Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy

Upon completing the PhD degree in the field of Philosophy, students will be able to: Demonstrate advanced skills of reading philosophical texts critically and with understanding of the problems and contexts. Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and logically their own views on a range of important philosophical problems at an advanced level. Demonstrate an understanding in depth of the content and context of one of the main areas of philosophy. Propose, evaluate, and defend original views in at least one of the main areas of philosophy. Complete a dissertation that makes an original contribution to their field.

Hard copies of official transcripts are not required to apply. Applicants should upload unofficial transcripts and supporting documents to the online application system.
If admitted, applicants will be required to send official transcripts to complete the admissions process.
Once a completed application is submitted, the applicant will be able to pay the application fee and monitor the status of their application on the Application Status page.
Application information and supporting documents cannot be edited after final submission. However, applicants are able to upload updated version of their CV and unofficial transcripts via the Application Status page.
All application materials, including official test scores and three letters of recommendation, must be received by the deadline to be considered for admission.
Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
A statement that concisely and accurately describes the applicant's philosophical interests, motivations, and aspirations. The statement should briefly discuss reasons for applying to the department specifically, such as interest in a particular faculty member's work, and describe any relevant research projects. Statements should be no longer than 500 words.

WRITING SAMPLE
A philosophy paper, up to 5,000 words in length, double-spaced, showcasing the applicant's best work in philosophy. (Longer papers may be considered, but applicants are advised to indicate which areas readers are to focus.)

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS
Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's personal and scholastic qualities are required, preferably from professors in the applicant's major field.
In general, applicants should have at least a 3.0(B) grade point average (or the equivalent) in their undergraduate work. Some departments at Rice University require scores on the aptitude portion of the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) or the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) as an appropriate advanced test, these should be sent directly to the admitting department. Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL test and should score at least 90 on the iBT (internet-based) TOEFL, at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL or score 250 on the computer-based TOEFL. For students who choose to take the IELTS in lieu of TOEFL, the minimum score is 7. When applying, please do not mail hard copies of documents. Applicants will upload unofficial transcripts and supporting documents to the online application system.