Contents
- General Information
- Jobs in Philosophy
- Advising
- Registration and Course Load
- Length of Program
- Departmental Colloquia
- PhD Degree Program
- Requirements
- Course Work Requirement
- Comprehensive Examinations
- Dissertation
- Admission to Candidacy
- MA Degree Program
- Requirements
- Distribution Requirement
- MA Thesis
- MA Thesis Committee
- PhD and MA Logic Requirement
- PhD Foreign-language/Research-tool Requirement
- Financial Aid
- Independent Study
- Leaves of Absence
- Job Placement
- Graduate Philosophy Prize
- Complaints
- Graduate Students' Office
- Admissions Procedures
Appendix: The Reading List for the Comprehensive Examinations
This handbook is for the use of graduate students in philosophy at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Its aim is to supplement the descriptions of the PhD and MA program given in the University's Graduate Bulletin by specifying procedures and policies adopted by the Department.
Graduate students should be familiar with the general regulations set forth in the University's Graduate Bulletin, as well as with the contents of this handbook. In the event of a conflict, the Graduate Bulletin, not this Handbook, is to be taken as binding on the Department.
The day-to-day operation of the graduate program is the responsibility of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Philosophy Department. Questions and problems about matters related to the graduate program should be directed to the student's own adviser or to the Director of Graduate Studies, who chairs the Committee, or, if further consultation is required, to the Department Chair.
I. General Information
A. Jobs in Philosophy
Graduate students in philosophy should be aware of the difficulty in finding a teaching position. The number of openings in philosophy at traditional universities and colleges is much smaller than the number of well-qualified PhDs applying for them. In all likelihood, this situation will continue to exist in one form or another for some time. Consequently, graduate students should be prepared to consider employment outside of academic philosophy or to seek positions in two-year or other institutions, possibly teaching other subjects in addition to philosophy.
In any case, the department will do all that it can to place students receiving degrees. See VII.C below.
B. Advising
On arrival, students entering the PhD or MA program should contact the Director of Graduate Studies, who will assign an adviser, preferably one working in the student's designated area of interest.
The adviser and advisee will meet on a regular basis.
The adviser will review the advisee's program when necessary.
The adviser will assist the advisee's development in philosophy and report to the Director of Graduate Studies concerning such development.
At the time the student begins work on the PhD Dissertation Prospectus and before taking the Topical Examination (see below), the student should choose as adviser the faculty member under whom he or she expects to write the dissertation. After the advisee's PhD thesis committee has been approved, the chair of the thesis committee becomes the student's adviser. (Normally, the chair of the Topical Examination committee becomes the chair of the thesis committee.) After an MA student's MA thesis committee has been approved, the chair of that committee is the student's adviser. Students seeking an MA but not writing a master's thesis (see III.A) will keep the same adviser throughout, unless a change seems desirable.
C. Registration and Course Load
1. Each PhD student must engage in full-time study for one academic year following admission to the PhD program.
All students enrolled in the PhD program should maintain continuous registration for each fall and spring semester (except for periods of official leave of absence (see VII.B), until they have completed all program requirements. Summer registration will not be accepted in lieu of spring or fall registration.
Minimum registration consists of three credits of approved work. This may consist of three credits of a course carrying a 'load factor.' Students registering for such courses do not receive credit toward a graduate degree. However, they are still considered registered students by the university and hence satisfy the registration requirement. PHI 899, Doctoral Dissertation, is a load-factor course.
A PhD student who neither registers for each fall and spring session nor has received an official leave of absence is subject to termination by the university's Office of Graduate Studies unless good cause not to do so is shown by the student after notification of such pending action.
MA students are not required to maintain continuous registration, but they are subject to a six-year statute of limitations in completing their work. (See I.D.2. below.)
2. Full-time PhD and MA students in regular session ordinarily register for at least 12 credits per semester (except for holders of teaching assistantships; see I.C.3 below). Students may carry reduced loads provided their adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies agree that it is in their interest.
3. Tuition waivers for specified amounts of credit may be granted to graduate students. Students may enroll for additional credits, but they will be responsible for the added tuition and fees.
