Ph.D. Admissions: Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a separate Masters’ program?

No. The Philosophy Ph.D. program is designed as a five-year B.A. to Ph.D. program. Masters’ degrees are either interim, given once the comprehensive exam is passed, or terminal. Students are only admitted to the Ph.D. program.

What is the application deadline?

The first business day in January after January 1.

When should I apply for next year’s admission?

You can begin applying any time after September 1. Early applications are not given special consideration, and review of all applications begins immediately after the application deadline in January each year.

How do I get an application for admission?

Please go to our website, http://philosophy.la.psu.edu/graduate/admission_overview.shtml, for the link to the Graduate School’s electronic application.

Is my application complete?

Please login to the Graduate School's online application to determine the status of your application. The link is: http://gradsch.psu.edu/portal/.

Do I need to take the TOEFL test?

If your native language is not English, you must take the TOEFL test. However, if you have earned a Bachelor's or Master's degree from an institution that uses English as the language of instruction, you will not need to provide TOEFL results. The Pennsylvania State University does not accept the IELTS test. These are University requirements and are not specific to the Department of Philosophy.

What are the average GRE scores of the students admitted?

GRE scores are but one of a number of factors the faculty considers in determining admission to the Graduate Program in Philosophy at Penn State. Other factors such as undergraduate junior-senior GPA, experience in Philosophy, faculty recommendations, the writing sample, and the personal statement often carry more weight with the faculty.

However, in order to compete for many College and University level fellowships (as opposed to the standard departmental fellowship), a combined quantitative and verbal GRE score of 1250 or higher is the norm. Such scores, however, are not a requirement and there are prestigious University fellowships that do not give much weight to the GRE score at all.

Students with lower GRE scores but strong applications in other respects are strongly encouraged to apply to our program.

What should I include in a personal statement?

There is no standard format for the personal statement. However, you should use the personal statement as an opportunity to articulate your philosophical interests and to provide us with specific information that you think would give us insight into the sort of scholar, student and professional you will be. The most effective personal statements allow our faculty to get a sense of who you are as a scholar and a person, beyond what your other admissions materials demonstrate.

If I my Bachelor’s degree is not in philosophy, can I be admitted to your program?

You need not have a BA in philosophy to be admitted to our program. in practice, however, most of our graduate students have been philosophy majors or minors.

Do you require a form for recommendation letters?

Please request recommendations directly from faculty who know your work. If possible, at least two of your letters of recommendation should come from philosophy faculty. Individuals listed in your application as providing a letter of recommendation will be instructed to upload their letter via the Graduate School's Reference Submission Portal.

What are your language requirements?

For admission to the graduate program there are no specific language requirements. However, please see the Ph.D Requirements page, http://philosophy.la.psu.edu/graduate/requirements.shtml, for information on language requirements for the Ph.D. program.

What is the GRE codes for the Department?

The school code for Penn State is: 2660.

The department code for the Department of Philosophy is: 2801.

What if my GPA or GRE scores are low?

Your junior/senior major GPA should be above a 3.0; however, if there are extenuating circumstances for a lower GPA, you may still be considered for admission. Please address those issues in your personal statement. The GREs are only one of the factors we consider, so again, if there are extenuating circumstances, use your personal statement to address this issue.

What kind of funding is available, and how do I apply for those funds?

Typically students admitted to the program receive an assistantship that includes a tuition waiver, health, dental and vision insurance, and a ten-month stipend. No separate application for these assistantships is necessary.

What is your placement record?

We have a very strong placement record in the Department of Philosophy. We regularly place students in elite liberal arts colleges and major research institutions. For more information on our placement process, see http://philosophy.la.psu.edu/graduate/placement.shtml.

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