professor in the department.

PHI 6995 Mémoire et recherche (MA) / Major Research Paper (MA)

PHI 6996 Mémoire et recherche (MA) / Major Research Paper (MA)

Volet / Course Component: Cours magistral / Lecture

PHI 6997 Mémoire et recherche (MA) / Major Research Paper (MA)

PHI 6999 Élaboration et présentation du projet de thèse de maîtrise ès arts / Preparation and Presentation of the M.A. Thesis Project

Rédaction du projet de thèse de maîtrise en consultation avec le superviseur, évaluation par le comité de thèse et, dans le cas d’une approbation, présentation et défense du projet dans le cadre d’un séminaire. La note donnée sera S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant). / Writing of the M.A. thesis project in consultation with the supervisor, evaluation by the thesis committee, and, in the case of approbation, presentation and defence of the project in a seminar. The course will be graded S (satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory).

PHI 8995 Mémoire de recherche (PhD) / Major Reserach Paper (PhD)

PHI 8998 Examen de candidature / Candidacy Examination (PhD)

PHI 8999 Élaboration et présentation du projet de thèse de doctorat / Preparation and Presentation of Ph.D. Thesis Project

Rédaction du projet de thèse de doctorat en consultation avec le superviseur, évaluation par le comité de thèse et, dans le cas d’une approbation, présentation et défense du projet dans le cadre d’un séminaire. La note donnée sera S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant). / Writing of the Ph.D. thesis project in consultation with the supervisor, evaluation by the thesis committee, and, in the case of approbation, presentation and defence of the project in a seminar. The course will be graded S (satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory).

CDN 6520 Séminaire sur la francophonie canadienne (3 crédits)

Séminaire sur des thèmes se rapportant à la francophonie canadienne, particulièrement les francophones vivant en situation minoritaire.

CDN 6910 Séminaire en études canadiennes / Seminar in Canadian Studies (3 crédits / 3 units)

Séminaire interdisciplinaire bilingue sur des sujets se rapportant au Canada. Les thèmes seront choisis en consultation avec les unités participantes, en tenant compte du nombre d'étudiants, de l'orientation de leur recherches et celles des unités participantes. / Bilingual interdisciplinary seminar on issues related to the study of Canada. Tipics to be selected in consultation with participating units, taking into consideration the number of students, their research interests and those of the participating units.

Undergraduate Studies

For more information about undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your faculty .

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

For more information about graduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your academic unit .

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PhD in Philosophy

Philosophy scholars pursue questions of truth at the root of virtually all academic investigation in science and the humanities. Through their dedication to academic excellence, our doctoral supervisors and students maintain a PhD program that is one of Canada's top five.

Degree offered

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) , in Philosophy

View degree requirements

Understanding graduate studies

Get important information about what you need to do before you begin your grad studies.

Ready to apply?

Ready to start your application? Get the information you need to apply today.

Start your application

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Philosophy

The aim of this doctoral program is to train research-minded students to become inspiring teachers and insightful professional scholars. In our vibrant department, you will get the access and attention you need from our faculty of internationally recognized scholars.

View program information

My time as a graduate student at the University of Calgary was truly wonderful. I received excellent training in an extremely diverse range of philosophical areas; in my case this included the philosophy of science, ethics, and logic. My professors, and especially my advisor, always encouraged and supported me as a philosopher (and person, too).

Jay Odenbaugh, PhD'01

Lewis & Clark College

Securing positions for graduates

Our placement service provides you with career and academic placement resources.

Stages in the program

Candidacy requirements.

Upon successful completion of all candidacy requirements, your status is changed from "PhD Student" to "PhD Candidate".

View the requirements

Your supervisor

Within eight months of registration, you will select a supervisor via mutual agreement. They will help plan your program and provide guidance, administrative aid, and assist your preparation of thesis and examinations.

PhD Supervisory Committee

Within three months of selecting your supervisor, a PhD Supervisory Committee will be selected via mutual agreement. Chaired by your supervisor and consisting of two more faculty members – who may be from outside the department – they will provide ongoing evaluations and be a source of scholarly encouragement.

Graduate program contacts

Contact us with any questions you may have.

Graduate Program Advisor

Ask me about graduate program advising.

[email protected]

Graduate Program Director

Ask me about graduate degree requirements.

Dr. Richard Zach [email protected] »

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Faculty / School Portals

• Graduate Studies

The Ph.D. Program

Characterised by small student cohorts and substantial opportunities for engagement with faculty and esteemed visitors, the Ph.D. program provides students with opportunities to pursue intensive, high-level studies and research. In their first year, students complete course work that satisfies distribution requirements in the areas of Value Theory and Metaphysics and Epistemology, for the sake of acquiring an advanced, general education in philosophy. In their second year, students complete comprehensive papers on areas pertinent to their proposed doctoral research as well as a doctoral dissertation proposal, under the supervision of their dissertation committees. Upon successfully completing their comprehensive requirements and orally defending their dissertation proposals, doctoral candidates begin writing their dissertations. The program is structured to ensure that candidates are able to defend in their fifth year. Candidates also acquire teaching experience, often having opportunities to take full responsibility for courses as Teaching Fellows, typically in their fourth or fifth years. 

Prospective Students

Recent graduates of the Ph.D. program have gone on to tenure-track positions, sessional and other teaching positions, postdoctoral fellowships, bioethics fellowships, and professional work in clinical ethics and bioethics. Further information about Ph.D. placement can be found at the button below.

Ph.D. Placement

Applications for all graduate programs in philosophy are hosted online by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).  Information on how to apply online can be found here . Click below to begin your application.

