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The Graduate School

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History and Philosophy of Science: PhD

Graduate Program in Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

Program Handbook

The doctoral program in history and philosophy of science is a unique program offering students instruction leading to a discipline-based Ph.D. that prepares them for positions in history, philosophy, and theology or religion departments, and in specialized programs in the history and philosophy of science. Faculty members are drawn from several University departments, including English, History, Philosophy, and Theology.

Last updated: 08/31/2023

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• Curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution; one must show conferral of a bachelor's degree. (Due upon enrollment)
• Statement of intent
• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing sample(s) - refer to program site for details
• Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution required at the time of application. (Official transcript showing conferral of a bachelor's degree due upon enrollment.)

Evan Ragland Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-5015 Email: [email protected]

Nic Teh Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-5015 Email: [email protected]

https://reilly.nd.edu/history-and-philosophy-of-science/

University of Notre Dame

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

College of Arts and Letters

The minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics is designed for students with serious interests at the intersection of political theory, political philosophy, and economic theory. Its aim is to help students acquire some fluency in each of the disciplines, and to provide a forum where all three disciplines can be brought to bear on problems which are common or complementary. PPE emphasizes the development of the analytic skills exercised in close reading, cogent writing and clear oral expression. Students are strongly encouraged to engage in undergraduate research and to write senior theses . A high percentage of PPE graduates pursue advanced degrees.

The PPE minor is 15 credits, including the 3-credit Justice Seminar , which is the core course of the minor and is required of all concentrators. The minor is open by application only; any student who wishes to take the Justice Seminar must complete the application for the minor. Most of the students who are granted admission to the PPE minor are majors in Philosophy, Political Science or Economics and the vast majority granted admission to the Seminar are PPE -intents. But first-years, sophomores and juniors from across the University are welcome to submit applications, regardless of their majors. Both PPE and the Justice Seminar are highly selective: approximately 18 students are accepted per year.

Professor Paul Weithman Department of Philosophy 406 Malloy Hall University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 46556

Phone: (574) 631-5182 [email protected]

PPE in the News

• PPE Junior Kayle Lauck named a Truman Scholar
• PPE Senior Trevor Lwere named Notre Dame's first Schwarzman Scholar
• PPE Senior Sofia Carozza Wins Marshall Scholarship , is the Class of 2019's Valedictorian
• PPE Student C.J. Pine is the Class of 2017's Valedictorian
• PPE Student Grace Watkins named a Rhodes Scholar; will enter Oxford in the fall of 2017
• PPE Student Abby Davis is the Class of 2016's Valedictorian
• Why Does PPE Rule Britain ?

University of Notre Dame

John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

History and Philosophy of Science (HPS)

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What is HPS?

The Ph.D. Program in History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) welcomes students of diverse intellectual backgrounds: humanities students who have an interest in the sciences, medicine, or technology, as well as students who have training in the sciences and engineering, and who are curious about the history of their discipline, and its philosophical grounding.

What will I study? 

The program is built around three tracks: History of Science, Philosophy of Science, and Theology and Science. Students admitted on one of these tracks will receive their degrees in HPS, but will pursue a course of study that overlaps significantly with that of a Ph.D. student in History , Philosophy , or Theology , and will have an advisor drawn from one of those departments.

Students on all tracks share core courses in the history and philosophy of science, and in the social studies of science. They gain an overview of the history of science from antiquity to the modern day, and philosophical and social science approaches to understanding the nature of science, which they can refine through electives on particular periods or on specific subjects, including particular scientific fields. 

The core faculty include historians, philosophers, theologians, as well as faculty in the departments of English, Sociology, and Anthropology, to form a truly interdisciplinary program of study.

Students will have opportunities to develop their teaching in the History, Philosophy, or Theology departments, as well as designing and teaching their own courses in the undergraduate programs closely associated with HPS: Science, Technology, and Values (STV) and Health, Humanities, and Society (HHS).

Graduates from the HPS Ph.D. program have also gone on to work in public policy, or have found appointments in museums and libraries concerning the public understanding of science. Graduates of our program are fully trained historians, philosophers, or theologians (and most often find academic jobs in those disciplinary departments), who also have additional expertise in the intersection between the sciences and those disciplines. 

