Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Graduate School New Brunswick
 
About the University
Graduate Study at the University
Other Graduate Study at the University
Admission
Degree Programs Available
Financial Aid
Student Services
Academic Policies and Procedures
Degree Requirements
Programs, Faculty, and Courses
Course Information
Actuarial and Statistical Analysis
African Studies 016
Analytics: Discovery Informatics and Data Sciences
Anthropology 070
Applied Computing
Art History 082
Arts, Visual and Theater
Asian Studies 098
Atmospheric Science 107
Biochemistry 115
Bioenvironmental Engineering 116
Biomedical Engineering 125
Biotechnology 126
Biotechnology and Genomics
Business and Science 137
Cell and Developmental Biology 148
Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 155
Chemistry
Chemistry and Chemical Biology 160
Chinese 165
Cinema Studies 175
Civil and Environmental Engineering 180
Classics 190
Cognitive Science 185
College Teaching 186
College and University Leadership 187
Communication, Information and Library Studies 194
Communication Studies
Comparative Literature 195
Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering 199
Computer Science 198
Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies (CHAPS)
Curatorial Studies
Data Science (Statistics Track) 954
Drug Discovery and Development
East Asian Languages and Cultures 217
Ecology and Evolution 215
Economics 220
Education 300
Educational Psychology; Educational Theory, Policy, and Administration; Learning and Teaching
Electrical and Computer Engineering 332
Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences 340
Energy 335
Engineering Management
English, Literatures in (English 350, Composition Studies 352)
English as a Second Language 356, American Language Studies 357
Entomology 370
Environmental Change, Human Dimensions of 378
Environmental Sciences 375
Exposure Science
Financial Statistics and Risk Management 958
Food and Business Economics 395
Food Science 400
French 420
Genetic Counseling
Geography 450
Geological Sciences 460
Geospatial Information Science 455
Geospatial Information Systems
German 470
Global Agriculture
Global Sports Business 475
Graduate Student Professional Development 486
Higher Education 507
Historic Preservation
History 510
Horticulture and Turfgrass Science
Human Resource Management
Industrial Mathematics
Industrial Relations and Human Resources 545
Industrial and Systems Engineering 540
Information Technology
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program 554
Italian 560
Jewish Studies 563
Kinesiology and Applied Physiology 572
Labor and Employment Relations
Landscape Architecture 550
Latin American Studies
Library Studies
Linguistics 615
Literature and Language 617
Literatures in English
Management
Materials Science and Engineering 635
Mathematical Finance 643
Mathematics 640, 642, 644
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 650
Medical Device Design and Development
Medicinal Chemistry 663
Medieval Studies 667
Meteorology
Microbial Biology 682
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 681
Molecular Biophysics 696
Molecular Biosciences 695
Music
Music 700
Neuroscience 710
Nutritional Sciences 709
Oceanography 712
Packaging Engineering 731
Perceptual Science 714
Personal Care Science
Pharmaceutical Engineering
Pharmaceutical Science 720
Pharmaceuticals and Clinical Trials Management 725
Pharmacology, Cellular and Molecular 718
Pharmacy
Philosophy 730
Programs
Graduate Courses
Physics and Astronomy 750
Physiology and Integrative Biology 761
Planning and Public Policy 762
Plant Biology 765
Political Science 790
Psychology 830
Psychology, Applied and Professional
Public Health 832
Public Policy
Quality and Reliability Engineering
Quantitative Biomedicine 848
Quaternary Studies 855
Religion 840
Russian, Central and East European Studies 859
Science and Technology Management 885
Social Networking and Media
Social Work 910
Social Work: Administration, Policy and Planning, and Direct Practice
Sociology 920
Spanish 940
Statistics and Biostatistics 960
Sustainability
Theater Arts
Toxicology 963
United Nations and Global Policy Studies
Urban Environmental Analysis and Management
Urban Planning, City and Regional
User Experience Design (UXD)
Visual Arts
Women's and Gender Studies 988
Writing for Graduate Students 355
Research Centers and Institutes
Administration
Divisions of the University

Programs

Camden Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway
Catalogs
  Graduate School-New Brunswick 2017 Programs, Faculty, and Courses Philosophy 730 Programs  
Graduate School-New Brunswick

The faculty in philosophy offers a comprehensive program of doctoral studies covering the principal branches of the subject. The program ensures a breadth of knowledge before specialization. The curriculum, which provides a great deal of freedom in the later stages of study, is complemented by graduate-level courses in other disciplines at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Advanced students also often choose to take philosophy seminars at nearby universities (e.g., Princeton, New York University, Columbia, and CUNY Graduate Center), for which they receive credit at Rutgers as part of an exchange program. Normally, students are supported by fellowships during their first two years, completing all required coursework during that time.