Welcome to the Graduate Program in Philosophy

Master of arts (ma), doctor of philosophy (phd).

The Graduate Program in Philosophy offers rigorous training for MA students to prepare them to be strong candidates for admission into PhD programs, and supports PhD students in developing a professional research profile. We specialize in a number of research areas, including: ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of law; philosophy of cognitive science, mind and language; history of 19th and 20th-century philosophy; and philosophy of science and epistemology.

Learn more about our Philosophy Graduate Programs

Quick Links

• Academic Important Dates
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Philosophy at a Glance

Areas of specialization.

Ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of law; philosophy of cognitive science, mind and language; history of 19th and 20th-century philosophy; philosophy of science and epistemology.

Students are an integral part of a lively philosophical community, hosting their own annual conference as well as regular philosophical and social events.

Our philosophers draw on a wide range of resources for research and teaching – including empirical, conceptual, and applied approaches – and engage with other disciplines.

Featured Faculty

Julianne Chung

Research Interests

Epistemology, philosophy of language, aesthetics, and philosophy of mind, skepticism, fictionalism, and metaphor, as well as how cross-cultural philosophy can shed new light on them

Philosophy , Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Cognitive Science

Parisa Moosavi

Ethics and philosophy of biology, with particular interests in neo-Aristotelian ethics, natural teleology, and ethics of artificial intelligence

Claudine Verheggen

Philosophy of language and related issues in philosophy of Mind, epistemology and metaphysics, Wittgenstein and Davidson

Only at York University’s forward-thinking Department of Philosophy could I study something as provocative as the ethics of suicide.

— Ariane Bakhtiar PhD Candidate

The Graduate Program in Philosophy at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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In This Section

• 100-Level Courses (24-25)
• 200-Level Courses (24-25)
• 300-Level Courses (24-25)
• 400-Level Courses (24-25)
• Individual Studies Courses
• 2024 Summer Courses
• Philosophy Essay Clinic
• Program Requirements
• PHL1 Mentorship Program for 1st Year Students
• Socrates Project: Undergraduate TAs
• Tri-Campus Undergraduate Writing Prizes: Spinoza and Hypatia Awards
• Philosophy Resources for Undergraduates
• Philosophy Course Union (PCU)
• Noēsis: the Undergraduate Journal of Philosophy
• Master of Arts (MA) Programs
• Course Requirements
• Breadth Requirements
• Revision Paper Requirement
• Logic Requirement
• Research Tool Requirement
• Qualifying Requirement
• Thesis Prospectus Requirement
• ABD Status Requirement
• Thesis Requirements
• Residency Requirement
• 4-Year PhD Timeline
• Thesis Requirement
• 5-Year PhD Timeline
• Courses (2023-2024 and 2024-2025)
• Safety Abroad Requirements
• Roles and Responsibilities
• PhD Defence Scheduling & Convocating
• PhD Residency Requirement
• Leaves of Absence 
• Honours and Awards
• Graduate Program Forms
• PhD Placement Record: 1970-1979
• PhD Placement Record: 1980-1989
• PhD Placement Record: 1990-1999
• PhD Placement Record: 2000-2009
• PhD Placement Record: 2010-2019
• PhD Placement Record: 2020-present
• Graduate Philosophy Students’ Union (GPSU)
• Climate, Diversity, and Inclusiveness

The department admits students to two degree programs: Master of Arts (MA) (Philosophy OR Philosophy of Science Concentration) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, four-year OR five-year streams).

Applications for 2024-25 are now CLOSED.

The application deadline for 2025-26 is Wednesday January 8, 2025.

Please read this page carefully for instructions on how to apply. You can also learn more in the School of Graduate Studies’ Admissions Guide .

Note that students applying for admission should not submit GRE scores. GRE scores are no longer required and will not be considered . Applicants should, however, submit CVs for the upcoming admissions season.

Domestic students are strongly encouraged to apply for the Canadian Graduate Scholarship Master’s (CGSM). Find information about the CGSM on the School of Graduate Studies website. The deadline for CGSM applications will be late November or early December 2024 . Those who receive the CGSM can be enrolled in either a master’s program or our direct-entry PhD program (five-year stream).

Listen to Professor Amy Mullin talk about the department’s graduate programs or watch a video in which members of the department, including two current grad students, describe their experiences. You can also review some application tips in another video. One piece of advice has changed – it is best to submit a writing sample in one of your proposed areas of research so that the faculty reading it are those in whose areas of research you plan to focus.

The Graduate Department of Philosophy offers online information sessions about common admissions questions and concerns. The next session will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 7 PM EST . Interested participants must register to receive the appropriate Zoom link.

If you have questions related to your application, please see Admissions FAQ for Prospective Graduate Students .

Learn more about our limited Application Fee Waiver program for students who identify as a member of an underrepresented group  and have self-identified financial need. The deadline to apply is Dec. 2, 2024 by 12:00pm EST.

Need to reach the Director of Graduate Studies directly? Email the m .

Domestic and International Students

Both programs are open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as international applicants; however, our current structure for financial support makes it much easier for us to allocate MA program places to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. We strongly encourage international applicants to apply to the PhD program rather than the MA. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are very welcome to apply to either program.

Cohort Sizes

About 12 new PhD and 15 new MA students enroll each year. Typically, the MA students are domestic, with the majority being admitted to our Philosophy Concentration, and the remainder to our Philosophy of Science Concentration. All students entering both programs are guaranteed funding to cover tuition and living expenses. For details, see our funding and fellowships page .