In addition to our Ph.D. program, we also offer a concurrent M.A. and a graduate minor for students enrolled in other doctoral programs at Notre Dame.

Students interested in additional information about the HPS programs should contact Tori Davies ( [email protected] ). 

Matthew Ashley

Full Professor, Theology

Feraz Azhar

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

W. Martin Bloomer

Professor, Classics

Francesca Bordogna

Associate Professor, Program of Liberal Studies

Jon Coleman

Professor, History

Assistant Teaching Professor, Philosophy

Therese Cory

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Laurel Daen

Assistant Professor, American Studies

Ranjodh Singh Dhaliwal

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

William P. Reynolds Professor of History

Patrick Gamez

Assistant Teaching Professor

Anna Geltzer

Fellow, Nanovic Inst for European Studies

Robert Goulding

Christopher Hamlin

Professor Emeritus, History

Professor, Philosophy

Ian Johnson

Assistant Professor, History

Michelle Karnes

Professor, English

Sean Kelsey

Janet Kourany

Katharina Kraus

Affiliates, Philosophy

Kate Marshall

Associate Professor, English

Philip Mirowski

Professor Emeritus, Provost Office

Mahan Mirza

Teaching Professor, Ansari-Global Engagement w Religion

Ebrahim Moosa

Professor, Keough School of Global Affairs

Daniel Nolan

McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy

Robert Pomplun

Associate Professor, Theology

Andrew Radde-Gallwitz

Concurrent Professor, Theology

Evan Ragland

Associate Professor, History

Gretchen Reydams-Schils

Professor, Program of Liberal Studies

Matthew Rickard

Assistant Professor, Program of Liberal Studies

Denis Robichaud

Concurrent Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures

Thomas Stapleford

Nicholas Teh

Laura Walls

Professor Emerita, English

Abraham Winitzer

University of Notre Dame

History of Philosophy Forum

College of Arts and Letters

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New Joint PhD/MA Program in Philosophy and Classics

Published: December 15, 2020

Author: Claire Murphy

Notre Dame's Departments of Philosophy and Classics are pleased to offer a new rigorous and interdisciplinary program of six years toward two degrees, a PhD in Philosophy and an MA in Classics. PhD candidates in Ancient Philosophy with knowledge of Greek and/or Latin can apply for one year of extra funding in order to pursue these two degrees in tandem. The masters degree can include a specialization in Greek, in Latin, or in both. 

The Philosophy Department has eight faculty members whose main area of research is in ancient or medieval philosophy, along with over a dozen faculty members working in these areas in the Departments of Classics, History, Political Science, Theology, and the Program of Liberal Studies.

Notre Dame has a vibrant and intellectually stimulating ancient and medieval philosophy community. In addition to the History of Philosophy Forum, it is also home to the Center for the Aristotelian Tradition and the Workshop on Ancient Philosophy . Annual events include conferences, workshops, invited lectures by distinguished scholars, and two weekly ancient Greek reading groups.

More details are available  here  and from the Directors of Graduate Study in Philosophy and Classics.

Department of Theology

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Systematic Theology

As “faith seeking understanding,” systematic theology explores the meaning, interrelatedness, and claims to truth of the Christian tradition's basic expressions of faith. The systematics faculty offers a series of seminars which focus on theological method, philosophical theology, and comparative theology, as well as the theological topics of trinity, Christology, ecclesiology, theological anthropology, eschatology, and Christian spirituality. Courses investigate the historical development of major doctrinal and theological themes and their contemporary interpretation from plural theological perspectives.

The program is designed to provide a broad background in the Christian tradition, with particular emphasis on the Catholic theological heritage. Through course work, focused in-depth study in preparation for candidacy examinations, and dissertation research, students develop the hermeneutical and theological skills required for a critical and creative appropriation of the tradition.

Students are encouraged to develop either a minor in one of the other areas of the department or an area of concentration which draws from the resources of several areas of the department and/or University.

