Graduate Program Details

 

 

The graduate program in philosophy at UNM is a two-track program: one track leads to the M.A. degree and the other to the Ph.D. degree. The two programs are independent of each other in admission and conception. Successful completion of the M.A. program is neither required for admission to the Ph.D. program nor entitles the applicant to admission to the Ph.D. program. Thus, those who wish to pursue the Ph.D. degree in philosophy at UNM should apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Ph.D. applicants who are not accepted to the Ph.D. program and do not yet have an M.A. degree in Philosophy will automatically be considered for the M.A. program. This document describes the department's policies and requirements for both programs; it should be read in conjunction with the relevant sections of UNM Catalogue.

For UNM graduate regulations and information, please contact: The Office of Graduate Studies MSC 03 2180 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 Phone: (505) 277-2711 Fax: (505) 277-7405 For UNM graduate regulations and information, please contact:
The Office of Graduate Studies
MSC 03 2180
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Phone: (505) 277-2711
Fax: (505) 277-7405

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I.   General Policies and Requirements

 

A.   Background Core in Philosophy

All graduate students are expected to have, by the time they advance to candidacy (but preferably earlier), a background core in Philosophy consisting of UNM Philosophy courses numbered 201 (Greek Philosophy), 202 (Modern Philosophy), 352 (Theory of Knowledge), 354 (Metaphysics), 356 (Symbolic Logic), and 358 (Ethical Theory). Equivalent courses taken at other institutions may substitute for theses courses. Ph.D. students must have passed Phil. 356 or its equivalent with a grade of A- or better.

B.   Graduate Advising

  1. Every graduate student is required to meet with the Graduate Director as soon as possible upon arrival at UNM to begin his or her graduate studies in philosophy.
  2. The Graduate Director will serve as the student’s advisor until he/she forms an MA Exam or Thesis Committee or a Dissertation Committee. Students, however, are also encouraged to consult with other members of the department regarding their course of study.
  3. After forming an Exam, Thesis or Dissertation Committee, the student should have an informal meeting with his or her committee once every semester (excluding summer).
  4. Every graduate student must have each semester’s course of studies approved by the Graduate Director prior to registration.

C.   Distribution Requirement Designations (DRD's)

  1. Each semester GAC, with the approval of the department, will designate appropriate courses as H(A) (history of ancient philosophy), H(M) (history of modern philosophy), H (history of philosophy), Et (ethics), M (metaphysics), or E (epistemology). These labels are referred to as Distribution Requirement Designations (DRD’s); they indicate the distribution requirements that may be fulfilled by taking those courses (see II.D1, II.D2, and III.E).
  2. Ccourses designated as H are devoted mostly to works completed before 1950 by major figures of Western philosophy. Courses designated as H(A) are devoted mostly to the work of the Pre-Socratics or the work of Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle. Courses covering other major philosophers of antiquity may also be designated as H(A) subject to approval by the department. Courses designated as H(M) are devoted mostly to the work of one or more of the following philosophers: Hobbes, Rousseau, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Courses covering other major philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth century may also be designated as H(M) subject to approval by the department. A Course receiving M, E, or Et designation will focus on issues in ethics, metaphysics, or epistemology, rather than on historical movements or contexts, and will include substantial attention to contemporary discussions of these problems.
  3. A course cannot satisfy both a DRD and a background core requirement.
  4. No course shall bear more than one DRD.
  5. Courses taken at another institution may fulfill a distribution requirement only if they have been accepted for transfer as graduate credit.
  6. Only 500-level courses which are NOT also listed at the 300-level will count as 500-level courses.

D.   Proseminar Requirement

All entering graduate students are required to take the Graduate Proseminar in Philosophy (520) within their first year in residence. This course will serve the students as an introduction to graduate study in philosophy at UNM. This includes introduction to the faculty and to their research programs, as well as an opportunity for scholarly interaction with fellow graduate students. The course is offered once a year.

E.   Grade Requirement

Any course that fulfills a distribution, logic, or language requirement must be passed with a grade of B or better. Also, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 for all graduate-level courses taken while in graduate status.

