Graduate Student Handbook

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.

That said, the department will do all that it can to place students receiving degrees (see V.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 II.E.3 below), the student should choose as adviser the faculty member under whom they expect 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.)

In the cases of MA students pursuing the degree via the MA thesis (see III.B-C), after the student's MA thesis committee has been approved, the chair of that committee becomes the student's adviser; in the cases of MA students pursuing the degree via the Master’s Talk (see III.D), the instructor with whom they are registered for PHI 698 becomes the student’s adviser (unless, in either sort of case, some other arrangement is approved by the Graduate Studies Committee).

C. Registration and Course Load

1. All students enrolled in the PhD program must maintain continuous registration for each fall and spring semester, except for periods of official leave of absence (see V.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 (see the Philosophy Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program in the Graduate Bulletin). However, they are still considered registered students by the university and hence satisfy the registration requirement. Note that PHI 899, Doctoral Dissertation, is a load-factor course, and that just one credit of it is sufficient to satisfy the registration requirement (see II.E).

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 Graduate School 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 students in regular session ordinarily register for at least 12 credits per semester, except for holders of teaching assistantships (see I.C.3 below). MA students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credits per semester in order to be considered full-time. (These expectations do not apply to part-time students.) 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.

The Department offers a limited number of fellowships and teaching assistantships to graduate students, where priority is given to PhD students.

Teaching assistants and fellows must meet minimum courseload requirements (see Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships in the University’s Graduate Bulletin.)

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 within three years, i.e., six semesters. Students take the Comprehensive Examination the first time it is offered following the completion of their course work and the Topical Examination by the end of the first semester after they have passed the Comprehensive Examination (see II.E below).

All requirements for the doctoral degree will ideally be completed within 4-5 years, and 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 are normally expected to complete all distribution requirements and course work within one and a half years, i.e., three semesters. The capstone is normally completed by the end of the second year, i.e. fourth semester (see the Philosophy Master of Arts Degree Program in the Graduate Bulletin.)

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 V.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 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 expected to attend regularly and to participate in the discussion.

Notices of colloquia are regularly distributed via email, and also posted on the Departmental bulletin board outside Humanities 257.

A. Course Work Requirements

Please see the Philosophy Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program in the Graduate Bulletin for an overview of PhD requirements. For more details on specific requirements, see II.B-F below.

B. Logic Requirement

PhD 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; and the course syllabus should be included with the petition.

C. Foreign-Language/Research-Tool Requirement

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 a departmentally-approved examination, typically administered by the relevant language program at the University, 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 for this purpose 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 adviser 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.

D. Comprehensive Examination

1. All PhD students must take the comprehensive examination in the History of Philosophy. (The exam will be administered only to students admitted to the PhD program.) The exam will last three hours.

2. The examination will normally be given at the beginning of September. Any changes to the reading list on which the exam is based will be announced before the end of the preceding Spring semester. The list is not expected to undergo wholesale changes from year to year, however, and students may take the reading list 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 list on which the exam will be based.

3. Students are expected to take the examination, at the latest, the first time it is offered following the completion of their course work.

4. The chair of the Examinations Committee will arrange for the administration of the examination and will announce when it 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 examination.

5. The Examinations Committee is responsible for writing and giving the examination and for having it graded. It also maintains the reading list. Any questions about taking the examination 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. PhD students must receive a PhD-level Pass on the comprehensive examination in order to fulfill the program examination requirement.

7. Students who do not earn a Pass at the PhD-level may ask the Examinations Committee to have their exam assessed to see whether it is of satisfactory quality to earn an ‘MA-level Pass.’ If a PhD student has completed all requirements for the MA degree (see the Philosophy Master of Arts Degree Program in the Graduate Bulletin) other than the capstone PHI 698 (Master’s Talk), then either a PhD-level pass or an MA-level pass on the comprehensive exam is considered satisfactory (with the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee) to count the exam as equivalent to PHI 698 and so to fulfill all program requirements for the MA degree.