Applicants who have questions about admissions are encouraged to carefully read through the following sections:

• Admissions Requirements
• Application Procedure
• Application Deadline
• Visiting and Special Students

1. Admissions Requirements

Admission to the MA program (Philosophy Concentration, hereafter ‘Philosophy’) requires a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. The applicant must have a strong background in philosophy (roughly equivalent to an undergraduate major), with minimum average grades of mid-B in the applicant’s overall program and A- in the philosophy courses.

Admission to the MA program (Philosophy of Science Concentration, hereafter ‘Philosophy of Science’) requires a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. The applicant must have strong interest in philosophy (evidenced in an excellent writing sample, personal statement, and letters of reference) and a superior academic background in either philosophy or, typically, a subject in the natural or social sciences, with minimum average grades of A-.

Our one-year MA program (Philosophy) is intended primarily for those seeking only a more comprehensive and concentrated training in philosophy than undergraduate study permits. The MA also serves as preparation for a PhD program; graduates of the Toronto MA program have gone on to top philosophy PhD programs in Canada and internationally, as well as to law school and careers in government, business and the non-profit sector.

Our one-year MA (Philosophy of Science) is intended primarily for those seeking a more comprehensive and concentrated training in philosophy and the philosophy of science than undergraduate study permits. The concentration also serves as preparation for a PhD program; like other graduates of the Toronto MA (Philosophy), graduates of the MA (Philosophy of Science) will be competitive for application to PhD programs in Canada and internationally, as well as to law school and careers in government, business and the non-profit sector.

Admission to the PhD program requires either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in philosophy from a recognized university.

A student seeking admission on the basis of a bachelor’s degree must have a strong background in philosophy (roughly equivalent to at least an undergraduate major), with minimum average grades of B+ in the applicant’s overall program and A- in the applicant’s philosophy courses.

A student seeking admission on the basis of a master’s degree in philosophy must have an average grade of at least an A- in that master’s program. The PhD program is intended primarily for those interested in teaching philosophy and doing advanced philosophical research. Applicants must satisfy the Admissions Committee that they are capable of independent research in philosophy at an advanced level.

Note that admission to our MA and PhD programs is highly competitive and selective.   Students who wish to be considered for both graduate-level programs should apply to the PhD program. You do not need to submit two applications – simply indicate that you are open to being considered for both.

Note to international applicants

The academic records of applicants who completed their final degree(s) at a non-Canadian university will be evaluated to determine their equivalency to a University of Toronto four-year bachelor’s degree and a minimum academic standing of A-.  Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies website to verify your qualifications.

2. Application Procedures

Note:  The required documents and application procedures are the same for the MA and PhD programs.

The application and all supporting documents except for English Proficiency Test scores (TOEFL, etc.) must be submitted through the School of Graduate Studies Online Admission Application page:

SGS Online Admission

More detailed application instructions

• You may need to disable pop-up blockers in your browser if you have difficulty completing the online process.
• If you are applying to our MA program, you will be asked to choose between MA (Philosophy) and MA (Philosophy of Science) .
• The former is our standard 5-year PhD program , which requires two years of coursework;
• The latter is our 4-year PhD program , which is designed for students entering with an MA in philosophy and requires one year of coursework.
• If you are uncertain about which program you would like to apply to, select the 5-year PhD, even if you already have an MA.
• From the following nine areas, select the one that best characterizes your proposed research area:
• Ancient Philosophy
• Medieval Philosophy
• 17th and 18th Century Philosophy
• Continental Philosophy
• Analytic Metaphysics/Epistemology/Philosophy of Science
• Analytic Philosophy of Language/Philosophy of Mind/Logic
• Ethics/Political Philosophy/Aesthetics
• South Asian Philosophy
• East Asian Philosophy
• The selection above will just determine which members of the Admissions Committee initially review your file; students are at liberty to change their focus of study once admitted.
• If you are applying for external funding (e.g., SSHRC), check the box on your application next to “Awards/Scholarships/Fellowships applied for and related to this application.” This box is for record-keeping purposes only; the status of any external funding applications is not a consideration that is taken into account during our admissions process.

Supporting documents 

• All submitted documents must be in PDF format.
• The  Statement of Interest  is a statement of about 300 words which indicates your areas of interest in philosophy at the graduate level. If there is information about you that you would like the committee to have, but that cannot be included elsewhere in the application, you may include it here.
• The  Writing Sample is a piece of your written work in philosophy (in English or French), such as a term paper. Submit one writing sample only, of about 20 pages double-spaced (this excludes Notes and Bibliography). The writing sample should be as recent as possible and should provide evidence of your ability to do philosophy at an advanced level. All students applying to the PhD are advised to submit a writing sample in one of their proposed areas of research interest. MA students with a strong sense of their proposed areas of research interest are likewise counseled to do so.
• All applicants are required to upload one electronic or scanned transcript from each post-secondary institution attended. The School of Graduate Studies online application instructions explain how to do this (details TK). Admissions decisions will be made on the basis of the scanned transcript; however, if you accept an offer of admission, you will then be required to send official paper transcript(s) to our department.
• Graduate Record Exam  (GRE) scores are not required and will not be reviewed for admission.
• Scores on English Proficiency Tests:  All applicants whose primary language is not English or who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution recognized by the University of Toronto in which the language of instruction is English must satisfy the School of Graduate Studies requirements for English-Language Proficiency and (if different) the requirements for doctoral programs in Philosophy ; scores should be reported electronically to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services) by the testing agency.
• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must   provide contact information for at least two, but preferably three, philosophy instructors who have indicated they are willing to write a recommendation. The system will automatically email an electronic submission request to each referee as soon as the referee’s information is entered on the Recommendations page of the application. Referees may upload their letters of recommendation before the applicant has paid their application fee. As letters of reference are due at the same time as all supporting materials with the application – by the next deadline in January 2025  – it is important to request them from your referees as early in the process as possible. Email addresses for referees should be institutional . If one (at a maximum) of your referees does not have access to an institutional email, please have them   submit their letter as a pdf, signed and on institutional letterhead. Please note that referees using an institutional email  may simply type or copy and paste a signed and dated letter of reference . 
• Curriculum Vitae : Applicants should submit an up-to-date CV.

