About PhD Program,
Students entering the PhD program with an MA in philosophy will normally be required to take 9 single-semester courses at the 500 level (with at least five of those in the first two terms) and to complete three comprehensive examinations, chosen from seventeen areas of philosophy, within the first twenty-four months of the program. Before beginning work on the dissertation, students must submit a thesis proposal and then pass an oral candidacy examination, demonstrating the capacity to carry out the proposed research. Work on the dissertation itself usually lasts up to two years.
Outstanding students with an honors BA, or its equivalent, in philosophy may be admitted directly to the PhD program, but they will be required to take up to 12 courses before proceeding to the comprehensives. The other requirements remain the same.
All graduate students at the University of Alberta are required to complete eight hours of Graduate Ethics Training. Graduate students that have entered in Fall 2016 (or later) must also complete a Professional Development Requirement, which includes eight hours of professional development activities.
For more information please see the “Guide to Graduate Study in the Department of Philosophy”
For specific program requirements, see the Calendar.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Applicants are generally required to have completed a master’s degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the U of A.
An admission grade point average of 3 on most 4-point grading systems or B on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full-time study (or equivalent) is required.
In addition to the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies minimum academic standard, programs may have additional or higher admission qualifications.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Decisions concerning an applicant’s admissibility to the program are initially made independently of the availability of financial assistance. But PhD applicants are not normally admitted without a funding commitment for the expected duration of the program (subject to satisfactory progress). Although M.A. students may be admitted without funding, many do receive funding, especially after the first term. All our recently admitted students have received some funding, and currently, most graduate students are fully funded. Funding comes in several forms, most commonly as teaching or research assistantships. Look here for information about assistantships in the Graduate Student Association collective agreement. All graduate applicants are automatically considered for departmental assistantships.
The University of Alberta offers a number of very attractive fellowships, both for recruitment and for continuing students. It also typically supplements scholarships awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. All these fellowships and scholarships are awarded competitively, but students in the Philosophy Department have had a great deal of success in winning them. Some restrict eligibility to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, while others are earmarked for international students.
The Department nominates very strong applicants to the M.A. and PhD programs for recruitment scholarships; more information about recruitment scholarships can be found on the FGSR webpage, Recruitment Scholarship Competitions. They involve six hours of department work per week, and in some cases, are renewable. The department also nominates strong applicants to the Ph.D. programs for Provost entrance awards, which will cover tuition fees. International students as well as Canadian citizens are eligible for these awards, and no separate application is required. There are also several general university awards for which both currently enrolled PhD students and new applicants are eligible, although many are restricted to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The University of Alberta takes part in the Vanier scholarship program, which awards a few scholarships to exceptional doctoral students in all fields and without regard to nationality. More information on all these awards can be found through the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Scholarship and Awards.
M.A. students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) master’s scholarships. Applicants eligible for this award apply through the Canadian university in which they are currently registered, unless they are not registered at a Canadian university, in which case they apply directly to SSHRC. PhD students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents are likewise eligible for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) doctoral scholarships and fellowships. The Department expects eligible applicants to the doctoral program to apply for such awards in September of the year preceding admission, and for every year of the program in which they remain eligible. Applications should be made through whatever Canadian university the student is currently attending, or directly through SSHRC. The Faculty of Graduate Studies supplements SSHRC fellowships by at least the amount of tuition and fees. Information about current tuition costs can be found on FGSR site, Tuition and Fees.
Application Requirement,
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Official copies of your transcripts from all previous post-secondary schooling showing marks obtained (submitted in the original language, accompanied by a certified English translation)
- 3 letters of reference
- Statement of interest -the statement of interest can take many forms, but usually describes the research questions and issues that particularly interest the applicant (and why), and perhaps explains why the applicant would like to pursue a philosophy degree at the University of Alberta. Applicants do not need to have identified either a thesis project or a supervisor before admission.
- Writing sample – should be a piece of academic work, preferably in philosophy, and should not be more than 30 pages.
- Applicants with degrees/qualifications in a language other than English need to demonstrate English Language Proficiency(ELP) by completing an approved English language exam.
You will be able to check the progress of your application by returning to the online system, which will provide a list of outstanding documents and those received.
A supervisor is not required at the time of application.
All applicants who are Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents are urged to apply for SSHRC scholarships. Applicants for the MA SSHRC scholarships must apply directly to SSHRC by December 1. Please specify that the University of Alberta is one of your proposed host institutions during the application process. Submit your online graduate application by January 1 and please notify the department that you have applied to SSHRC.
If you have any questions or concerns about applying please email humgrad3@ualberta.ca
Application Deadline,
Jan 15, 2025
Application Fee,
A $135 CAD non-refundable application fee is required to submit your application. This fee is non-transferable.
