Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of Philosophy

MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Philosophy

Upon completing the MA and PhD degrees in the field of Philosophy, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate advanced skills of reading philosophical texts critically and with understanding of the problems and contexts.
2. Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and logically their own views on a range of important philosophical problems at an advanced level.
3. Demonstrate an understanding in depth of the content and context of one of the main areas of philosophy. 
4. Propose, evaluate, and defend original views in at least one of the main areas of philosophy. 

MA and PhD Degrees in field of Philosophy

MA Degree Program

MA degree can be either a thesis or a non-thesis master's degree depending on option student pursues. For general university thesis master's degrees, please see Thesis Master’s Degrees. For general university non-thesis master's degrees, please see Non-Thesis Master’s Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students.

Students pursuing non-thesis MA degree in field of Philosophy must:

• Complete at least two semesters in residence at Rice University.
• Complete 42 credit hours of courses approved for graduate credit in philosophy at Rice University with a grade of B- (2.67 grade points) or better in each course.
• Accumulate an overall GPA of at least 3.00.
• Complete at least 30 credit hours in philosophy at 500-level or higher.
• Satisfy departmental logic requirement. (Complete PHIL 505 with a minimum grade of B- or pass a departmental examination).
• Complete at least 5 courses in an area of concentration.
• Satisfactorily complete departmental duties.
• File a petition for certification of non-thesis master's degree.  This petition can be obtained from graduate administrator and must be approved and signed by department chair and submitted to Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies according to deadlines posted in the Academic Calendar. 

Students pursuing the thesis MA degree in field of Philosophy must:

• Complete with high standing at least 30 credit hours in advanced courses approved by department.
• Complete a written thesis on a subject approved by department.
• Perform satisfactorily on a final oral examination (not limited to student’s special field of study).
• Satisfy departmental logic requirement. (Complete PHIL 505 with a minimum grade of B- or pass a departmental examination).

The English Language Proficiency Requirement may be waived for an international student who received a degree from an institution in which English is the official language of communication. Contact the admitting program for more information.

The following language proficiency tests are accepted by Rice graduate programs and will be used to assess English language proficiency. Please note the below scores are the minimum requirement, though some program requirements will be higher.

• The TOEFL IBT Home. A minimum score of 90 is required
• IELTS Indicator. A minimum score of 7 is required.
• Duolingo. A minimum score of 115 is required.

1. Find your graduate program(s) of interest and submit an interest form. Click here for a listing of schools and departments.
2. Research the cost of study and available financial support. Qualified doctoral students often receive tuition waivers and a generous stipend.
3. Look at our facts and stats on admissions, enrollment and degrees awarded.
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