Applying for the application fee waiver ? Please follow the steps below by 12:00 noon, Monday, December 2, 2024 :

• Start an application through the SGS Online Admission Application portal and upload your transcripts under “Academic History” -> “Add Institution.” The transcript drop box is at the bottom of that page. You should upload a transcript for each academic institution you have attended/are attending. These transcripts can be unofficial at this point, although official transcripts will be required to register.
• Submit a Diversity Statement (used to indicate why you are applying for a fee waiver, and how you belong to an equity-seeking group) to Belinda Piercy at [email protected] by 12:00pm December 2, 2024.

3. Application Deadline

The closing date for applications for 2024-25 is Wednesday, January 8, 2024, 12:00 pm EST. Processing of applications will begin after this deadline, and decisions will be announced by mid-March. You can check the status of your application on the School of Graduate Studies website after the 3rd week in January. The status of your application will be updated from “Documents Pending” to “Under Review” by mid-February. Your application is complete, however, and you needn’t take any further action unless and until you are notified of your admission by our department. This will happen via email.

4. Visiting and Special Students

Graduate students wishing to take one or more graduate courses offered by the department as non-degree students should apply for admission as Special Students. In particular, graduate students in philosophy at other institutions are welcome to apply to spend a year studying at the University of Toronto. The application procedure and deadline are the same as for the PhD program.

Graduate students from other Ontario universities may apply to take courses through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Students Exchange program . Contact your home university for information about the required paperwork.

Graduate students from institutions outside Canada who wish to visit the department to do research under a particular faculty member should contact that faculty member and consult the Centre for International Experience .

Are You Ready to Apply?

Applications for the 2025-2026 cycle open mid-October, 2024 !

PhD in Applied Philosophy

The PhD Applied Philosophy is an innovative program at the University of Waterloo that brings together abstract theorizing and practical problems. 

Applied philosophy involves engaging with and reflecting on real, practical situations and problems. It requires bidirectional thinking: reflecting both on how existing philosophical ideas and theories help us understand and solve practical problems, and also on how the details of actual cases lead us to reexamine and reformulate existing theories. 

The main objective of the Applied Philosophy Program is to teach students how to integrate theoretical training in philosophy with the ability to apply philosophy to practical problems. This training will prepare graduates for pluralistic career pathways. Outside the university, there is an increasing awareness of the fruitfulness of philosophical training and perspectives for solving complex problems. Philosophers are trained to think logically and abstractly about complex problems, and this training is useful in a variety of domains in government, health care, business, charitable organizations, and beyond.

An Applied Research Placement could involve applying ethics in a research project at a hospital on end of life care or applying philosophy of science, epistemology, and ethics in a research project at a government agency on science policy or applying philosophy of language and ethics in a research project at an internet publishing company on distinguishing between erotica and pornography.

The PhD in Applied Philosophy requires the completion of course work, a prospectus and a dissertation project. Students complete an Applied Research Placement at a host organization (e.g., non-profit, hospital, business, government agency). 

This experience of observing how the health care system implements changes to law and policy, and the role of an ethicist in supporting resolution of these challenges really had an impact on me,” she says. “I look forward to supporting patients, families and healthcare workers through ethical issues by conducting clinical ethics consultations, policy work and research related to MAiD now and in the future.     Kathryn Morrison , recent graduate of the Applied Philosophy PhD program.

Key features

• Coursework focused on engagement with practical problems
• Flexible assignments to learn various communication styles
• The Applied Research Placement, an eight-month activity combining scholarly work with a host organization
• Dissertation projects with non-traditional components, such as policy recommendations or articles for the popular press
• Training appropriate for academic and non-academic careers

The applied philosophy degree preserves the status of the program as a research PhD, which makes graduates strong candidates for both academic and non-academic careers. Dissertation projects will remain sole-authored major research projects. The distinctive aspect of the applied program is the focus on the solution of a particular practical problem rather than on detailed engagement with current professional philosophical literature

All PhD students in the Department of Philosophy receive a standard annual funding package , which will continue during the placement. Outside the funding package, each spring term the department offers extra TA positions to some of our interested graduate students. Students have access to conference and workshop reimbursements from the department, faculty, and university level through the Graduate Student Conference Assistantship . Our department also awards an Excellence in PhD Studies Travel Award once a year to provide additional support for presenting papers at workshops and conferences. For questions about funding, please contact the Graduate Coordinator .

The Department of Philosophy has formed a relationship with MITACS , a national non-profit research and training organization that facilitates graduate student internships. Students accepted for MITACS placements will receive special funding jointly through MITACS and their host organizations.

Applications are due by February 1 for the following academic year. Admissions requirements are similar to those for traditional philosophy PhD programs, though we are open to candidates with a broader range of academic backgrounds.

*Note: Due to funding restrictions, the Faculty of Arts is currently limiting the number of international students we can admit. Please contact the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program.

