At the College of Liberal Arts, you can earn a Philosophy masters degree, a Philosophy PhD or a dual masters in urban bioethics. Take advantage of our academic partnerships and exchanges or Temple graduate school funding. Ready to get started? Review our tuition and fees, admissions process, graduate application deadlines and graduate resources.

Earn an MA or PhD in Philosophy

Granting its first PhD in 1971, the Department of Philosophy has a proud history in Philadelphia. Our scholarly community consists of a cohesive group of graduate students and faculty who work across the traditions of Anglo-American and European philosophy, contemporary issues and historical scholarship. In spite of a challenging job market, our MA and PhD graduates are successful in landing academic and non-academic philosophy-related positions. Temple graduates teach in Europe, the US, Asia and beyond. Below, you can check out what our current graduate students are studying to get a sense of our comprehensive department.

Temple’s philosophy faculty are internationally acclaimed in key philosophical areas that include aesthetics, ancient philosophy, ethics, early modern and Kant/post-Kantian European philosophy, epistemology, feminism, philosophy of language, philosophy of science and pragmatism. We have an especially rich history and continuing presence in the field of aesthetics - Monroe Beardsley and John Fisher were former faculty. Faculty members publish with leading journals and publishing houses, representing Temple nationally and abroad.

The Master of Arts in Philosophy is designed for students to begin advanced training in philosophy. If you attend the MA in Philosophy program at Temple, you might continue your education in our PhD program or attend one at another university. Some students are satisfied with completing an MA in Philosophy for personal enrichment or to teach in high schools or community colleges. If you finish an MA at Temple and decide to continue on to our PhD in Philosophy program, you must complete a separate application. A PhD is required to teach at the university level.

The PhD in Philosophy program at Temple provides students with a breadth of knowledge in Philosophy while emphasizing depth of knowledge in philosophical issues of interest. In addition to two years of course work (for incoming students with no credit transfers), PhD students submit two preliminary essays in their second and third years to gain experience in research, collegial cooperation and publishing strategies. PhD students usually teach courses under the guidance of the department’s Teaching Mentoring Program. We also encourage our PhD students to pursue Temple’s Teaching in Higher Education Certificate.

MA or PhD in Philosophy/Masters in Urban Bioethics Dual Degree

The Department of Philosophy and the Center for Bioethics, Urban Health, and Policy at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine introduce the first dual degree programs with a PhD or MA in Philosophy and a Masters in Urban Bioethics!

• Learn More about the MA or PhD in Philosophy/MA in Urban Bioethics

Academic Partnerships and Exchanges

We actively encourage—and facilitate—interdisciplinary scholarly work. The Philosophy Department and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple now offer dual degrees in Philosophy and Urban Bioethics designed to prepare students for practice, research and teaching in healthcare ethics and policy. We offer a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies in cooperation with the Women’s Studies Department and expanded course offerings through The Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium. MA and PhD in philosophy students may take graduate courses at the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University.

Graduate Teaching Prize

Each year, the Department of Philosophy at Temple awards a graduate student with the Graduate Student Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Undergraduate Mentoring. To be eligible for this prize, students must (a) have taught at least two semesters at Temple, and submit electronically (b) a teaching portfolio by May 20 to the Director of Graduate Studies. The teaching portfolio should include: a teaching statement, a summary of student evaluations for all classes taught at Temple, copies of all SFFs, sample syllabi, and other examples of teaching excellence and mentoring, such as assignments, class activities, examples of innovative teaching methods, etc. The prize committee will be available to offer feedback on teaching portfolios upon request.

Temple Graduate School Funding

At Temple, we believe that students from all walks of life should have access to an outstanding education. If you need help paying for graduate school, you aren’t alone. Most students receive some form of financial aid to fund their education. Graduate students are eligible for financial assistance from federal, state, private and university sources. Explore all available opportunities and apply early to make your education an affordable experience.

PhD students are awarded financial aid on academic merit. The department nominates our strongest candidates for Graduate School Fellowships, and offers a limited amount of TA-ships. Students from underrepresented groups may also be nominated for Future Faculty Fellowships. Due to limited resources, the department is not able to provide funding to all students, although the majority receive some funding eventually. University Fellowships, Graduate Assistantships and Academic Internships are ordinarily reserved for PhD students.

• Student Financial Services

Tuition and Fees

For more than 130 years, we have focused on providing a world-class education at an affordable price. Just compare Temple to other universities and see what we mean. Temple tuition rates vary by college or school, residency status, student level and more. Use the Temple Tuition Calculator to estimate your tuition rate.

Admissions Process

Please visit the Philosophy MA or Philosophy PhD admissions pages to learn more about graduate program requirements, dates and deadlines and instructions on how to apply.

Graduate Application Deadlines

• Jan. 15 for PhD applications (non US applicants should apply by December 15)
• March 1 for MA applications
• March 1 for MA/MAUB applications

Graduate Resources

• Additional Information about the Graduate Program in Philosophy
• Graduate School Funding
• Applying to Graduate School

Graduate Students

Our graduate students are an intricate part of the learning and teaching experience here in the Department of Philosophy. They conduct research, teach courses and work closely with various faculty members and students throughout the department. Visit our PhD Students page to learn more about our current students!