 

II.   The M.A. Program

The M.A. program is designed to give the student a solid foundation in philosophy beyond the undergraduate level, whether the student's goal is further graduate work in philosophy, graduate work in other disciplines, employment in some field related to philosophy, or simply the satisfaction of intellectual curiosity. All M.A. students will be accepted into the program as Plan II students. In special circumstances, a student may petition the Faculty to take the Plan I option. The student should explain in this petition why he or she thinks that Plan I would be in his or her case a more appropriate program of studies than Plan II. Requirements specific to Plan I are marked with the superscript '1', and requirements specific to Plan II are marked with the superscript '2'.

A.   Time Limit

All work toward the M.A. degree (including coursework transferred from another institution) must be completed within a seven-year period. This seven-year period commences with the first graduate course counted toward the degree.

B1.   Graduate Credit Hour Requirements (Plan I)

An M.A. student under Plan I must complete a minimum of 24 graduate hours of coursework credit: at least 6 hours must be at the 500-level, no more than 6 hours can be independent-study credit (498/551/651), and no more than 3 hours can be workshop credit. If a minor is declared, at least 14 graduate hours of coursework credit must be in the major and 7 such hours must be in the minor. Thesis (599) hours do not count as coursework credit, and hence they cannot be used toward fulfilling these requirements.

B2.   Graduate Credit Hour Requirements (Plan II)

An M.A. student under Plan II must complete a minimum of 32 graduate hours of coursework credit: at least 12 hours must be at the 500-level, no more than 6 hours can be independent-study credit (498/551/651), and no more than 3 hours can be workshop credit. If a minor is declared, at least 18 graduate hours of coursework credit must be in the major and 12 such hours must be in the minor. Thesis (599) hours do not count as coursework credit, and hence they cannot be used toward fulfilling these requirements.

C1.   Philosophy Credit Hour Requirements (Plan I)

An M.A. student under Plan I must complete a minimum of 19 graduate credit hours of coursework in philosophy: at least 9 hours must be at the 500-level, and no more than 3 hours can be independent-study credit (498/551/651). Graduate credit hours in philosophy are hours in graduate courses offered by or cross-listed with the philosophy department or courses approved by GAC as carrying graduate credit in philosophy. Thesis (599) hours do not count as coursework credit, and hence they cannot be used toward fulfilling these requirements.

C2.   Philosophy Credit Hour Requirements (Plan II)

An M.A. student under Plan II must complete a minimum of 25 graduate credit hours of coursework in philosophy: at least 15 hours must be at the 500-level, and no more than 3 hours can be independent-study credit (498/551/651). Graduate credit hours in philosophy are hours in graduate courses offered by or cross-listed with the philosophy department or courses approved by GAC as carrying graduate credit in philosophy. Thesis (599) hours do not count as coursework credit, and hence they cannot be used toward fulfilling these requirements.

D1.   Distribution Requirements (Plan I)

Plan I students must take a minimum of 4 courses designated as H(A), H(M), H, Et, M, or E (see I.C): at least one is designated as H(A) or H(M) at the 500-level, and at least one is designated as Et, M, or E.

D2.   Distribution Requirements (Plan II)

Plan II students must take a minimum of 4 courses designated as H(A), H(M), H, Et, M, or E (see I.C): at least one is designated as H(A) or H(M) at the 500-level; at least one is designated as H(A), H(M), or H; and at least two are designated as Et, M, or E.

E1.   M.A. Thesis (Plan I)

  1. Before beginning work on the M.A. thesis, a Plan I student must select, in consultation with the Graduate Director and suject to approval by the department Chair, a thesis committee consisting of three members, a majority of whom must be from the philosophy department.
  2. A copy of the final draft of the student's M.A. thesis, which ust not exceed 25,000 words of main test, shall be sidtributed to each member of the thesis committee at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the thesis defense. This date shall be fixed in consultation with the Graduate Director.
  3. Every M.A. Candidate under Plan I is required to pass successfully a master's exam, which is an oral defense of the student's thesis before his or her thesis committee. An M.A. candidate may take a master's exam at most twice.

E2.   M.A. Paper (Plan II)

  1. A Plan II student must select, in consultation with the Graduate Director and subject to approval by the department Chair, a master's exam committee consisting of three members, a majority of whom must be from the philosophy department.
  2. A copy of the final draft of the student's M.A. paper, which must not exceed 12,500 words of main text, shall be distributed to each member of the student's master's exam committee at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the exam. This date shall be fixed in consultation with the Graduate Director.
  3. Every M.A. candidate under Plan II is required to pass successfully a master's exam, which is an oral exam focused on the student's M.A. paper. An M.A. candidate may take a master's exam at most twice.