The program's requirements may be divided into three types: (A) the course requirement, (B) steps necessary for advancement to candidacy, and (C) defense of the dissertation.

(A) The course requirement is met by taking 14 seminars (42 credits), each passed with a letter grade of at least a B and resulting in an overall average of at least a B+. Seminars are offered at two levels: 500 and 600. The 500-level seminars presuppose less knowledge of their subfield and usually cover a larger range of topics and require three or more shorter papers or tests. A final paper longer than 15 pages is not required; writing assignments will generally be considerably shorter than that. The 600-level seminars are more narrowly focused on a specific area of research and almost always require substantial research papers. The 14 seminars must include the following:

    1.  The proseminar, a seminar in the history of analytic philosophy taken in the fall of the first year of study. Its aims are (i) to provide the background needed to understand several important contemporary debates, (ii) to introduce a number of widely used conceptual tools and argumentative strategies, and (iii) to provide a seminar setting in which class discussion is guaranteed not to be dominated by more advanced graduate students and professors.
    2.  At least one 500-level seminar in each semester of the first year (in addition to the proseminar). All coursework for 500-level seminars must be completed by the end of the grading period (or earlier, if required by the instructor).
    3.  Two history seminars (typically, one premodern, one early modern).
    4.  One advanced logic course (e.g., philosophically useful logic, set theory).
    5.  One value theory course (normative ethics; metaethics; aesthetics; social, political, or legal philosophy; or applied issues in these fields).
    6.  Three seminars selected from three of the following subjects: (i) philosophy of mind, (ii) philosophy of language, (iii) metaphysics, (iv) epistemology, (v) one course in value theory, typically in a sub-area distinct from that taken to satisfy the value theory course, and (vi) philosophy of science.

In the year prior to actively seeking a job, students must take the dissertation seminar (a 3-credit seminar, taken Pass/No Credit). Its goals are (i) to promote facility in explaining the central ideas of one's research to nonspecialists, and (ii) to convey general departmental and university expectations about the style and structure of a dissertation. In addition to credits earned in coursework, students register for at least 24 credits of research in philosophy. A total of 72 credits of coursework and research is required for the Ph.D. 

(B) After successful completion of 14 seminars, the student forms a predissertation committee of five members, to be approved by the director of graduate studies. With the committee's guidance, the student selects a dissertation topic or project and can either write a review of literature relevant to that topic or a first chapter of the dissertation. After having also written a dissertation proposal, the student then meets with the committee for a proposal defense. Upon approval of the proposal by the committee, the student has advanced to candidacy.

(C) As the student begins work on the dissertation, the graduate director, in consultation with the student, appoints a dissertation director and committee. The dissertation is a substantial piece of research, usually a sustained, book-length treatment of a single issue; however, it may consist of a number of papers on related topics, together with an introduction that describes the ways in which the papers are interconnected or linked with broader problems. The dissertation must be successfully defended: all members of the committee must judge that, in terms of style, scholarship, and originality, it would merit publication.

Normally, the master of arts (M.A.) is not offered as a terminal degree. To obtain a master's degree, a student must complete at least 10 seminars satisfying the distribution requirements listed above, passed with a B or better. For students in the Ph.D. program, the literature review or proposal defense constitutes the comprehensive examination. In the rare case of a master's degree conferred as a terminal degree, this is replaced by a research paper in a chosen subfield.

Master's in Legal Philosophy

Applicants must have completed at least one year of law school and must either be enrolled in law school or have completed their juris doctor (J.D.) degree. An application should include (1) a letter by the student indicating why she or he is interested in the M.A.; (2) a transcript from the schools the applicant is attending or has attended; (3) one or more letters of reference that speak to the applicant's ability to do work in philosophy or legal theory; and (4) a writing sample that demonstrates the applicant's proficiency in philosophy or legal theory. Applicants need not take the GREs; the LSAT will suffice. International applicants should include a TOEFL score.

To be awarded the master's in legal philosophy a student must successfully complete 30 credits and write a thesis. Up to 8 of the 30 credits can be transferred from the applicant's law school. The law courses that would be counted toward the master's must be approved by the program director of the graduate program in philosophy. Over a two-semester period of study at Rutgers-New Brunswick, persons admitted would consult with the program director on a plan of study that consists of at least five philosophy courses (for a total of 15 or 16 credits) and a master's thesis jointly supervised by the program director and an appropriate faculty member in the philosophy program or at one of Rutgers Law School's locations. It is realistic to expect that diligent students would be able to complete the degree program in one year (and perhaps an additional summer to finish the thesis).

 
For additional information, contact RU-info at 732-932-info (4636) or colonelhenry.rutgers.edu.
Comments and corrections to: Campus Information Services.

© 2017 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved.
Catalogs Home