are all phd doctor of philosophy

A Doctor of Philosophy or Doctorate

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More than 54,000 students earned doctoral degrees in 2016, the latest year for which figures are available, a 30 percent increase since 2000, according to the  National Science Foundation . A Ph.D., also called a doctorate, is a "Doctor of Philosophy" degree, which is a misleading moniker because most Ph.D. holders are not philosophers. The term for this increasingly popular degree derives from the original meaning of the word "philosophy," which comes from the ancient Greek word  philosophia , meaning "love of wisdom."

What Is a Ph.D.?

In that sense, the term "Ph.D." is accurate, because the degree has historically been a license to teach, but it also signifies that the holder is an "authority, in full command of (a given) subject right up to the boundaries of current knowledge, and able to extend them," says  FindAPhD , an online Ph.D. database. Earning a Ph.D. requires a hefty financial and time commitment— $35,000 to $60,000  and two to eight years—as well as research, creating a thesis or dissertation, and possibly some teaching duties.

Deciding to pursue a Ph.D. can represent a major life choice. Doctoral candidates require additional schooling after completing a master's program to earn their Ph.D.: They must complete additional coursework, pass comprehensive exams , and complete an independent dissertation in their field. Once completed, though, a doctoral degree—often called a "terminal degree"—can open doors for the Ph.D.holder, especially in academia but also in business.

Core Courses and Electives

To obtain a Ph.D., you need to take a group of core courses as well as electives, totaling about 60 to 62 "hours," which are roughly the equivalent of units at the bachelor's degree level. For example, Washington State University offers a  Ph.D. in crop science . Core courses, which make up about 18 hours, include such subjects as introduction to population genetics, plant transmission genetics, and plant breeding.

Additionally, the student must make up the remaining required hours through electives. The  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health  offers a doctoral degree in Biological Sciences in Public Health. After core courses such as laboratory rotations, biological sciences seminars, and core principles of biostatistics and epidemiology, the Ph.D. candidate is required to take electives in related fields such as advanced respiratory physiology, advanced respiratory physiology, and ecological and epidemiological control of parasitic diseases. Degree-granting institutions across the board want to ensure that those who earn Ph.D.s have broad knowledge in their chosen field.

Thesis or Dissertation and Research

A Ph.D. also requires students to complete a large scholarly project known as a  dissertation , a research report—usually 60-plus pages—which signifies that they are able to make significant independent contributions to their chosen field of study. Students take on the project, also known as a  doctoral thesis , after completing the core and elective coursework and passing a  comprehensive examination . Through the dissertation, the student is expected to make a new and creative contribution to a field of study and to demonstrate her expertise.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, for example, a strong medical dissertation relies heavily on the creation of a specific hypothesis that can be either disproved or supported by data collected through independent student research. Further, it must also contain several key elements starting with an introduction to the problem statement, conceptual framework, and research question as well as references to literature already published on the topic. Students must show that the  dissertation  is relevant, provides new insight into the chosen field, and is a topic that they can research independently.

Financial Aid and Teaching

There are several ways to pay for a doctoral degree: scholarships, grants, fellowships, and government loans, as well as teaching.  GoGrad , a graduate school information website, provides such examples as the:

• Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program, which provides full tuition and an annual stipend of $25,000 to $38,000.
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, a three-year graduate fellowship that is designed to support doctoral students across 15 engineering disciplines
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a three-year program that provides an annual stipend of $34,000 and a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance for tuition and fees

As it does for bachelor's and master's degrees, the federal government also offers several  loan programs  to help students finance their Ph.D. studies. You generally apply for these loans by filling out the free application for federal student aid ( FAFSA ). Students planning to go into teaching after obtaining their doctoral degrees often also supplement their income by teaching undergraduate classes at the schools where they are studying. The University of California, Riverside, for example, offers a "teaching award"—essentially a stipend applied toward tuition costs—for Ph.D. candidates in English who teach undergraduate, beginning-level, English courses

Jobs and Opportunities for Ph.D. Holders

Education accounts for a large percentage doctoral awards, with elementary education, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership and administration, special education, and counselor education/ school counseling topping the list. Most universities in the United States require a Ph.D. for candidates who seek teaching positions, regardless of the department.

Many Ph.D. candidates seek the degree, however, to boost their current salaries. For example, a health, sports, and fitness educator at a community college would realize a bump in annual pay for obtaining a Ph.D. The same holds for educational administrators. Most such positions require only a master's degree, but obtaining a Ph.D. generally leads to an annual stipend that school districts add to the annual salary. That same health and fitness instructor at a community college could also move on from a teaching position and become a dean at a community college—a position that requires a Ph.D.—boosting his pay to  $120,000 to $160,000  a year or more.

So, the opportunities for a doctoral degree holder are wide and varied, but the cost and commitment required are significant. Most experts say you should know your future career plans before you make the commitment. If you know what you want to get out of the degree, then the years of required study and sleepless nights may well be worth the investment.

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• What is a PhD?

Written by Mark Bennett

A PhD is a doctoral research degree and the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. The degree normally takes between three and four years of full-time work towards a thesis offering an original contribution to your subject.

This page explains what a PhD is, what it involves and what you need to know if you’re considering applying for a PhD research project , or enrolling on a doctoral programme .

The meaning of a PhD

The PhD can take on something of a mythic status. Are they only for geniuses? Do you have to discover something incredible? Does the qualification make you an academic? And are higher research degrees just for people who want to be academics?

Even the full title, ‘Doctor of Philosophy’, has a somewhat mysterious ring to it. Do you become a doctor? Yes, but not that kind of doctor. Do you have to study Philosophy? No (not unless you want to) .

So, before going any further, let's explain what the term 'PhD' actually means and what defines a doctorate.

What does PhD stand for?

PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. This is one of the highest level academic degrees that can be awarded. PhD is an abbreviation of the Latin term (Ph)ilosophiae (D)octor. Traditionally the term ‘philosophy’ does not refer to the subject but its original Greek meaning which roughly translates to ‘lover of wisdom’.

What is a doctorate?

A doctorate is any qualification that awards a doctoral degree. In order to qualify for one you need to produce advanced work that makes a significant new contribution to knowledge in your field. Doing so earns you the title 'Doctor' – hence the name.

So, is a PhD different to a doctorate? No. A PhD is a type of doctorate .

The PhD is the most common type of doctorate and is awarded in almost all subjects at universities around the world. Other doctorates tend to be more specialised or for more practical and professional projects.

Essentially, all PhDs are doctorates, but not all doctorates are PhDs.

Do you need a Masters to get a PhD?

Not necessarily. It's common for students in Arts and the Humanities to complete an MA (Master of Arts) before starting a PhD in order to acquire research experience and techniques. Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) don't always need an MS/MSc (Master of Science) to do a PhD as you'll gain training in lab techniques and other skills during your undergraduate degree.

Whether a Masters is a requirement for a PhD also varies by country. Australian PhDs may require a Masters as the equivalent of their own 'honours year' (where students work on research). US PhD programmes often include a Masters.

We have a whole guide dedicated to helping you decide whether a PhD without a Masters is the right route for you.

The origin of the PhD

Despite its name, the PhD isn't actually an Ancient Greek degree. Instead it's a much more recent development. The PhD as we know it was developed in nineteenth-century Germany, alongside the modern research university.

Higher education had traditionally focussed on mastery of an existing body of scholarship and the highest academic rank available was, appropriately enough, a Masters degree.

As the focus shifted more onto the production of new knowledge and ideas, the PhD degree was brought in to recognise those who demonstrated the necessary skills and expertise.

The PhD process – what's required to get a PhD?

The typical length of a PhD is three to four years full-time, or five to six years part-time.

Unlike most Masters courses (or all undergraduate programmes), a PhD is a pure research degree. But that doesn’t mean you’ll just spend years locked away in a library or laboratory. In fact, the modern PhD is a diverse and varied qualification with many different components.

Whereas the second or third year of a taught degree look quite a lot like the first (with more modules and coursework at a higher level) a PhD moves through a series of stages.

A typical PhD normally involves:

• Carrying out a literature review (a survey of current scholarship in your field).
• Conducting original research and collecting your results .
• Producing a thesis that presents your conclusions.
• Writing up your thesis and submitting it as a dissertation .
• Defending your thesis in an oral viva voce exam.

These stages vary a little between subjects and universities, but they tend to fall into the same sequence over the three years of a typical full-time PhD.

The first year of a PhD

The beginning of a PhD is all about finding your feet as a researcher and getting a solid grounding in the current scholarship that relates to your topic.

You’ll have initial meetings with your supervisor and discuss a plan of action based on your research proposal.

The first step in this will almost certainly be carrying out your literature review . With the guidance of your supervisor you’ll begin surveying and evaluating existing scholarship. This will help situate your research and ensure your work is original.

Your literature review will provide a logical jumping off point for the beginning of your own research and the gathering of results . This could involve designing and implementing experiments, or getting stuck into a pile of primary sources.

The year may end with an MPhil upgrade . This occurs when PhD students are initially registered for an MPhil degree and then ‘upgraded’ to PhD candidates upon making sufficient progress. You’ll submit material from your literature review, or a draft of your research findings and discuss these with members of your department in an upgrade exam . All being well, you’ll then continue with your research as a PhD student.

PhDs in other countries

The information on the page is based on the UK. Most countries follow a similar format, but there are some differences. In the USA , for example, PhD students complete reading assignments and examinations before beginning their research. You can find out more in our guides to PhD study around the world .

The second year of a PhD

Your second year will probably be when you do most of your core research. The process for this will vary depending on your field, but your main focus will be on gathering results from experiments, archival research, surveys or other means.

As your research develops, so will the thesis (or argument) you base upon it. You may even begin writing up chapters or other pieces that will eventually form part of your dissertation .

You’ll still be having regular meetings with your supervisor. They’ll check your progress, provide feedback on your ideas and probably read any drafts your produce.

The second year is also an important stage for your development as a scholar. You’ll be well versed in current research and have begun to collect some important data or develop insights of your own. But you won’t yet be faced with the demanding and time-intensive task of finalising your dissertation.

So, this part of your PhD is a perfect time to think about presenting your work at academic conferences , gaining teaching experience or perhaps even selecting some material for publication in an academic journal. You can read more about these kinds of activities below.

The third year of a PhD

The third year of a PhD is sometimes referred to as the writing up phase.

Traditionally, this is the final part of your doctorate, during which your main task will be pulling together your results and honing your thesis into a dissertation .

In reality, it’s not always as simple as that.

It’s not uncommon for final year PhD students to still be fine-tuning experiments, collecting results or chasing up a few extra sources. This is particularly likely if you spend part of your second year focussing on professional development.

In fact, some students actually take all or part of a fourth year to finalise their dissertation. Whether you are able to do this will depend on the terms of your enrolment – and perhaps your PhD funding .

Eventually though, you are going to be faced with writing up your thesis and submitting your dissertation.

Your supervisor will be very involved in this process. They’ll read through your final draft and let you know when they think your PhD is ready for submission.

All that’s left then is your final viva voce oral exam. This is a formal discussion and defence of your thesis involving at least one internal and external examiner. It’s normally the only assessment procedure for a PhD. Once you’ve passed, you’ve done it!

Looking for more information about the stages of a PhD?

How do you go about completing a literature review? What's it like to do PhD research? And what actually happens at an MPhil upgrade? You can find out more in our detailed guide to the PhD journey .

Doing a PhD – what's it actually like?