Graduate students who hold teaching assistantships may not be employed in other capacities in or outside the University while holding a teaching assistantship.
Graduate students who hold fellowships are required to register for full-time study, i.e., not less than 12 credits a semester. Fellows may not be employed in other capacities in or outside the University while holding a fellowship.
Graduate students who hold full assistantships in a semester must register for a least (and ordinarily no more than) 9 credits in that semester. With the approval of the student's adviser (and if the extent of the outside work allows), such students may register for study beyond these limits.
4. The MA and PhD programs are distinct. Students initially admitted only to the MA program must apply to the university for formal admission to the PhD program if they subsequently wish to enroll in it.
For details of the requirements under C.l, C.2, and C.3 above, see the University's Graduate Bulletin.
D. Length of Program
Although it is difficult to determine in advance exactly how long it will take for individual students to complete the program, the following are guidelines:
1. Full-time PhD students are normally expected to complete all distribution requirements and course work in three years, i.e., six semesters. Students take the Comprehensive Examinations the first time they are offered following the completion of their coursework and the Topical Examination by the end of the first semester after they have passed the Comprehensive Examinations. (See II.D below.) The dissertation is normally completed by the end of the fourth year, i.e., eighth semester.
The required full-time study in residence for PhD students (see I.C.1 above) must be completed within four calendar years from the date of initial registration in the program in the fall (or within three and one-half years from the date of initial registration in the spring). All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within eight calendar years from the date of initial registration in the program.
Although extensions are possible, the department will not support extensions beyond eight years for PhD students who have not passed their Topical Exam.
2. Full-time MA students writing an MA thesis are normally expected to complete all distribution requirements and course work in one and a half years, i.e., three semesters. The thesis is normally completed by the end of the second year, i.e. fourth semester. Full-time students seeking an MA but not writing an MA thesis are normally expected to complete all distribution requirements and course work in three years, i.e., six semesters, and to complete the PhD Comprehensive Examinations with an MA-level pass by the end of their fifth semester. (See III.A below.)
All study for which credit is applied toward an MA degree, including transferred credit for graduate courses taken elsewhere, must be completed within a period of six years, unless an extension of time is granted by the University's Graduate Academic Council. (See VII.B below.) Students may apply to transfer a maximum of 6 hours of credit for graduate courses taken elsewhere to their MA program. Requests for transfer credit must be submitted to and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
E. Departmental Colloquia
There are regularly scheduled colloquia at which faculty members and visitors deliver papers. These colloquia are part of graduate studies. Graduate students are urged to attend regularly and to participate in the discussion.
Notices of colloquia are regularly posted on the Departmental bulletin board outside Humanities 257.
II. PhD Degree Program
A. Requirements
The requirements for obtaining a PhD in philosophy are:
- 60 credit-hours of graduate course work, distributed as indicated in II.B below.
- A passing grade on the PhD Comprehensive Examination
- A passing grade on the PhD Topical Examination. (See II.D.)
- Satisfaction of the logic requirement
- Satisfaction of the foreign-language/research-tool requirement
- Admission to candidacy
- A dissertation in philosophy
- Satisfactory oral defense of the dissertation
B. Course Work Requirements
All students must take 60 credits of philosophy (achieving a grade 'B' or better in each), including at least 28 credits of core courses and history-of-philosophy courses (distributed as below) and 12 credits in one of the two areas of specialization: Knowledge and Representation (focusing on cognitive, linguistic, and cultural systems of representation) or Values and Society (focusing on moral and political values in relation to the social context). The remaining 20 credits may be chosen from any graduate philosophy courses, as long as all departmental regulations are satisfied. Students may substitute up to 8 credits in another department for 8 of the 20 credits in the area of specialization, provided this is warranted by their program and the Graduate Studies Committee approves.
No single course may be used to satisfy more than one distribution requirement.