89 Best universities for Philosophy in Canada

Updated: February 29, 2024

• Art & Design
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in Canada ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 15.8M citations received by 712K academic papers made by 89 universities in Canada was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Toronto

For Philosophy

2. University of British Columbia

3. University of Montreal

4. McGill University

5. University of Alberta

6. University of Ottawa

7. Laval University

8. University of Waterloo

9. McMaster University

10. Western University

11. University of Calgary

12. University of Quebec in Montreal

13. York University

14. Queen's University

15. Simon Fraser University

16. University of Victoria

17. Dalhousie University

18. University of Manitoba

19. Carleton University

20. Concordia University

21. University of Sherbrooke

22. University of Saskatchewan

23. University of Guelph

24. Memorial University of Newfoundland

25. HEC Montreal

26. University of Windsor

27. University of Regina

28. Polytechnic School of Montreal

29. Wilfrid Laurier University

30. University of Quebec, Trois-Rivieres

31. University of New Brunswick

32. Ryerson University

33. Brock University

34. University of Moncton

35. University of Lethbridge

36. Laurentian University

37. Trent University

38. University of Winnipeg

39. Lakehead University

40. University of Quebec in Outaouais

41. University of Quebec at Chicoutimi

42. School of Higher Technology - University of Quebec

43. St. Francis Xavier University

44. University of Quebec in Rimouski

45. University of Northern British Columbia

46. Saint Mary's University

47. Royal Military College of Canada

48. Ontario Tech University

49. Acadia University

50. Cape Breton University

51. Mount Allison University

52. MacEwan University

53. University of Quebec

54. Mount Saint Vincent University

55. Bishop's University

56. University of Prince Edward Island

57. Mount Royal University

58. National School of Public Administration

59. Trinity Western University

60. Brandon University

61. University of Quebec, Abitibi-Temiscamingue

62. Nipissing University

63. Kings University in Canada

64. University of Saint-Boniface

65. Thompson Rivers University

66. Royal Roads University

67. British Columbia Institute of Technology

68. University of Sainte-Anne

69. Kwantlen Polytechnic University

70. University of the Fraser Valley

71. Quest University Canada

72. Vancouver Island University

73. St. Thomas University - Canada

74. OCAD University

75. Concordia University of Edmonton

76. Redeemer University College

77. University of King's College

78. Algoma University

79. Dominican University College

80. Capilano University

81. SAIT Polytechnic

82. First Nations University of Canada

83. Ambrose University

84. Emily Carr University of Art and Design

85. Crandall University

86. Canadian Mennonite University

87. University Canada West

88. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

89. NSCAD University

The best cities to study Philosophy in Canada based on the number of universities and their ranks are Toronto , Vancouver , Montreal , and Edmonton .

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Canada

Our Phd Program

Our faculty and staff provide a supportive environment for realizing your research goals and for developing the professional skills needed to flourish both within and outside academia.  

The program is designed to take four years to complete:

• In your first year you will begin your coursework--our students typically take 3 graduate courses per semester including the PhD Seminar which will guide you in writing your thesis proposal (this course will also train you in a number of professional skills: grant-writing, teaching, publishing, conference presenting, etc).
• In your second year you will complete your coursework, including the mandatory PHIL*6970  PhD Thesis Research course   in the fall of your second year. The winter semester is devoted to preparing a thesis proposal, and at the end of the winter semester, you sit your Oral Qualifying Exam to defend that proposal.
• In your third and fourth years you will undertake the writing of your thesis and you will defend it at the end of your fourth year.  

We give our students a lot of teaching opportunities:

Many of our introductory courses have tutorial components--if you are a teaching assistant for those classes, you get the opportunity to run your own weekly tutorial classes with undergrads. In the third year, you will also be offered your own course to teach. The department will provide you with a teaching mentor to help you out with any questions you might have about preparing and teaching your own course.   

How to apply to our program

• The application process ( deadline: January 03, 2025)
• Admission requirements

Doing the program:

• Philosophy PhD Program Regulations
• PhD Degree Regulations (from Graduate Calendar)
• Graduate course listings 
• Registration Information for new students  

We also offer interdisciplinary options:

We have options for our graduate students to explore interdisciplinary avenues of research. Graduate students are free to take courses outside of philosophy and a number of our students have availed themselves of opportunity. We also offer collaborative programs at the MA and PhD levels with International Development Studies and Neuroscience (please see below for information about these program options).

Interdisciplinary MA Collaborative Specialization in Sexualities, Genders and Bodies (SGB)  

The Philosophy MA or PhD can be combined with a SGB collaborative specialization. Students in SGB study advanced concepts relating to human identity, embodiment, and self-expression. Students explore theories drawn from the fields of feminism, decolonialism, postcolonialism, LGBTQ+, race/whiteness, queer-of-colour, indigeneity, masculinities, and disability/crip studies among many others. Students engage with these topics from interdisciplinary perspectives and apply these concepts, theories, and methodologies to research in their home discipline. In addition to Philosophy program course requirements, students take: 

• SXGN*6000: Somatic Entanglements: Issues and Methods
• SXGN*6100: Challenging Bodies: Theorizing Sexualities and Genders

Please ensure that your statement of intent explains how your research ideas fit with the SGB specialization, and also explains how your background and interests will contribute to the vitality of the specialization.

Please visit the SGB website  for more information.

Interdisciplinary PhD Collaborative Specialization in Neuroscience (CSN)

The Philosophy MA or PhD can be combined with a Neuroscience collaborative specialization. The Collaborative Specialization in Neuroscience offers the opportunity for Master’s and PhD students to combine their studies in Philosophy with multidisciplinary exposure to the field of neuroscience. Doctoral and Master’s (thesis or course work and major research paper) students wishing to undertake graduate studies with emphasis on neuroscience will be admitted by the Philosophy Department and will register in both Philosophy and in the Collaborative Specialization in Neuroscience.