You can think of the ‘stages’ outlined above as the basic ‘roadmap’ for a PhD, but the actual ‘journey’ you’ll take as a research student involves a lot of other sights, a few optional destinations and at least one very important fellow passenger.

Carrying out research

Unsurprisingly, you’ll spend most of your time as a PhD researcher… researching your PhD. But this can involve a surprisingly wide range of activities.

The classic image of a student working away in the lab, or sitting with a pile of books in the library is true some of the time – particularly when you’re monitoring experiments or conducting your literature review.

Your PhD can take you much further afield though. You may find yourself visiting archives or facilities to examine their data or look at rare source materials. You could even have the opportunity to spend an extended period ‘in residence’ at a research centre or other institution beyond your university.

Research is also far from being a solitary activity. You’ll have regular discussions with your supervisor (see below) but you may also work with other students from time to time.

This is particularly likely if you’re part of a larger laboratory or workshop group studying the same broad area. But it’s also common to collaborate with students whose projects are more individual. You might work on shorter projects of joint interest, or be part of teams organising events and presentations.

Many universities also run regular internal presentation and discussion groups – a perfect way to get to know other PhD students in your department and offer feedback on each other’s work in progress.

Working with your supervisor

All PhD projects are completed with the guidance of at least one academic supervisor . They will be your main point of contact and support throughout the PhD.

Your supervisor will be an expert in your general area of research, but they won’t have researched on your exact topic before (if they had, your project wouldn’t be original enough for a PhD).

As such, it’s better to think of your supervisor as a mentor, rather than a teacher.

As a PhD student you’re now an independent and original scholar, pushing the boundaries of your field beyond what is currently known (and taught) about it. You’re doing all of this for the first time, of course. But your supervisor isn’t.

They’ll know what’s involved in managing an advanced research project over three years (or more). They’ll know how best to succeed, but they’ll also know what can go wrong and how to spot the warning signs before it does.

Perhaps most importantly, they’ll be someone with the time and expertise to listen to your ideas and help provide feedback and encouragement as you develop your thesis.

Exact supervision arrangements vary between universities and between projects:

• In Science and Technology projects it’s common for a supervisor to be the lead investigator on a wider research project, with responsibility for a laboratory or workshop that includes several PhD students and other researchers.
• In Arts and Humanities subjects, a supervisor’s research is more separate from their students’. They may supervise more than one PhD at a time, but each project is essentially separate.

It’s also becoming increasingly common for PhD students to have two (or more) supervisors. The first is usually responsible for guiding your academic research whilst the second is more concerned with the administration of your PhD – ensuring you complete any necessary training and stay on track with your project’s timetable.

However you’re supervised, you’ll have regular meetings to discuss work and check your progress. Your supervisor will also provide feedback on work during your PhD and will play an important role as you near completion: reading your final dissertation draft, helping you select an external examiner and (hopefully) taking you out for a celebratory drink afterwards!

Professional development, networking and communication

Traditionally, the PhD has been viewed as a training process, preparing students for careers in academic research.

As such, it often includes opportunities to pick up additional skills and experiences that are an important part of a scholarly CV. Academics don’t just do research after all. They also teach students, administrate departments – and supervise PhDs.

The modern PhD is also viewed as a more flexible qualification. Not all doctoral graduates end up working in higher education. Many follow alternative careers that are either related to their subject of specialism or draw upon the advanced research skills their PhD has developed.

PhD programmes have begun to reflect this. Many now emphasise transferrable skills or include specific training units designed to help students communicate and apply their research beyond the university.

What all of this means is that very few PhD experiences are just about researching and writing up a thesis.

The likelihood is that you’ll also do some (or all) of the following during your PhD:

The work is usually paid and is increasingly accompanied by formal training and evaluation.

Conference presentation

As a PhD student you’ll be at the cutting edge of your field, doing original research and producing new results. This means that your work will be interest to other scholars and that your results could be worth presenting at academic conferences .

Doing this is very worthwhile, whatever your career plans. You’ll develop transferrable skills in public speaking and presenting, gain feedback on your results and begin to be recognised as an expert in your area.

Conferences are also great places to network with other students and academics.

Publication

As well as presenting your research, you may also have the opportunity to publish work in academic journals, books, or other media. This can be a challenging process.

Your work will be judged according to the same high standards as any other scholar’s and will normally go through extensive peer review processes. But it’s also highly rewarding. Seeing your work ‘in print’ is an incredible validation of your PhD research and a definite boost to your academic CV.

Public engagement and communication

Academic work may be associated with the myth of the ‘ivory tower’ – an insular community of experts focussing on obscure topics of little interest outside the university. But this is far from the case. More and more emphasis is being placed on the ‘impact’ of research and its wider benefits to the public – with funding decisions being made accordingly.

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to try your hand at public engagement as a PhD student. Universities are often involved in local events and initiatives to communicate the benefits of their research, ranging from workshops in local schools to public lectures and presentations.

Some PhD programmes include structured training in order to help students with activities such as the above. Your supervisor may also be able to help by identifying suitable conferences and public engagement opportunities, or by involving you in appropriate university events and public engagement initiatives.

These experiences will be an important part of your development as a researchers - and will enhance the value of your PhD regardless of your career plans.

What is a PhD for – and who should study one?

So, you know what a PhD actually is, what’s involved in completing one and what you might get up to whilst you do. That just leaves one final question: should you do a PhD?

Unfortunately, it’s not a question we can answer for you.

A PhD is difficult and uniquely challenging. It requires at least three years of hard work and dedication after you’ve already completed an undergraduate degree (and probably a Masters degree too).

You’ll need to support yourself during those years and, whilst you will be building up an impressive set of skills, you won’t be directly progressing in a career.

But a PhD is also immensely rewarding. It’s your chance to make a genuine contribution to the sum of human knowledge and produce work that other researchers can (and will) build on in future. However obscure your topic feels, there’s really no such thing as a useless PhD.

A PhD is also something to be incredibly proud of. A proportionately tiny number of people go on to do academic work at this level. Whatever you end up doing after your doctorate you’ll have an impressive qualification – and a title to match. What’s more, non-academic careers and professions are increasingly recognising the unique skills and experience a PhD brings.

Other PhDs - do degree titles matter?

The PhD is the oldest and most common form of higher research degree, but a few alternatives are available. Some, such as the DPhil are essentially identical to a PhD. Others, such as the Professional Doctorate or DBA are slightly different. You can find out more in our guide to types of PhD .

Is a PhD for me?

There’s more advice on the value of a PhD – and good reasons for studying one – elsewhere in this section. But the following are some quick tips if you’re just beginning to consider a PhD.

Speak to your lecturers / tutors

The best people to ask about PhD study are people who’ve earned one. Ask staff at your current or previous university about their experience of doctoral research – what they enjoyed, what they didn’t and what their tips might be.

If you’re considering a PhD for an academic career, ask about that too. Are job prospects good in your field? And what’s it really like to work at a university?

Speak to current PhD students

Want to know what it’s like studying a PhD right now? Or what it’s like doing research at a particular university? Ask someone who knows.

Current PhD students were just like you a year or two ago and most will be happy to answer questions.

If you can’t get in touch with any students ‘face to face’, pop over to the Postgraduate Forum – you’ll find plenty of students there who are happy to chat about postgraduate research.

Take a look at advertised projects and programmes

This may seem like a strange suggestion. After all, you’re only going to study one PhD, so what’s the point of reading about lots of others?

Well, looking at the details of different PhD projects is a great way to get a general sense of what PhD research is like. You’ll see what different PhDs tend to have in common and what kinds of unique opportunity might be available to you.

And, with thousands of PhDs in our database , you’re already in a great place to start.

Read our other advice articles

Finally, you can also check out some of the other advice on the FindAPhD website. We’ve looked at some good (and bad) reasons for studying a PhD as well as the value of a doctorate to different career paths.

More generally, you can read our in-depth look at a typical PhD journey , or find out more about specific aspects of doctoral study such as working with a supervisor or writing your dissertation .

We add new articles all the time – the best way to stay up to date is by signing up for our free PhD opportunity newsletter .

Ready to find your PhD?

Head on over to our PhD search listings to learn what opportunities are on offer within your discipline.

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You may also like....

What happens during a typical PhD, and when? We've summarised the main milestones of a doctoral research journey.

The PhD thesis is the most important part of a doctoral degree. This page will introduce you to what you need to know about the PhD dissertation.

This page will give you an idea of what to expect from your routine as a PhD student, explaining how your daily life will look at you progress through a doctoral degree.

Our guide tells you everything about the application process for studying a PhD in the USA.

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• DPhil vs PhD – Differences Explained
• Types of Doctorates

DPhil vs PhD – What Are the Differences?

There is a common misconception that a DPhil and PhD are two different degrees. This is not the case.

The abbreviations ‘PhD’ and ‘DPhil’ both relate to the same academic qualification – a Doctor of Philosophy. A  Doctor of Philosophy is a professional research qualification usually undertaken after a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree. It’s awarded to students who successfully undertake a novel research project and usually involves the production and defence of a thesis during an oral examination.

Whilst both abbreviations refer to the same qualification, ‘PhD’ is far more common and well known compared to ‘DPhil’. In fact, it’s likely that most doctoral students located outside of the UK have never even stumbled upon the abbreviation ‘DPhil’ before!

The reason for this is that ‘DPhil’ is a British abbreviation and is only currently used by a handful of UK universities such as Oxford, and occasionally, Sussex and York. While almost all UK universities adopt the term ‘PhD’, the University of Oxford still uses ‘DPhil’ as you can see on their admissions page . As a result, almost all doctorate students graduating today do so with ‘PhD‘ written on their official manuscript.

Are There Any Differences in Funding, Eligibility Requirements or Duration?

In short, no.

As ‘DPhil’ and ‘PhD’ both refer to the same qualification, a ‘Doctor of Philosophy’, there are no differences in programme between them. This is true regardless of whether you’re a UK/EU or international student.

With respect to entry requirements, both will require graduate students to possess a relevant Master’s degree (or a very strong Bachelor’s degree), have the same funding opportunities attached to them and take approximately 3 to 4 years to complete if studied full-time.

There are no additional costs associated with a DPhil compared to a PhD in Philosophy, and external funding sources within the UK are the same.

Potential DPhil Concerns

In the past, several current and post-doctoral students have expressed concerns about whether they will be at a disadvantage due to having ‘DPhil’ on their official degree manuscript as opposed to ‘PhD’.

In almost all cases, these concerns have arisen when an individual is contemplating moving abroad. The reason for this is that the abbreviation ‘DPhil’ is not always as well understood in countries outside the United Kingdom. For example, a recent post-doctoral student once shared with us how she spent two days going back and forth with a potential US employer while trying to explain that her degree is the same qualification as a PhD. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be an isolated event given the number of stories and personal anecdotes available through various post-doctoral forums.

However, in all the above cases, the affected individuals were able to address the employer’s confusion once they explained the difference in the abbreviation system.

Therefore, while obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy which has ‘DPhil’ written on its official manuscript may raise a few questions, it’s not a factor that you should be concerned about.

To summarise, ‘DPhil’ and ‘PhD’ both correspond to a ‘Doctor of Philosophy’. Apart from the differences in abbreviation convention, both degrees are the same higher education qualification.

How Long is a DPhil?