8. A student who does not earn a PhD-level pass on the comprehensive examination will re-take the exam the next time it is offered to them. The student must pass the exam at the PhD-level on the second attempt in order to fulfill the program exam requirement.

E. Dissertation

1. In addition to fulfilling the other degree 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, they 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 UAlbany 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 examination. 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 their 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 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 successfully 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 Graduate School, see Policies Pertaining to the Doctoral Dissertation in the University's Graduate Bulletin.

F. 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:

1. 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.
2. Completion of University residence requirements (see the Resident Study Requirements in the University's Graduate Bulletin).
3. Satisfactory completion of the logic requirement and the foreign-language/research-tool requirement (see II.B-C above).
4. Satisfactory completion of the Comprehensive Examination (see II.D above).
5. Students who have been admitted to candidacy and are working on dissertations normally register for PHI 899 (Doctoral Dissertation); and only students who have been admitted to candidacy (fulfilling requirements 1-4 above) are permitted to register for PHI 899. 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.

As noted in I.C.4, the MA and PhD programs in Philosophy are distinct. Students admitted only to the MA program must apply for admission if they wish to enter the PhD program.

A. Requirements

Please see the Philosophy Master of Arts Degree Program in the Graduate Bulletin for an overview of MA requirements.

Students who were admitted prior to Fall 2023, can view the previous Philosophy Master of Arts degree requirements in the University’s 2022 Graduate Bulletin.

For more details on specific requirements, see III.B-D below.

B. MA Thesis

The points below (and in III.C) apply only to those students seeking an MA by writing a thesis:

1. Normally students register for PHI 699 (Master’s Thesis) 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 (see III.C).

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 Graduate School’s Dissertation and Thesis Information page.

3. The MA Thesis is expected to be between 12,000 and 15,000 words, although a shorter (or longer) thesis may be appropriate in particular cases; the Graduate Studies Committee will generally leave this up to the judgment of individual thesis advisors.

4. The final version of the thesis must be approved by all members of the student’s thesis committee (see III.C).

Information about the format of the final version may obtained from the University’s Office of Graduate Admissions and Policy (see General Regulations Governing the Master’s Thesis in the Graduate Bulletin).

C. 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 is expected to be) a full-time member of the UAlbany 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.

D. Master’s Talk

The points below apply only to those students seeking an MA through the PHI 698 capstone (Master’s Talk).

The Master’s Talk involves the substantial revision of a term paper (or equivalently substantial research project) that was previously completed (and evaluated) in a graduate seminar in Philosophy at UAlbany. Towards the end of the semester (or summer) in which PHI 698 is taken, the student will give a public presentation of this revised work.

Students will enroll for PHI 698 with an instructor who will oversee this process of revision and make arrangements for the associated public presentation. This instructor must be a full-time member of the Philosophy department, and ordinarily will be the faculty member to whom the original research project was submitted; alternative arrangements are subject to the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.

1. As noted in I.C.3 above, the Department offers a limited number of fellowships and teaching assistantships to graduate students, where priority is given to PhD students.

Teaching assistants and fellows are eligible for full or partial tuition waivers for which they must apply separately. They also must meet minimum courseload requirements (see Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships in the University’s Graduate Bulletin.)

2. Fellowships and teaching assistantships are normally assigned for one year at a time; it is not possible to guarantee renewal for the following year.

3. The Graduate Studies Committee (in conjunction with the Chair of the Department ) 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.

5. There are also other forms of aid available (see Types of Assistance in the University’s 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 IV.7 above.

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

The University regulations concerning leaves of absence can be found in Official Leave of Absence from a Graduate Program in the University's Graduate Bulletin.

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 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 Graduate School for action by the Graduate Academic Council.

C. Job Placement

Students planning to look for jobs should contact their advisers and the Chair of the Department’s Placement Committee by the conclusion of spring semester before their final academic year, i.e., at least one calendar year prior to concluding the PhD program.

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 ‘PhilJobs: 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.