J. Matthew Ashley

Systematic Theology |Ignatian spirituality and discernment of spirits; ecotheology and ecospirituality. |Matthew Ashley is Professor of Systematic Theology. He came to Notre Dame in 1993 after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1993 and an M.T.S. from the (then) Weston Jesuit School of Theology, in Cambridge, Mass. Besides his teaching and research, he has served as a graduate program director for ten years (including seven years as Ph.D. program director) and department chair for seven years. He has written on the political theology of Johann Baptist Metz, and translated and edited four books of Metz’s work. He has also written on Latin American liberation theology, focusing in particular on El Salvador, with articles and book chapters on Saint Óscar Romero, Jon Sobrino, and Ignacio Ellacuría. Two other interests have come to the fore in the last two decades: the relationship between science and religion, and the history of Christian spirituality, Ignatian spirituality in particular. His most recent book, Renewing Theology (University of Notre Dame Press, 2022), considers how an understanding of Ignatian spirituality influenced the writings and work of three Jesuits: Karl Rahner, Ignacio Ellacuría, and Pope Francis. His love of nature, especially of the mountains of Colorado where he grew up, has led him to respond to Pope Francis’s call for an integral ecology with writing and teaching that focuses on areas of overlap and resonance between traditions of Christian mysticism and important voices in conservation and writing about nature in the U.S.

Steven Battin

Assistant Professor

Systematic Theology | His present research contributes to the ongoing development of liberation theologies by way of placing Catholic theology in conversation with decolonial, indigenous, and African-American-based post-capitalist movements. | Steven Battin specializes in contemporary systematic and constructive theology. He is particularly committed to the exploration of ecclesiology, christology, and soteriology from non-dominant perspectives.

Associate Professor

Systematic Theology | Christian Metaphysics | With a background in philosophy, theology, and German literature, John Betz’s work is broadly engaged with German philosophy and theology from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. Within this period his research has focused on the Protestant Counter-Enlightenment as exemplified in the work of the Lutheran philologist and man of letters, Johann Georg Hamann (1730-88), and on twentieth-century Catholic metaphysics and ontology as exemplified in the work of the Jesuit philosopher and theologian Erich Przywara (1889-1972). In addition to resourcing and translating historically important, but neglected figures and texts, his work seeks to recover the relevance of Christian metaphysics to theology, the life of the Church, and the intellectus fidei today. To this end he is currently working on a monograph on Przywara and on a collection of essays on the topic of analogical metaphysics

Terrence Ehrman, CSC

Assistant Teaching Professor

Systematic Theology |Theology of Creation |Fr. Terrence P. Ehrman, C.S.C. investigates the relationship between theology and science, particularly the life sciences of ecology and evolution. His interests include understanding who God is as Creator, who we are as creatures, and what our relationship is to God, ourselves, and the natural world. He teaches courses in the theology department entitled Science, Theology, and Creation and Theology and Ecology. From 2016-19, Fr. Ehrman was the assistant director of the Center for Theology, Science, and Human Flourishing at Notre Dame. He has a B.S. in biology and M.Div. from Notre Dame, M.S. in aquatic ecology from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from The Catholic University of America. He is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 2000.

Daniel Groody, CSC

Systematic Theology | Theologies of Migration, Spirituality of Immigrants, the Heart’s Desire and Social Change |Father Dan Groody, associate professor of theology and global affairs, is the Vice President and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. His major responsibilities include advancing undergraduate teaching, research, and outreach as well as overseeing Academic Services for Student-Athletes, the Center for University Advising, the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement, the Moreau First Year Experience course, and the work of the Core Curriculum Committee. He also provides leadership for the student accommodations process and chairs the Advisory Committee on the Academic Code and Policy (ACACP), the University Committee on the Honor Code (UCHC), and the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection Committee. In addition to his role in the provost’s office, Father Groody serves as a Fellow and Trustee of the University and is the adviser for discernment and discovery for Notre Dame’s Inspired Leadership Initiative.  An internationally recognized expert on migration and refugee issues whose papers and books have been translated into seven languages, he is the author of Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice: Navigating the Path to Peace and Border of Death, Valley of Life: An Immigrant Journey of Heart and Spirit. He has edited or co-edited four books on poverty, justice, and migration. Father Groody’s expertise in and passion for refugee and migration issues has also been applied as executive producer of several acclaimed films and documentaries, including One Border, One Body: Immigration and the Eucharist and Dying to Live: A Migrant’s Journey. Father Groody has worked with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the World Council of Churches, the Vatican, and the United Nations on issues of theology, globalization, migration, and refugees. In 2007-08 he was a visiting research fellow at Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre.  A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 2000, Father Groody is a faculty fellow of the University’s Kellogg Institute, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Institute for Educational Initiatives, Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights, Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion. Father Groody earned his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, a master of divinity degree and a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology, and his doctorate in theology from the Graduate Theological Union.  

