Hagey Hall Hub located on Waterloo's main campus
Conduct rigorous independent research and explain complex ideas to a variety of audiences with the PhD in Philosophy program.
You’ll study with faculty members who are doing cutting edge research and engage with research from other fields such as the natural and social sciences, history, mathematics, and engineering for an interdisciplinary and practical-oriented approach.
You’ll be prepared for a successful career in academia or to pursue non-academic careers in healthcare, government, law, corporate sectors, and others with roles like bioethicist, policy advisor, and ethics officer.
Research field and degree options
- Ethics and Political Philosophy
- Language, Logic and Metaphysics
- Mind and Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Science and Mathematics
Program overview
Department/School: Philosophy
Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Admit term(s): Fall (September - December)
Delivery mode: On-campus
Program type: Doctoral, Research
Length of program: 48 months (full-time)
Registration option(s): Full-time, Part-time
Study option(s): Thesis
Application deadlines
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February 1 (for admission in September)
Key contacts
Ashley Price at adprice@uwaterloo.ca
Admission Limitations
Due to funding restrictions, the Faculty of Arts is currently limiting the number of international students we can admit. Please contact the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program.
Supervisors
- Review finding a supervisor resources.
Admission requirements
- The average required for admission to the PhD in Philosophy program is 80%.
- The typical background for PhD students is a Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy.
- Applicants with a Master’s in a related discipline are encouraged to apply. Depending on the amount of philosophy background, these applicants may be admitted to the PhD in Philosophy program or may be admitted to the MA in Philosophy program. (A separate application to the MA program is not required.)
Degree requirements
- Review the degree requirements in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree.
- Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the Department of Philosophy graduate students
Application materials
- Supplementary information form (SIF)
- Statements answering the questions below (at most 300 words for each answer):
- Question 1: Please provide a brief statement of interest that outlines the areas of philosophy you hope to pursue in the program
- Question 2: Please explain why the University of Waterloo's Department of Philosophy is a good place to pursue such a project, and why your background makes you well suited to pursue it successfully.
- Review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completing this form
- Statements answering the questions below (at most 300 words for each answer):
- Transcript(s)
- From previous institutions.
- At the time of applying, an unofficial transcript is fine; if and when a student is enrolled they will be asked to submit official copies.
- Writing sample
- A philosophy paper of around 2500 words is desirable; longer and shorter papers are acceptable too, but please don't send anything longer than 5,000 words.
- References
- Three academic references are required
- Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable.
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TOEFL 100 (writing 26, speaking 26), IELTS 7.5 (writing 7.0, speaking 7.0)
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Tuition and fees
- Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
- Review the Living costs and housing.
- Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students