Just like a PhD, a DPhil typically takes 3 to 4 years of full time study. This usually comprises of three stages:

• Research, where the DPhil student carries out a literature review, providing critique on a wide range of sources, before carrying out their own research.
• Thesis, where the student writes up their research project in a single document which outlines the importance of the project, methodology, findings and conclusions.
• Viva Voce, the final step before coming a Doctorate of Philosophy. In this stage the DPhil or PhD student sits an oral exam and is required to discuss and defend their original contribution to the field of study.

Tips for a DPhil

You should now be aware of the DPhil meaning, however if you are still unsure whether this is the right PhD degree for you, here are some tips you can use to reassure yourself, particularly if you are an international student looking to study in the UK:

Talk to an academic supervisor, or even your potential supervisor themselves. They will be able to reiterate the points above and give you confidence that your doctoral study will result in a doctoral degree with the same academic merit as a PhD.

If you are pursuing international study, just like any doctorate degree you should confirm English language requirements, study costs, living costs, travel expenses or any other additional expenses associated with the project.

Doctoral study is a big commitment, so as a DPhil or PhD candidate you need to ask yourself ‘is a PhD worth it?’. If you are genuinely interested in your field or research or wish to gain expert knowledge and contribute to a specific topic, then PhD study could be for you. Doctorates are well equipped to pursue academic careers. Academic positions include lecturers, postdoctoral researchers and PhD supervisors. However, the transferable skills developed over the course of their programmes give them an edge beyond just the academic job market. The research and development industries in particular often look to recruit PhD holders for their expertise in novel techniques. It is important therefore to consider your career goals, and how a DPhil may influence your job prospects.

To conclude, when considering a DPhil vs PhD, either way you will hold a Doctorate of Philosophy. The two advanced degrees differ in name only and are of equal academic merit.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

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Doctoral Program

Stanford's Ph.D. program is among the world's best. Our graduate students receive their training in a lively community of philosophers engaged in a wide range of philosophical projects. Our Ph.D. program trains students in traditional core areas of philosophy and provides them with opportunities to explore many subfields such as the philosophy of literature, nineteenth-century German philosophy, and medieval philosophy.

Among other areas, we are exceptionally strong in Kant studies, the philosophy of action, ancient philosophy, logic, and the philosophy of science. We attract some of the best students from around the world and we turn them into accomplished philosophers ready to compete for the best jobs in a very tight job market.

The most up-to-date requirements are listed in   t he Bulletin .  

CHECK PHD REQUIREMENTS

From the 2020-2021 edition of Explore Degrees:

Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy

Prospective graduate students should see the  Office of Graduate Admissions  web site for information and application materials. 

The University's basic requirements for the Ph.D. degree including candidacy, residence, dissertation, and examination are discussed in the " Graduate Degrees " section of this bulletin.

University candidacy requirements, published in the " Candidacy " section of this bulletin, apply to all Ph.D. students. Admission to a doctoral degree program is preliminary to, and distinct from, admission to candidacy. Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty in the department or school of the student's potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to complete department qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy at the beginning of the seventh academic quarter, normally the Autumn Quarter of the student's third year.

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is granted by the major department following a student's successful completion of qualifying procedures as determined by the department. Departmental policy determines procedures for subsequent attempts to become advanced to candidacy in the event that the student does not successfully complete the procedures. Failure to advance to candidacy results in the dismissal of the student from the doctoral program; see the " Guidelines for Dismissal of Graduate Students for Academic Reasons " section of this bulletin.

The requirements detailed here are department requirements. These requirements are meant to balance structure and flexibility in allowing students, in consultation with their  advisors , to take a path through the program that gives them a rigorous and broad philosophical education, with room to focus on areas of particular interest, and with an eye to completing the degree with an excellent dissertation and a solid preparation for a career in academic philosophy.

Normally, all courses used to satisfy the distribution requirements for the Philosophy Ph.D. are Stanford courses taken as part of a student's graduate program.  In special circumstances, a student may petition to use a very small number of graduate-level courses taken at other institutions to satisfy a distribution requirement.  To be approved for this purpose, the student’s work in such a graduate-level course would need to involve an appropriate subject matter and would need to be judged by the department to be at the level of an 'A' in a corresponding graduate-level course at Stanford.  

Courses used to satisfy any course requirement in Philosophy (except Teaching Methods and the summer Dissertation Development Seminar) must be passed with a letter grade of 'B-' or better (no satisfactory/no credit), except in the case of a course/seminar used to satisfy the third-year course/seminar requirement and taken for only 2 units. Such a reduced-unit third-year course/seminar must be taken credit/no credit. 

At the end of each year, the department reviews the progress of each student to determine whether the student is making satisfactory progress, and on that basis to make decisions about probationary status and termination from the program where appropriate.

Any student in one of the Ph.D. programs may apply for the M.A. when all University and department requirements have been met.

Proficiency Requirements

• First-year Ph.D. Proseminar : a one quarter, topically focused seminar offered in Autumn Quarter, and required of all first-year students.
• two courses in value theory including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, philosophy of law. At least one of the courses satisfying this distribution requirement must be in ethics or political philosophy.
• Two courses in language, mind, and action. One course satisfying this requirement must be drawn from the language related courses, and one from mind and action related courses.
• two courses in metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science). At least one of the courses satisfying this requirement must be drawn from either metaphysics or epistemology.
• Instructors indicate which courses may satisfy particular requirements. If a course potentially satisfies more than one requirement the student may use it for only one of those area requirements; no units may be double-counted. Students must develop broad competencies in all these areas. Those without strong backgrounds in these areas would normally satisfy these distribution requirements by taking more basic courses rather than highly specialized and focused courses. Students should consult with their advisor in making these course decisions, and be prepared to explain these decisions when reviewed for candidacy; see requirement 6 below.
• Logic requirement:  PHIL 150  Mathematical Logic or equivalent.
• History/logic requirement. One approved course each in ancient and modern philosophy, plus either another approved history of philosophy course or  PHIL 151  Metalogic.
• Students should normally take at least 64 graduate level units at Stanford during their first six quarters (in many cases students would take more units than that) and of those total units, at least 49 units of course work are to be in the Philosophy department. These courses must be numbered above 110, but not including Teaching Methods ( PHIL 239  Teaching Methods in Philosophy) or affiliated courses. Units of Individual Directed Reading are normally not to be counted toward this 49-unit requirement unless there is special permission from the student's advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
•  Prior to candidacy, at least 3 units of work must be taken with each of four Stanford faculty members.

Writing Requirement: Second Year Paper

The second year paper should demonstrate good scholarship and argumentative rigor, and be a polished piece of writing approximately 8000 words in length. The second year paper need not bear any specific relationship to the dissertation. It may be a version of a prospective dissertation chapter, but this is not required. The final version must be turned in on the last class of the Second Year Paper Development Seminar in Summer Quarter of the second year. Extensions of this deadline require the consent of the instructor of the Second Year Paper Development Seminar and the Director of Graduate Studies and are only granted in exceptional cases (e.g., documented illness, family crisis). The final paper is read by a committee of two faculty members and it is an important consideration in the department’s decision on the student’s candidacy. 

Teaching Assistancy

A minimum of five quarters of teaching assistancy are required for the Ph.D. Normally one of these quarters is as a teaching assistant for the Philosophy Department's Writing in the Major course,  PHIL 80  Mind, Matter, and Meaning. It is expected that students not teach in their first year and that they teach no more than two quarters in their second year. Students are required to take  PHIL 239  Teaching Methods in Philosophy during Spring Quarter of their first year and during Autumn Quarter of their second year. Teaching is an important part of students’ preparation to be professional philosophers.

Review at the End of the Second Year for Advancement to Candidacy

The faculty's review of each student includes a review of the student's record, an assessment of the second year paper, and an assessment of the student's preparation for work in her/his intended area of specialization, as well as recommendations of additional preparation, if necessary.

To continue in the Ph.D. program, each student must apply for candidacy at the beginning of the sixth academic quarter, normally the Spring Quarter of the student's second year. Students may be approved for or denied candidacy by the end of that quarter by the department. In some cases, where there are only one or two outstanding deficiencies, the department may defer the candidacy decision and require the student to re-apply for candidacy in a subsequent quarter. In such cases, definite conditions for the candidacy re-application must be specified, and the student must work with the advisor and the DGS to meet those conditions in a timely fashion. A failure to maintain timely progress in satisfying the specified conditions constitutes grounds for withholding travel and discretionary funds and for a denial of advancement to candidacy.

• Writing Seminar : In the Summer Quarter after the second year, students are required to attend the Second Year Paper Development Seminar. The seminar is intended to help students complete their second year papers. 
• Upon completion of the summer writing seminar, students must sign up for independent study credit,  PHIL 240  Individual Work for Graduate Students, with their respective advisors each quarter. A plan at the beginning, and a report at the end, of each quarter must be signed by both student and advisor and submitted to the graduate administrator for inclusion in the student's file. This is the process every quarter until the completion of the departmental oral.
• In Autumn and Winter quarters of the third year, students register in and satisfactorily complete  PHIL 301  Dissertation Development Proseminar. Students meet to present their work in progress and discuss their thesis project. Participation in these seminars is required.
• During the third and fourth years in the program, a student should complete at least three graduate-level courses/seminars, at least two of them in philosophy (a course outside philosophy can be approved by the advisor), and at least two of them in the third year. The three seminars can be taken credit/no-credit for reduced (2) units. Courses required for candidacy are not counted toward satisfaction of this requirement. This light load of courses allows students to deepen their philosophical training while keeping time free for thesis research.

Dissertation Work and Defense

The third and following years are devoted to dissertation work. The few requirements in this segment of the program are milestones to encourage students and advisors to ensure that the project is on track.

• Dissertation Proposal— By Spring Quarter of the third year, students should have selected a dissertation topic and committee. A proposal sketching the topic, status, and plan for the thesis project, as well as an annotated bibliography or literature review indicating familiarity with the relevant literature, must be received by the committee one week before the meeting on graduate student progress late in Spring Quarter. The dissertation proposal and the reading committee's report on it will constitute a substantial portion of the third year review.
• Departmental Oral— During Autumn Quarter of the fourth year, students take an oral examination based on at least 30 pages of written work, in addition to the proposal. The aim of the exam is to help the student arrive at an acceptable plan for the dissertation and to make sure that student, thesis topic, and advisors make a reasonable fit. It is an important chance for the student to clarify their goals and intentions with the entire committee present.
• Fourth-Year Colloquium— No later than Spring Quarter of the fourth year, students present a research paper in a 60-minute seminar open to the entire department. This paper should be on an aspect of the student's dissertation research. This is an opportunity for the student to make their work known to the wider department, and to explain their ideas to a general philosophical audience.
• University Oral Exam— Ph.D. students must submit a completed draft of the dissertation to the reading committee at least one month before the student expects to defend the thesis in the University oral exam. If the student is given consent to go forward, the University oral can take place approximately two weeks later. A portion of the exam consists of a student presentation based on the dissertation and is open to the public. A closed question period follows. If the draft is ready by Autumn Quarter of the fourth year, the student may request that the University oral count as the department oral.

Below are yearly lists of courses which the faculty have approved to fulfill distribution requirements in these areas: value theory (including ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, philosophy of law); language; mind and action; metaphysics and epistemology (including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science); logic; ancient philosophy; modern philosophy.

The most up-to-date requirements are listed in  t he Bulletin .  