Kevin G. Grove, CSC

Systematic Theology | His research includes memory, Christology, St. Augustine, and the theological writings of Basil Moreau. | Born and raised in Montana, Kevin Grove was ordained a Holy Cross priest at Notre Dame in 2010. After doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge and before joining the faculty at Notre Dame, Grove was a post-doctoral researcher at L’Institut Catholique in Paris, France and a fellow at the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. In addition to his research and teaching, Grove serves pastorally at Notre Dame as an assistant faculty chaplain, chaplain to the Master of Divinity program, and as a pastoral resident for undergraduates in Dunne Hall.

Kristi Haas

Systematic Theology |The theology of Louis Bouyer (1913-2004), the development of Catholic ecological theology, charisms and holiness in ecclesial life |Kristi Haas grew up in Davenport, Iowa, and received her B.A. (magna cum laude, Glynn Family Honors Program) and M.A. (Echo Program) from the University of Notre Dame. She completed further theological studies through the M.T.S. at Boston College and worked at Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture before returning to pursue the Ph.D. in the Department of Theology. Her research focuses on twentieth-century Catholic systematic theology, especially the thought of Louis Bouyer (1913-2004) and the development of Catholic ecological theology. Haas serves as Associate Director of the M.A. Program and teaches courses such as Foundations of Theology, the Church, and Theology of Prayer.

Mary Catherine Hilkert

Systematic Theology | Theology Anthropology, Feminist and Intercultural Theologies, the Interrelationship of Theology, Preaching, and Spirituality | Professor Mary Catherine Hilkert, O.P., specializes in contemporary systematic theology with particular focus on theological anthropology, fundamental theology, Christology, and feminist theologies and spirituality. Her current research project is a book titled Words of Spirit and Life: Theology, Preaching and Spirituality. A former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (2005-2006), Dr. Hilkert holds three honorary doctorates and has been the recipient of Washington Theological Union’s Sophia Award for Theological Excellence in Service of Ministry, Barry University's Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence, and the Ann O’Hara Graff Award for her contributions to the integration of academic and pastoral theology with particular attention to the voices of women. A member of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Sr. Hilkert has lectured and preached in Catholic and ecumenical contexts in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and South Africa.

Bradley Malkovsky

World Religions and World Church, Systematic Theology | Christianity and Other Religions: Comparative Spirituality, Comparative Eschatology, Comparative Doctrines of the Divine. | Malkovsky's area of interest is the doctrinal and spiritual relation of Christianity to Other Religions. His area of specialization is the Hindu-Christian Encounter. He was the editor of the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies from 2002-17.

Systematic Theology |Systematic Theology, Trinity, Psychoanalytic theory, Marxist thought, German Idealism, French phenomenology and postmodernism |Jay Martin writes and researches at the intersection of Catholic systematic theology, psychoanalysis, French and German philosophical thought, and emancipatory political theory, as well on issues in science and religion, comparative theology, and culture.

Jennifer Newsome Martin

Systematic Theology |19th and 20th century Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox thought, Theological Aesthetics, Trinitarian Theology, Religion and Literature, Ressourcement Theology, French Feminisms |Jennifer Newsome Martin is a Catholic systematic theologian with particular expertise in the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Her first book, Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Critical Appropriation of Russian Religious Thought, was one of 10 winners internationally of the 2017 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise. She serves on the editorial board of Religion & Literature and the University of Notre Dame Press and has a history of leadership positions with the Hans Urs von Balthasar Consultation of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the steering committees for the Christian Systematic Theology Unit and the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit in the American Academy of Religion. She has a joint appointment in the Program of Liberal Studies.