In addition to Philosophy program course requirements, students take:

• NEUR 6000: Principles of Neuroscience
• students and faculty meet once a month to hear talks from experts in the field and discuss the presented research. NEUR*6100 is a two-semester commitment, and students will register for the course twice each year.

Please ensure that your statement of intent explains how your research ideas fit with the CSN specialization, and also explains how your background and interests will contribute to the vitality of the specialization in neuroscience.

Please visit the CSN website for more information.

Interdisciplinary PhD in Collaborative International Development Studies (IDS)

The Philosophy MA or PhD can be combined with an IDS collaborative specialization. This offers an interdisciplinary framework for the study of international development that combines training in a selected academic discipline with exposure to a broad range of social science perspectives. In addition to Philosophy program course requirements, students take:

• For the MA: "IDS Seminar" (IDEV 6100)
• For the PhD: "Theories and Debates in Development" (IDEV 6800) and "Developmental Research and Practice" (IDEV 6850)

Please ensure that your statement of intent explains how your research ideas fit with the IDS specialization, and also explains how your background and interests will contribute to the vitality of the specialization in development studies.

Please visit the  IDS website  for more information.

Philosophy: MA, PhD Program Brochure PDF

Graduate Calendar – Philosophy

Research Field

• Philosophy of Data Science (MA)

Research Areas

• Continental, Social & Political Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Science, Mind & Language

Contact the department for information about additional research areas

College Website: College of Arts

Department Website:   Philosophy

Application Deadlines: PhD Program: January 3, 2025 MA Program: January 10, 2025 Entry: Fall 2025

Program Contact:

Priyanka Jhanjee, Graduate Program Assistant  [email protected] 519-824-4120 x56265

Meet Some of Our Graduate Faculty

Andrew bailey, omid a. payrow shabani, samantha brennan.

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• Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
• Graduate School
• Prospective Students
• Graduate Degree Programs

Go to programs search

Psychology is a diverse discipline that attempts to understand the basis of behaviour, thoughts and emotions. Psychology at UBC was introduced as a single course in 1915 and was initially offered by the Department of Philosophy. Over the years, the number of courses and instructors grew until we officially became the Department of Psychology in 1958.

Information on research areas offered in the department, as well as admissions-related information, can be found on the department website . Read the department program website carefully before contacting the department with specific questions that are not addressed on the website.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

UBC’s Department of Psychology is a top ranked research department in Canada and in the world. Our 58 faculty members and 130 full-time graduate students and postdoctoral fellows conduct research across the spectrum of psychology, representing seven sub-disciplinary specializations: Behavioural Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive Science, Developmental, Health, Quantitative Methods, and Social/Personality.

The strength of our graduate programs lies in the highly productive research faculty, well-organized programs of study, extensive opportunities for student-faculty interaction, and rich offering of research specializations. Our faculty are well known for their research expertise in health, happiness, language acquisition, gambling, child development, gender roles, environmental behaviour, neuroscience, and many other areas of psychology. Our research programs are well funded by major national granting agencies, and our faculty are committed to research excellence and interdisciplinary collaborations within UBC’s Faculties of Medicine, Science and Arts, the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and many other institutions around the world.

UBC, and the Department of Psychology, in particular, are internationally recognized as world leaders in research. I was attracted to the people, the facilities, and the resources the Brain, Attention, and Reality Lab in the Department of Psychology had to offer. As I predicted, they have been very supportive.

Oliver Jacobs

Quick Facts

Program Enquiries

Admission information & requirements, program instructions.

Please refer to the department website for all admissions-related information.

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 90

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is required by some applicants. Please check the program website.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior degree requirements.

A thesis-based MA or MSc in Psychology is required for applicants applying for the PhD program.  Applicants with only a BA/BSc degree must aply for the MA program as they are ineligible for the PhD program.

Other Requirements

GRE requirements vary depending on the area of research and/or intended research supervisor. Please visit the respective Research Stream page on the department website for area-specific GRE requirements.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2025 intake, application open date, canadian applicants, international applicants, deadline explanations.

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

• Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Applicants will not be admitted without identifying a faculty member as their intended supervisor.  Admissions decisions are made by prospective research supervisors; applicants are encouraged to reach out to them directly for further inquiries after reviewing the information on the department's website.

Criminal Record Check

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Research Information

Research focus.

We offer research-intensive graduate studies in seven sub-disciplinary specializations: Behavioural Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive Science, Developmental, Health, Quantitative Methods, and Social/Personality.  Please refer to the department's Research Streams page for more information.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please refer to the department's Funding page  for additional information on funding opportunities.

Average Funding

• 32 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 32 students was $10,912.
• 37 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 37 students was $7,725.
• 18 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 18 students was $2,366.
• 51 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 51 students was $16,504.
• 22 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 22 students was $32,136.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

112 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 5 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 106 graduates:

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

The PhD in Psychology is designed to prepare students for employment in academic or private sector settings. Recent graduates have taken positions as tenure track faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, research scientists, practicing clinical psychologists, biostatisticians, and public policy quantitative analysts.