Ph.D. Minor in Philosophy

To obtain a Ph.D. minor in Philosophy, students must follow these procedures:

• Consult with the Director of Graduate Study to establish eligibility, and select a suitable  advisor .
• 30 units of courses in the Department of Philosophy with a letter grade of 'B-' or better in each course. No more than 3 units of directed reading may be counted in the 30-unit requirement.
• Philosophy of science
• Ethics, value theory, and moral and political philosophy
• Metaphysics and epistemology
• Language, mind and action
• History of philosophy
• Two additional courses numbered over 199 to be taken in one of those (b) six areas.
• A faculty member from the Department of Philosophy (usually the student's advisor) serves on the student's doctoral oral examination committee and may request that up to one third of this examination be devoted to the minor subject.
• Paperwork for the minor must be submitted to the department office before beginning the program.

Interdisciplinary Study

The department supports interdisciplinary study. Courses in Stanford's other departments and programs may be counted towards the degree, and course requirements in Philosophy are designed to allow students considerable freedom in taking such courses. Dissertation committees may include members from other departments. Where special needs arise, the department is committed to making it possible for students to obtain a philosophical education and to meet their interdisciplinary goals. Students are advised to consult their advisors and the department's student services office for assistance.

Graduate Program in Cognitive Science

Philosophy participates with the departments of Computer Science, Linguistics, and Psychology in an interdisciplinary program in Cognitive Science. It is intended to provide an interdisciplinary education, as well as a deeper concentration in philosophy, and is open to doctoral students. Students who complete the requirements within Philosophy and the Cognitive Science requirements receive a special designation in Cognitive Science along with the Ph.D. in Philosophy. To receive this field designation, students must complete 30 units of approved courses, 18 of which must be taken in two disciplines outside of philosophy. The list of approved courses can be obtained from the Cognitive Science program located in the Department of Psychology.

Special Track in Philosophy and Symbolic Systems

Students interested in interdisciplinary work relating philosophy to artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, linguistics, or logic may pursue a degree in this program.

Prerequisites—Admitted students should have covered the equivalent of the core of the undergraduate Symbolic Systems Program requirements as described in the " Symbolic Systems " section of the Stanford Bulletin, including courses in artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive science, linguistics, logic, and philosophy. The graduate program is designed with this background in mind. Students missing part of this background may need additional course work. In addition to the required course work listed in the bulletin, the Ph.D. requirements are the same as for the regular program, with the exception that one course in value theory and one course in history may be omitted.

Joint Program in Ancient Philosophy

This program is jointly administered by the Departments of Classics and Philosophy and is overseen by a joint committee composed of members of both departments:

•         Christopher Bobonich , Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Ethics)
•         Alan Code , Philosophy, Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Metaphysics)
•         Reviel Netz , Classics (History of Greek and Pre-Modern Mathematics)
•         Andrea Nightingale , Classics, (Greek and Roman Philosophy and Literature)
•        Josh Ober , Classics and Political Science (Greek Political Thought, Democratic Theory)

It provides students with the training, specialist skills, and knowledge needed for research and teaching in ancient philosophy while producing scholars who are fully trained as either philosophers with a strong specialization in ancient languages and philology, or classicists with a concentration in philosophy.

Students are admitted to the program by either department. Graduate students admitted by the Philosophy department receive their Ph.D. from the Philosophy department; those admitted by the Classics department receive their Ph.D. from the Classics department. For Philosophy graduate students, this program provides training in classical languages, literature, culture, and history. For Classics graduate students, this program provides training in the history of philosophy and in contemporary philosophy.

Each student in the program is advised by a committee consisting of one professor in each department.

Requirements for Philosophy Graduate Students: These are the same as the proficiency requirements for the Ph.D. in Philosophy.

One year of Greek is a requirement for admission to the program. If students have had a year of Latin, they are required to take 3 courses in second- or third-year Greek or Latin, at least one of which must be in Latin. If they have not had a year of Latin, they are then required to complete a year of Latin, and take two courses in second- or third-year Greek or Latin.

Students are also required to take at least three courses in ancient philosophy at the 200 level or above, one of which must be in the Classics department and two of which must be in the Philosophy department.

Ph.D. Subplan in History and Philosophy of Science

Graduate students in the Philosophy Ph.D. program may pursue a Ph.D. subplan in History and Philosophy of Science. The subplan is declared in Axess and subplan designations appear on the official transcript, but are not printed on the diploma.

1.  Attendance at the HPS colloquium series. 2.  Philosophy of Science courses.  Select one of the following:

• PHIL 263 Significant Figures in Philosophy of Science: Einstein
• PHIL 264: Central Topics in the Philosophy of Science: Theory and Evidence
• PHIL 264A: Central Topics in Philosophy of Science: Causation
• PHIL 265: Philosophy of Physics: Space and Time
• PHIL 265C: Philosophy of Physics: Probability and Relativity
• PHIL 266: Probability: Ten Great Ideas About Chance
• PHIL 267A:  Philosophy of Biology
• PHIL 267B: Philosophy, Biology, and Behavior

3.  One elective seminar in the history of science. 4.  One elective seminar (in addition to the course satisfying requirement 2) in philosophy of science.

The PhD program provide 5 years of  financial support . We also try to provide support for our sixth year students and beyond though we cannot guarantee such support. In addition to covering tuition, providing a stipend, and covering Stanford's health insurance, we provide additional funds for books, computer equipment, and conference travel expenses. Some of the financial support is provided through requiring you to teach; however, our teaching requirement is quite low and we believe that this is a significant advantage of our program.

Stanford Support Programs

Additional support, such as advances, medical and emergency grants for Grad Students are available through the Financial Aid Office. The University has created the following programs specifically for graduate students dealing with challenging financial situations.

Graduate Financial Aid  homepage :

https://financialaid.stanford.edu/grad/funding/

Cash Advance:  https://sfs.stanford.edu/gradcashadvance

Emergency grant-in-aid :  https://financialaid.stanford.edu/pdf/emergencygrant-in-aid.pdf, family grants:  https://financialaid.stanford.edu/pdf/gradfamilygrant2021.pdf, housing loans:  https://financialaid.stanford.edu/loans/other/gradhousing.html, program characteristics.

Our program is well known for its small size, streamlined teaching requirements, and low average time to degree.

The program regulations are designed to efficiently provide students with a broad base in their first two years. In the third year students transition to working on their dissertations. During the summer prior to the third year, students are required to attend a dissertation development seminar. This seminar introduces students to what is involved in writing a dissertation. During the third year the course load drops to just under one course per quarter.

The rest of the time is spent working closely with a faculty member, or a couple of faculty members, on the student's area of research interest. The goal of the third year is that this process of intensive research and one-on-one interaction will generate a topic and proposal for the dissertation. During the fourth and fifth year the student is not required to take any courses and he or she focusses exclusively on research and writing on the dissertation.

Stanford University

Being a part of  Stanford University  means that students have access to one of the premier education institutions in the world. Stanford is replete with top departments in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. In addition, our professional schools, such as the  Stanford Law School , are among the best. The range of research in a variety of areas, many of which touch on or relate to philosophical issues, is simply astounding. Students have the freedom to take courses across the university. Graduate students also regularly earn joint degrees with other programs.

Undergraduate Program

Philosophy studies many of humanity’s fundamental questions, to reflect on these questions and answer them in a systematic, explicit, and rigorous way—relying on careful argumentation, and drawing from outside fields as diverse as economics, literature, religion, law, mathematics, the physical sciences, and psychology. While most of the tradition of philosophy is Western, the department seeks to connect with non-Western traditions like Islam and Buddhism.

The graduate program in philosophy at Harvard offers students the opportunity to work and to develop their ideas in a stimulating and supportive community of fellow doctoral students, faculty members, and visiting scholars. Among the special strengths of the department are moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Kant, and Wittgenstein.

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Doctor of Philosophy – PhD

A prestigious research qualification that demonstrates your ability to carry out independent and original research in your chosen field.

Entry requirements

• Qualification structure
• Courses & specialisations
• Fees & scholarships

Type of qualification

Level of study.

Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equal experience – you can study at the postgraduate level. Doctoral qualifications require additional entry requirements.

More about study levels

Our courses follow the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) levels.

Find out more about NZQF levels

Time to complete

Where you can study.

• International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Admission application due dates Course enrolment dates for accepted students Semester dates

Study a Doctor of Philosophy – PhD

To do a PhD you need to have a passion and commitment for your discipline.

The degree is awarded for a thesis that demonstrates your ability to carry out independent and original research. It also needs to provide a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of a field of study.

Opportunities for research and career development

Developing effective communication skills are prioritised at Massey. We support you with research communications events such as the 3MT (Three-Minute Thesis) competition. 

We also place great importance on personal effectiveness. We offer you the opportunity to do the Strengths@Massey programme. This supports the building of good relationships with supervisors and peers and informs effective ways of achieving research outputs.

We also provide opportunities for intensive writing through our three-day thesis writing boot camps. You are provided with the support and infrastructure that allows you to dedicate your time to writing without any distractions

Research training

You will have access to a whole suite of workshops through support services such as the library, the Centre for Teaching & Learning, Career Hub and the Graduate Research School. These include:

• highly tailored writing sessions
• training on using databases and data management
• project management
• understanding research funding
• applying for a grant through to intercultural communications
• entrepreneurship and innovation.

You can find more information on our  prospective doctoral students pages.

A PhD is a good fit if you:

• want a research career in industry or academia
• have a passion for your subject
• wish to become an expert in your field.

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

• Massey University entry requirements

Specific requirements

To enter the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme you will:

• have completed a postgraduate bachelor's (honours) or master's degree with First Class Honours or Second Class Honours (Division I) B+ equivalent, or equivalent qualification
• have sufficient independent research experience to satisfy the Doctoral Research Committee that you have the capacity to successfully undertake the programme.

Massey University’s Doctoral Research Committee administers the PhD. Registration must be supported by the relevant Head of School/Centre who will agree to provide supervision and facilities for your research.

Please note that there are more applicants than places on the programme. If you meet the above conditions you will also go through a selection process including an interview. If successful in this process, you will be offered a place.

English language requirements:

Academic IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0* - this must be achieved in one sitting; or a minimum TOEFL iBT of 90 overall (minimum of 20 in writing). These tests are valid for two years.

*Note: The Institute of Education requires an overall score of 6.5, with a minimum of 7 in Reading and Writing and a minimum of 6 in Listening and Speaking.

• English language requirements

International qualifications

International qualifications will be assessed in terms of their broad equivalence to a Massey honours or master’s degree with Grade Point Equivalency. Typically this should be 75% or B+. Admissions with Equivalent Status will be used to assess the quality and ranking of the overseas institution.

• Admissions with equivalent status information

A qualifying degree, like domestic qualifications, must include a supervised research component such as a substantial thesis or dissertation and previous research methods study is recommended.

Academic references

You must supply good academic references. The referees should know you in an academic capacity. At least one should be a supervisor for the research component of your most recent qualification (honours/masters). Contact them before you submit your application. Follow up to make sure they have received the request. We do not accept personal friends or relatives as referees.

Documents you need to provide

Following the admission screening stage, we may request verified copies of the following documents:

• transcripts for all tertiary qualifications, master's, bachelor's etc, even if these are incomplete
• grading legends for all tertiary qualifications
• all graduation certificates, unless completion is noted on the transcripts
• Curriculum Vitae
• references to any publications you have
• English language test results (if you are from a country where English is not the first language)
• evidence of your citizenship.

Please make sure you have all of these ready before applying as it will speed up the application process.