Francesca Murphy

Systematic Theology | Aesthetics of Ressourcement | Francesca Aran Murphy is the author of numerous books, including Christ the Form of Beauty (T & T Clark), God is Not a Story (OUP) and a theological commentary on I Samuel (Brazos). She is currently editing a series for Bloomsbury Academic called Illuminating Modernity.

Kenneth Oakes

Systematic Theology | Contemporary systematic theology, Modern Protestant thought, the theology of Karl Barth, theologies of creative retrieval | Originally from Southern California, Kenneth Oakes completed his Ph.D. under the supervision of John Webster at the University of Aberdeen before taking up postdoctoral positions at the Universities of Tübingen and Notre Dame.

Cyril O'Regan

Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology

Systematic Theology, History of Christianity | I am currently finishing up my volumes on the relationship between Hans Urs von Balthasar and Martin Heidegger. | Born in Ireland where I received my BA and MA in Philosophy. My Ph. D is from Yale where I taught in the Department of Religious Studies before I came to the Department of Theology at Notre Dame in 1999. My work spans a number of areas, systematic theology, historical theology, and continental philosophy, and I am especially active at the intersection of theology and continental philosophy. I have done considerable work in 19th-century theology and philosophy, postmodern thought, mysticism, apocalyptic, Gnosticism, religion and literature, major Catholic figures such as Newman, de Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Benedict XVI, and on the doctrines of the Trinity and "last things." I will shortly complete two volumes dealing with the relationship between the Swiss theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Martin Heidegger. I will then turn to complete my Gnosticism in Modernity project. I intend to write in order a volume on Gnosticism and German Idealism and subsequently a volume on Gnosticism and German and English Romanticism. I teach a wide array of courses on all levels and am very active in directing doctoral students.

Todd Walatka

Director of Master of Divinity Associate Teaching Professor

Systematic Theology |Hans Urs von Balthasar; Latin American theology; the ecclesiology of Vatican II; Theology and Racism; Reception of Jewish thought in Catholic systematic theology |Todd Walatka grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Dayton. After an M.T.S. and Ph.D. from Notre Dame, he took up his current position as the Assistant Chair for Graduate Studies in Theology in 2011. Specializing in contemporary Catholic systematic theology, his research includes work on Hans Urs von Balthasar, Latin American liberation theology, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and the interpretation and reception of Vatican II. He also works in the field of pedagogy and pedagogical formation, both in his role as Assistant Chair for Graduate Studies and in his research. His most recent courses taught include: Foundations of Theology; Introduction to Vatican II; Christian Traditions II; Mercy and Liberation; Fundamentals of Systematic Theology; Theology en español, Ecclesiology; Eschatology; and Teaching Theology. His two ongoing book projects explore 1) the history of Vatican II and 2) the theological witness of Archbishop Oscar Romero.

University of Notre Dame

Department of Mathematics

College of Science

Math/Philosophy Math Graduate Programs

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MSIM PROGRAM FOR PHILOSOPHY PhD STUDENTS, MAMP PROGRAM FOR MATHEMATICS PhD STUDENTS, AND JOINT MATH/PHILOSOPHY PhD PROGRAM

In collaboration with the Philosophy Department, the Mathematics Department at Notre Dame offers several joint programs for students interested in Mathematical Logic as well as Philosophy. The acronym MSIM stands for Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Mathematics, and this degree is given by the Mathematics Department. The program is available also to students from fields besides Philosophy. See this link: https://math.nd.edu/graduate/msim-degree/ for more information about joint Mathematics/Philosophy graduate degrees at Notre Dame. If you are a PhD student at Notre Dame interested in the MSIM degree with your primary area of interest not in Mathematical logic and Philosophy, the MAMP (Master of the Arts in Mathematical Philosophy) program may be of interest. See https://philosophy.nd.edu/graduate-program/mathematical-philosophy-minor/ for additional information about MAMP. This page gives instructions for how to apply for the MSIM, MAMP, or the joint PhD program in Mathematical Logic and Philosophy. Please contact the Math or Philosophy DGS if you have additional questions.

