Philosophy PhD

About this programme

The Graduate Program in Philosophy at Berkeley offers a first-rate faculty, a stimulating and friendly community of graduate students, and the resources of one of the world's finest research universities. Two features distinguish our profile from that of other leading graduate programs in philosophy: The department has strengths in all the main areas of philosophy, including epistemology, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, philosophy of language, logic, ethics, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of science. We aim at diversity and breadth of coverage, rather than concentration on one or two areas of philosophical activity. Second, the program at Berkeley is structured to give students a high degree of independence in tailoring their studies to their interests. Those wishing to pursue graduate studies in philosophy can choose among several routes to a PhD at Berkeley: The Philosophy Department's graduate program leads to a PhD in Philosophy. Students with strong interests in Ancient Philosophy may want to take advantage of a special ancient concentration within the philosophy program. Students with strong interests in the History and Philosophy of Science may want to explore the special HPS concentration within the philosophy program. Students with strong interests in formal logic may pursue them in the Philosophy Department, in the Mathematics Department , or in Berkeley's interdisciplinary program leading to a PhD in Logic and the Methodology of Science , to which the Philosophy Department has close ties.