Maximum time limits for completion

There are maximum time limits for this qualification. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the qualification if you wish to continue your studies.

More information

• Read the  regulations  for this programme thoroughly
• Contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Official regulations

Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Structure of the Doctor of Philosophy

If you are interested in a PhD at Massey, you should consult with the postgraduate coordinator for the specific subject area you are interested in.

• Staff expertise database

International students are required to have appropriate insurance cover. Massey has a default cover, StudentSafe, which is the preferred insurance provider.

If you have any questions, contact us through the Get advice button on this page.

Courses and specialisations

Credit summary, 360 credits.

Requirements include the completion of a thesis which includes a provisional year. This means your progress will be assessed after 9-12 months (full-time) or 12-16 months (part-time) before you are fully registered as a PhD candidate.

You will be required to report on your progress every six months.

The final examination process includes the submission of a written document (thesis) and an oral defence. If you are in the Creative Arts, the examination may include an exhibition/installation/performance, with an exegesis, and oral defence.

Course planning key

Fees and scholarships, fees, student loans and free fees scheme.

Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.

There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

• Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
• View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

• Course search

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.

The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.

Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

• Student loans ( StudyLink )
• Student portal

Doctoral fees

You can start your PhD study at anytime throughout the academic year.

Normally you will pay full tuition fees from the start of each calendar year, with the exception of the first and final year of your study, which may be a partial year, depending on your start date.

Fees are not charged once you submit your thesis for examination.

The New Zealand government provides all international PhD students with a government subsidized scholarship which allows international students to pay tuition at the domestic fee rate. As part of the Immigration New Zealand student visa requirement, you will need to pay your full first year tuition fee at the time of accepting your Offer of Place and before you can enrol.

• Find out more about fees

Scholarship and award opportunities

• Alex C P Chu Trade for Training Scholarship
• Amelia Earhart Fellowship
• Antarctica NZ Postgraduate Research Scholarships
• ANZMES research funding opportunities
• Asia New Zealand Foundation Postgraduate Research Grants
• BRANZ Postgraduate Scholarships
• Catherine Baxter Dairy Scholarship
• China Scholarship Council (CSC) - Massey University PhD Scholars Programme
• Colin Aiken Plant Breeding Bursary
• Dr Eileen Fair Doctoral Scholarship in Earth Science
• Edward & Isabel Kidson Scholarships
• Farmers' Union Scholarship
• Garrick Latch Postgraduate Travel Grants
• George Mason Sustainable Land Use Scholarship
• Gosling Ornamental Horticulture Bursary
• Helen E. Akers Postgraduate Scholarship
• Henry Kelsey Research Scholarships
• Heseltine Ecology Bursary
• He Whenua Taurikura PhD Scholarships
• HOPE Foundation Scholarship for Research on Ageing
• HSANZ Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) - New Investigator PhD Scholarship
• Hurley Fraser Postgraduate Scholarship
• Joe Walding Memorial Bursary
• Johannes August Anderson Postgraduate Scholarship
• John Hodgson Pastoral Science Scholarship
• John Waller Doctoral Scholarship
• Julie Alley Bursary
• Leonard Condell Farming PhD Scholarship
• Leonard Condell Farming Postgraduate Scholarship
• Lois Turnbull Postgraduate Scholarship
• Macmillan Brown Agricultural Research Scholarship
• Mary Mallon Memorial Scholarship
• Massey Singapore Food Technology PhD Scholarship
• Massey University Alumni Doctoral Scholarship
• Massey University Doctoral Scholarship
• Massey University Pacific Success Scholarship for Doctoral Students
• Millar Massey Buchanan Scholarship
• Murray and Terry Scholarship
• NZ Pork Industry Postgraduate Scholarship
• OSOF Postgraduate Student Research Scholarship
• Peter Densem Postgraduate Scholarship
• PhD Scholarship: Hazing and deterring NZ wildlife during pollution events
• Professor Ren Jizhou Scholarship
• RHT Bates Postgraduate Scholarship
• Ross Beever Memorial Mycological Award
• Sasakawa Fellowship Fund for Japanese Language Education (SFFJLE) Postgraduate Scholarship
• Sinclair Cummings Veterinary and Animal Sciences Scholarship
• Sports Turf Scholarship
• Sydney Campbell Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship
• Taranaki Tree Crops Scholarship
• The Agricultural Life Sciences PhD Travel Grant
• The Centenary History of New Zealand and the First World War Heritage Scholarship
• The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) Postgraduate Scholarship
• William Reed Scholarship

Fees disclaimer

This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice .

What our students say

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Doctor of Philosophy

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Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Related study options

Certificate of proficiency (student exchange) – cpstx.

Explore New Zealand while you study at Massey, a world-ranked university offering excellent courses.

Certificate of Proficiency Postgraduate – CoP Postgrad

Pursue an interest or prepare for further study. This Certificate is for those intending to complete only one or two courses at postgraduate level.

Certificate of Proficiency Sub Degree – CPSBD

Pursue an interest or prepare for further study. This Certificate is for those intending to complete only one or two courses at sub-degree level.

Certificate of Proficiency Undergraduate – CPUND

Pursue an interest or prepare for further study. This Certificate is for those intending to complete only one or two courses at undergraduate level.

Diploma (Business) – DipBus

A stepping stone to university study for international students interested in studying business at Massey

Diploma in Science and Technology – DipScTech

Undertake a shorter, more flexible study option with the Diploma in Science and Technology at Massey.

Graduate Diploma (Management) – GradDip(Mgt)

A specially designed bridging qualification for international students that will allow you to transition into a Master of Management, specialising in Management

Graduate Diploma (Marketing) – GradDip(Mrk)

A stepping-stone to higher learning for international students interested in marketing at masters level  

Graduate Diploma in Science and Technology – GDipScTech

The Graduate Diploma in Science and Technology gives you the opportunity to retrain in an area of science that interests you.

Without Specialisation – Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology

Massey University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology is a stepping stone to a research-based qualification.

Useful planning information

• Find more courses or qualifications
• Planning your study
• Application process overview
• Semester dates
• Fees and funding
• Scholarships and awards search

Key information for students

Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz

Why is it called a Doctor of Philosophy?

A doctor of philosophy is a higher level of graduation given in various subjects by universities. Universities give doctors of philosophy honor to a fellow for providing knowledge in their respected field. 

Since long the PhD degree has been awarded in various subjects. In the present article, we will try to make you understand why the degree is known as a doctor of philosophy, but before that let’s understand some basic things regarding the degree. 

What is PhD- doctor of philosophy?

PhD- doctor of philosophy is the esteem for a person or student in their academic career. Europe and the middle east people had started awarding the degree to their students during ancient times. 

The word was originally derived from a Greek word that we will discuss later. Because the answer is there in the meaning. 

The uppermost level of achievement is hard to get, a person has to face many difficulties to achieve it. Nowadays universities hold common entrance exams for students to get admission in PhD in order to maintain the importance of the degree.

However, a person with a master degree and master of philosophy can also apply directly for it. Still, the entrance process is too complicated for admission. 

Let me discuss it for you…

First, you have to clear an entrance exam conducted by the university or you have to prepare a proposal or research proposal focusing on a specific problem. 

Even though one has completed the entrance example, a research proposal is required. The university review committee makes a decision based on your research proposal. 

You only get admission in PhD when some expert professor will be interested in your research proposal. But the story still does not end here, your masters grade, your research background and publications also taken into account for admission. 

A typical PhD degree will take at least 3 years to complete. Although it can take more time to complete. Sometimes it takes 5 to 8 years, It depends on your research. 

Cost is yet another big factor in PhD, with fees and other costs, one has to invest $30,000 to $50,000 to $100,000 during PhD. Most universities provide financial freedom as well as financial assistance for students so don’t worry about the cost. 

Part-time jobs, fellowship, scholarship and project funds are various options to survive financially during PhD. 

The time and cost of the PhD-doctorate of philosophy depends on the choice of your subject and stream you select. 

For example, a science student has to invest more time and money in comparison to art students. And it’s a fact because a science student has to do extreme wet and dry lab work. 

Their lab utilities, chemicals and assays are costlier. If we want to learn more on cost and duration on PhD, read this article:  Cost and Duration of PhD in India

Now coming to our question, 

Why is it called a doctor of philosophy? 

There is a philosophical reason behind it. The word philosophy was derived from the Greek word “philosophia” which means “love of wisdom” . A person having a PhD degree is wiser than others having experience, knowledge and decision making skills. 

It is a tougher and topmost achievement that is why labeled with a doctor, the meaning of doctor is otherwise a physician or medical practitioner. 

It is called a doctor of philosophy due to the outstanding wisdom and sense of an achiever, to solve real-world problems with his or her best knowledge. And by doing it he or she solves the problem as well as provides knowledge in their related field. 

All this is possible because of their love of wisdom- doctor of philosophy. 

Notably, no authorities or universities still officially explained the meaning of ‘doctor of philosophy’.

In some other branches it is known with other names as well, like, DSc- doctor of science, EdD-doctor of education etc. However, all are similar to PhD. 

During Doctor of philosophy: 

Once you are enrolled in a PhD or doctor of philosophy, you have to complete three major criteria in your entire tenures: writing a thesis , publishing a research paper and completing viva. 

PhD is all about reading, researching and writing. Researching means we are descoring something new or providing some new information in previously existing knowledge. 

So we need to learn and read previous work related to our topic in order to understand our work and research. 

A thesis is a written draft or assay of our doctor of philosophy work. And hence it must be precise. Your PhD thesis reflects how accurately you have done your research. That is why it is very important to write a thesis in a proper manner. We have covered an amazing article on how to write a PhD thesis. You can read it here: 16 tips to write a thesis for a PhD . 

To make your research foundation more stronger, you have to publish your work in some peer reviewed well known journals. Universities strongly recommend at least one publication of PhD. 

If you want to learn more about how to write a research paper, read this article: Writing a research paper for PhD dissertation . 

The last criterion is the PhD viva. An external reviewer reviews your thesis and conducts a viva session. The session is in general only related to your PhD work. It is a kind of conversation in which you have to defend your work with arguments. 

Interestingly, some universities don’t conduct viva. A PhD thesis is considered as a criteria to award the degree. 

Course work is now mandatory in different universities across the world to enroll in PhD, usually, the first year of PhD is considered as a course work that must be cleared by a PhD student. 

The PhD degree is also known as a terminal degree because it is the last stage of the education system. Also, a doctor of philosophy is licensed to teach, so academics and teaching are their common job options. 

As they are commonly labeled as “professors” their responsibilities are not only teaching but also research. A PhD person can teach and at the same time conduct research projects and make their profile stronger. 

They can involve students in their research projects and can develop students’ interest in research, by doing so, they are making the future of the scientific and research community more stronger. 

That is the reason the role of a PhD person is very crucial. All these he or she can do only because of the love of wisdom they had developed during their PhD. 

Nonetheless, not only academics there are some higher levels of opening available for doctors of philosophy in research organisations, but also. 

Now what about the earning or salary? 

Usually, a PhD person can earn more than a school or graduation level teacher. They can earn between 50,000 to 2,00,000INR per month but still the potential of earning depends on how smarter a person is!

Conclusion: 

Their love of wisdom is the reason a person is called a doctor of philosophy or doctorate. Doctor or doctorate is a different topic to discuss, however. if you want to learn about it, read this article: doctorate vs doctor of philosophy . 