Alumni on Success

Zak Witkower

Job Title Postdoctoral Researcher

Employer University of Toronto

Kristina Uban

Job Title Post Doctoral Researcher

Employer Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Julie Belanger

Job Title Director, Research and Evaluation

Employer Education Partnerships Group

Kirsten Dalrymple

Job Title Research Associate

Employer University of Minnesota

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates & Times

Upcoming doctoral exams, wednesday, 18 september 2024 - 12:30pm - 2512, douglas t. kenny building, 2136 west mall.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Alden, Lynn (Cognitive processes in the anxiety disorders, Social Anxiety Disorder, adult-onset Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, cognitive-behavior therapy)
• Baron, Andrew (cognitive development, infancy, childhood, adolescence, racism, race, stereotypes, cooperation, bias, innateness, science education, multiculturalism, gender, ethnicity, neuromarketing, attitudes, preferences, psychology )
• Biesanz, Jeremy (personality, Personality, interpersonal perception, accuracy, personality coherence, quantitative methods)
• Birch, Susan (Social perspective taking, social learning, social cognition, imitation, nonverbal behavior, confidence, communication, decision-making, impression formation, child development My primary area of expertise is the study of children and adults’ social perspective taking abilities (i.e., their abilities to reason about other peoples’ mental states–their intentions, knowledge, and beliefs) and how their abilities to take another person’s perspective impacts how they form impressions of others, learn from others, communicate with others, and informs a range of socials. Of particular interest is a) how children make inferences about what is credible information to learn (e.g., how they decide whether someone is a credible source of information based on how confident that person seems) and b) how a widespread bias in perspective taking referred to as ‘the curse of knowledge bias’ (a difficulty reasoning about a more naive perspective as the result of being biased by one’s current knowledge) can impair communication (both written and in person) and decision-making across a range of fields (politics, law, education, economics, medicine, etc.)., Development of language, learning, and social understanding in infants and children)
• Chen, Frances (Health psychology; social connection; social support; stress; coping; conflict and negotiation; hormones; Neuroendocrinology)
• Christoff Hadjiilieva, Kalina (brain, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, prefronal cortex, fMRI, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, executive functions, problem solving, reasoning, thinking, mind-wandering, attention, consciousness, real-time fMRI, trauma and PTSD, Cognitive and neural basis of human thought, reasoning and problem solving)
• Clark, Luke (Gambling, Problem Gambling, Addiction, Decision-Making, Reward, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms involved in gambling behaviour and disordered gambling)
• Dawson, Samantha (Psychology and cognitive sciences; Interventions for sexual dysfunction; Sexual function and dysfunction in individuals and couples)
• DeLongis, Anita (Psychology and cognitive sciences; social determinants of health; chronic illness; coping; couples; families; health; Health Psychology; marriage; social support; stress)
• Dunn, Elizabeth (Happiness, money and spending decisions, self-knowledge)
• Emberson, Lauren (Learning, Perception (audition, vision, crossmodal or multisensory), Language development, Face/object perception, Impacts of premature birth, Neural connecitivty, fNIRS, Neonatal and Infant development , Early adversity / Risk and resilience , Increasing diversity and representation in the neurosciences , Naturalistic neuroimaging recordings)
• Enns, James (Behavioural neuroscience of reward and motivation; attention; action kinematics; social perception; perceptual development)
• Flake, Jessica
• Floresco, Stanley (Neural circuits subserving learning and executive functions, behavioural and electrophysiological analyses of limbic-cortical-striatal interactions involved in decision making and behavioural flexibility, animal models of schizophrenia and drug addiction)
• Goetz, Friedrich (Psychology, social and behavorial aspects; Geographical psychology; Causes and consequences of regional personality differences; Mobility and migration; Wanderlust; Courage; Entrepreneurship; Personality development; open science)
• Hall, David Geoffrey (Lexical and conceptual development, semantic development, language acquisition)
• Hamlin, Kiley (Psychology and cognitive sciences; Cognitive development; Moral Judgement and Duty or Obligation Morals; Infant / Child Development; Foundations of Religious, Mystical, Mythical and Moral Thoughts; Infant moral cognition; infant social cognition)
• Handy, Todd (aging and cognition, aging and exercise, cognitive neuroscience, attention, migraine, fMRI, Cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, attention and its impairment in clinical populations, mind wandering, and real-world human behaviour)
• Heine, Steven (Culture and human nature in psychology, culture, how people strive to maintain a sense of meaning in their lives when they encounter anomalies which they are unable to make any sense of, how people understand essences and genetic foundations for human behavior )
• Hewitt, Paul (perfectionism, Therapy Perfectionism, personality vulnerability, depression, suicide in adults and children)
• Hoppmann, Christiane (Psychology and cognitive sciences; Aging Process; Social Aspects of Aging; stress; Health Promotion; social determinants of health; Health and well-being across the adult lifespan and into old age; individual differences in goals)
• Im, Hee Yeon
• Kerns, Connor (assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); childhood anxiety and stress-related disorders; trauma-related disorders; Autism; Anxiety; Comorbidity)
• Kim, Eric (Health psychology; Psychosocial, sociocultural and behavioral determinants of health; Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); psychological well-being; Purpose in life / Meaning in life; resilience; Optimism / Hope; Health Psychology; Social Epidemiology; Aging)
• Kingstone, Alan (Cognitive sciences; Brain mechanisms of human perception, attention, and behaviour in experimental & everyday situations)

Doctoral Citations

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Examining the relationship between children's theory of mind and social-emotional functioning
• When people do allyship : a typology of allyship action
• Identification and measurement of habit formation during slot machine gambling
• A translational investigation of vulnerability to cue-induced decisional risk and underlying dopaminergic mechanism
• Reciprocal associations between nightly sleep and daily stress. : individual differences and mechanisms
• The relationship between political leaders' integrative complexity and the use of violence in international crises
• Why we fear wolves in sheep’s clothing : moral impression-violations threaten meaning
• Cognition in young adults : physical activity, diet, and sleep’s effects on subjective and metacognitive functioning
• Misokinesia : exploring sensitivity to others' movements and its impact on attention and emotions
• Parent engagement in parenting interventions for children with ADHD : the role of parent mental health
• Psychological consequences of financial scarcity
• Understanding hoarding clean-outs : a public scholar approach
• Sociocontextual factors impacting the biological embedding of major transitions during adolescence
• Social values and social motivations as vulnerability factors for excessive acquisition
• Cognitive and affective dimensions of inattention

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Psychology (MA)

At the UBC Okanagan Campus

Further information, specialization.