1. Core courses: All students in either area of specialization take four core courses (16 credits), one from each of the following groups:
- (a) PHI 522 (Theory of Knowledge) or PHI 520 (Philosophy of Science)
- (b) PHI 512 (Metaphysics) or PHI 515 (Philosophy of Language) or PHI 516 (Philosophy of Mind)
- (c) PHI 523 (Ancient Ethical Theory) or PHI 524 (17th-19th Century Ethical Theory) or PHI 525 (Contemporary Ethical Theory) or PHI 508 Fundamental Issues in Ethics (new course)
- (d) PHI 572 (History of Political Philosophy) or PHI 574 (Contemporary Political Philosophy) or PHI 509 (Fundamental Issues in Political Philosophy)
2. History-of-philosophy courses: All students in either area of specialization take three courses (12 credits) in history of philosophy. Students must choose at least one course from each of groups (a) and (b); the third course may come from either (a) or (b) or from group (c):
- (a) PHI 550 (Plato), PHI 552 (Aristotle), PHI 553 (Medieval Philosophy), PHI 557 (Ancient Philosophy After Aristotle)
- (b) PHI 544 (British Empiricism), PHI 546 (The Continental Rationalists), PHI 554 (Kant and Continental Idealism)
- (c) PHI 523 (Ancient Ethical Theory), PHI 524 (17th-19th Century Ethical Theory), PHI 542 (Phenomenology), PHI 555 (19th Century Continental Philosophy), PHI 556 (Pragmatism), PHI 572 (History of Political Philosophy), PHI 624 (Topics in the History of Philosophy), PHI 627 (History of Logic), PHI 518 (Analytic Philosophy)
3. Courses in the area of specialization: All students must take at least 3 courses (12 credits) in their area of specialization.
Knowledge and Representation courses:
- PHI 512 Metaphysics
- PHI 515 Philosophy of Language
- PHI 516 Philosophy of Mind
- PHI 518 Analytic Philosophy
- PHI 520 Philosophy of Science
- PHI 522 Theory of Knowledge
- PHI 531 Logic and Philosophy
- PHI 532 Completeness and Decidability
- PHI 538 Philosophy of the Social Sciences
- PHI 558 Theory of Art
- PHI 610 Topics in Philosophy of Science
- PHI 612 Topics in Metaphysics
- PHI 614 Topics in Epistemology
- PHI 618 Topics in Logic
- PHI 623 Topics in Aesthetics
- PHI 638 Topics in Theories of Criticism
- PHI 652 Topics in Philosophical Psychology
- PHI 662 Topics in Cognitive Science
Values and Society courses:
- PHI 505 Ethics and Public Policy
- PHI 506 Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Public Health
- PHI 517 Bioethics
- PHI 523 Ancient Ethical Theory
- PHI 524 17th-19th C Ethical Theory
- PHI 525 Contemporary Ethical Theory
- PHI 528 Theory and Function of Religion
- PHI 530 Philosophy and Public Affairs
- PHI 535 Philosophy of Race
- PHI 560 Philosophy and the Humanities
- PHI 568 Philosophy and Literature
- PHI 572 History of Political Phil
- PHI 574 Contemporary Political Philosophy
- PHI 580 Metaethics
- PHI 616 Topics in the Philosophy of Religion
- PHI 621 Topics in Ethics
- PHI 632 Topics in Applied Ethics
- PHI 634 Topics in Philosophy of Law
- PHI 674 Topics in Political Philosophy
With the permission of the instructor and Graduate Studies Committee, Topics courses used to satisfy the area-of-specialization requirement may be repeated for credit. With permission of the Graduate Studies Committee, PHI 697 (Independent Study) and PHI 750 and 751 (Advanced Seminars in Philosophy) may be counted as satisfying the area-of- specialization requirement. With the permission of the Graduate Studies Committee, up to 8 credits in a cognate field may be substituted for 8 credits in the area of specialization when the student's program warrants.
Load-bearing courses (such as 699, 792, and 899) do not count toward the course work requirements.
C. Comprehensive Examination
1. All students must take the comprehensive examination in the History of Philosophy. The exam will last three hours.
2. The examinations will normally be given at the beginning of September. Any changes to the reading lists on which the exam is based will be announced before the end of the preceding Spring semester. The lists are not expected to undergo wholesale changes from year to year, however, and students may take the reading lists they receive upon entry to the program as an initial guide in their preparation for the exam. (See Appendix.) Students are responsible for verifying that they have the version of the reading lists on which the exam will be based.