We know love for something makes us great and the same is true for study too. Students left their study due to lack of interest or to get a job. But trust me, if you are really interested in your subject go for a PhD. I bet you after completing your doctor of philosophy degree you will be a different person. 

Your sense of observing things becomes sharper and distinct from others. One more advantage you get from a PhD is honor and respect. You are called a doctor and people see you with respect. They think 100 times before arguing with you because you are a PhD- doctor of philosophy, no one can beat you in arguments. 

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

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doctor of philosophy

Definition of doctor of philosophy

Word history.

1651, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near doctor of philosophy

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“Doctor of philosophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doctor%20of%20philosophy. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.

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As a PhD student in the Harvard philosophy program, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your ideas, knowledge, and abilities. You'll work with other doctoral students, our faculty, and visiting scholars, all in a stimulating and supportive environment. The program has strengths across a broad range of topics and areas, so you'll be able to pursue your interests wherever they may lead, especially in moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. In addition, students can pursue joint degrees with classics, Harvard Law School, and in Indian philosophy.

Incoming cohorts consist of five to eight students per year. You will have substantial access to our renowned faculty and all the resources that Harvard makes available. This relatively small size also gives students a sense of intellectual community.

The curriculum is structured to help you make your way towards a dissertation: graduate-level coursework, a second-year research paper, a prospectus to help you identify a dissertation topic, and then the dissertation itself. Past dissertations in the department have addressed a broad range of topics: Aristotle, Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; contemporary moral and political philosophy; metaphysics; epistemology; and logic.

In addition to your research, you will also have the opportunity to develop your teaching skills in many different settings across the University.

You can find graduates of the PhD program in many universities. Some of our students have gone on to faculty positions at Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, and Stanford University. Other graduates have gone on to diverse careers in, among others, the arts, the law, secondary education, and technology.

In addition to the standard PhD in philosophy, the department offers a PhD in classical philosophy in collaboration with the Department of the Classics and a coordinated JD/PhD program in conjunction with Harvard Law School.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Philosophy and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Philosophy | Classical Philosophy | Indian Philosophy 

For information please consult the Department webpage on the  graduate program overview .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Philosophy .

Academic Background

Applicants to the program in Philosophy are required to have a solid undergraduate background in philosophy, indicating that they have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, as well as familiarity with contemporary work in ethics, epistemology and metaphysics, and logic.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Optional

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be between 12 to 30 pages long. The sample must address a substantial philosophical problem, whether it is an evaluation or presentation of an argument, or a serious attempt to interpret a difficult text. The upload of the writing sample should be formatted for 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper, 1-inch margins, with double-spaced text in a common 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

Applicants seeking admission to the coordinated JD/PhD program must apply to and be separately admitted to Harvard Law School and the Department of Philosophy.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Philosophy

See list of Philosophy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Doctoral Degrees

Doctor of public health (drph) program.

A doctoral degree for those who want to translate knowledge into powerful results as the leader of a public health organization:

Doctor of Public Health

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs

All PhD programs at Harvard University are administered by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS), and applications are processed through the Harvard Griffin GSAS online application system .

The following three PhD programs are based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, designed for students seeking specialized scientific and technical expertise to propel an academic or research career:

PhD in Biological Sciences in Public Health PhD in Biostatistics PhD in Population Health Sciences

Harvard PhD program in Health Policy The PhD in Health Policy is a collaborative program among six Harvard University schools, including the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
• Admissions & Aid

The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

The Human Element of Data and AI

Gahyun Callie Sung's journey to HGSE and the LIT Lab is reflected in her research into data and using AI to improve student outcomes

Improving the Teacher Workforce

With her research work, doctoral marshal Mary Laski, Ph.D.'24, is trying to make teaching in K–12 schools more sustainable and attractive

• Faculty / Administrators

Boston University School of Theology

745 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston, MA 02215

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program is offered to students wishing to enhance their knowledge and competence in teaching and research and to contribute to scholarship in a specialized area of theological studies. As the PhD is a research doctorate, it provides five years of funding for full-time study, and requires students to give evidence of the highest standards of scholarship at every stage of the degree program. Boston University School of Theology PhD degrees are to be distinguished from other PhD degrees by their focus on theological approaches to the histories, communities, practices, beliefs, and ethical values of Christian institutions and traditions, and by their intention to prepare students for scholarship and teaching in a broad range of institutions, including seminaries, schools of theology, divinity schools, and religiously affiliated colleges.

Deep faculty support and mentoring is embedded in the program and extends beyond the classroom. Our PhD alumni have an average placement rate of 83% within one year of graduation.

PhD Handbook and Plans of Study

• PhD Plan of Study
• The STH Bulletin contains the official description of the degree program along with admissions and financial information.
• The PhD Handbook contains the policies and procedures by which the degree program is governed.

Current PhD Student Profiles

• PhD Student Profiles give a glimpse into the kind of research our students are undertaking.

Former Students

• Want to see where our PhD (and ThD) grads are now?

Track 1: Biblical and Historical Studies

• Biblical Studies: PhD students in Biblical Studies at Boston University School of Theology engage in academic study of the biblical Christian canons—the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (with Apocrypha), the New Testament—within the contexts of biblical scholarship and the life of the Church. A rigorous research degree, the PhD focuses on advanced study of the languages, histories, immediate and broader cultural and social milieus, and literatures whence the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the New Testament emerged. Students select either the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, or the New Testament as their primary field of study, while pursuing the other Testament as their secondary field. Expertise in the full biblical canon is expected upon graduation, with particular depth in the student’s chosen area of study.
• History of Christianity: The concentration in Church History and World Christianity builds on the discipline of ecclesiastical history and contemporary interests in Christianity as a world religion. Seminars and colloquia are meant to prepare doctoral students for vibrant careers as teacher-scholars. Students in this concentration will be introduced to a diversity of historiographical approaches that may include gender studies, institutional and social history, history of Christian thought, cultural history, and history of literacy. Careful consideration is given to the social dimensions of Christianity as a global religion, including the study of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance-era Christianity, modern Christian missions, urban expressions of Christianity, and manifestations of Christian progressivism such as the Social Gospel. Areas of specialization include the history and literature of ancient Christianity, Reformation Europe, early modern Catholicism and the history of European expansion, modern Christian missions, Christianity and colonialism, American Christianity, and local Christianity in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
• Liturgical Studies: (Including Sacred Music and Hymnology) The PhD in Liturgical Studies focuses on the history, theology, and practices of liturgy from Christian origins to the present, and includes within the program research in sacred music. In consultation with the advisor, the student will develop a multi-disciplinary plan of study, which may include coursework in biblical studies, systematic and dogmatic theology, sacramental theology, ecumenical studies, ritual studies, sociology of religion, intercultural studies, homiletics, hymnology, and musicology. Students are encouraged to study with liturgical specialists teaching in other BTI schools. Previous students in their individualized programs wrote dissertations on such topics as Ephrem the Syrian as mystagogue, theological shifts in Marian hymn texts, worship and spiritual formation at New England camp meetings, music as a mode of cultural exchange in African American churches after the Civil War, meanings of Sabbath for Seventh-day Adventists, a sacramental ecclesiology of disability, schemes derived from liturgical biography for evaluating emerging worship practices, and the hymnic and practical theological contributions of Georgia Harkness.
• Mission Studies: The PhD in Mission Studies focuses on the history and theology of mission, and world Christianity. The program is one of the top producers of the professoriate in mission studies and world Christianity, with particular strengths in the history of mission and evangelism, the history of Christianity (early modern to contemporary), African studies, and Asian studies. Its location in a major research university gives students access to resources in anthropology and sociology, history, area studies, world religions, and other cognate fields. In consultation with his or her advisor, each student will develop a customized study and research plan to ensure an integrative approach to the study of mission and world Christianity. By special arrangement, students may pursue the degree in collaboration with mission studies faculty at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
• Alejandro Botta
• Christopher Boyd Brown
• Katheryn Pfisterer Darr
• Christopher H. Evans
• Robert Allan Hill
• Dana L. Robert
• Rady Roldan-Figueroa
• Luis Menéndez-Antuña
• Shively T. J. Smith
• Karen B. Westerfield Tucker

Track 2: Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy

• Constructive Theology (including Systematic Theology and Comparative Theology)
• Religion and Conflict Transformation
• Theology and Philosophy
• Theology and Science
• Rebecca Copeland
• David Decosimo
• Filipe Maia
• James McCarty
• Shelly Rambo
• Bryan Stone
• Nimi Wariboko
• Wesley J. Wildman

Affiliate Faculty

• David Eckel
• Diana Lobel

Track Description

The Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy course of study at Boston University School of Theology supports work in theology and ethics that is historically engaged, philosophically informed, interdisciplinary, and transformative for communities of scholarship and religious life. The program emphasizes the importance of studying the history of Christian theology and comparative theology in critical and constructive engagement with diverse fields of inquiry and with attention to important questions and problems, whether longstanding or contemporary. The program operates with the understanding that our collective task is not simply to underscore or reiterate claims within Christian or other traditions nor simply to discard them but to generatively and critically interact with them. In a word, to engage them constructively and in robust conversation with disciplinary partners outside of theological studies. The term “constructive,” then, does not so much designate an arena within theology, as an ethos animating our approach to theology and ethics. The aim of this work is to contribute to the construction of knowledge and action within theology and religious communities and without. In all this, we seek to partner with other units of the university and other sources and modes of knowing in order to pursue common questions – and to seek answers that, in keeping with BU’s legacy, “enrich the academy” and advance the cause of “peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world.” Faculty research, teaching, and doctoral preparation models this constructive dimension of scholarship and nurtures the development of the student’s ability to articulate their own theological position.

Current Faculty and Student Research

Track 3: Practical Theology

• Congregation and Community
• Church and Society
• Evangelism and Missiology
• Leadership and Administration
• Pastoral Theology and Psychology
• Religious Education (Please Note: Religious Education will not be accepting applications for Fall 2023)
• Spirituality Studies
• Eunil David Cho
• Courtney Goto
• Choi Hee An
• Robert Hill
• David Schnasa Jacobson
• Nicolette Manglos-Weber
• Dana Robert
• Steven Sandage
• Chris Schlauch
• Andrew Shenton
• Karen Westerfield Tucker
• Claire Wolfteich

The purpose of the PhD degree program in Practical Theology is to discover and extend knowledge and to enhance teaching competence in practical theology. Practical theology is the theologically positioned, interdisciplinary study of the practices of religious communities and of the traditions and social contexts that shape and challenge those practices. The practices of any religious community sustain and transform that community by embodying its shared values and enacting its foundational narratives. Examples of such practices include liturgical rituals; acts of service, justice, and compassion; practices of nurture, education, and formation; and the transmission of a community’s tradition to others within new cultural and social contexts. Religious practices appear in all faith traditions, though with their own unique histories and institutional settings and in relation to their own distinctive sacred texts, rituals, symbols, and theological understandings.

The PhD program in practical theology at Boston University School of Theology, while positioned as a theological study of Christian practices in relation to the texts, ideas, history, and institutions of that particular tradition in its various manifestations, encourages the comparative study of those practices in relation to other religious traditions and from the standpoint of cognate disciplines and methodologies such as history, sociology, psychology, cultural anthropology, ritual theory, philosophy, and ethics. As with all programs of study at Boston University, students need not identify themselves as adherents of Christianity or of any religious tradition to engage in this study.