Psychology covers most major areas of the discipline, including: behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognitive science, developmental psychology, health psychology, personality and social psychology, and quantitative methods.

UBC Calendar

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Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

UBC offers a lot of opportunity for interdisciplinary research at least in the context of my work. The Department of Psychology has ties with, for example, the Centre for Brain Health and Sauder School of Business. I really look forward to collaborating with folks outside of the department so that...

Talia Morstead

My decision to study at UBC was driven in large part by my desire to work with Dr. Anita DeLongis, a foremost expert in the field of stress and coping. After coming across Dr. DeLongis’ work during my undergraduate studies and having the opportunity to volunteer in her lab, I saw that our research...

Bronwen Grocott

I applied to UBC because I wanted to work with my present supervisor, Dr. Joelle LeMoult. I was especially interested in researching social stress and depression using a mixed-methods, experimental approach and working with Joelle has made this possible.

Leilani Forby

Before I decided to pursue a graduate degree, I worked in the film industry and was required to do a lot of international travel. The business trips to Canada were always my favorite --- I fell in love with the cities and the people. When I decided that I would study how to support autistic...

Considering UBC for your graduate studies?

Here, you can choose from more than 300 graduate degree program options and 2000+ research supervisors. You can even design your own program.

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Philosophy (MA)

Part of the Faculty of Arts

Program Overview

Format : Full-time

Degree Earned : Master of Arts

Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Philosophy is a rising centre of excellence in the North American philosophical community. This innovative and intensive program contributes to the thriving research culture in Canada’s largest and most cosmopolitan city. Focused on core areas of philosophy, the program enables students to augment their undergraduate experience and pursue doctoral studies.

At a Glance

Admissions information.

• Completion of a four-year undergraduate (or equivalent) degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum GPA or equivalent of 3.00/4.33 (B) in the last two years of study (3.33/4.33 GPA (B+) strongly recommended)
• Statement of interest
• Transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• Sample of work
• English language proficiency requirement

More information on  admission requirements . Due to the competitive nature of our programs, it is not possible to offer admission to everyone who applies that meets the minimum entrance requirements for the program. 

Program-specific requirements

Check Application Deadline

Students are encouraged to submit applications prior to the first consideration date to increase their chances of securing financial support for their graduate studies. Applications received after the first consideration date will be accepted and reviewed based on spaces remaining in the program.

See application dates .

Financing Your Studies

For detailed graduate tuition and fees information please visit  Fees by Program .

For information on scholarships, awards and financing your graduate studies visit  Financing Your Studies.

Sample Courses

Philosophy (MA) graduate program calendar

Research Areas

• 19th-Century Philosophy
• Ancient Philosophy
• Canadian Philosophy
• Contemporary Continental Philosophy
• Existentialism
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Phenomenology
• Philosophy of the Environment
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Religion
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Experience with diverse philosophical approaches: faculty have a record of excellence in teaching and research in both the analytic and continental traditions of philosophy.
• Solid preparation for PhD study in philosophy: students have been accepted to PhD programs at Oxford, the University of Toronto, Western, McGill, King’s College (London), Duquesne, UCLA and other schools.
• Engagement with prominent figures in contemporary philosophy: each semester, the department hosts philosophers from across Canada, Britain and the United States, who lecture and engage with students in small seminars.
• Opportunities to develop teaching skills through a combination of classroom experiences, teaching and research assistantships.

Graduate Admissions

Admissions information and how to apply

Graduate Studies Admissions Office 11th Floor, 1 Dundas Street West Toronto, ON Telephone: 416-979-5150 Email:  [email protected]

For information specific to programs, please see the program contact information below.

Program Contacts

Dr. David Ciavatta Graduate Program Director BA Hon., PhD Research areas: Kant and 19th Century Continental Philosophy; Existentialism and Phenomenology; Philosophy of Art Telephone: 416-979-5000 ext. 552698 Email: [email protected]

Malu Maia Graduate Program Administrator Telephone: 416-979-5000 ext. 552711 Email:  [email protected]

“[TMU]’s professors and student community have fostered my growth as both a student and professional. The summer area readings gave me the fulfilling opportunity to work closely with a professor in my area of research and served as the foundation for my major research project.” Dwayne Ford, MA student

Student Profile  (external link) 

The strong faculty community encouraged Madelaine Ley (philosophy MA alumna) to pursue innovative, cross-disciplinary research in bioethics, to make positive change in the world.

Find curriculum, course descriptions and important dates for Philosophy (MA).

Once you’ve made an informed choice about which program(s) you are going to apply to, preparing your application requires careful research and planning.

At Toronto Metropolitan University, we understand that pursuing graduate studies is a significant financial investment. Funding comes from a combination of employment contracts (as a teaching assistant), scholarships, awards and stipends. There are a number of additional funding sources – internal and external – available to graduate students that can increase these funding levels.

As an urban innovation university, Toronto Metropolitan University offers 60+ cutting-edge, career-oriented graduate programs, as well as 125+ research centres, institutes and labs, in a wide range of disciplines. Our close connections with industry, government and community partners provide opportunities to apply your knowledge to real-world challenges and make a difference.