 

III.   Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare the student for an academic career in philosophy as scholar, researcher, and teacher. The requirements described below structure a Ph.D. program of 5 years, for which students will normally receive full financial support. Graduate work in philosophy completed prior to entering the Ph.D. program may be counted toward the Ph.D. degree in philosophy at UNM, subject to approval by GAC and to UNM Office of Graduate Studies regulations (see UNM Catalogue). All students, however, must complete the following requirements at UNM: Proseminar (I.D), Qualifying Examination (III.F), Dissertation Prospectus (III. J), Dissertation (III.K), and other requirements specified by the UNM Office of Graduate Studies (see UNM Catalogue). [Semester number enclosed in brackets next to the title of a requirement indicates the deadline for completing that requirement.]

A.   Funding

  1. All applicants for the Ph.D. program (both with and without requests for financial aid) will have the same application deadline. All applicants will be judged by the same standards, independently of funding status.
  2. No applicant will be granted admission unless the department has a reasonable expectation that the student will receive five years of funding, which the department may pro-rate for those applicants who have already completed some graduate work. Continued funding will be contingent on satisfactory performance in the program.

B.   Student's Teaching

  1. Beginning with the entering class of 1998, all Ph.D. students are required before graduating to teach at least one course independently, which will be observed at least once by a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty member who will enter a written evaluation in the student's file, as well as meet with the student to discuss her or his teaching performance. Normally, teaching an independent course will happen automatically during the course of a student's time here. In the special case of an outside-funded student, the department is committed to giving that student a course to teach during a term decided at the department's discretion (which may be the Summer term).
  2. Each student will have each of her or his courses observed at least once, and the observer will write at least one letter of evaluation for that student. (A separate letter of evaluation for each course observation is not required.) Letters of evaluation are placed in the student's file prior to such time as the student is seeking employment and submitting job applications.

C.   Graduate Credit Hour Requirements [8th Semester]

Every Ph.D. student must complete a minimum of 48 graduate hours of coursework credit, of which at least 24 hours must be at the 500-level. Dissertation (699) hours do not count as coursework credit, and hence they cannot be used toward fulfilling these requirements.

D.   Philosophy Credit Hour Requirements [8th Semester]

Every Ph.D. student must complete a minimum of 34 graduate hours of coursework credit in philosophy, of which at least 24 hours must be at the 500-level, and no more than 9 may be independent-study credit (498/551/651). Graduate credit hours in philosophy are hours in graduate courses offered by or cross-listed with the philosophy department or in courses approved by GAC as carrying graduate Philosophy credit. Dissertation (699) hours do not count as coursework credit, and hence they cannot be used toward fulfilling these requirements.

E.   Distribution Requirements [6th Semester]

Ph. D. students must take a minimum of three courses designated H(A), H(M), and H. No more than two may be taken in any one of these areas to satisfy this requirement. Ph.D. students must also take one course in M or E and one course in Et.

F.   Qualifying Examination [5th Semester]

  1. All Ph.D. students will be examined on their general knowledge of the history of philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. The exam will cover the readings on the qualifying exam reading list.
  2. The qualifying exam shall be either a three-hour oral exam or a four-hour written exam administered by a committee of three philosophy faculty. Students shall choose whether the exam will be oral or written. The committee shall be appointed by GAC in consultation with the student.
  3. The exam must be taken within the first six weeks of the beginning of the fifth semester. The exam committee will be appointed by the end of the preceding semester.
  4. At the committee's discretion, under exceptional circumstances, students may be asked to answer further questions orally or in writing.
  5. The examination committee shall issue one of three possible grades as a result of the exam: Ph.D. pass, M.A. pass, or fail. Students are required to pass the qualifying exam with a Ph.D. pass to continue in the Ph.D. program.
  6. Students who receive an M.A. pass or fail the exam will be allowed to retake the exam once within the first six weeks of the beginning of the following semester.

   Criteria for an M.A. Pass on the Qualifying Examination:

The Student must demonstrate basic knowledge and expository ability: he or she should show an acquaintance with the main ideas of most of the readings on the reading list and an ability to explain them in a manner that would be appropriate for an introductory philosophy course.