In studying the practices of religious communities, the doctoral program in practical theology is designed to prepare students to understand and assess the contemporary situation, to reflect historically and systematically on the church’s embodied witness of faith, and to develop faithful and effective strategies for Christian practice. This preparation, while it has a common structure and an ecclesiological center, emphasizes the particularity of context and requires a diversity in focus that requires strong interdisciplinary skills and a highly integrative acumen. The primary interdisciplinary partners and methodological approach in studying religious practices will need to be chosen in relation to the particularity of the practices in question and so as to address specific problems identified. At the same time, there are shared tasks for which the PhD program prepares every student.

First, students must be able to provide a thick description, analysis, and interpretation of practices. The individual student will typically approach this description primarily from within a single particular discipline (as a historian, or as a sociologist, for example), and therefore the student must become conversant with a particular language and method of research. Still, the study of practical theology requires strong interdisciplinary skills and a highly integrative acumen. A theological understanding of practices within their context is never only an empirical or historical science but starts from a hermeneutically defined situation and employs interpretive skills that bring to light the meaning of human actions, making possible richly textured ‘readings’ of them.

Second, students in practical theology must engage in critical and comparative theological reflection. The discipline of practical theology moves beyond an initial and more descriptive moment toward the ongoing creative task of re-imagining and transforming practice. In doing so, the discipline requires of all PhD students an ability to think systematically and historically about the beliefs and practices of the Christian faith and to ask questions and form judgments concerning the shared visions of goodness, beauty, and truth contained within the sacred texts, rituals, and patterns of community of that tradition, always in conversation with other religious and secular traditions. In this way practical theological research is never reduced to mere description, on the one hand, or a capitulation to practical considerations, institutional inertia, and contextual forces, on the other hand.

PhD Learning Outcomes

• A breadth of knowledge in theological and religious studies and in other cognate disciplines with mastery of knowledge in a particular academic discipline;
• Capacity to conduct advanced scholarly research and writing that makes an original contribution to the discipline that is significant for religious communities, academy, and society;
• the ability to access appropriate resources in the study of one’s discipline, to analyze and assess critically the findings of others, and to synthesize existing knowledge with one’s own findings;
• the ability to employ primary doctoral-level research methods appropriate to the study of one’s chosen discipline; and
• the ability to communicate one’s research appropriately to scholars within one’s discipline and to other scholars, professionals, or publics beyond one’s discipline;
• the ability to design a course with appropriate, achievable, and measurable learning outcomes;
• the ability to facilitate and evaluate learning within a course through a variety of methods;
• familiarity with the teaching profession and the academy; the responsibilities and expectations of a faculty member; and the ethical standards of one’s discipline;
• a commitment to collaborative inquiry, mentoring, publication and other modes of transferring knowledge, and personal professional development through learned societies.
• Growth in one’s capacity for a robust embrace of and engagement with social and theological diversity and one’s capacity to relate across difference.

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Applying for the doctor of philosophy (phd).

• Applying for the Doctor of International Affairs (DIA)

Doctor of Philosophy

We encourage you to review all of the application instructions before beginning the application. 

The PhD program is for individuals who have already earned an advanced graduate degree and seek to further their expertise as scholars and practitioners of international relations. Applicants must either hold a Master of Arts in International Relations degree from Johns Hopkins SAIS or comparable academic qualifications from another institution, or be a current student in our Master of Arts in International Relations degree program with at least twelve courses toward the degree. In rare instances, someone with only a bachelor’s degree but with extensive research experience may be considered for the PhD.

While all PhD students begin their studies in Washington DC, students can explore opportunities to study at SAIS Europe, the Hopkins Nanjing Center, or at other prominent global institutions during the dissertation stage.

PhD Application Checklist 

All materials, including official standardized test scores, must be received by the Office of Admissions in advance of the deadline.

• Online application
• Application fee, $85 USD
• Statement of purpose
• Dissertation topic
• Writing sample
• Transcripts for all college-level course work
• Two (2) letters of recommendation
• GRE or GMAT scores
• English Language Examination (non-native English speakers) 

We encourage applicants to submit materials as early as possible before the applicable deadline. You are responsible for making sure all supporting documents, including letters of recommendation and academic transcripts, are submitted on time. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

PhD Application Instructions

• Name: Please list your full legal name. Do not include any suffixes such as “Jr.,” “Sr.,” etc. If you have a maiden name or alternate name that you previously used legally, please list it in the "Other Last Names Used" section.
• Addresses: Please list both your permanent and mailing addresses. If your mailing address expires before admissions decisions are rendered, then any posted correspondence will be sent to your permanent address. If your current mailing address changes at any time during the application process, please notify the Office of Admissions as soon as possible.
• Email Address: Please provide an email address that will be valid throughout the entire application process. Take care to ensure that emails from Johns Hopkins SAIS are not filtered to a junk folder because we will communicate with you primarily through email.
• P hone Number: When entering your phone number, if you are listing a non-US phone number, please include the country code when entering the number, leaving out any parenthesis, dashes, or other symbols.
• Citizenship Information: Please select your citizenship. Dual citizens should select both nationalities. If you do not have a current Immigration Status, please select "OUT" from the drop down menu.
• Social Security Number: This is required if you have a US Social Security Number at the time of application.
• Race/Ethnicity Optional: This data is collected as required by the US Federal Government and does not influence our admissions decisions. We encourage you to answer both questions. Ethnicity definitions are provided.
• Degree Type:  Please select “Full-time” as your degree type.
• Program:  Please select “Doctor of Philosophy” as your program of choice.
• Choice of Concentration:  Please select your first and second choice from the dropdown menu. 
• Location:  The Johns Hopkins SAIS PhD is only available at the Washington DC campus
• Anticipated Start Term:  Please select your anticipated start term. If your term of interest is not visible, we are currently not accepting applications for that term.

All applications and supporting documentation become the confidential property of the Johns Hopkins SAIS Office of Admissions and cannot be returned.

Please list all university-level work, including study abroad and transfer course work, at which four or more courses were completed. Use the "type ahead" option in the institution name to search for the College/University you have attended. Selecting your institution through this feature will automatically populate some of the fields below and ensure that the identifying information for this institution is formatted properly in our records. If your institution code is not available, please type the name in "Institution."

Submit Transcript:  You must submit transcripts reflecting all university-level course work listed on the application. You may upload unofficial transcripts via the online application, or submit official transcripts via hard copy or electronic copy, either from the college/university directly or via a transcript clearinghouse.

You should not list:  1) institutions at which three or fewer courses were completed, or where courses were only audited or taken on a non-credit basis, 2) executive education programs, 3) non-credit language institutes, or 4) non-credit certificate programs.

Mailing Transcripts:  Transcripts in hard copy should be sent to the Office of Admissions in Washington DC:

Johns Hopkins SAIS Office of Admissions 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001

Transcripts in electronic copy should be sent to [email protected] .

Unofficial transcripts:  Admitted applicants who submit unofficial transcripts as part of the application process will be required to submit official copies prior to enrollment.

Study abroad grades and transfer credit:  Transcripts listing study abroad grades and/or transfer credits are required unless both the grades and credits are reflected on the primary undergraduate transcript.

Non-English-language transcripts:  If your transcript is in a language other than English, you are asked to provide an official translation of the entire transcript and an explanation of the grading system of the university. You are strongly encouraged to use a credential evaluation service, particularly if you are not sure of how to obtain original transcripts or face difficulties obtaining them. See the  National Association of Credential Evaluation Services  for a list of providers. Transcripts and translations must be received by the Office of Admissions before the relevant deadline, so please make any requests well in advance.

Please list your official scores for the GRE and/or GMAT, and if required, your official English competency exam scores. If you have completed an exam more than once, please list your most recent scores. In addition to listing the scores in the online application, applicants must also send official test scores via the appropriate testing services.

• GRE or GMAT scores:  Johns Hopkins SAIS will only accept scores directly from the testing service. Please arrange for all standardized test scores to be sent in advance of the application deadline. The GRE code for Johns Hopkins SAIS is 5610-0000; the GMAT code is KGB-GX-99.  
• English Langauge Examination:  You must submit an official English competency score if (1) English is not your native language and (2) you do not hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in a country where English is an official language and where English is the language of instruction. Official test scores must be received for admissions consideration. For more information and instructions, please review our  English language examination policy .  

Please provide details of your three most recent professional positions.

• City of Birth: Please type the name of the city where you were born.
• US Military: Please indicate if you are an active duty or former member of the US Armed Forces in the space provided.
• Current Residency: Please provide the country and city, where you currently reside.
• Diversity: Johns Hopkins SAIS receives applications from a diverse pool of candidates. These questions ensure we have the clearest possible understanding of each candidate’s background. Your answers will be kept confidential.
• Affiliations: The Office of Admissions offers application fee waivers to participants or alumni affiliated with the following professional development programs:
• AmeriCorps Volunteer
• Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Program Fellow
• Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Participant
• Fulbright (for those currently on fellowship)
• Institute for International Public Policy Fellowship (IIPP)
• McNair Scholar
• Peace Corps
• Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Fellow
• Teach for America Member
• Teach for China Member
• Teach for India Member
• Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow
• U.S. Military Active Duty

To receive a fee waiver, please upload official documentation confirming your participation in the selected program. On the "Review" page, select "Finalize Application and Pay," however do not complete payment. Please contact the Office of Admissions at [email protected] , our team will review and confirm your request. Please note: we cannot grant fee waivers for financial hardship.

6. Languages: Please list your native language; bilingual applicants should list their dominant language. Your native/dominant language is the one that meets 2 out of 3 requirements: it is (a) the main language of communication between you and one of your parents or caregivers, (b) an official language in the community where you grew up, (c) the language of instruction in the high school you attended.

You should indicate levels of proficiency for up to two additional foreign languages in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension. Any language experience beyond these should be included on your resume.

7.  Time Spent Abroad: You should use this section to indicate any time spent living, working and/or studying outside of your home country. Please list the most significant experience abroad first.

8. Financial Aid: If you are eligible for financial aid, indicate in this section that you wish to apply for Johns Hopkins SAIS scholarships.

Please note: in order to be considered for scholarship funding, you must answer “yes” to the question in this section. Applicants who answer “no” will not be considered for any scholarship funding.

For more information on financial aid eligibility and forms, visit Financial Aid .

Before starting your studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, you must have earned the equivalent of a B- or higher in separate college-level courses in introductory microeconomics and in introductory macroeconomics. A single, semester-long college level course in introductory economics covering both micro and macro will be considered minimally sufficient.

Use this section to indicate your background in economics coursework. Please indicate the economics courses that you received a grade of a B- or better. Under "Advanced Economics Coursework," please include field courses. If a course was taken as a high school Advance Placement (AP) course, and college credit was received, please indicate by including this information in the "Other" section.

Do not list courses not taken for a grade.

Use this section to indicate your background in mathematics. Please begin by indicating the number of college level calculus courses taken followed by the course titles, grade received and year taken. If a course was taken as a high school Advance Placement (AP) course, and college credit was received, please indicate by including this information in the "Other" section. Also please list any mathematics courses taken beyond calculus along with the year and the grade received. Do not list courses not taken for a grade. Note that having a background in math is not required for admission.

Upload the relevant required documents here for your program of interest.