3. Students are expected to take the examinations, at the latest, the first time they are offered following the completion of their coursework.
4. The chair of the Examinations Committee will arrange for the administration of the examinations and will announce when they will be given. The chair also will ask students to sign up to take the examination. Students must notify the chair of the Examinations Committee at that time to indicate that they wish to take the examinations.
5. The Examinations Committee is responsible for writing and giving the examinations and for having them graded. It also maintains the reading list. Any questions about taking the examinations that do not fall under these headings (for example, about when a student should take the examination) should be directed to the Graduate Studies Committee.
6. There will be three possible grades for each of the examinations: PhD-level pass, MA-level pass (a passing grade for students seeking a master's degree but not writing an MA thesis; see III.A below), and fail. PhD students must receive a PhD-level pass in the History Exam. MA students must receive an MA level pass in the History exam.
8. A student who does not pass (at the appropriate level) one or more of the comprehensive examinations will re-take the exam the next time it is offered. The student must pass the exam on the second attempt.
D. Dissertation
1. In addition to fulfilling the other requirements, the PhD student must complete an acceptable dissertation in philosophy.
2. When a student decides on the area in which a dissertation is to be written, he or she should ask a faculty member competent in that area to be the dissertation adviser. A PhD dissertation committee normally consists of three members, at least two of whom, including the student's dissertation adviser, are full-time faculty members of the Albany Department of Philosophy. All committees and dissertation topics must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
3. Students are normally expected to take a Topical Examination within a year of passing their comprehensive examinations. The Topical Examination is meant to assess the initial progress of students on the dissertation. It will consist of an oral examination, administered by the dissertation committee, approximately two hours in length in which the student is questioned on the dissertation prospectus and his or her knowledge of the literature and issues pertinent to the dissertation.
4. At least two weeks before taking the examination, the student must submit to the Graduate Studies Committee a prospectus of the dissertation indicating the topic, goals, significance, and approach expected to be taken in the dissertation. The prospectus should include a bibliography listing the major articles, books, or parts of books that are directly relevant to the work to be carried out.
5. The examining committee will vote on the examination immediately after it is concluded. If a majority of the committee approves, the student passes.
6. With the approval of the committee and of the Graduate Studies Committee, a student who fails the examination may be given an opportunity to retake it.
7. The dissertation normally should be 150 to 250 typed, double-spaced pages in length. In some cases, a highly technical dissertation may require fewer than 150 pages. A dissertation should exceed 300 pages in length only in exceptional circumstances.
8. The final version of the dissertation must be approved by a majority of the student's dissertation committee.
9. The student must defend the dissertation in an oral examination.
10. For information about the format of the final version of the dissertation to be submitted to the University's Office of Graduate Studies, see the University's Graduate Bulletin.
E. Admission to Candidacy
A PhD student must be admitted to candidacy at least one semester (exclusive of a summer session) before the acceptance of the dissertation and completion of all degree requirements.
A student will be admitted to candidacy for the PhD upon:
- Satisfactory completion of all course work (with at least a 'B' in each resident graduate course applicable to the degree) and of preliminary research on the dissertation area.
- Completion of University residence requirements. (See I.C.1 and the appropriate section of the University's Graduate Bulletin.)
- Satisfactory completion of the logic requirement and the foreign- language/research-tool requirement
- Satisfactory completion of the Comprehensive Examinations. (See II.F. above.)
- Students who have been admitted to candidacy (see II.E below) and are working on dissertations normally register for PHI 899 (Doctoral Dissertation). This course can be taken for from 1 to 12 credit hours per semester and may be repeated for as long as the student is working on the dissertation. However, PHI 899 carries a load- factor only and cannot be applied toward the 60-credit hours of PhD course work.
III. MA Degree Program
Students may earn an MA in philosophy either (a) by meeting the requirements noted below and writing a master's thesis or (b) by meeting those requirements, doing additional course work, and receiving an MA-level pass on the Comprehensive Examination in History
The usual terminal MA student will pursue (a), and the usual PhD student seeking to earn an MA on the way to the PhD will pursue (b). (A PhD student will automatically satisfy (b) by fulfilling the PhD requirements for Course Work, Comprehensive Examinations, and Logic See II.A - C, IV, and V.) However, it is in principle open to any student seeking an MA to do either (a) or (b). Students admitted to the MA program will be assumed to be pursuing plan (a) unless they notify the Director of Graduate Studies that they intend to pursue (b).
