Graduate

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The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy is distinguished by its deep focus on core research strengths, allowing students to work at the cutting edge with leading scholars. Our department excels in cross-disciplinary philosophical research, including the growing fields of philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) and applied ontology. Our graduate students benefit from individual faculty mentorship, extensive opportunities for community engagement and professional development, and an active scholarly community.

See the updated list of faculty publications, courtesy of PhilPapers, here.

Apply now,  using the Graduate School’s interactive form.

Learn more about applying and enrolling.

NOTE: Supporting materials must be submitted electronically, using the upload section near the bottom of the application. Acceptable formats include PDF, MS Word .doc or .docx, Text, HTML, jpeg or other standard image file

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Zoom image: The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy is distinguished by its deep focus on core research strengths, allowing students to work at the cutting edge with leading scholars. The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy is distinguished by its deep focus on core research strengths, allowing students to work at the cutting edge with leading scholars.
  • Graduate Admission
    4/29/25
    Applications are welcome from students whose philosophical interests correspond with those of our faculty members, particularly in those areas in which our department has notable strengths (e.g., PPE, applied ontology, metaphysics, history of early modern philosophy).
  • Doctoral Program Requirements
    7/12/24
    The equivalent of 24 courses beyond the BA (including seminar, tutorial, and dissertation credit) is required for the PhD. Students who have done previous graduate work elsewhere may have some of those credits transferred for the degree here. (Transfer credit is determined on an individual basis by the Director of Graduate Studies.)
  • Master's Program Requirements
    6/12/23
    Requirements for the MA degree are courses amounting to 30 hours of graduate credit including a Master's project under the supervision of a member of the philosophy faculty. Courses within the Department are normally counted on a three-hour-per-course basis. Courses may also be taken outside the Department with advance approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.
  • Faculty Research Areas
    9/16/20
  • Placement Record
    7/30/24
    Openings for academic positions teaching philosophy at the college level are highly competitive. In recent years the ratio of potential candidates to available openings was as extreme as 8 to 1. This could equate to more than 2,000 candidates for fewer than 250 openings. The opposite is true about job openings in the professional field of Applied Ontology, where the ratio of potential candidates to available openings is estimated in the range of 1 to 8. This could equate to fewer than five candidates for dozens of job openings in this field.
  • Ontology Focus
    11/1/24
    The University of Buffalo is a world center of research in applied ontology, opening the doors for our graduate students to successful careers in informatics and data science in fields such as biomedicine, finance, defense and security.
  • Financial Aid and Funding
    8/6/24
    PhD students who wish to apply for financial aid for Fall 2025 enrollment are encouraged to complete their applications well before the January 1, 2025 deadline. Their supporting materials (transcripts, recommendations, etc.) must also be submitted by January 1, 2025. At this time, MA students are not eligible for financial aid.
  • Graduate Courses
    5/2/22
    Browse our current and past graduate course offerings.
  • Graduate Student Directory
    10/8/24
    This directory is a listing of current graduate students.
  • Graduate Student Handbook
    2/20/25
  • Graduate Student Awards
    2/20/18
    The Philosophy Department has several prizes that are awarded annually to our graduate students. The awards, made possible by the generous support of benefactors, include:
  • Graduate Philosophy Association
    10/8/24
    The Graduate Philosophy Association (GPA) is an organization representing philosophy graduate students attending the University at Buffalo. We sponsor graduate students for conferences, organize events, and represent the interests of the graduate students in the department. The GPA is active in promoting a positive environment for the student community and promoting interaction with the larger philosophical community.