Admission to either of these degree programs requires the approval of both the Mathematics and Philosophy Departments. Similarly, any extension of the deadlines discussed below need the approval of the Mathematics and Philosophy Departments. Approval by the Philosophy Department requires primary approval by the Logic Group within that department, and final certification by the Philosophy DGS. Approval by the Math department requires approval by the Logic Group within that department in consultation with the Math DGS and if necessary, the graduate committee. As these degrees are additional degrees beyond the student’s Ph.D. program, they are not funded separately. We expect that the students earning these degrees will be exceptional.

A student in the joint PhD program will have to find a Mathematics adviser and a Philosophy adviser. The student will write a single PhD thesis, but it may have separate parts with a Math or Philosophy focus.

Philosophy Primary

An essential criterion for admission to the MSIM or Joint Degree for a Philosophy graduate student by the mathematics department is the approval of a mathematics department faculty member who agrees to oversee the student’s work. This will normally require that the student has become integrated into that faculty member’s research group, and has proposed a viable area for research. It is the student’s responsibility to find their own advisor. Given that, the path towards admission to the MSIM or Joint Degree is as follows:

• Year 1 and 2 (coursework): In addition to Philosophy coursework, the student takes the Mathematics department’s Logic Sequence Math 60510 and Math 60520 in Year 1. The student is also required to take two additional basic courses in mathematics. Basic Algebra I and II is a common choice, but other choices are possible. These courses should be completed in the first two years. S/he also, in this period, plays an active role in some part of the Mathematics department’s on-going research seminars, lectures, etc. 
• Year 2: The student finds a faculty member willing to supervise some advanced work in that faculty member’s area. This might be over the first summer, during the second year, or during the second summer. The student should become well-integrated into the research group of the intended supervisor and take topics courses in Logic.
• Application to the MSIM program is made prior to the start of Year 3, and we encourage applicants interested in continuing to do the joint PhD program to apply well before the start of year 3. The application will include a description of the courses to be taken for the degree, and of the proposed Master’s thesis topic, both of which will have been designed in consultation with the proposed advisor along with letters of support from their advisors.  It is expected that the student’s work in Mathematics classes outside Logic will be above average and similarly with their work in philosophy.  
• If the student is admitted to the MSIM program, s/he will work during Year 3 with the Mathematics advisor on their thesis topic.  
• Students interested in pursuing the joint PhD program should take the oral exam in Mathematics by the beginning of Year 4. This oral is understood to be similar to the one taken by students pursuing a Ph.D. in Mathematical Logic. Passing this oral exam is required to earn the Joint Ph.D. 
• While working towards the MSIM degree, a student interested in pursuing the joint PhD program must express an intention to apply by the end of May of Year 3 and apply by the beginning  of Year 4. An application consists of a description of the courses to be taken for the degree, a research proposal, hopefully some completed research and letters of support from their advisors. If the decision at that stage is that the student needs further work, then the student may submit a revised application during Year 4.  In any event, if a philosophy student is to be accepted to the joint PhD program, this must happen by the first day of classes in the 5th year.
• If the student in the MSIM program is not admitted to the Joint PhD program, s/he will normally finish the requirements for, and be awarded, the MSIM degree on route to completion of the Philosophy PhD.  In this case we expect the MSIM thesis to be completed by the end of Year 4.  A public defense of the Master’s thesis is expected. The defense should happen by early in Year 5. 
• If the student is admitted to the Joint PhD program, s/he need not complete the requirements for the MSIM degree. Research completed in pursuit of the MSIM thesis might be incorporated into the research for the joint PhD dissertation.  We do expect this degree to be completed within 6 years. 

Mathematics Primary

An essential criterion for admission to the MAMP or Joint PhD. for a mathematics graduate student by the Philosophy Department is the recommendation of a Philosophy Department faculty member who agrees to oversee the student’s work. This will normally require that the student has articulated a viable area for research and demonstrated to the satisfaction of the faculty member relevant competence to undertake a research project in the area. It is the student’s responsibility to find their own advisor.