As noted in I.C.4, the MA and PhD programs are distinct. Students admitted only to the MA program must apply for admission if they wish to enter the PhD program.
**Note: the Requirements for the MA Program have changed as of Fall 2023. The section of the Graduate Handbook below is currently under revision. For an updated statement of the MA Program requirements, see the UAlbany Graduate Bulletin
A. Requirements
The requirements for obtaining an MA in philosophy are:
- At least 30 credits in philosophy above 500 (achieving a grade 'B' or better in each), including 6 courses for 4 credits each.
- Satisfaction of the distribution requirement. (See III.B.)
- Satisfaction of the logic requirement. (See IV.)
- Either (a) Thesis (see III.C and III.D), earning an additional 6 credits, or (b) 14 more credits of course work in philosophy (for a total of 44 credits) and the completion of the PhD Comprehensive Examination with at least an MA-level pass (see II.C).
B. Distribution Requirement
MA students are required to complete at least one course (with a grade of 'B' or better) from each of the following areas:
Area I: Epistemology and Metaphysics:
- PHI 512 Metaphysics
- PHI 515 Philosophy of Language
- PHI 516 Philosophy of Mind
- PHI 518 Analytic Philosophy
- PHI 520 Philosophy of Science
- PHI 522 Theory of Knowledge
- PHI 531 Logic and Philosophy
- PHI 532 Completeness and Decidability
- PHI 538 Philosophy of the Social Sciences
- PHI 610 Topics in Philosophy of Science
- PHI 612 Topics in Metaphysics
- PHI 614 Topics in Epistemology
- PHI 618 Topics in Logic
- PHI 623 Topics In Aesthetics
- PHI 652 Topics in Philosophical Psychology
- PHI 662 Topics in Cognitive Science
Area II: History of Philosophy:
- PHI 544 British Empiricism
- PHI 546 The Continental Rationalists
- PHI 550 Plato
- PHI 552 Aristotle
- PHI 554 Kant and Continental Idealism
- PHI 556 Pragmatism
- PHI 557 Ancient Philosophy After Aristotle
Area III: Value Theory and Philosophy of Religion:
- PHI 505 Ethics and Public Policy
- PHI 506 Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Public Health
- PHI 517 Bioethics
- PHI 523 Ancient Ethical Theory
- PHI 524 17th-19th Century Ethical Theory
- PHI 525 Contemporary Ethical Theory
- PHI 528 Theory and Function of Religion
- PHI 530 Philosophy and Public Affairs
- PHI 558 Theory of Art
- PHI 560 Philosophy and the Humanities
- PHI 568 Philosophy and Literature
- PHI 572 History of Political Phil
- PHI 574 Contemporary Political Philosophy
- PHI 616 Topics in the Philosophy of Religion
- PHI 621 Topics in Ethics
- PHI 632 Topics in Applied Ethics
- PHI 634 Topics in Philosophy of Law
- PHI 674 Topics in Political Philosophy
C. MA Thesis
The points below (and in section III.D) apply to those students seeking an MA who pursue III.A.5 (a) above and write a thesis:
1. Normally students register for PHI 699 as part of the regular load and may be given a grade of Incomplete; when the thesis is approved by the student's thesis committee, the grade is changed to Satisfactory.
2. All MA thesis topics must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
In order for a thesis topic to be approved, students must submit a short prospectus to the Graduate Studies Committee. The prospectus should contain a statement of the scope, aim, and significance of the proposed thesis and be accompanied by a bibliography. Students are advised to discuss the prospectus in detail with their thesis adviser.
After their thesis topics have been approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, students should submit to the Graduate Office a copy of the form 'Application for Approval of Subject of Thesis for the Master's Degree,' signed by themselves and their advisers. The form is available on the grad studies site.
