About PhD Program,
The Ph.D. Degree is a four-to-six year program requiring forty-eight hours of graduate coursework, of which fifteen must satisfy distribution requirements in the areas mentioned above. Ph.D. students must pass a comprehensive exam in the fifth semester, a language exam (reading competence in one language is required for the Ph.D.; a course in metalogic may be substituted for the language requirement by students working in appropriate areas), a dissertation prospectus exam, and an oral dissertation defense based on the dissertation.
In addition to these requirements, all graduate students, whether M.A. or Ph.D., must meet a “background core” requirement consisting of four courses in basic areas (namely, Greek philosophy, modern philosophy, and symbolic logic, plus at least one course in either metaphysics, theory of knowledge, or ethical theory). Courses taken to satisfy the graduate distribution requirements will not count toward satisfying the background core requirement.
Usually, thirty-three of the forty-eight hours of coursework required for the Ph.D. and twenty hours of the courses required for the M.A. may be taken in subjects of the student’s choosing. For the Ph.D. in particular, we encourage students to focus early on a particular area of interest while continuing to acquire a broad education in philosophy which will qualify them to become teachers.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
One may apply directly to the Ph.D. program without an M.A. in philosophy. Applicants who are not admitted to the Ph.D. program and who do not already have an M.A. in philosophy will automatically be considered for admission to the M.A. program.
The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare the student for an academic career in philosophy as scholar, researcher, and teacher. The requirements described below structure a Ph.D. program of 4 to 5 years, for which students will normally receive full financial support. (Students often take an extra year to finish. The Department makes every effort to secure further financial support and has generally been successful in doing so.) Graduate work in philosophy completed prior to entering the Ph.D. program may be counted toward the Ph.D. degree in philosophy at UNM, subject to approval by GAC and to UNM Office of Graduate Studies regulations (see the UNM Catalog). All students, however, must complete the following requirements at UNM: Proseminar (General Policies and Requirements, D), Qualifying Examination (below, G), Dissertation Prospectus (below, I), Dissertation (below, L), and other requirements specified by the UNM Office of Graduate Studies (see the UNM Catalog). [Semester number enclosed in brackets next to the title of a requirement indicates the deadline for completing that requirement.]
PhD Funding Coverage,
The UNM Department of Philosophy admits students to its Ph.D. program only if it has a reasonable expectation that it will be able to provide five years of full financial support which may be pro-rated for students who have already completed some graduate work in philosophy. The support may be in the form either of a Philosophy Teaching Assistantship (TA-ship) or an English TA-ship (teaching freshman English courses). TA-ships carry a stipend of at least $20,252 (2024-2025 academic year) and a tuition waiver. Philosophy TA’s serve as graders for Philosophy 1115, Introduction to Philosophy, their first semester and teach one section of Philosophy 1120, Logic, Reasoning, and Critical Thinking, in subsequent semesters. Philosophy graduate students supported by English TA-ships teach English 1110, Composition I, and English 1120, Composition II, in the English Department. It is possible that students who enter the program supported by English TA-ships may have the opportunity of switching over to Philosophy TA-ships in subsequent years, given the availability of such TA-ships.
Doctoral students are also eligible for the Gwen J. Barrett Memorial Fellowship, a dissertation fellowship which is available to Ph.D. students in their fifth year. More information is available on our Fellowships Page.
Advanced doctoral students may also apply for the Russel J. and Dorothy S. Bilinski Fellowship established through the College of Arts & Sciences. More information is available on the “Fellowships” page of the Arts & Sciences website.
Ph.D. students who are in the process of writing a dissertation also may be eligible, by nomination of the department, for the Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship.
Currently there is no departmentally funded financial aid available for M.A. students in their first year. Many M.A. students, however, are given tuition waivers in their second year upon establishing residency. Also, grading positions and half TA-ships are sometimes offered to M.A. students in their second and subsequent years.
The Office of Graduate Studies has a number of funding programs available to Ph.D. and M.A. students. Many of these programs allow for direct student application. For more information on these programs, please visit the Funding Resources section of the Office of Graduate Studies website.
Application Requirement,
- To begin your application, visit this link. (Please be sure to select ‘graduate application.’) If you are submitting a paper application, include a photocopy of the application with the materials being sent to the department. (Note: If you do not pay the $50.00 non-refundable application fee when you file the application online you will need to mail a check to the UNM Admissions Department at UNM Admissions PO Box 4849, Albuquerque NM 87196-4849. You may also pay by credit card by calling the Bursars office at 505-277-5363.)
1a. Materials required by the Office of International Admissions (applicable only to international applicants) include:
- Application (Our major code is PHIL)
ii. Residency Information form (paper application only) - Official Transcripts: one set is required from each institution you have attended. International Applicants should send their transcripts directly to the Office of International Admissions at:
The University of New Mexico
Office of International Admissions
1 University of New Mexico
MSC06 3850
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Questions regarding international admissions (including those regarding the TOEFL requirement) should be addressed to the Global Studies Office/ Office of International Admissions:
Website: https://geo.unm.edu/admission/
email: geo@unm.edu
All other transcripts must be mailed to the UNM Office of Admissions at:
The University of New Mexico
Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 4895
Albuquerque, NM 87196-4895
- In addition to the above materials, The Department of Philosophy also requires the following be uploaded to the online application (be sure to attach documents before submitting your application).
- A Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent in which you briefly describe the areas of philosophy, philosophical problems, and/or philosophers you wish to study.
- A scholastic resumé (CV) indicating schools attended, degrees in progress and degrees received, and current contact information (address, phone and e-mail address).
- A writing sample of not more than 20 double-spaced, typed pages on a philosophical topic.
- A minimum of three letters of recommendation.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional. The candidate may submit them if they wish. The School/Institution Code is 4845 and the Department code is 2801.
Any questions regarding the application process may be sent to thinker@unm.edu (or we may be reached at 505-277-2405). Any questions about the philosophy program or department strengths should be referred to the Graduate Director via email at pmliving@unm.edu
Application Deadline,
Jan 03, 2025
Application Fee,
Application Fee ($50.00, non-refundable)
