Graduate

A PhD in philosophy offers students the highest form of training in rigorous thought and analytical writing, and guidance in the development of a productive, active research program, contributing to the advance of the field.

The PhD program offers the opportunity to work towards a doctorate in philosophy in a supportive and collaborative community of graduate students, faculty, and scholars. The department offers a broad array of courses and seminars across the main areas of the discipline as well as other opportunities for philosophical exchange within the community. Philosophy PhD students at USC also begin to practice and develop as teachers of philosophy and develop the concrete skills that will come in handy in a career as a college or university professor.

We offer both a PhD and a dual JD/MA in philosophy. However, the only degree for which we directly admit students is the PhD. Students who are already enrolled in the JD program at USC Gould School of Law may apply for admission into the joint JD/MA program upon completion of their first full year of law school.

Many PhD programs, including in philosophy, adopt a ‘sink or swim’ mentality. Students are expected to figure out how to be successful, and those who struggle are assumed not to “have what it takes.” We try our best to adopt a different approach. It takes a large and rare combination of skills, talents, dispositions, and the luck of circumstance and timing for everything to go perfectly in a graduate student’s development. Many people of great talent can easily run into trouble in graduate school due only to a minor weakness, bad timing, or a distracting life event. Our goal is to help students realize their philosophical talent by addressing any weaknesses and being as supportive of our students as we can, while guiding them in developing all of the auxiliary skills required for success in the profession.

That said, a philosophy PhD is not for everyone. Success as a PhD student in philosophy requires talent and preparation, as well as a tremendous amount of hard work. Successful PhD students are independently motivated, set their own goals and are comfortable working with their own deadlines by themselves for significant stretches of time. They also have the patience and dedication to stick to their goals. Nationwide, the average time it takes to earn a PhD in a humanities field, including philosophy, is more than seven years. At USC, it currently takes most students between five and seven years to earn their degree.

Even once you have earned your degree, there is no guarantee that a job will be waiting for you—academic philosophy is a highly competitive field, with hundreds of applicants for every position. Still, USC students have been doing very well in recent years. Some of our recent graduates have secured tenure-track appointments at such places as the University of Michigan, Princeton University, the University of Colorado, Colgate University, or Claremont McKenna College. And many others have secured permanent positions abroad in such places as University College, London, Cardiff University or Trinity College, Dublin. Visit our Placement Record page to view the most recent placement news.