3. Normally the MA Thesis is expected to be between 40 and 60 double-spaced typed pages.
4. The final version of the thesis must be approved by all members of the student's thesis committee.
Information about the format of the final version may obtained from the University's Office of Graduate Admissions and Policy (see Graduate Bulletin).
D. MA Thesis Committee
An MA Thesis Committee normally consists of two faculty members: the thesis adviser and the reader. The thesis adviser must be and the reader are expected to be a full-time member of the Department of Philosophy.
When students decide on the area in which the thesis is to be written, they, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, should ask a full-time member of the Department of Philosophy competent in that area to be the thesis adviser. Choice of the thesis adviser must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The reader is chosen by the Graduate Studies Committee. However, the student and the thesis adviser are invited to make suggestions.
IV. PhD and MA Logic Requirement
PhD and MA students are expected to demonstrate a basic competence in logic. They may satisfy this requirement either by completing PHI 532 with a grade of 'B' or better, or by passing an examination in logic arranged by the Department.
Students who have taken the equivalent of PHI 532 at another school may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to have the course count as satisfying the logic requirement. The petition should contain the title and author of the text, instructor, grade, institution and year in which the course was taken.
V. PhD Foreign-Language/Research-Tool Requirement
A. The University's research-tool requirement for the PhD may be fulfilled in one of two ways.
1. Students may show competency in a foreign language deemed appropriate to their work by the department. To demonstrate reading knowledge of the language, the student may either pass an examination arranged by the Department, or by completing (with the grade of 'S' or 'B' or better) a graduate-level course offered by another department, when that course is approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
When administered by the Department, examinations are written two-hour tests, involving translation from a philosophical text. Students may use a dictionary.
Normally students choose the philosopher and the text on which the examination will be based, and the examiner chooses the selection to be translated.
2. PhD students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to substitute a research tool for competency in a foreign language.
Normally this tool will amount to 4 credits of graduate course work (or the equivalent) in an area relevant to the student's specific area of concentration.
In advance of submitting a petition, students should discuss with their advisers and the Director of Graduate Studies the research tool that they propose to substitute. Their petition should indicate clearly and in detail how the tool supports their work in the area of concentration.
No course offered by the Philosophy Department may count as satisfying the Research Tool requirement.
B. Students in the MA program are not required to satisfy the language/research-tool requirement.
VI. Financial Aid
1. The Department offers a limited number of fellowships and teaching assistantships to PhD and MA students.
Fellows must be enrolled as full-time students, and they must maintain 12 credits a semester.
Teaching assistants must take at least 9 credits a semester. They are assigned work in the Department for the number of hours stipulated in their award.
Teaching assistants and fellows are eligible for full or partial tuition waivers for which they must apply separately. (See Graduate Bulletin.)
If a choice must be made, preference will normally be given to PhD students for fellowships and teaching assistantships. However, the department will attempt to offer support as far as possible to all qualified students, both MA and PhD.
2. Fellowships and teaching assistantships are normally assigned for one year; it is not possible to guarantee renewal for the following year.
3. The Graduate Studies Committee recommends candidates for fellowships and teaching assistantships to the University.
Early in the spring semester, the Graduate Studies Committee invites graduate students to apply for aid for the following academic year.
Applications by currently enrolled students are considered in competition with those of incoming students. However, students making good progress toward their degrees can normally expect to have their aid renewed, provided financial resources permit it. Students with grades lower than 'B' or with grades of Incomplete will be at a disadvantage in seeking aid.
4. The department has a limit of four years of aid for PhD students and of two years for MA students.
5. Students not presently holding Fellowships or Teaching Assistantships may be eligible for aid under the New York State Tuition Assistance Program. There are also other forms of aid available. (See Graduate Bulletin.)
6. Advanced PhD students may teach within the department subject to approval by the Graduate Studies Committee and the faculty. Interested students should contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
7. Teaching assistants and fellows assigned to help instructors will be evaluated every semester in writing by the instructor to whom they are assigned.
8. As stated in the current agreement between New York State and the Graduate Student Employees Union, graduate student employees of the department will be given the right to comment on any revisions that the department may propose to any of its policies or procedures that address the evaluation of teaching assistants. This includes the procedures mentioned in 7. above.