   Criteria for a Ph.D. Pass on the Qualifying Examination:

In addition to meeting the criteria for an M.A. pass, the student should demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and analytical ability. He or she should show a firm grasp of the Philosophical problems addressed in most, if not all, of the readings and their broader significance, a comprehension of the main arguments presented therein, and an ability to analyze and critique them.

G.   Requesting an M.A. Degree

A doctoral student who receives a Ph.D. pass or an M.A. pass on the qualifying exam and completes the coursework requirements described in II.B², II.C², and II.D² above will be awarded, upon request, an M.A. degree in Philosophy.

H.   Language Requirement [8th Semester]

A Ph.D. student must demonstrate reading competence in French, German, or a classical language, subject to approval by GAC. Such competence must be demonstrated by passing a translation exam arranged by GAC. A student may, with the approval of the department, substitute a course in metalogic (Phil. 456 or the equivalent) for the language requirement; the student must receive a grade of at least A- in the course. (Note: Students who entered the Ph.D. program prior to Fall 2006 may fulfill this requirement by taking courses approved by GAC.)

I.   Dissertation Committee [7th Semester]

Every Ph.D. student must select, in consultation with the Graduate Director and subject to approval by the department Chair, a dissertation committee of at least four members, a majority of whom must be from the philosophy department, and one of whom must be an external member.

J.   Dissertation Prospectus Examination (DP) Exam [8th Semester]

The DP Exam will be an oral exam of 2-3 hours based on a written dissertation prospectus. The examining committee shall consist of the three departmental members of the student's dissertation committee. The dissertation prospectus must contain the following elements:

  •  a definition of the problem of issue that will be the focus of the dissertation (5-15pp.),
  •  a review of the literature relevant to the problem or issue in question (10-20 pp.),
  •  a coherent explanation of the approach to the problem or the historical-interpretive thesis that will be proposed, including an overview of the anticipated artument (10-15 pp.),
  •  an outline of the dissertation broken down into chapters (2-5 pp.),
  •  a bibliography reflecting a grasp of the essential literature relevant to the problem or issue (no fewer than 20 items).

The prospectus should have the format of a paper, including footnotes or endnotes, broken down into the above mentioned sections. The total length shoulc be approx. 27-55 pp.

Every Ph.D. student entering the program after 2006 is expected to complete the DP exam by the end of his/her eighth semester in residence. Otherwise, he/she will be deemed to be making unsatisfactory progress toward the degree.

K.   Dissertation

Once the dissertation is completed, it must be submitted to an oral defense before and be approved by the student's dissertation committee. The dissertation must not exceed 75,000 words of main text.

L.   Satisfactory Progress

A doctoral student is considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. only if he or she successfully completes each requirement by the specified deadline and maintains a GPA of 3.15 at the end of each academic year. Projected failure to meet any requirement by the specified deadline may also count as failure to make satisfactory progress. A student who is not making satisfactory progress by the end of the academic year may be disqualified from continuing in the Ph.D. program and, thereby, no longer be entitled to financial support.

 

IV.   Reading List for the Qualifying Examination

The Department of Philosophy reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the reading list below provided that sufficient advance notice is given to students yet to take the qualifying exam, if such changes will better serve the educational goals of the exam.

  •  Mencius (Hinton translation)
  •  Plato, Repbulic
  •  Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Bks. 1, 2, 6, 10.7-9)
  •  Descartes, Meditations
  •  Hume, Treatise of Human Nature (Bk. 1; Bk. 2, pt. 3; Bk. 3, pts. 1 and 2)
  •  Kant, Critique of Pure Reason (Everything up to B 169, except for B 46-59; B 232-256 [Second Analogy], 274-279 {Refutation of Idealism], 406-432 {Paralogisms], 472-481, 560-587 [Third Antinomy])
  •  Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
  •  Hegel, Phenomenology (Preface, Introduction, "Consciousness," "Self-Consciousness")
  •  Kierkegaard, Concluding Unscientific Postscript (through "Subjective Truth," including appendix, "A Blance at a Contemporary Effort in Danish Literature")
  •  Mill, Utilitarianism
  •  Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals
  •  Heidegger, Being and Time (through sec. 63)
  •  Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations
  •  Quine, Word and Object, Chap. two
  •  Kripke, Naming and Necessity