• Years 1 and 2: The student should enroll in approximately 1 research seminar in the Philosophy Department each semester. [Generally, four philosophy seminar courses with a heavy writing component are needed for a student applying to the MAMP or joint PhD program.] Knowing that the application to the MAMP includes the submission of a sample of philosophical writing, it is wise to make sure to take seminars with substantial writing components so that by the time of application the student will have experienced several episodes of writing and rewriting in light of instructor feedback. Students should check with the instructor whether the course has a substantial writing component.  Most seminars will fit this description, but some Logic seminars will not. Note that all seminars taken prior to application to the MAMP will be retroactively counted towards fulfillment of the MAMP (and/or Joint PhD.) degree. For students interested in MAMP or the joint PhD program,the Mathematics department can delay two of the required basic courses to the second year to allow students time to complete their philosophy seminars.
• An application to MAMP or the joint PhD program should consist of a transcript, the written work from Philosophy seminars, and a research paper, together with faculty evaluations.
• Year 2 or 3: Application to the MAMP should be made at the end of year 2 or during year 3. Students with a definite expectation to eventually apply to the Joint PhD program are strongly advised to apply before the start of year 3. Students with no plan to apply to the Joint PhD. program should in any event apply to the MAMP before the end of their 3rd year of study, so that the commencement of their MAMP thesis research does not disrupt the timely completion of their Mathematics dissertation research.
• Applications for the Joint PhD. will only be considered for students in their first four years of graduate study, and admission to the Joint PhD. must happen before the start of the student’s 5th year. A student applying to the Joint PhD. program need not complete their MAMP thesis; in many cases the work going towards that thesis will be further elaborated as the Philosophy component of their PhD. dissertation.
• A student who does not apply to the Joint PhD should submit their MAMP thesis by the end of their 4th year.
• A student admitted to the Joint PhD program should have a research plan suited for completion of the degree by the end of their 6th year.

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University of Notre Dame

Center for Philosophy of Religion

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Fellowships

For over thirty years, the Center has welcomed researchers from around the world to spend time in residence at Notre Dame. In that period, over 250 scholars working in philosophy, theology, religious studies, other humanities fields, and even the social sciences have pursued cutting edge research using the vast resources of this institution. Residential fellows research, write, discuss works-in-progress, participate in exciting media initiatives, and enjoy vibrant community life while at Notre Dame.

AY 2024-2025 Theme: Religion and Democracy

We are pleased to announce our 2024-2025 research fellows:.

• Marilie Coetsee , Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Hope College
• Kristin Kobes Du Mez , Professor of History, Calvin University
• Blain Neufeld , Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
• Mark Satta , Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University
• Stephen Waldron, Ph.D. Candidate, Boston University School of Theology

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University of Notre Dame PhD in Philosophy

Philosophy is a concentration offered under the philosophy major at University of Notre Dame. Here, you’ll find out more about the major doctor’s degree program in philosophy, including such details as the number of graduates, diversity of students, and more.

You can jump to any section of this page using the links below:

• Graduate Cost
• Online Learning
• Student Diversity

How Much Does a Doctorate in Philosophy from Notre Dame Cost?

Notre dame graduate tuition and fees.

Part-time graduates at Notre Dame paid an average of $3,169 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. The following table shows the average full-time tuition and fees for graduate student.

Does Notre Dame Offer an Online PhD in Philosophy?

Online degrees for the Notre Dame philosophy doctor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the Notre Dame Online Learning page.

Notre Dame Doctorate Student Diversity for Philosophy

Male-to-female ratio.

About 14.3% of the students who received their PhD in philosophy in 2019-2020 were women. This is less than the nationwide number of 26.0%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 14.3% of philosophy doctor’s degree recipients at Notre Dame in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is about the same as the nationwide number of 15%.

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

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• Department of Philosophy

Notre Dame, IN

Department of Philosophy / Department of Philosophy is located in Notre Dame, IN, in a suburban setting.

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• University of Notre Dame