VII. Miscellaneous
A. Independent Study
The purpose of PHI 697 (Independent Study and Research) is to allow students to work in areas not normally dealt with in the Department's regular course offerings.
Students wishing to take PHI 697 must obtain approval of both the instructor and the Graduate Studies Committee.
Graduate students may, with permission of the instructor, audit the class meetings of an undergraduate course as part of PHI 697. This may be used to fill gaps in a graduate student's philosophical training. For example, a student might audit the lectures of Introduction to Logic and take the exams as a 1 unit Independent Study in the course of preparing for the graduate logic exam.
To obtain the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee, students must submit a description of the aim of the project, the works to be studied and the requirements (e.g., papers, examinations). This description must normally be submitted during the semester before the course is proposed to be taken.
Approval will not be granted if, in the opinion of the Graduate Studies Committee, the proposed project is adequately dealt with in a regularly offered seminar or the description of the project is unsatisfactory.
B. Leaves of Absence
Following are the University regulations concerning leaves of absence as stated in the University's Graduate Bulletin:
'A doctoral student may be granted an official leave of absence from his/her graduate program for an appropriate academic or personal reason. A leave of absence must be approved by the student's department, school, or college and by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Normally, a leave of absence will be granted for a period up to one year; under compelling justification, a leave may be extended for another year.
'The period of authorized leave of absence is not counted as part of the statute of limitations for completion of degree requirements.
'Students who are on leave of absence are not entitled to use University facilities and faculty resources exclusively afforded to students.'
PhD students requesting a leave of absence should submit a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies. The letter should include the reasons for the leave. If the Graduate Studies Committee approves of the request, the letter and Request for Leave of Absence form indicating the Department's approval will be forwarded to the appropriate offices.
As noted in I.C.1 above, MA students (unlike PhD students) are not required to maintain continuous registration; but they are subject to a six-year statute of limitations on the completion of their course of study. MA students seeking to extend this statute of limitations should request an extension of time from the University's Graduate Academic Council (see I.D.2 above). In order to support their request, they should submit a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies giving the reasons for the extension. The Graduate Studies Committee then will forward its recommendation to the Office of Graduate Studies for action by the Graduate Academic Council.
C. Job Placement
Students planning to look for jobs should contact their advisers and the Director of Graduate Studies at the start of their last academic year.
The University's placement service prepares dossiers for students seeking employment. Students are advised to use this service.
The Placement Service also has information about all teaching positions available in the State University system (i.e., University centers, colleges, and two-year community colleges).
Since the teaching of philosophy at community colleges is often secondary to teaching another subject, students interested in such teaching are advised to look as well under headings other than philosophy.
The American Philosophical Association offers a placement service for which graduate students may register. Jobs are advertised in 'Jobs for Philosophers' and 'The Chronicle of Higher Education'.
D. Graduate Philosophy Prize
An annual prize will be awarded for an essay judged worthy by the Graduate Studies Committee. All and only graduate students in the PhD and MA programs in philosophy are eligible to submit essays. The essays are blind-reviewed. Dates for the competition are announced annually. The winner is invited to present the paper at a departmental colloquium.
E. Complaints
Students having a complaint are encouraged to discuss their concerns informally with their advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies. If the complaint is not resolved, students may take it to the Chair of the Department. If the complaint is still not resolved, there are official procedures for filing a formal complaint. Information about these procedures may be obtained from the Chair of the Department.
F. Graduate Students' Office
The Department provides office space for graduate students. The primary use of this office is for teaching assistants who hold office hours and grade assignments in it. The office also serves as an informal meeting place for graduate students. It is expected that graduate students using the office will conduct themselves with politeness and consideration toward others in the office.
G. Admissions Procedures
Admission to the graduate programs in philosophy follows normal University procedures, including approval by the philosophy Graduate Studies Committee. Department of Philosophy regulations require that (a) applicants who are nonnative speakers of English must normally have a minimum score of 600 on the TOEFL English-language proficiency examination; (b) nondegree students applying for degree status must meet all normal requirements for admission to the program for which they are applying.