• Résumé/CV: Provide a current résumé or curriculum vitae, which includes your education, employment history, awards and accolades, international exposure, publication credits, and leadership roles in any volunteer and/or extracurricular activities.
• Statement of Purpose: Discuss your goals for graduate study and for your professional career. What experiences have most contributed to your desire to study international relations? How will this degree program serve to meet your academic and professional goals? If you have selected International Development as your first choice concentration, it is important to also address your interests in your second choice concentration as your application may be reviewed by both programs. If you intend to pursue a dual degree you should address this interest as well. (no more than 600 words in length)
• Dissertation Topic: Describe your proposed dissertation topic, including research methods and plans for fieldwork. The essay should indicate the Johns Hopkins SAIS faculty members with who you are likely to work with and the relation of the dissertation topic to your work. (no more than 600 words in length)
• Writing Sample: Submit a piece of analytical writing between 15 and 40 pages (double-spaced). The most useful sample is a research paper based on sources in the field of specialization to which you have applied at Johns Hopkins SAIS, but a piece of analytical writing in another field is acceptable. You must be the sole author.

You are required to submit two letters of recommendation and have the option of submitting a third. Recommendations should be written by individuals well placed to discuss your qualifications for graduate study and a career in international affairs.

Please note that Johns Hopkins SAIS will accept letters of recommendation only through our online application system or in hard copy directly from the recommender. Recommendations submitted via email or fax will not be accepted. Please list all your references in the "Recommendations" section, including recommenders who prefer to submit their letter in hard copy.

If your recommender prefers to submit a hard copy letter of recommendation, please advise them to mail to:

Johns Hopkins SAIS | Office of Admissions 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001

All required fields must be completed before your application can be submitted. Required fields are designated by an asterisk.

To submit your application, click the button that reads “Finalize Application and Pay." Please note that you must complete all required fields in order to submit your application. Any missing fields will appear on the "Review" section. Prior to submission, please review all application sections to check for any errors or incorrect data.

After you have submitted your application, confirmation of your application status as “submitted” will appear on the online application dashboard. A checklist of all application materials will also be visible in order for you to track the status of supporting documents.

The $85 USD application fee is payable through the application system via credit card, debit card, or e-check. 

If you were granted a fee waiver: When submitting the online application, on the "Review" page, select "Finalize Application and Pay." If you are routed to the Payment Net website, do not complete payment and please email [email protected] .

• AmeriCorps Volunteer  
• Charles B. Rangel International Affairs  Graduate Program Finalist or Fellow
• Charles B. Rangel International Affairs  Summer Scholars Program Participant 
• Congressional Bundestag Youth Exchange  (CBYX) Alumni
• Donald M. Payne International Development Finalist or Fellow
• Fulbright  (for those currently on fellowship) 
• Graduates of Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs)
• Graduates of Hispanic Serving Institutions
• Graduates of Tribal Colleges
• McNair Scholar  
• Peace Corps 
• Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program Fellow
• SAIS Alumni
• SAIS Europe Applicants
• Teach for All  (including  Teach for America )
• Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Finalist or Fellow   
• US Active Duty Military 
• US Military Veteran 

All applications and supporting documentation become the confidential property of the Office of Admissions and cannot be returned.

The Office of Admissions retains application files for one year after a decision is rendered. If you applied for an academic year before last year you are not considered a re-applicant, and must resubmit all application materials. If you applied last academic year, you do not have to resubmit all materials and can follow this checklist:

• Online application form
• Updated résumé/CV
• Re-applicant essay: How have you improved your candidacy since your last application? This essay should be no more than 1000 words in length.
• New transcripts: Transcript(s) of any additional courses you have taken since you last applied (include grades not finalized at the time of your last application).
• Recommendation letter: One new recommendation letter, preferably from your current employer. If you have already used your current employer for a recommendation, please choose someone else in a supervisory role or a client.
• Revised dissertation topic (optional): if you wish to change your dissertation topic from your previous application you should submit a revised dissertation topic.

PhD Application Deadline

Washington, DC Office of Admissions The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001 +1 (202) 663-5700 +1 (877) JHU-WASH (US toll free) [email protected]

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Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

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The spring 2024 convocation ceremony was held on May 28. Consult the program , the recording of the ceremony , the photo album , and the photo album from our awards ceremony.

Learn more about our Valedictorian, Joon Kwon, in this article in the McGill Reporter .

Congratulations to all 2024 Graduates!

Class of 2024 - Graduate Students

Doctor of philosophy - craniofacial health sciences.

Basem Danish An ethnographic study on the oral health and access to oral healthcare of Indigenous people in Montreal Direction: Christophe Bedos

Master of Science - Dental Sciences (Thesis)

Vanessa Chetrit Does Altering the Lower Height of the Face Affect Our Perception of Personality? Direction: Julia Cohen-Lévy

Crystal Mai Mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media and its derived exosomes in the treatment of Sjögren Syndrome-like disease in NOD mice Direction: Simon Tran

Ibrahim Sankour The Role of Local Factors Affecting the Pathophysiology of X-linked Hypophosphatemia Direction: Monzur Murshed and Hani Abd-Ul-Salam

Apoorva Sharma Impact on quality of life due to therapy-related oral complications in pediatric cancer survivors: a scoping review Direction: Belinda Farias Nicolau and Mary Ellen Macdonald

Asma Salem Advancing Knowledge to Improve the Oral Health of Refugeed Children: Oral Healthcare Providers' Perspectives Direction: Beatriz Ferraz Dos Santos and Mary Ellen Macdonald

Master of Science - Dental Sciences (Non-Thesis)

Shashank Kannan

Muhammad Khan

DEAN’S HONOUR LIST - GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate student awards.

Highest cGPA Award, Master's - Mary Amure

Best Thesis Award, Master's - Crystal Mai

DEAN’S HONOUR LIST - UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

- Awarded in recognition of students who are in the top 10% of the class.

Samira Amini Adam Centomo-Bozzo Pulkit Chandra Joon Kwon Emily Lenet Emma Wilson

DMD Student Awards

Samira amini.

*American Association of Public Health Dentistry Award , awarded to a student in recognition of special interest and achievement in Community Dentistry and Dental Public Health

Dr. A.L. Walsh Prize, awarded for meritorious achievement in Oral Medicine throughout the clinical years *American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Award, awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated special interest and accomplishment in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

COURTNEY BOYNE

*Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Dr. Norman Levine Undergraduate Dental Student Award, awarded to a student who demonstrates aptitude and passion for the field of pediatric dentistry and dentistry for persons with special needs

ADAM CENTOMO-BOZZO

Dr. Paul A. Marchand and Maurin McNeil Marchand Prize , awarded to a student who has demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism in patient management

McGill Alumnae Society Prize , presented to a distinguished student for excellence and high academic standing

*Dr. André Charest Prize, donated by the Quebec Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, awarded to a student in the final year who has attained the highest standing in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

PULKIT CHANDRA

Dr. Marvin and Mandy Werbitt Award in Periodontics, awarded to a graduating student who has completed the DMD program and who has demonstrated outstanding personal initiative and a strong academic standing in Periodontology throughout the four- year undergraduate program

Dr. W.G. Leahy Prize, awarded for meritorious achievement in Clinical Dentistry *American Academy of Implant Dentistry Undergraduate Dental Student Award, awarded to a student who demonstrates the most interest, academically and clinically, in implant dentistry

*American Academy of Periodontology Student Award,  awarded to a graduating student who has displayed the highest level of academic and clinical achievement related to Periodontics

*American Association of Endodontist's Student Achievement Award in Endodontics, awarded to a student who has the highest level of achievement related to Endodontics

*Dr. E.J. Rajczak Students Scholar Award for Restorative Excellence, highest standing in the disciplines of both Operative and Prosthodontics

*American Dental Society of Anesthesiology's Horace Wells Senior Student Award,  awarded for proficiency in the field of dental anesthesiology excellence in the academic and clinical aspects of the DMD program *American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Award, awarded to a student who has shown the most promise in pediatric dentistry

JAD EL JABI

Prix Micheline-Blain - ACDQ Prize , donated by l’Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Quebec, is awarded to the student who has best served the interests of his/her colleagues throughout the university years.

LUCAS MARCELINO, CORINE FONTAINE

*Prix de l'Académie Dentaire du Québec - Prix de Professionnalisme , awarded to a student for outstanding qualities of respect for others, compassion and dedication and initiative in providing oral health care to the community

AMANDA KASNER-RENER

Dr. Soo Kim Lan Prize in Dentistry, awarded to a graduating student who is entering a Residency Program *American Association of Orthodontists Award,   awarded to a dental student who has demonstrated exceptional interest in the development of the Oro-Facial Complex

Dr. A.W. Thornton Medal, ( medal) awarded to the student with the highest overall standing in the four years of the undergraduate program

Dr. James McCutcheon Medal, ( medal), awarded to a student who has demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership, scholarship and professional achievement throughout the four years

*American College of Dentists' Outstanding Student Leader Award,   awarded to a student for outstanding scholastic performance and demonstrated leadership.

Prix d'Excellence Jean Robert Vincent , donated by the Quebec Association for Special Care Delivery, awarded for exceptional commitment to geriatric dentistry

*American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Award,  awarded to a student for exemplary aptitude and achievement in oral and maxillofacial pathology

EMILY LENET

Dr. J.K. Carver Award , second highest overall standing in the four years of the dental undergraduate program

Jeanne Craig, Skinford Student Leadership,  awarded to a student in good academic standing in their final year of dental education who has demonstrated effective leadership and advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion and championed access to oral health care for underserved and disadvantaged populations.

SARAH LORAN

*Canadian Academy of Periodontology Award of Excellence , wawarded to an outstanding student in the field of periodontology

MOHAMMED MOHAMMED

Dr. A. Gerald Racey Prize , awarded to the student who has excelled in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

ALEXANDRA PAPADAKIS

*Prix de la Fondation de l'Ordre des Dentistes du Québec,  awarded to a meritorious student who demonstrates compassion in providing oral health care to disadvantaged people within the community and who understands and values the importance of the FODQ mission

MACKENZIE SALMON

*American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons' Dental Student Award,  awarded to a graduating student for outstanding performance in undergraduate study and clinical training in oral and maxillofacial surgery and anesthesiology

*American Academy of Oral Medicine Certificate of Merit in Oral Medicine , proficiency in the clinical management of medically complex patients

Canadian Dental Association Student Leadership Award,  awarded to a student who has shown outstanding qualities of leadership, scholarship, character and humanity

EMMA WILSON

*Pierre Fauchard Academy's Senior Student Award of Recognition , awarded to a student who has excelled in the academic and clinical aspects of the DMD program

*American College of Prosthodontists Predoctoral Achievement Award, awarded to an outstanding graduating student for excellence in prosthodontics.

* Awards given by various associations and not official McGill University awards

Teaching Awards

Alissa Levine Howard S. Katz Excellence in Teaching Award - superior teaching at the undergraduate level in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences

Dr. Raphael de Souza W.W. Wood Award - excellence in dental education

Department and University Information

Dean's office.

• Undergraduate Teaching Clinic

Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry

• DMD Program
• Advanced Standings
• MSc Non-Thesis
• OMFS Programs
• Pain and Neuroscience
• Mineralized Tissues and Extracellular Matrix Biology
• Biomaterials, Nanobiotechnology and Tissue Engineering
• Population Oral Health
• Student and Staff Clinic
• Community Clinics
• Affiliated Clinics
• Alan Edward Centre for Research on Pain
• Centre for Bone and Periodontal Research
• McGill Institute for Advanced Materials
• Facility for Electron Microscopy Research